Page 58 of Vow

“See, I thought if I could get you away from your brothers for more than five minutes at a time, we might be able to work on this whole mess we’re in now,” Andino explained. “Yoga seemed like a good fit for you, all things considered. You listened, and so here we are. It’s a risk—you going with me, I mean—but is it one you’re willing to take?”

Siena’s hands tightened into fists at her side. “For John, yes.”

Of course.

Love was crazy like that.

Or so Andino was learning.

“I have to be careful,” Siena was quick to say.

Andino gave her a look. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“No, but—”

“Good, then let’s go.”

Siena didn’t move. “My brothers aren’t stupid either, Andino. And they’re not playing games anymore. Do you know they killed Ginevra’s mother when she tried to step in and help her daughter when it came to the marriage to you?”

Andino stiffened.

Siena barked out a laugh. “I guess you didn’t know that, huh?”

“No, but that explains a lot,” he replied.

“Like what?”

“Why she seemed so scared when she had to meet me.”

Siena glanced away from him. “She—and her sisters—are good girls. They’ve never really been involved in the mafia like the rest of us. My point is … well, you get the point, don’t you?”

“You have to be careful,” he said. “Yeah, I get it.”

“Good.” Siena frowned, and that sadness came back into her eyes even as she tried to hide it by looking away. “They’re never going to let me be with him now. Not after everything … and now, with our families working together. Well, what’s the point, Andino?”

He made a noncommittal noise. “The point, is that you never give up. Not until someone puts you in the ground, and at least then, you know the rest was worth it because you did all you could. Don’t you remember what I told you that night when your brothers showed up and took you away?”

Siena nodded. “Yeah.”

“What was it?”

“This isn’t forever.”

Damn right.

“Keep that in mind.” Andino waved a hand at the exit door down the corridor that led outside the building instead of to the yoga class. “Care to surprise John with me? I think he could use a smile. If so, let’s go. We’re running out of daylight.”

Siena didn’t need to be told again.

TEN

How was it even May?

Haven blinked at the calendar on her phone for a third time even though the date still hadn’t changed. It seemed like the entire month of April passed her by without any sort of warning, and here she was, in a whole new month.

“So, yes, another inspection,” the realtor said.

She finally looked away from her phone at that to give the man her attention. It was him mentioning the date that had put her in this goddamn daze in the first place. She simply meant to check her phone to see how long it had been since she started this process for the buyer who offered her well above the asking price for the club, and instead, got lost in wondering how an entire month passed her by.