Crimson Vows: A Dark Mafia Romance

Chapter 35

Iguide the car off the highway, steering it to a secluded shoulder veiled by shadowed trees. With a flick of my wrist, I kill the engine.

Silence.

The tension in my shoulders begs for release. I step out, my legs welcoming the stretch after hours of relentless driving. My muscles protest, tight with strain. I roll my shoulders back, working out the kinks. The rural area around me is so foreign I might as well be on another planet. I can’t imagine what it must be like to grow up and live in a place so quiet.

I lean against the car, my breath fogging in the night air. Glancing over my shoulder through the dust-smeared window, I stare at them. Gia’s dark curls fan out across the makeshift pillow, her chest rising and falling with the steady rhythm of deep sleep. Beside her is Nico, his jaw unclenched in rest.

They trust me and believe in me in ways nobody has, and all I can do is think about how I might disappoint them. Vulnerable in their slumber, they look like children, not hardened warriors of the underworld we’re entangled in.

My thoughts drift to a memory I barely recognize because I haven’t thought of it in so long. The ocean, its roar constant, as the laughter of my younger self echoes in my head, mingling with my sister’s shouts as we race down the beach. Our small hands dig into the cool sand, building castles destined to be reclaimed by the sea. I squeeze my eyes shut—those joyful days are long-buried treasures.

Gia stirs slightly, a soft sigh escaping her lips. I barely remember when my parents, my sister, and I were a family, but the brief moments we had left a lasting impression on me. It planted a longing deep inside me.

The possibilities flicker before me. With every breath she takes, my resolve hardens. I want that chance of a family. We were so close. She opened her heart to me, and I was starting to picture our future together. And just as quickly as the idea of happiness was born, it was extinguished. She actually loves me, but somehow the dream of a family with her has never felt further away.

I watched my father give up on my mother when drugs took hold of her. I won’t give up on Gia. On us. On what we could have together. As loyal as I was to Vincent, I see now he was never loyal to me.

Despite the blood that courses through my veins, I was never family to them. Vincent made that abundantly clear when he made up his mind I was guilty without even speaking to me.

As much as I wish we had a chance out here, hiding from them, I know it’s only a matter of time before they find us. That is unless we somehow cease to exist. My stomach flips at the idea, but I know it’s something I may need to consider at some point. I was Vincent King’s consigliere, and with that comes a wealth of knowledge. If I’m willing to sell my soul to the feds, there is a chance I can negotiate witness protection for the three of us. The biggest problem I see with my plan is convincing Nico and Gia since most would rather be dead than be a rat in our world.

I let out a long breath as I stare at Nico and Gia and make a silent vow. I will never again let the Kings hurt a member of my family.