Page 192 of Vows of a Mobster

She laughed like it was the funniest joke. “I would have. I wanted to.” Her gaze traveled back to the gun on the floor. It wouldn’t take her long and she’d go for it. “But you see, I told your stepdad that your dad was part of the mafia and my life was in danger because of the stupid things he was doing. So naturally, he assumed you were in danger too. He insisted we bring you along. It was the only way.”

I frowned. My dad wasn’t part of the mafia. He was a cop. “Oh, you didn’t know?”

I refused to bite, but I knew she’d tell me anyhow. My mother loved taunting and making people agonize. The silence kept stretching, the sound of Angelica’s gurgle and birds chirping coming through the open window the only noise around us.

“Your dad was the inside man for the Agosti bosses,” Mom just couldn’t resist wedging a knife into a wound. “First your husband’s predecessor and then the great Mateo Agosti.”

My head snapped to Mateo. He didn’t seem surprised. It didn’t really matter though. No matter what, Mateo had protected Emma and I from the moment he entered our lives.

Besides, there was nothing that would deter me from loving Mateo. Only he could do that. I would always love him, but if he ever hurt me, I would leave him. That brief moment when I thought he had a mistress made me realize that I would love him no matter what, but I wouldn’t have stayed with him and pretended it was okay.

“Nothing to say?” My mother edged me on.

“No, not really.” She’d never see me lose my shit and certainly not fall apart. “But it is good to know that I married someone my dad approved of.”

Two can play at this game, I thought wryly.

And that’s when she made her move. She barely moved in the direction of Angelica’s gun, Mateo’s arms came around me pulling me to the ground. Declan lowered to the ground too when a sniper’s bullet hit my mother.

The moment my mother was sprawled on the ground, Mateo stood up in one swift move and helped me up. I was still only wearing my panties and bra with my heels. Declan stood up too, his eyes roaming over my body as if checking for any injuries.

Mateo growled. Actually growled at him. “Declan,” he warned him, covering my ass with his hands.

“I’ll get her dress since I took it off,” Declan retorted dryly.

He handed my dress to Mateo, keeping his gaze averted. I quickly stepped into it, and Mateo zipped it behind me, placing a kiss onto my shoulder. He was tense and on edge.

“I’m sorry, Mateo,” I whispered low. “I didn’t-”

He cut me off. “This is my fault,” he snarled, keeping his voice low. “I brought Angelica to our doorstep. I should have warned you about your mother. And I’m the reason,” he paused, as if he was barely holding on to his cool, “he touched you. He tasted you and felt you.”

Angelica’s and my mother’s cry had both Mateo and me turning our attention.

“Now, you two crazy bitches,” Declan’s voice was cold and taunting. “Angelica, you can watch Mateo not give a shit about you, while I torture you. And you, Mrs. Williams,” the way he said my mother’s name sounded like a curse, “you can wait for your torturing sessions. You will learn firsthand what happens when someone fucks with our family. And guess what? Little Emma is my family. And that makes Brianna practically my sister.”

Despite the bullet wound, my mother glared at me with hate. “Sister, right!” she scoffed. “I bet her husband loves that kind of sibling love.”

Mateo was on my mother in a blink, and he didn’t hold back. His fingers gripped her slim neck and lifted her off the ground, shoving her roughly into an empty chair.

Ignoring them all, I rushed to the spot where I saw Angelica push the button earlier to slide open the wall. I frantically roamed my hands around it, till I found it. The moment the wall started shifting, I ran to the open space, knelt down, and reached out my arms to Emma and Marissa.

Emma threw herself at me, and I gripped her small body tight to me.

“I’m here,” I soothed her, although I felt shaken up from the events today. “Everything is fine now. We came to save you.”

I raised my eyes to Marissa, embarrassed at the notion of what just happened between Declan, my husband and myself. “Did she see?” She shook her head. “Did you?”

She swallowed hard and nodded. “She didn’t but I did. There is a vent hole in the wall that allows you to watch. I kept her turned away.”

“I’m so sorry, Mar,” I rasped.

“It’s not your fault,” she justified quickly. Her eyes searched behind me and I followed her eyes. Mateo and Declan were torturing Angelica and my mother. I didn’t give a shit but I ensured Emma couldn’t see. As if on instinct, her head was buried in my chest.

“Let’s get out of here,” I suggested. I didn’t want Emma to hear any of this. I stood up, with Emma in my arms and pulling Marissa with me. We headed for the door in rushed steps.

“Where are you going?” Mateo’s voice was right behind me and I spun around.

“Emma doesn’t need to hear this,” I told him calmly.