Page 82 of Vow

“Why should I say something when you’ve been shouting at my son enough for all of us lately, Dante?”

Dante stiffened, and straightened on the spot. “Excuse me?”

“You heard what I said.”

Gio held his ground, and Andino was surprised. It wasn’t often that his father and the boss went head to head on something. Gio was happy in his place as Dante’s consigliere, and the two rarely argued.

That was changing, it seemed.

Andino didn’t need to wonder why, either. His father’s position was always clear where he was concerned: what Andino wanted, Gio also wanted. His loyalty to the family was never in question, but he, like Andino, knew that the family wasn’t just the wants of one man, but all the men. It couldn’t be just about Dante when there were other people in the equation, too.

“Do you expect me to be pleased with the fact Andino is still running around with that woman even after this agreement was made—”

“I think you can’t expect my son to be like you,” Gio returned, stopping his brother from saying anything more. “And you’re still expecting exactly that in a lot of ways. You expect him to be fine and faithful to a woman he didn’t choose and doesn’t love. You expect him to do what you were willing to do for Catrina—except he isn’t you, and I won’t be someone else who puts those expectations on him.”

“So, you’re fine with him having—”

Enough of this.

Andino could and would fight his own battles, but he really just wanted to move the hell on at the moment. “It’s over.”

Dante turned on him again, quiet for a passing second before he asked, “What is over?”

“Haven and I.”

Andino didn’t offer more because frankly, he didn’t think he needed to. What more needed to be said other than that? Oh, he sure as fuck didn’t actually mean it. He wasn’t anywhere near done with Haven. He loved her to the ends of the earth and back, even if that meant killing himself to finally have her.

But for now?

Well … for now, he needed to keep her as safe as he could. He needed to keep attention away from her.

That meant he needed to stay away.

Dante folded his arms over his chest, and replied, “I think you can understand my disbelief when you say that, Andi.”

“Sure, but the fact remains the same.”

“I don’t think it’s his choice when he says it’s over,” Lucian murmured from his seat. “The young woman made it quite clear where she stood.”

Dante glanced over his shoulder briefly at that statement, but quickly gave his attention to Andino once more. “Would you give me your word on that, then?”

“Is that what you need?”

“Andino, I refuse to clean up another mess for you if your only intention is to go ahead and make another one when my back is turned. You think I haven’t noticed that seems to be a common thing for you? Funny—we always said you were nothing like your father, but it seems we all had that backwards, didn’t we?”

Or maybe he just finally found something—someone—that he was willing to break all the rules for. Haven was worth that. She was worth everything.

Dante would understand, but not now. He would understand why Andino lied, and then lied again when it was all said and done because he too had a wife he loved. And sure, while his wife was considered appropriate for their life, that didn’t mean Dante wouldn’t have fought tooth and nail to have her if someone told him that he couldn’t have her.

That was the thing …

That was why his father had his back—Gio was being his dad, and not a made fucking man. It was why Lucian was quick to side with Andino when needed, too; he’d married an outsider himself. That was why his uncle would understand that when push came to shove, Andino was going to get what he wanted one way or the other; Dante loved his own wife enough to do anything for her, too.

Andino loved Haven.

Nothing else mattered.

“You have my word,” Andino lied. “No more problems.”