Page 69 of Bound in Promise

Sunday, October 6, shortly after sunrise

“He’s waiting for you. I’m working on ransacking his treasure room. It’ll look like a robbery.”

I stare at the final door between me and Angelo, rooted in place.

After this, Victoria and I are through. The threat will be gone. She’ll move on with her life and I’ll be forced to go on with mine.

I can’t lie and say I’m not relieved that Angelo didn’t touch my wife. Still, I’m beyond pissed that he even had the opportunity to try. I lashed out at Victoria as if this was all her fault.

Her fault I fell into a black hole of feelings.

Her fault I’m having a hard time accepting that this marriage is headed for divorce.

Her fault for making me fall in love with her.

That wasn’t the plan.

None of it was.

I put my shit on the line to protect her and allowed it to go too far. I fell victim to her beauty and the way her body clenched around mine. I obsessed over her moans and how she begged for more.

I imagined a life outside of this where we could live without my past haunting us.

I said I would never do something like this for a woman again. I’d sworn off love and commitment and promised myself I was only marrying an innocent girl for the sake of protecting her.

But things didn’t work out that way, and I don’t know what to do.

The not knowing is what’s pissing me off more with every passing second.

If I let her go, I’m never going to see her again. She will haunt the living shit out of me. I’m always going to be thinking about what Victoria is doing, whether she’s happy. If she’s found someone and is going to give herself to an undeserving fucker.

Someone like me.

But that’s a moot point, isn’t it? The woman told me she loved me, but I don’t know how long that will last. She’s young, she could change her mind. Internally, I shake my head. She may be young, but my wife isn’t stupid. How long am I going to keep using her age as a bullshit excuse for my own weakness?

“You got this?” Enzo pipes up from his place at my side. “Or do you want me?—”

“What’s the status of everyone else?” I press, keeping my focus centered on the brown oak door.

“Anyone that was anyone is worm food now,” he replies flatly. “We got ten minutes before we have to roll.”

“That’s all?”

Enzo grumbles under his breath, ever the impatient one.

Normally, I’d be on his side. Get in, take care of business, and get out. Fast.

However, I’d love to play with Angelo for a while. Even for one day, just to show him how serious I was about fucking with me.

“Do you want me to move him?” my friend finally asks, teeth clenched. “The sun’s up now, but if you want, I can?—”

“Too much work. I got it, brother. Thank you.” I slap his back and move for the door. I need to move quickly if I’m going to do what needs done before Victoria comes looking for me. I left her in the kitchen with some water and some crackers, the door guarded by one of Enzo’s men. “Keep my wife away.”

“I’ll try my best.”

I glimpse over my shoulder and meet his dark blue eyes. “Keep my wife away.”

He lifts a brow at my emphasis. He’s not stupid. He knows I have feelings for the woman. “I think we should let her have a swing at him.”