Two men, One Vow

Chapter one

Angel's POV

“Can you do it or not? I’m about to text my lawyer so he can start the divorce proceedings.”

I simply stared at Larry, my husband, as he casually scrolled through his phone.

This was a crazy way to find out that my husband was gay and attracted to Matteo instead of me. After everything we had shared, all the years I had spent believing I knew the man I married, this was how I was finding out.

“I don’t know,” I finally responded.

Larry immediately stood up from his seat, his expression hardening. His huge, tall frame blocked the light from illuminating my topless chest.

“Your stepfather is getting out of prison next week. Do whatever you want with that information.”

He walked out without another word, leaving me staring blankly into nothingness.

My stepfather.

Larry knew the divorce wasn't enough to manipulate me, so he had mentioned my biggest fear. The mere thought of that man returning was enough to send my mind into an emotional riot.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. Memories I had spent years burying came rushing back, one after another. His voice, his face. The things he had done.

I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to push them away. I couldn't fall apart. Not now.

Then, as quickly as they came, I forced the memories aside. I rushed into the wardrobe and wore something sexy… a short red velvet gown that hugged my curves, paired with high heels. The dress revealed a decent amount of cleavage.

I slipped into the backseat of my Rolls-Royce, and the driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

“Where are we going, ma’am?”

“Royal Delicacies,” I replied. He nodded and pulled into the busy streets of New York. As the city blurred past the window, I leaned back against the seat, my fingers tightening around the edge of my dress.

My stepfather was getting out of prison…. the same prison Larry and I had worked so hard to put him in.

I knew he would come for me immediately and Larry was the only person who could handle him, just like he had before, when he beat him up while I watched. Even then, my stepfather had smiled with blood coating his teeth, swearing that he would make me end up just like my mother.

The memory alone sent a chill down my spine. I had spent years trying to convince myself that I was finally safe and now, that safety was slipping through my fingers.

The car finally parked, and I immediately alighted and hurried into the five-star restaurant. I spotted Matteo serving a customer, so I picked a seat and waited for him.

“Hello, ma’am. What may I serve you?” he asked with a smile, trying to sound professional.

“You. Go remove that apron and join me. Right away.”

My order caught him slightly off guard. He glanced around before quickly walking away. Less than a minute later, he returned.

“I’m here, ma’am.”

He sat down opposite my chair, and I immediately waved another waitress over.

“Don’t call me ma’am. We’ve been caught, by the way,” I said quietly.

His expression changed.

“What do you mean?”

The waitress arrived at our table before I could respond. Matteo quickly picked up the iPad and showed her what he wanted.

“And you, ma’am?” she asked, turning her attention to me. There was something in her eyes that made me uneasy.

“Just give me a smoothie,” I replied.

She nodded and walked away, making brief eye contact with Matteo before leaving. I leaned closer to him.

“My husband knows, and you’re going to be in trouble.” I swallowed hard. “Me too.”

Matteo stared at me, clearly confused.

“It’s a long story.”

“I don’t need to hear the story. Everybody knows Larry Browne. He’s a dangerous man.”

“You didn’t know that before you slept with his wife?” I frowned.

“You know I didn’t plan to, it just happened. What should I do now?”

I stared at him for a moment. I already knew exactly what had to happen, even though a part of me was terrified of saying it out loud. But I need to fulfill Larry's obsession for my safety.

“Well, there’s a solution, and I’m not asking you.”

His brows pulled together.

“If you know what’s best for you, you’ll listen to me.”

He stared at me, waiting for whatever insane idea I had come up with. I leaned closer and lowered my voice.

“Let’s get married.”

There was a very long pause, filled only by the chatter from other tables and the occasional clashing of cutlery and ceramic plates.

Matteo stared at me as though I had completely lost my mind.

“And how is that not jumping from the frying pan into the fire?” He leaned onto the table, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

“Well, I wouldn’t let you burn. Because I love you,” I said.

My feelings were genuine, but they were deeply tangled with survival and fear. That was the part I didn't know how to explain to him.

I loved Matteo.

But I was also afraid. Afraid of my stepfather. Afraid of what Larry might do. Afraid of what would happen if I faced everything alone. This could turn out good for me because I'll still have both of them.

And in the middle of all that fear, Matteo had become the one person I wanted in my bed.

He slowly leaned back into his seat and fell into deep thought, staring blankly into nothingness.

“I’ll let you think about it, but be quick… I’m doing this for us.” I grabbed my purse and stood up, then waved the waitress over.

“Put this on my tab.”

I looked at Matteo one last time. He was still sitting in the exact same position, lost in his thoughts.

“Bye.”

He didn’t respond. I left anyway.

My driver was smoking behind the car when I got outside. The moment he noticed me, he hurriedly tried to hide the cigarette behind his back.

“Can I have some of that?”

My request shocked him so much that he froze for a few seconds. Then, reluctantly, he handed me the cigarette.

I took it and puffed a few times, letting the smoke fill my lungs before the cigarette burned out.

For those few seconds, I just stood there, watching the smoke disappear into the evening.

I needed something… anything, to quiet the storm inside my head. I dropped the cigarette to the ground, stomped it out with my heel, and got into the car.

We were on the move almost immediately. I sat quietly in the backseat, my mind racing through everything that had happened in such a short period.

The unintentional night with Matteo. Larry catching me in the worst possible way and the realization that my nightmare was coming back into the city.

And now, the shocking truth that my husband was gay. Everything had changed so quickly that I barely knew which problem to deal with first.

But Larry held the key to everything. He would only give me the passcode if he got what he wanted.

I hated that I needed him. I hated even more that I might have to give him exactly what he wanted to protect myself at Matteo’s discomfort, I was clearly using him.

Yet, despite everything, I couldn’t deny what had happened with Matteo had been the best thing that had happened to me since we won the case against my stepfather.

For the first time in years, I had felt something other than fear. I had felt wanted and alive.

And worse than that, I couldn’t deny the truth I had been trying so hard to ignore.

I was falling in love with Matteo. The realization scared me more than I wanted to admit.

Because Matteo wasn't just a man I had slept with anymore. He had become someone I couldn't imagine losing or hurting.

Suddenly, my phone dinged. I pulled it out and opened the message from Matteo.

“I’m not interested. I’ll be leaving town tonight.”