Page 56 of Beautiful Vows

As I replay his words, rage ignites in the pit of my stomach and rises, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth, but I remain defiant and quiet.

Since his father’s death, Ricardo’s ego is uncontrollable, and he exhibits traits of having a god complex. It is highly likely that he’ll make a mistake. And when he does, I’m going to make sure the de Luca’s are the most powerful family of all.

What he doesn’t know is that Cade isn’t only my older, gorgeous boyfriend. That he isn’t only an expert hacker, and can find people other people can't. But also Cade will burn the world down for me.

What he also doesn’t know is Dante will look for me. That my brother has a sixth sense about me, and me him. There's a chance he’s already on his way.

What he doesn’t know is that Lia is an expert shooter. My heart flips when I think about her. That I might not get the chance to tell her how much I want her. But I don't want her to come here, despite her perfect aim. I want to keep her and the babies safe.

I hear other footsteps around me, but I expected him to have allies.

Then there’s my father. Dominic de Luca. A man who can hurt his sons—but nobody else can. And when my father gets here, because he will, Ricardo Bianchi is going to regret the day he was born.

“I'll leave you to suffer a little longer first. I'll be back in a couple of hours to decide when to put you out of your misery.”

Chapter 19

Dante

Dad bursts into the apartment, a grave look etched on his face. “We’re going to rescue your brother.”

“You found him?” Cade asks with a hopeful tone.

“His whereabouts have been located.” My father turns on his heels. His eyes find Lia, who sits next to Cade, her head on his shoulder while he’s hunched over his computer.

The glow of the screens reflects in her eyes as she watches the screens as Cade scans through footage from the night of the raid at the club; including the horrific moment when Amara was nearly killed by a hit-and-run driver.

Lia’s brow furrows in concentration before she glances up. When her gaze meets my father’s, a small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. To my surprise, my father returned the smile. It’s the briefest of gestures, but the exchange sends an unnerving shiver down my spine. Nothing is ever this easy with my father.

“A helicopter is on the roof and ready to go,” he announces, as always, his voice carrying the weight of authority of a man who always gets what he wants. “I know where Rafe is.”

A collective intake of breath fills the tense air.

“How?” I ask, unable to mask the tremor in my voice as hope wages war with apprehension within me. “Is he alive?”

Dominic’s expression hardens, his jaw set in a rigid line. “My sources tell me a masked man dragged him into a black Range Rover. We know the man must have been in the club. It’s just working out who it is.”

“That’s what I’m looking through. The footage,” Lia tells him.

“Good.” He turns his steely gaze towards Cade, who now paces the floor, his fists clenched, his knuckles white from the stress of losing his lover. “Cade, you need to help her find out who the kidnapper is. Go through every person in the club. Start at the top, the other mafia men, including the Russian and Mexican men I played poker with. Then work your way down. Find out where that person is today. And tell me the moment you don’t know of someone’s whereabouts.”

The command hangs in the air, and for a moment, Cade seems lost, his silence broken only by the sound of his shallow breaths. But then life returns to his features, and he nods his head. A low grumble escaping his lips. “I know what to do.”

“But you haven’t been, Cade,” I counter, my voice sharp with seriousness. “You need to refocus and help us save Rafe.”

His shoulders sag as if the truth has finally settled upon them.

“We need to go,” Dominic interjects, his tone leaving no room for argument. He turns to me and says, “And I will be the one who kills him. Because nobody hurts my children.”

His words echo through the room with a finality that sends a chill down my spine. His gaze turns to Lia, his expression unreadable. “We all took a vow to die for our children,” he says, his voice softer now, yet no less resolute.

Lia visibly shakes, her body trembling, before she giving him a solemn nod of acknowledgment.

I catch Dominic’s gaze, and his eyes hold such an intense determination that they could destroy cities. I suspect he plans to do just that to Rafe’s captor. “And once we get him home, I’m going to renounce my leadership in your favor. I hope you’ll accept.”

The weight of his words hangs heavy in the air, and for a moment, I can only stare at him, struggling to process the implications. I exhale sharply. “You are? I thought you’d die before you renounced that.”

“I know everything you’ve done to get what you want. I would never renounce my position unless I thought the person was deserving of my place. You are.” He clears his throat. “But right now, we need to save your brother.”

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