Page 73 of Forgotten Vows

Those people died because of me. Because I took Adriana from Gio. I thought I could have her and keep her safe at the same time. I was wrong.

But I'm going to make it right. I'm going to end Gio Santoro, and then Adriana and Matteo will finally be safe. Finally be free.

No matter what it costs me.

I find Adriana in Matteo's room, sitting on the floor beside his bed, her back against the wall. She's staring at nothing, her arms wrapped around her knees, and when I come in, she doesn't look at me. "He's still asleep," she says quietly. "He didn't even wake up when I came in."

"Good." I sit down beside her, close enough that our shoulders touch. "That's good, Adriana."

"Is it?" She finally looks at me, and the pain in her eyes makes my chest ache. "Because it doesn't feel good. It feels like I'm lying to him. Like I'm pretending everything is fine when people just died because of us."

"Not because of us. Because of Gio."

"It's the same thing." Her voice breaks. "Don't you see? As long as I'm with you, as long as we're together, people are going to get hurt. Innocent people who have nothing to do with any of this."

"Adriana—"

"I saw them, Lachlan. I saw the bodies. I saw the blood. And all I could think was that if we'd been sitting in that booth, if we'd been out there instead of in the bathroom?—"

"But we weren't." I pull her against me, and she doesn't resist. "We're alive. We're safe. And I'm going to make sure it stays that way."

"How?" She pulls back to look at me. "How are you going to do that? Gio isn't going to stop. He's never going to stop. He'll keep coming after us, keep hurting people, until?—"

She stops, but I know what she was going to say.Until one of us is dead.

"I have people working on it. We're going to find a way to end this."

"What does that mean?" Her eyes narrow. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." I stand up, holding out my hand to help her up. "Come on. You need to get some rest."

"Don't do that." She doesn't take my hand. "Don't shut me out. Don't keep secrets from me."

"I'm not keeping secrets. I just don't have all the information yet. When I do, I'll tell you. I promise."

She stares at me for a long moment, and I can see the doubt in her eyes. The fear that I'm lying to her, that I'm planning something she won't approve of. She's not wrong.

"Lachlan—"

"Please." I reach down, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. "Just trust me. Can you do that?"

She's quiet for so long I think she's going to refuse. Then she nods slowly. "Okay," she whispers. "But you have to promise me something."

"Anything."

"Promise me you won't do anything without telling me first. Promise me you won't make decisions about our lives without including me."

"Okay," I say quietly. "But you sleep in my bed tonight. After that, I want you close. I can't have you far away when you could be in my arms."

"I'd be just down the hall…"

"Too far." I press my face into her neck. "Please, Adri."

I can feel the moment she gives in. And for this, I'd do anything. I know it. For one more night with her, to hold her in my arms as I sleep, to wake up with her in the morning… anything at all. Even kill for it.

And I'm going to.

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