Page 6 of Vow of Hate

“So you don’t want to marry me?” I ask as hope fills my chest. This is good news… but then why is Dante here, in my bedroom, at night?

“No. I don’t want to marry you. I refuse to. My plan is much more exciting. Much more fun.”

Dread forms in my stomach. “What plan?”

“To take you as my own.”

I frown. “I don’t understand.”

“I won’t marry you. I won’t give Gabriel what he wants. But I will take you for myself. And I’ll do whatever I want to you. And it will piss Gabriel off. And that will be so much fun for me.”

He’s… going to take me. That realization hits me too slowly. By then, Dante starts coming closer. Finally, I get my arms to move and I raise my gun. He stops in place.

“I will shoot you,” I whisper. God, I wish I sounded more brave. Why do I have to sound so afraid all the time? Speak up, I was told. But it’s hard speaking up when you’ve always been shy.

He smirks. “If you were going to shoot me, you would have done it already.”

“I’m not like you. I don’t hurt people for fun. I don’t want to kill a person just… because.” Even though I speak the words, they all come out flimsy sounding. Breathless. My fear is palpable.

“I admire you’re sweetness. I guess I should be thanking it since it’s the only thing keeping me alive right now. Fascinating. You just became more interesting to me, Sienna Lanza. Before, you were just someone I was going to have fun with. Torture and then kill. But now… now I might keep you longer.”

“Don’t,” I say as he takes a step closer to me. “Don’t.” I keep the gun aimed at him. I may not be a good shot but surely I can shoot him from this distance. But then I’ll have blood on my hands and what will happen then? I can’t even imagine it.

His eyes flick to my open suitcase on the floor. “Were you going on a trip?” His eyes light up. “You were running, weren’t you? Did Gabriel tell you he wanted to marry me to you?”

I don’t say a word.

“I take it he did,” he says with a nod. “You were running. How interesting. I seemed to stop your plans, didn’t I?”

“Just go,” I whisper, sounding on the verge of tears. “Please. Just go.”

“Shoot me or don’t, Sienna. I’m curious to see what you’re going to do. You’re much more interesting than I thought you would be. Shoot me.”

“But then you would die.”

He tilts his head to the side. “And you care if I live or die?”

“No,” I breathe out. “I just don’t want someone’s life on my hands.”

“Fair enough. But I hate to break it to you, Sienna.” He takes another step in my direction. “I love taking someone’s life. It’s the most exhilarating thing in the world.”

In one fast motion, he lunges for me. Before I can fire my gun, he grabs my wrist and yanks on it hard enough for me to drop the weapon to the ground. I finally scream.

Dante casually picks the gun up right as my mom comes running into the room.

“What is –,” she stops when she sees Dante. Fortunately, she brought a gun with her. “What are you doing? Who are you?”

“Dante,” I gasp out.

Understanding fills my mother’s eyes. “Get out.” She aims her gun at him. “I will shoot you.”

“Your daughter was unable to. I doubt you’ll be able to shoot me either.”

She aims at the floor near his feet and pulls the trigger. Dante doesn’t even flinch. What kind of man doesn’t flinch from a gunshot? “Get out. I’m a good shot. I will kill you.”

“Or I’ll kill you. It’s your daughter I want. Not you.” And right before my eyes, Dante shoots my mother in the stomach. She instantly drops to her knees, clutching at her wound. Blood begins to seep out of her.

“Mom!” I scream.