His Violent Vow, page 1
Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2023 Winter Sloane
ISBN: 978-0-3695-0845-4
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Lisa Petrocelli
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
HIS VIOLENT VOW
Mafia Lords, 3
Winter Sloane
Copyright © 2023
Chapter One
“Come on, Kat. Get out of the car and stop moping. Let’s not waste a single moment,” Eve insisted.
Katharine “Kat” Marino reluctantly allowed her best friend to tug her out of the red Porsche. God, but she hated her new car, both the brand and the color.
Her father called the Porsche her engagement present. Of course Eve and her other friends cast envious looks the first time she used it.
The car was her father’s way of buying her off, as if a vehicle could make up for his latest betrayal, one she would never be able to forgive him for. Goes to show how little he knows his own daughter, Kat thought. Unlike her father and the men who worked for the Don, Kat never liked adverting her wealth or her family name.
Her father often remarked that Kat took after her quiet and gentle-natured mother. A mother she had never known, because she died when Kat was three. It didn’t take long for Kat to figure out that her mother didn’t die from cancer. Death was commonplace when one was associated with the Marino Familia.
Privately, Kat always knew her father was disappointed he had a daughter and not a son. A son could learn the ropes of the family business and carry on the Marino family name. A daughter was only good for being used a bargaining chip to seal an alliance.
Eve had to literally drag her toward the club. She didn’t want to be here at all but Eve and her other friends took the trouble to arrange a last-minute celebration for Kat tonight.
Hellfire was a recently opened club in the city, hard to get into, according to Eve. Kat ought to be thankful, according to Eve, because she knew one of the bouncers.
Eve pulled her past a long line of unhappy people. The huge and inked bouncer at the front gave Eve’s scantily-clad body an approving nod. He barely gave Kat a second look, which was fine by her. Being Max Marino’s daughter taught her early in life that Kat preferred to be invisible.
They were soon allowed in. Loud electronic dance music assailed her ears. Eve and she had to push their way through a throng of people. Kat immediately became claustrophobic. She preferred hanging out in cafes reading or taking long solitary walks at the local park. Kat immediately wanted to turn tail and head home. Eve must’ve noticed the look of discomfort she wore, because she gave Kat’s hand a tug.
“Gina and Marie reserved a table for us. There they are,” Eve said.
The other two young woman waved them over from a corner table, one that had an unobstructed view of the dance floor. Still feeling overwhelmed, Kat took a seat.
She didn’t miss the muscle-bound man hovering a few feet from them. A familiar face. Gina or Marie’s bodyguard? The only reason Kat didn’t have her own shadow tonight was because Eve had someone miraculously convince her father that Kat would be safe among friends.
Her circle of friends was naturally composed of other young women who were daughters of her father’s most trusted allies. Kat wasn’t particularly bothered by that fact. Eve and the others might be a little reckless and didn’t share the same interests at times, but they possessed good and loyal hearts.
“Kat, it’s your last night on earth as a single woman. Lighten up a little, we’re here to have fun,” Gina pointed out.
Eve volunteered to get Kat and herself drinks, and to top off Marie and Gina’s glasses.
“I hear your husband-to-be is to die for,” Marie pointed out.
She had a dreamy look on her face. Kat disagreed with her. Angelo Vitale, the man her father arranged her to marry, was a monster among men.
He’d gone from her father’s most reviled enemy to her fiancé in a span of a few weeks. Kat had never even met the man or known what he looked like. Sure, she had the internet and social media at her fingertips but Kat found the less she knew of her future husband, the better.
When Kat first heard about the arrangement, she stormed into her father’s office. Despite her quiet personality, Kat was not a doormat. She raged and insisted she would never marry a stranger, one who boasted a kill count even higher than her father. In the end, her father silenced her with a haunted and miserable look. The last time she’d seen him look so defeated was at her mother’s funeral.
“Just do this for me, Princess,” he had said and she melted like butter on a hot day.
The old bastard knew which words to use to pierce her right in the heart. He had not called her Princess in a long time, which said plenty for his unbalanced state of mind.
“I’ll go see if Eve needs help,” Kat said.
Gina and Marie continued gushing over her husband-to-be, ignoring her completely. It seemed Angelo Vitale had worked hard to present a pristine image to the press.
Kat had heard her father curse the young Don’s name so often, she knew his good-boy image was nothing but a facade. Angelo Vitale had been personally responsible for putting plenty of good men six-feet under, men who were loyal to her father. Some of them had wives and children, people to look out for. She couldn’t even begin to imagine standing next to that monster in a church, wearing an expensive designer wedding dress, surrounded by an audience who knew their marriage was a complete farce. A quick bandage on a grievous wound created by her father.
Kat finally spotted Eve at the bar, unsurprised to see her flirting with the handsome bartender. Kat was about to offer to take Eve’s tray of drinks to their table, when she bumped into a stranger by accident.
“Sorry,” Kat blurted unthinkingly.
“There’s no need to apologize,” came a smooth and deep voice.
Kat looked up. It must be the effect of the lights or the loud music, but Kat was momentarily mesmerized by the gorgeous behemoth standing before her. He had short coal-black hair and sharp green eyes. He also had a well-muscled body under his well-tailored suit that must have cost a pretty penny.
Confidence and power radiated off him in waves. When he gazed at her, he didn’t seem to notice the swell of the crowd or anything else but her. Maybe it was all in her imagination but something felt off about him.
Kat didn’t exactly stand out. No one would describe her as beautiful. The only time men flocked to her was when they wanted an in with her father. As a result, Kat didn’t have much experience with dating. She often dreamed of an older gentleman sweeping her off her feet. Unlike young and inexperienced men her age, her ideal man would be rough and unapologetic with her.
This guy seemed to be in his early forties, practically twice her age and right up her alley. The smile he flashed her both unsettled and excited her at the same time. That was good, wasn’t it? Eve and others invited her to have a good time, to momentarily forget her troubles.
Kat had never been an outgoing type of girl, but this man made her think twice. All her life, she’d been a dutiful daughter. Gina once called her safe and predictable. The comment stung and Gina apologized profusely afterward but it held a kernel of truth.
It wouldn’t hurt to let loose for once, especially if tonight would be Kat’s last night to be single.
“Allow me to buy you a drink,” he said.
“Sure,” she said.
He led her to the bar, politely keeping his distance. Eve took her gaze off her conquest and gave her a grin and thumbs-up sign. The handsome stranger noticed their interaction and gave her a quizzical look.
“She’s a friend,” Kat said.
He found them two empty seats by the bar, as if by magic. Was Kat dreaming? Maybe in reality, Kat had taken one drink too many and was knocked out.
Perhaps she had conjured up this stranger in her mind out of sheer desperation. After all, Kat would be consigned to her irreversible fate. All she could hope for was that her future husband would treat her decently. That he might be a monster on the outside, but in the bedroom he’d be different. Kat let out a laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
Kat sobered up quickly. She didn’t want this man to think she was a little unhinged, even though she was clearly not in the best state of mind.
“Nothing, I want to forget about my personal problems tonight.”
“I can help with that,” he said, flashing her a devilish smile which sent her heart aflutter.
“I didn’t catch your name,” Kat said. “I’m Gina, by the way.”
Her friends used aliases when they hooked up with nameless men. Kat decided she would do the same. Gina was the first name that came to mind. Her friend would forgive her.
“It’s nice to meet you, Gina with no last name. I’m Cole,” he said, flashing her a mouthful of white teeth.
“Same here,” Kat said.
The bartender served their drinks. He ordered beer for both of them without asking her what she wanted. That was fine with her. Tonight, Kat didn’t want to be burdened with making decisions.
She took a sip, winced, then took another. Cole noticed her discomfort and asked, “You don’t like beer?”
“I don’t drink often,” Kat corrected.
She took one long pull and even Cole seemed impressed. When she finished her beer, she ordered another. The bartender set another one on her table.
“Are you sure you should be telling me that?” Cole asked, raising both his eyebrows.
She set her beer down and boldly placed her hand on his. Kat had been surprised to see black ink peek under his cufflinks. In fact, small and large black stars covered his entire left hand. Something tugged at the back of her mind, a vital detail but it must not be important.
“Cole, you’re the sort of man who can get any woman he wants in this club. Why did you choose me?” she asked.
“You’re direct. I like that,” Cole said.
He placed his other hand, also inked, over hers. Whoever Cole was, he was no businessman. Danger bells rang in her head but at that moment, Kat didn’t care.
Cole gazed upon her like he wanted to feast on her and she shivered in anticipation. “Don’t avoid my question,” Kat said.
“Why did I choose you?” Cole seemed to give it some thought. “The moment I saw you, I knew I had to have you. Does that answer satisfy your curiosity?”
“Just like that? You’re pretty arrogant,” she pointed out.
“Many have called me that,” Cole said.
“And let me guess, you’ve never corrected them?” she asked.
“What do you say, let’s get out of here?” Cole asked. She didn’t answer right away. “If you’re uncomfortable—”
“No,” Kat interrupted. “I want this. Want you.”
Wow. Kat was thankful for that one beer for giving her the courage to blurt out those embarrassing words. If Kat was sober, she would have died of embarrassment. Heck, Kat might have headed for the nearest exits and never looked back.
“Perfect, because I feel the same way.”
Cole stood up and paid for their drinks. Kat noticed he left a generous tip and silently approved. In her limited dating experience, cheapskates tended to be jerks.
Cole led her out of the club. He placed a hand on the square of her back, and Kat found she didn’t mind his touch at all.
She didn’t see her friends at their table and assumed they would enjoy the rest of the evening without her. Kat certainly intended to take their advice to heart tonight. She was going to waste away the night with Cole and momentarily forget she would be wed to a heartless killer the following evening.
Chapter Two
He couldn’t believe his luck. When he’d gotten word that his quarry would make an appearance with her friends in his new club, he decided he wanted to take a good look at her.
After all, he would be spending the rest of his life with Katherine “Kat” Marino until death do them part. As he guided her out of the club with his hand firmly on her slender back, he decided that her nickname Kat suited her more than Katherine.
When he first caught a glimpse of her, she didn’t leave him with the best impression. She looked like a fish out of water. A shy and fragile thing he could easily crush. Women like her wouldn’t survive long in his world. At least that’s what he initially thought.
When she flirted back with him, he unearthed a hidden side to her he had never expected. Underneath that innocent mask lurked a wild animal waiting to be unleashed. The thought of luring that part of her to the surface excited him.
Kat provided him with a certain challenge and he could certainly use one. All he ever did was work and clean up messes. He could use a break and Kat was distraction of the best kind.
“Finally, some fresh air,” Kat declared.
He stopped touching her and took two steps to fully appreciate her beauty. He had been with numerous and nameless women. None mesmerized him as much as Kat did. Another man would consider her pretty but not beautiful.
Unthinking, he reached out and tugged at the black band holding her thick brown curls in place. Kat opened her mouth, but no words came out as her dark chestnut-colored hair cascaded down her back. Loose, they fell to her waist. She widened her pretty brown eyes. Under the dirty streetlamp, they almost looked golden. Kat momentarily looked inhuman, a figment of his imagination. Would touching her and kissing her make her more real?
Where did these strange thoughts come from? He was usually a realist. Logic and ruthlessness dictated his actions. That was the only way he got ahead in this miserable world.
“Your hair looks better like this, loose and free,” he murmured. He considered his actions so far, then asked, “Am I scaring you?”
Kat scoffed. “It would take more to scare me off, Cole.”
For a moment, the name she used confused him. Then Angelo Vitale remembered that was the alias he’d given her. She decided to use a fake name as well, so he went along with her game. Come tomorrow, the truth would come out.
“Good. I knew there was steel in your spine.”
“Where’s your car?” Kat asked.
“This way. I parked it over on the next street,” Angelo answered.
“Wise move. My friend and I had a hard time finding parking earlier,” she said.
Where another woman might have bolted, Kat remained firmly by his side. Her boldness fascinated him. The women he’d been with in the past never stuck around too long. His mother once said that Angelo was born with an unnatural darkness in him, one that seemed to repel and frighten most people. So Kat either possessed little common sense or she didn’t care who she went home with tonight.
Of course, he had to remedy that reckless attitude sooner or later. He couldn’t have a wife who was eager to gamble with her safety and her life. What if another man approached her tonight? Would Kat have allowed him to take advantage of her? Angelo shook his head. He stopped in front of his vintage black Ferrari.
“I don’t know cars that well, but wow. That’s your ride?” Kat asked with a raise of her eyebrows.
He grinned and only opened the door for her.
“A gentleman to boot. You keep surprising at every turn, Cole,” she said.
Kat slipped in. Angelo got behind the wheel. Through his side mirror, he spotted one of his men getting in his car. Angelo might dislike the extra security but he knew it was a necessity in his line of work.
The previous Don of the Vitale Familia had been taken out by a hired shooter on a date he refused to take his usual bodyguards. The moment he let his guard down, his enemies closed in. Angelo would never make the same mistake his predecessor did. Kat suddenly looked hesitant as Angelo started the engine. He could tell by the way she fidgeted with the hem of her very short dress.
“Relax. It’s a short drive to my place. Don’t worry. I’m not a serial killer,” he assured her.
“Only a serial killer would say that,” she muttered under her breath. To his surprise, she slapped her cheeks. “Sorry, I don’t usually do this.”
“This?” he inquired politely.
“Hooking up with handsome, older strangers I know little about,” she answered. Kat gazed out the window.
“What made you change your mind tonight?” Angelo asked.
“It’s my last night to be free. Tomorrow, I’ll enter a cage.” She let out a rueful laugh. “It’s funny. I’ve kind of lived in a cage most of my life and yet I’m willingly entering a new prison.”
“What would possess you to do such a thing?”
“Loyalty.” She shook her head. “Sorry for ruining the mood. Let’s talk about other things.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Loyalty. Yes, that was one of the traits Angelo valued in his men. So Kat had agreed to their arrangement because of her father. How sweet of her.
Angelo stuck to mundane topics and in no time at all, they arrived at one of his apartments. He wasn’t foolish enough to bring her to his actual home. Tonight, she sought solace in a stranger’s arms and he didn’t intend to disappoint her.
