Page 70 of Vow of Hate

“Sienna,” Gabriel says in a hard voice. “Why won’t you tell me where Dante kept you?”

“Because it doesn’t matter now. He let me go. I’m safe. You don’t need to go to war against him. You don’t need to die because of him. I’m not going to say.” And if I’m being honest, I don’t want Dante to die by Gabriel’s hand either.

“Just tell me,” he snaps.

“Careful,” my mom says. “Be nice to my daughter. She just went through something traumatic. You’re little war can wait.”

“My little war is what led to Sienna getting kidnapped in the first place. It can’t wait.”

Mom stands up, despite her struggle. “It can wait. I brought my daughter here to find safety. And I would appreciate it if you offered it to us and left my daughter alone. At least until she’s feeling better. Can’t you understand that? You’ll be a father in a few months. Learn to treat the people around you better.”

Gabriel stares at my mom for a long, hard moment, before he nods. “Fine. I’ll set you both up in a guest room. Sienna, get some rest. And then we’ll talk.”

“I’ll call Luciana,” Aurora offers. “She’ll want to see you.”

I sag into the couch. “Thank you.” I didn’t realize how much I missed my best friend until right in this moment.

As Aurora calls Luciana, I go into the guest room Gabriel has provided for me and lay down. Mom knocks at the door.

“Can I come in or do you want some privacy?”

“Mom, I’m fine. I know you’re worried. It’s why you’re hovering over me. But I’m fine. Really.” But even I can tell I’m lying and I know my mom knows it too.

Thankfully, she doesn’t push. “All right. I’ll give you some space. But I’m always here when you want to talk.”

“Thank you.” But there’s no way I can tell my mom everything I did with Dante. She would be horrified that I let him take my body. That it turned me on when he pressed a gun to my head. That I felt no remorse when I killed that cop or when Dante killed Edward for me. Nothing.

I only ever felt pleasure when Dante touched me. What does that say about the person I am? I’d rather not think too hard about that.

After my mom leaves, Aurora comes in to let me know she called Luciana and that she’s on her way over. “I figured you wanted to see your best friend.”

The thought of seeing Luciana again makes tears well up in my eyes. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” She hesitates in the doorway. “I know you went through a lot. You don’t have to tell me or Gabriel anything. Don’t let my husband intimidate you. Ok?”

“Ok,” I whisper after she gives me a soft smile.

“But I do have a question, Sienna. Is there a reason you don’t want to tell Gabriel about where Dante is?”

“Like I said. I don’t want him to get hurt.” It’s not a lie when I don’t specify which ‘him’ I’m talking about.

“Of course. I get it. We’ll keep you safe here for as long as you need. Gabriel won’t make you marry Dante now.”

I sit up in bed as a terrifying idea hits me. “Will he make me marry someone else?”

Aurora hesitates. “I’m not sure. I’ll try to talk some sense into him and make him leave you alone. You’ve been through enough. You shouldn’t be used in mafia men’s games. It’s not fair.”

“Thank you. For helping me.”

“It’s what women do in the world of the mafia.” She taps the door before closing it, giving me my space.

My body curls into a ball the moment I’m alone. A flare of arousal hits me. I want to be touched again. I want Dante to be the one to touch me again.

I push past the feelings between my legs. I can’t give in to it. I can’t act this way anymore. The things I did with Dante were in the past. I just don’t understand why he let me go.

That thought makes tears hit my eyes so suddenly, I gasp. And I can’t stop gasping. I clutch my hand to my chest, trying to breathe but it’s too hard. Everything is too hard.

This is how Luciana finds me when she opens the door. “Sienna?” She rushes to my side. “Are you ok? You look like you’re dying.”