Page 59 of My Solemn Vow

Valor:

You’re right on the selection. I’ll set something up with them. I want Kerrianne to have a chance to meet them first. Thank you.

Patrick isn’t big on responding to text messages, so I don’t expect to get one back. Which is fine because Kerrianne’s and Antonella’s footsteps are drawing nearer.

28

ANTONELLA

THE GUN RANGE

After a trip to visit Captain, Kerrianne leads me back through the house. She was so pleased I thought he was handsome and that I wasn’t afraid of him.

We find Valor in the kitchen, furiously typing something on his phone. But he’s quick to tuck it away, putting it out of sight and out of mind. His face lights up as he looks at Kerrianne.

“Antonella likes Captain and thinks he’s handsome.” Kerrianne yawns and looks up at Valor.

I’ve seen them together throughout the morning and early afternoon, but I can barely get over the family resemblance between them. It’s much stronger than I had noticed originally. It’s no wonder Berto was able to see it.

“Can I take a nap?” she asks in the cutest voice.

Kerrianne is beyond the normal age you’d anticipate a child wanting a nap, but Valor doesn’t argue with her, and I don’t question his parenting choices. He clearly knows his daughter, and I think I might have overstepped with talks of school.

Valor takes her upstairs for a nap. I love how glued together they are.

A sad longing for the absence of that feelingpains me.

I take my time to observe the living room as a distraction from the sharp sorrow at the loss of my own parents. The large fireplace has a few family pictures posted on each end, and I move closer to them.

The first must be last year’s Christmas photo as they’re all sporting festive clothing. Another of Kerrianne’s kindergarten graduation. Another of her and her pet tortoise, Captain. I’m guessing the day they brought him home, and the last one catches my eye. Valor is sitting in a recliner. His feet up, he’s leaning back, and a baby is curled up on his chest.

Tears prick at the corner of my eyes, and I blink them away. It’s the kind of photo a mother takes of her family. One where she’s seeing the beauty of their lives together, and knowing that Valor has raised her on his own for a long time... It’s possible his mother took it, but I don’t think she did.

“It’s from the night Holly died.” Valor’s voice is low and quiet behind me. “She took the photo before she went out to the Christmas market. I got a call from the pharmacy that the photos were done a few days later. We still can’t prove Berto and Gregorio killed her.”

I turn to face him; he’s standing almost directly behind me, but I didn’t even hear him come down the stairs, let alone get that close to me. “I’m so sorry for your loss. If I knew the answer, I would tell you.”

“Thank you.” His response is automatic. “I’m a little frustrated that you’d tell my daughter she’s going back to school on Wednesday. It’s given me the difficult task of hiring her a bodyguard before then.” He takes a step back from me and motions to the sofa.

I take a seat, and I assumed he’d take the recliner across from me, but instead, he sits down beside me.

His statement didn’t give me a lot to work with beyond drumming up a bland apology, so I try to add value to the conversation. “Well, we live in a bit of a different world. Thetruce is in full force, and I’m qualified to protect Kerrianne. I’ve no doubt I could keep her safe. However, it was a discussion that could have been had, you’re right.”

Whatever I said was wrong. Valor sets his mouth in a hard line and raises an eyebrow. “I know you pulled the gun on Berto, but point-blank is much easier than anything long range or with multiple assailants.”

I don’t know if he’s trying to be condescending, but it comes out that way.

I take the condescending tone and give it back to him. “Well, I know I’m just a little old Mafia wife now that I’ve been married off, but my skills lie far beyond making pasta. Which is it, Valor? Did you want the perfect and docile Mafia wife or not? Tell me which woman you want, and I’ll force myself to fit that mold even if it hurts, but I can tell you right now that I’m stronger than I look. I can protect Kerrianne, and Berto was afraid that I would shoot him because despite the hallway being close range... He knows I’m a better marksman than he is.”

Valor’s jaw clenches, the muscles twitching under his short beard. He rakes his eyes down my body slowly, in a calculating way, not in the lustful way like yesterday.

“Alright.” Valor pulls his phone out of his pocket and punches in his code before poking the screen a few more times. “Kerrianne’s asleep. Let’s get down to the range.”

“The range?” I shake my head at the absurdity of it.

“Yes?” Valor doesn’t seem as amused as I am, but he does nod. “I never gave you the tour. Let’s do some of that on the way down, I guess.”

I explored some of the upper level when I looked for Kerrianne’s bathroom, so escorted to see the rest is more formal.