Page 57 of Beautiful Vows

I nod at my father and turn to see Lia as she rises from the desk. “You’re staying here,” I tell her, my voice thick with unease as she glares at me. “I’m not taking any risks with your life.”

She slams her hands on her hips as her brow furrows. “I can shoot better than any man,” she argues, her tone leaving no room for debate.

“You’re pregnant with my babies. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I want to help,” she insists, her eyes flaring. “It might be the difference between life or death. You don’t know how many people the kidnapper has.”

“I don’t fucking care,” I growl, my frustration boiling over.

Lia remains unmoved, her chin jutting out in defiance. “I do. Accept it. I’m going.”

The fear of losing her overwhelms every logical thought that she is an expert assassin. But ... “I don’t want to lose you,” I breathe.

Her expression softens, and she reaches out, her fingers brushing against my cheek in a tender caress. “And I don’t want to lose you.”

Despite my father’s presence, I can’t resist the pull any longer. I surge forward, my hand tangling in her hair as I crash my mouth against hers, kissing her with a desperation that borders on feral. When we finally break apart, I’m breathing hard, my heart pounding in my chest.

“If anything happens to you, you won’t get to rest in peace,” I growl, the words laced with equal parts threat and promise. “I’ll come and dance on your bones every day.”

To my surprise, she smiles, her eyes sparkling with amusement but also affection. “I suspect that’ll happen alive or dead.”

A reluctant grin tugs at my lips. “You know it, wife.”

She holds my gaze, her expression resolute. “We’re doing this together.” It’s not a question, but a demand. Her eyes silently daring me to argue.

I open my mouth to protest, but the words die on my tongue. Instead, I give a curt nod of consent, knowing there’s no point in arguing when her mind is made up.

Dominic clears his throat, drawing our attention back to the matter at hand.

He acts like Lia and me kissing is something normal and says, “Later … Antonio, Romeo, and Mateo are in the helicopter, and I have a SWAT team already on their way to the target.” His tone, all business.

A flicker of confusion crosses my features. “Why only the Conti’s?”

His expression darkens, a shadow passing over his face. “Because I don’t trust the other families anymore.” The implication hangs heavy in the air, a silent acknowledgment of the betrayal that has infiltrated the Syndicate. “And anyone foolish enough to cross the de Luca family will burn in hell,” Father says.

The blades of the helicopter cut through the thick, humid air, creating a rhythmic thwapping noise that adds to the visible tension inside the cabin.

Across the aisle, Mateo sits ramrod straight, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the horizon. An evil smirk curls up his lips, his eyes gleaming with a predatory intensity that reveals how eager he is to get there. Every muscle in his body is tense, but he’s always like a tightly coiled spring, and ready to unleash his fury against anyone. This time, for the person who dared to harm our family.

His brother, Romeo, is the same.

The cabin is thick with tension, a potent mixture of anger and adrenaline crackles in the air like static electricity. Or more like a hand grenade, primed and ready to explode at the pull of the pin.

For me, hope builds with every passing second as we hurtle towards an unknown destiny.

Lia watches as my father leans in close to Antonio, his brow furrowed and jaw set in a rigid line as their heads lean together in hushed conversation.

Antonio finally nods in understanding.

Antonio was annoyed, to say the least, seeing Lia ready for combat when she got into the helicopter. But he knows what she’s been up to these past few months. Because, after a conversation I had with Lia, Antonio knows she’s a very capable killer.

But then, he’s the one who had her trained.

He’s the one who made her.

He’s the one who can hardly complain.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask Lia.

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