Page 158 of Brutal Vows

He says, “Antivenom.”

“Am I supposed to know what that means?”

“I have a severe allergy to spider antivenom. I was bitten by a spider when I was ten years old. The bite was bad, painful and swollen. My mother took me to the hospital, and they gave me antivenom. I would’ve survived the bite just fine, but the antivenom almost killed me. I went into anaphylactic shock.”

“Why are you telling me that?”

“So both of us know something about the other that no oneelse does. So that you don’t feel like I have something to hold over you. And so you know I trust you with my life.”

His voice drops and his eyes shine. “Now ask me what the only thing was that saved me from dying of anaphylactic shock.”

My heart pounds painfully hard. I whisper, “Epinephrine.”

Holding my gaze, he nods.

I shut my eyes and bury my face in my hands.

Then his arms are around me, pulling me close. Into my ear, he says, “We should name the first baby Epi.”

My laugh is part sob. “That’s sick.”

He pretends to be serious. “You’re right. How about Nephrine? Epine? Rin?”

“Oh God. We’re both going to hell.”

“For sure. We’ll have front row seats.” His voice warms. “But we’ll be together.”

He drags me back to the center of the bed and holds me tightly, kissing me all over my face. I lie in his arms, enveloped by him and a huge sense of wonder at how strange the world is.

“So is that what your tattoo and nickname are about?”

“Aye. After I came home from the hospital, all the neighborhood kids started calling me Spider. It stuck. The tattoo is a reminder to let things be as they are. That sometimes struggling against what is can make things worse. And that the real danger is never what you think it is, so keep your eyes sharp and your mind open before you make a decision that could change your life. Because everything is connected, linked in a delicate chain, like the web of a spider.”

“Oh no,” I say, my voice cracking. “I’ll never be able to think your tattoo is dumb again.”

He chuckles. “Most people think it means I’ve spent time in prison, so having you only think it’s dumb is an upgrade.”

“I didn’t know spiderweb tattoos were symbolic for prison.”

“Traditionally, aye. But they can be symbolic for lots of things. A struggle you’ve had to overcome. Longing to break free from a trap. Time spent away from family.”

He adds sourly, “Or, in my case, a reminder that if I ever get bitten by a spider again, not to get the bloody antivenom.”

I start to laugh and can’t stop. I lie in his arms and dissolve into helpless laughter until my sides ache and my face feels as if it’s stuck.

When I’ve finally calmed down and am sighing, Quinn kisses the top of my head.

“Go to sleep now, lass. And no more bad dreams, understood? You never have to be afraid of anything again. You’ve got me to watch over you now. I’ll never let anything hurt you.”

I fall asleep with the image of a huge golden spider rocking me gently in its web as it stands vigilant lookout in the dark, ready to give a deadly bite to anything that threatens me.

In the morning, Gianni calls in a rage, demanding to know what I said to the other family heads to get them to postpone the vote for capo.

When I tell him sweetly that he’s forgotten I’m only a stupid, powerless woman, he hangs up on me.

Quinn shows remarkable restraint by not pouncing on me the moment I open my eyes. Instead, he suggests we go to his home so I can decide if I’d like to live there or move to the other side of the world and live in a hut so he can’t find me.

He’s trying to be funny, but I can tell how nervous he is about it.