Crimson Vows: A Dark Mafia Romance

Chapter 33

The gravel crunches underfoot as I lean against the cool metal of Marco’s car. The distant hum of an 18-wheeler idling somewhere in the truck stop’s void creates a calming effect.

“He’s going to be okay,” Marco says, attempting to reassure me. I offer him a smile in return, not bothering to tell him I have no doubt that Nico will arrive here unharmed. That is not what my thoughts are consumed with right now. The things going through my head at this moment are more than I think Marco probably can handle at this point.

From the moment Marco told me that Dante was murdered, it’s all I have been able to think about. War. Before, I only wanted what I considered my fair piece—what was owed to me as a captain’s daughter. But everything has changed, and it’s all on Vincent and Amelia. They were the ones who had to push me to my breaking point, and now I want retribution. Now, because of what they have taken, I want everything they have. I’m still figuring out how, but I know I’ll puzzle this out. I’m Anthony Casaletto’s daughter, after all. When I have a clearer picture, I will share my plan with Marco and Nico, but I will carry this alone for now.

Headlights cut through the darkness, and Nico’s car rolls into view. “I told you,” Marco says, pushing off his car and waving at him. Nico parks and silences the car before the driver’s door creaks open, and he steps out, his broad shoulders casting long shadows on the ground. His eyes are red and bloodshot.

Marco pauses, looking at his broken friend. “I’m glad you made it.”

I move past Marco and close the distance between Nico and myself. My arms wrap around him, tight, my head buried against his chest. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper, the words muffled by his leather jacket.

He’s a statue for a moment, then his arms band around me, solid and warm. “I can’t believe they fucking killed him.”

“It’s all so crazy,” I agree, not letting go of him.

Nico pulls back just enough to look down at me. “He wanted us all to be safe, ya know?”

I nod as I separate myself from him, stepping back. “I know.”

“I was going to fucking kill them for this; I really was,” Nico says, a desperation in his voice. “But then I knew Marco was right. I need to be here to protect you. Dante would have wanted it that way.”

I take another step back, swallowing hard, annoyance gnawing at my gut. I turn to both men, my gaze unwavering. “Okay, that’s enough. You both have to stop this shit,” I command.

They look at each other in confusion before looking back at me.

“I’m not some fucking damsel you need to rescue. Jesus, have you both forgotten I was the one who saved your asses that night on the boat?” I snap.

The air carries the scent of diesel and dust as Nico’s gaze lingers on me. There’s a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Damn, Gia,” he says, the gruffness in his voice softened by admiration. “You’re right. I’m sorry. You’re definitely the strongest fucking woman I’ve ever met.”

Beside him, Marco nods, the faint glow from the truck stop’s neon sign catching the edges of his chiseled jaw. His eyes, pools of night, hold mine with an intensity that causes a flutter in the pit of my stomach. There’s an admiration in them that makes me feel even more powerful.

“Agreed,” Marco adds.

“Okay then, badass, what’s next?” Nico asks, the blanket of grief still obviously heavy on his shoulders.

I glance back and forth between them. “I’ve got enough cash to keep us off the grid for a while. It should give us time to figure out what to do next.”

Their eyes are on me, steady and waiting. “Let’s not waste any more time then,” Marco adds, his voice low and urgent. “I’ll feel much better when we get some miles between us and New York.”

I nod. “I agree. In the morning, we need to ditch this car for something clean and untraceable.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Nico says as he retrieves his bag from the back seat before tossing it into Marco’s car.

We climb into the car, and even though all I can think about is Dante and his sacrifice for us, I don’t say anything to the others. The time will come for all of them to get what they deserve for what they did to him. Right now is about surviving to fight another day.

“Hey, don’t you have a sister in Florida?” Marco asks, positioning himself behind the wheel. “She’d hide us, wouldn’t she?”

I see Nico’s muscles flex. “No,” he bites out, the word sharp and final. “She’s not part of this life. She has a family, and I won’t drag her into this.”

Marco’s eyes narrow, and a flicker of something crosses his face—annoyance or maybe disbelief? “Look, I get the need to protect your family, but we’re desperate.”

Nico’s voice is like stone. “No, you don’t get it. You don’t have a sibling. It’s just you. I won’t do that to her, period.”

I catch the slight twitch in Marco’s brow and the way his lips press into a thin line. It’s subtle and easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. But it’s there—the hint of pain, quickly masked. Something in Nico’s statement has set him on edge.

“Enough,” I say, my voice breaking through their silent standoff. “Nico’s right. His sister would likely be among the first places they would look for us.”

“So where do you suggest?” Marco asks with a tinge of annoyance. He’s perturbed that I took Nico’s side.

“I say we just drive for now. We head south and then decide,” I answer.

They silently agree. I breathe in sync with the rise and fall of the passing landscape, cool air seeping through a cracked window, tangling my hair. Whatever comes, we face it as one, each firm in our vow to one another.