Vow

prologue - taylor

The Bellagio was packed when I entered, but a path quickly formed in front of me as soon as people spared a glance at me. They almost ran out of my way, not wanting to catch any bad attention.

I didn't even need my security to clear a way for me, though they did walk close behind. People often thought stupid enough of themselves to assassinate me, but obviously it never worked. If they somehow got past my security, they never got past me. Most had stopped trying.

"Miss Swift." A snivelly voice caught my attention and I paused, the soft clicking of my Louboutin boots halting as I did so.

"Drew." I said in a lazy voice.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Get that worthless excuse of a human out of my casino." I finally turned my head - which was edged with sculpted waves of blonde hair - towards the man who had said my name. "Do you have my man Mr Accardi?"

"N-no."

"Then you shouldn't be here." I told him. "Consider this your one and only warning. Do not come back empty handed unless you want your insides to become outsides."

With a flick of my jewelry encrusted hand, I allowed Drew to get that man out. Pathetic. I sent him off to find one of my men who had vanished and he dared to come back alone? Normally I wouldn't give second chances, but I needed this man found dead or alive. I didn't have a preference.

"Ma'am." Drew was back before I'd crossed onto the main floor, and I nodded to hear what he had to say. "Your father is waiting for you in the VIP area."

"Of course he is." I sighed. Classic Scott Swift. I'd taken over his empire when he'd stepped down out of failure and it had been a rundown little nothing, and now I ran the biggest mafia gang in the city. In the world. Yet he still tried to push me around. 

Deciding to allow my father a few minutes of my time before I got to what I'd actually come here for, I changed course and headed to the VIP area. Security scrambled to let me through, and I mounted the stairs to come face to face with my father lounging on one of the couches like he owned the place. 

"What can I do for you?" I asked.

"You can sit." Scott patted the cushion next to him. I pressed my lips together.

"I have a lot to get to this evening." I told him. "Make it quick."

"Always working." He sighed, sitting forwards. "Alright. You need to get married."

"Excuse me?" I blinked at him and then laughed. "Father, I am far too busy to have time for meeting men right now. And even if I did, they never have good intentions. So no."

"Wait." He stopped me as I turned away. "Taylor, it's serious." The tone of his voice made me look back, and the expression on his face told me that my pride wasn't important here. Something was really wrong. "Look." Scott looked around, so I moved to sit next to him. "Taylor, it's getting messy out there. People don't trust each other, and you're known as kind of a lone wolf. We're losing business."

"I'm aware." I said sharply. That was a touchy subject; I didn't like losing anything.

"And..." Scott lowered his voice further. "There's a small group just outside of the city. The Kelce's; they rival you but they're not big enough to really do shit. Their youngest son left as soon as he found out they were mafia. He's just a normal person, and he's perfect. If you married him, it would make it seem like you put love over rivalry and it would bring us everything back and so much more."

"You want me to marry a normal guy who's sworn off the mafia from his family?" I asked, skeptical, but I knew he was right. If things kept up the way they were, I'd soon become nothing. 

"It would save everything."

God, marriage. I didn't want to get married. I didn't even want a boyfriend. But I knew Scott wouldn't be asking this of me unless it was needed, so I sighed and nodded.

"What's his name?" I asked.

"Travis."