Crimson Vows: A Dark Mafia Romance

Chapter 3

“Come in,” Vincent says, and I push the heavy office door open, the well-oiled hinges silent against my force. My jaw feels cast from iron, every muscle taut with a resolve that thrums through my veins.

My cousin Vincent sits behind his desk, a fortress of dark wood and secrets, his attention buried in the laptop before him. When he looks up, our gazes lock.

“Hey, I was hoping maybe you had a moment and we could talk.”

“Of course. Sit,” he says, gesturing to the chair opposite him. “I could use a fucking break from this shit anyway.”

I consider asking what he might be referring to but decide against it. I came here to discuss Gia, and it’s best I keep the focus on that topic. I settle into the chair, spine rigid, the cool leather a stark contrast to the heat of the moment. My hands find their place on my thighs, fingertips pressing down, anchoring me. Air fills my lungs in a measured inhale.

Vincent reclines slightly, the creak of his chair cutting through the tense silence as he sways from side to side.

“So what’s going on?” Vincent inquires.

I clear my throat before I start. “It’s about Gia.” I watch Vincent closely for any flicker of emotion.

Vincent’s face remains impassive, a mask of control that only adds to my frustration. “What about her?” he replies, his tone neutral.

“She’s . . . frustrated.”

Vincent shakes his head. “With what? I would say we’ve treated her fairly well after what her father did.”

“Seriously? Her father was the one who betrayed you, not Gia. She saved all of us that night, and now she feels like she’s being shut out.”

“Nobody is shutting her out.” Vincent seems irritated now.

I clench my jaw, the tension coiling in my chest. “Look, I really appreciate you giving me her father’s piece of everything, but her loyalty should be repaid.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Why not let her take over for her father? You know she knows more about his shit than any of us.”

Vincent flashes me a shocked expression. “Are you suggesting that I make Gia Casaletto a captain?”

“No!” I exclaim, feeling the conversation starting to spiral out of my control. “Of course not.”

“Good, because that will happen over my dead body. I gave you Anthony’s businesses. Are you saying you can’t handle it? Are you saying I made a mistake?”

“I’m handling things just fine,” I reply, trying to keep my anger in check. “All I’m saying is maybe the least you could fucking do is put the word out that you support Gia running things in her dad’s place, under my supervision, of course. Anthony’s guys are shutting her out. It’s not right, and you know it.”

Vincent’s eyes narrow, a fleeting glint of something unreadable flickering in their depths. “I think you need to remember who you’re talking to,” he warns.

“I’m sorry; I’m not trying to antagonize you, but I’m asking you to consider what she has sacrificed for this family.”

Vincent scoffs, a bitter twist to his lips. “You’ve always been one of my most trusted friends.” The compliment lands, but it’s laced with caution, a prelude to the darker notes about to be played. “However, Gia harbors a lot of resentment toward me after how things ended between us.”

“Vincent,” I start, but he holds up a hand, silencing me.

“Just listen to me for a second. You need to be certain about this girl.” His even voice holds an undercurrent of urgency. “Gia, been through a lot, and while I appreciate her sacrifices for this family, I won’t be na?ve enough not to see she also presents a danger to us. She was pretty upset about the fact I chose Eva over her, and I don’t need some powder keg around here ready to go off.”

The chair’s leather groans under my tightening grip. My jaw sets, muscles straining against the words clawing up my throat. His arrogance astounds me, but I can’t say anything about it since he’s the boss. I swallow my words down, one bitter pill after another. Despite what Vincent thinks, she isn’t sitting at her house stewing that he chose to be with Eva and not her. She only wants what should be hers.

“I understand your concerns,” I reply evenly. “But I’m telling you Gia only wants a chance to prove herself. She wants a chance to earn, just like she used to do under her father. Honestly, it would be financially beneficial to have her—”

“Look, I’ll consider your request, okay?” he finally concedes, the words weighted with unspoken conditions.

I nod. It’s all I can do. “Thank you,” I say, my voice a low thrum in the charged air of the office. I inhale deeply, my chest expanding, and I know I should leave it at that, but I can’t seem to help myself. “But I’m really not asking much of you.”

“Excuse me?” Vincent growls.

I shake my head. “I mean, all I really need you to do is mention at the next captain’s meeting that Gia is operating under me now. I’ll take care of talking to Anthony’s men.”

Vincent shrugs. “Do you think I’m some sort of idiot? That I didn’t know what the fuck you were asking me to do?”

“I didn’t mean—”

“No, you’re not thinking. You’re letting your feelings for this woman cloud your judgment. Even if you think I don’t, I appreciate what Gia did for this family. At the end of the day, though, she’s still Anthony’s daughter. What if one day she decides her father was right and she made a mistake?”

“I’m telling you, she won’t,” I insist.

“Marco.” He huffs before he leans forward, his posture mirroring the intensity of his words. “I believe you believe that about her, but I need to think about the family first. If you and Gia end up making it down the aisle one day, my perspective may change, but for now, we proceed with caution when it comes to Gia Casaletto.”

“I understand.”

“Now...” Vincent continues, leaving our initial conversation behind. “There was another matter I wanted to discuss with you. I decided at the last minute to take Eva to Italy for a little getaway. I think she and I need some time to focus on us.”

I nod, surprised Vincent would consider leaving when the threat from other families is so high. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I ask, “How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t feel comfortable being gone super long with things still pretty tense around here. We were planning to keep it to ten days,” Vincent explains, his gaze softening slightly. “And I want you to know I’m relying on you to handle the operations and the decisions while I’m gone.”

“I won’t let you down,” I say, the words scraping against my throat. “When do you leave?”

“We leave Sunday.”

“As in four days from now? So soon?”

He nods. “Eva and I discussed it, and it seemed like the longer we wait, the more things would get in the way of us actually going.” Vincent rises, moving around the desk and to my side, his hand finding my shoulder. His touch is brief but laden with silent encouragement.

“Marco,” he says, and there’s a finality to it. It’s the period at the end of a sentence, the soft click of a door closing. “Keep your guard up,” he advises, the corners of his mouth twitching. “It’s hard to know who we can trust these days.”

“Always,” I reply, the promise etched deep in my voice.

His hand falls away, and he turns, moving toward the window. His mind is already clearly heavy with other concerns. I push myself up, my legs steady and strong. “Thank you,” I say firmly. “For trusting me with this.”

Vincent’s eyes stay fixed on a point outside the window as he replies, “If you need anything, reach out. Don’t try to handle something on your own that you shouldn’t.”

“Understood,” I reply.

I know I’m right about Gia, and maybe once I prove myself to Vincent, he’ll listen to me. Gia would be an asset to this family, not a liability. Vincent simply needs to realize he can trust my leadership and opinions.