Crimson Vows: A Dark Mafia Romance

Chapter 6

Sunlight seeps through the sheer curtains, casting lines of warmth across Gia’s bare skin. The weight of an arm draped across my chest grounds me to the present. Her steady breath feathers against my flesh. I blink slowly, exhaustion surrounding me from every side. The reality of last night sits with me, and I wonder if I imagined the moment Gia agreed to marry me. If I didn’t imagine it, does she regret it?

“I guess good morning is in order,” I murmur, my voice rough as she stirs next to me.

Gia lifts her head to look at me, taking in the stubble along my jaw before she lifts a finger to my dark hair, sweeping it off my forehead. This connection is like nothing I’ve ever felt. I wanted it, but it’s also so deep that it scares me a little. I would do anything for this woman.

What I let her do to me last night... a younger version of me would have killed a man for even suggesting I partake in an interaction like we had. I was completely submissive to her, and somehow, it ended up being the catalyst that made me feel closer to her than anyone else in my life.

“It looks like we broke one of the rules you mentioned,” I add, my lips curving into a teasing smile as I prop myself up on one elbow.

“And which rule is that?” she asks.

“No sleepovers,” I answer.

She grins back at me, and with a flicker in her eyes, she laughs before saying, “I don’t recall much sleeping.”

“Ah, I suppose you’re right,” I agree, my voice laced with amusement. My hand slides along her side, tracing the curve of her hip.

She gently pushes my hand away before sitting up and pulling the sheet to cover herself. “Besides, I guess that rule doesn’t really apply to fiancés.”

“So that did happen,” I reply.

Gia sighs. “I must be crazy because it did.”

“I mean, I think we’re both a little crazy, but I don’t think that’s why you agreed to marry me. I warned you that I’m irresistible,” I say with a smirk.

Gia stiffens, and suddenly, I can tell the lighthearted nature of our conversation has disappeared. “Yeah, well just so you know, I’m not about to repeat mistakes I’ve made in the past.”

My stomach sinks in response to her statement. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Vincent.” She spits out the name like it’s poison. “He treated me like some pawn in his strategy, not a person with feelings and dignity.” She wraps her arms around her torso as if shielding herself from the memories.

“Gia, Vincent...” I reach for Gia’s hands, making sure my touch is gentle. “I understand your pain. But believe me when I say his intentions... they were never to hurt you.”

“Are you really defending him? Intentions don’t mean shit when you’re on the receiving end of his callousness,” she retorts.

“Wait, I don’t understand,” I start with a puzzled look. “From what Vincent told me, you both agreed your engagement was a business arrangement. I get that how he ended things was disrespectful, but if that’s all it was to the two of you, why so much anger?”

“Seriously?” Gia scoffs. “Your cousin seemed to leave out the fact that he was the one that suggested we try to actually make it more than just business. I would have been fine if he had left it as that, but he pretended to care about me. He made me start to have feelings for him, only to humiliate me.”

My eyes widen as I take in her words, my grip tightening on the sheets. “Gia, I’m sorry. It’s fucked up that he did that, and I’m not trying to defend his actions. I’m just saying... I know he actually cared about you. It tore him up when he realized he had feelings for someone else.”

“When he realized?” she repeats, her mouth falling open in shock. “You mean the day after he fucked me? Yeah, say what you will, but Vincent is a piece of shit. He doesn’t care who he hurts, and Eva will figure that out for herself soon enough.”

“There is absolutely no excuse for his behavior, and Vincent has a number of flaws, but he also—”

“No!” she exclaims, her anger flaring. “There are no buts in this conversation. I was humiliated, used, and treated like I didn’t matter. When he asked me to that dinner with the other captains, he knew he had no intention of marrying me. Only a monster would deliberately hurt someone like he did.”

“That’s not fair. He was trying to avoid bloodshed that night. He thought if he managed to get your father at the dinner without suspecting what we knew, maybe there was a chance he could expose him in that setting and avoid a war breaking out. He had to do it that way to ensure he kept the other captains on his side.”

“You really fucking believe that? He didn’t need me there that night to get my father to show up,” Gia argues. “That piece of shit did what he did to me because he wanted to humiliate my father, and he used me to do it.”

I shake my head, her image of my cousin not matching the man I’ve grown up with. However, the more she spoke, the more I could see her side of the situation. “You’re right. He should have figured out another way.”

“How in the hell can you lie there and defend what he did in the slightest and then expect me to trust you? If you can’t see how fucked that entire situation was, why should I believe that you’re any different?” Her nostrils flare, but I can’t blame her for her distrust.

“I won’t ever hurt you, Gia.”

“He made the same claims, so sorry if I don’t jump back in line to have my heart shattered by another member of the King family. Don’t ask me to love you, Marco, because I can offer you my body, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to offer much more.”

The hurt flashes across my face before it disappears behind a mask of resolve. “Look at me,” I urge, cupping her face with roughened hands. “I am not Vincent. And I swear on my life, I won’t let him, or anyone else, ever make you feel this way again. I’m not asking you to trust me without actually earning it.”

It’s a promise that could be as lethal as it is loving. But as I stare into Gia’s unwavering eyes, a glimmer tells me she might actually be willing to give me a chance.

“Being vulnerable with another person isn’t easy for me,” I continue. “What you did for us that night on your father’s boat gained you my loyalty until my last breath.”

“A deeper loyalty than to your cousin?”

Her question causes a pang in my chest. I made an oath I would lay down my life for Vincent if the need ever arose, but the commitment I feel to Gia comes from a different place. Its source blossoms from hope for a future without so much pain.

“You will be my wife; there is no loyalty greater than that,” I assure her.

She shakes her head. “You know I’m not some savior, Marco. I never intended to kill Anthony that night. I was so sure I’d shot him high enough that he’d survive.”

“Whether you intended to kill him or not, you made a choice that night. You’re the bravest woman I have ever met.”

“Marco, I—” Her protest dies on her lips as I place a finger over them, silencing her.

“Let me finish,” I murmur, knowing I need to get it all out now, or I may never find a moment like this again. “More than anyone else, you know what it’s like in our world. My entire life has been about power, control, and the family. But when it comes to you, Gia, I want something different. I want more. I want to share my power with you, not control you. I understand that trusting me may not come easily, but I hope you let me prove myself to you because there is one thing I can promise you. I am loyal—to you.”

My dangerous declaration hangs in the air, a testament to a truth I never expected to voice. I let out a shaky breath, feeling every wall I’ve built tremble with the possibility of what I am offering her.

“Okay,” she says softly, unwilling to offer the same trust I am ready to give.

I bite my lip, uncomfortable with the level of truth I am already prepared to share with her, but I decide to push past it. “Can I tell you a secret?”

She nods.

“Jesus, this is so fucking embarrassing.”

“What is it?” she presses.

“I’ve never had a regular girlfriend or, honestly, any long-lasting relationship,” I admit.

“Wait, what?” She stiffens, and I can see disbelief gripping her. “That can’t be true.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve fucked plenty of women, but none of them were what I would consider an actual relationship. My uncle Edward always had expectations for me, so my time was never mine. I was pretty young when I lost my father, and I needed my uncle if I was going to survive, so everything I did was to earn his respect. The family always came first. A relationship wasn’t ever on my mind.”

“I guess that makes sense. It’s not like there are many examples of successful relationships in the life we were brought up in, either,” Gia replies.

“Maybe we don’t know each other well in the conventional sense, but I know you well enough to know you are not like anyone else. And fuck, after last night and what we shared—”

Laughter bubbles up from her chest— rich and unburdened. “It was just sex. I mean, it was really fucking great sex but still just sex.”

“Bullshit, you and I both know last night was not just sex.”

“Okay, fine. Yes, last night was...” She considers her words carefully. “It was special.”

“It was more than just special.”

She swallows hard. “You let me take charge in a way that a man like you doesn’t. There was definitely something about having someone who is always so strong and a leader hand me that authority over them that was pretty amazing.”

My thumb brushes over her knuckles, a simple gesture filled with meaning. “Even if you can’t see it yet, we’re connected. I could sense you needed that as much as I needed to be instructed.”

“Maybe,” she says in a soft voice. “Did you know you’re the first person I’ve been with since that night on the dock?” she confesses, the weight of the truth anchoring her to the spot.

“I didn’t.”

“Je-sus...” Her voice cracks, carrying the weight of her words. “It still doesn’t feel real. I fucking killed him. I killed my own father.”

“Hey...” My fingers tilt her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Look at me. I know it’s hard, but it took a lot of courage to make the choice you did.”

“Courage?” A bitter laugh escapes her. “Or desperation?”

“Both can be true,” I counter. “You’re strong, Gia. Stronger than you know, and you proved it that night. You’re a goddamn hero.”

Heated breaths mingle, and suddenly, my lips press hard against hers. I can feel her heart racing as her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer.

My hands roam over her back, and she arches into me. I find myself lost in the sensation, the connection that deepens with every shared breath.

We shift, lie down, bodies intertwined. We both exhale a heavy breath, sinking further into each other. She closes her eyes, and I can feel her body heavy with burdensome emotions. I press my lips against her forehead, and before we realize it’s happening, we drift off to sleep, the morning all around us, a safety in each other’s arms.