Page 81 of Crimson Vows

I replay the scene, the final moments unfolding again like gruesome tapestries. “I was there when Dante got home, waiting for him. He saw me and... nothing. No fight. He told me it was all him and begged me to tell you he is the only one you should punish. Then he added everyone else had nothing to do with it.”

“Everyone else?” Amelia leans forward, her voice sharp as a knife. “Who’s everyone else?”

“That’s what I asked him.” I can still see Dante’s back as he steps away from me, his shadow long and wavering against the wall. “He kept insisting that wasn’t what he meant to say and there was no one else. I kept getting closer and telling him that if he told me, you would maybe take it easier on him. Then suddenly, he’s at the balcony door, and he opens it.”

“Where did he think he was going to go?” she grunts as I replay the scene for her.

The memory of Dante’s hollow stare is vivid. “He looked me straight in the eyes and says it was all him. Only him. And then... he jumped.”

Amelia’s face is a mask of shock, her eyes wide and unbelieving. “What? No. Well, he was obviously trying to protect someone,” she breathes, the words barely a whisper.

“After he jumped, I went out on the balcony.” The chill of the night air lingers in my memory. “When I looked down, I saw one of Vincent’s men crouched next to the body. He was gone before I could get downstairs, though.”

“Who was it?” Her voice is sharp and demanding.

“Pretty sure it was the one Anthony shot,” I answer.

She gasps. “Nico.”

“Yeah, him,” I confirm. “I also went by Marco’s place. His drawers were empty.”

“Fuck! I bet that fucking bitch is with him.”

“I don’t think your cousin or his girlfriend will ever show their faces in this city again, and the man who shot your brother is dead,” I remind her.

Amelia shakes her head wildly. “No, you don’t know Gia. She has to be behind all of this, and I can’t risk a threat like her still being out there.” Amelia’s voice is stern, anger simmering beneath each word.

My words are laced with confusion. “There are three of them. They’re isolated and on the run. What risk can they possibly pose now?”

“It’s more complicated than you realize,” she starts. “I already told Alexei that while Vincent is recovering, I’m going to step in for him.”

“So they are certain he will pull through?” My question hangs in the air.

“He has to. I need him to be here,” she admits. “He’s going to be an uncle.”

The news doesn’t just hit me; it burrows into my chest, rooting itself deep. “You’re pregnant?”

Amelia nods, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Yes,” she says, a twisted laugh escaping her before she continues. “That’s where Alexei and I were when Vincent was shot. We had a doctor’s appointment to hear the heartbeat.” Her hand instinctively cradles her stomach as mixed emotions flicker across her face.

I sit back, stunned by the revelation. The emotions conflicting inside me are like an epic battle taking place. I love Alexei. He is going to be a father, and nothing could make me happier. But a part of me is jealous Amelia isn’t carrying my child. I push the dangerous thought out of my mind, guilt stinging my insides. “Vincent doesn’t know yet?” I ask, trying to wrap my head around the whirlwind of events.

“No,” she replies softly. “We were waiting to tell everyone until after the first trimester.”

“Congratulations,” I finally say, offering her a smile.

Amelia manages a weak smile in return. “Thank you,” she murmurs. “But that’s why I need you to find them. You have to bring the three of them to me so I can show the rest of the world what happens to anyone who even thinks about making a move against a King or an Ivanov.”

I sit quietly, processing it all. I look over at Amelia who is sitting rigid and strong, a fierce conviction in her eyes that comes out only when those she loves are threatened. “Alexei’s father won’t take kindly to his daughter-in-law stepping in to run a rival operation.”

“Maybe not,” she admits. “But this baby is a King and an Ivanov. It’s time that he stops looking at us as rivals. If we unite, we’ll be unstoppable in this city.”

She’s right. However, I doubt Alexei’s father will be willing to share the crown.

“So you’ll do it?” she asks. “You’ll find them and bring them back here?”

“Amelia, I . . .” Hesitation creeps in.

“Nikolai, I need you.” Her eyes are wide as she pleads. You’re the only one I trust to help me make this new empire strong enough for our child.” I don’t answer her. I don’t know what to say. How do I tell her that I can’t be around her anymore because every second I spend near her, I feel like I’m betraying one of the men I love most in this world?

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