Page 20 of Beautiful Vows

Rafe paces back and forth, his brow furrows, his worry clear as Cade diligently works on his computer, trying to track Lia’s movements.

Cade’s fingers fly across the keyboard. “She went to a hotel before she called a cab to her apartment. She took the stairs where she wouldn’t be watched.” He sighs. “She was there for around ten minutes before she came out with a backpack and...”

Cade points at the camera. “That’s her. On a motorbike. She rode to Dominic’s house but changed her mind and then went to Antonio Conti’s home.”

My eyebrows furrow as I absorb the information. The pieces of the puzzle slowly come together, painting a picture of Lia’s intentions.

“And where is she now?” Rafe prompts, eager for any leads.

“I can’t find her. I’ve checked all the cameras around Antonio’s estate,” Cade says with a sigh.

“Nothing,” I mutter as a sense of unease settles in. My mind races, contemplating the possibilities of what might have transpired inside Antonio’s residence. “She’s inside Antonio’s house.”

Worry is visible on Rafe’s face. “She must be in the house. She went to kill him,” he states as the gravity of the situation sinks in.

“Hack into Antonio’s home security. We need to find her,” I say.

“I’ll try, but this is Antonio. His security is more unconventional than the other leaders.”

“Just try,” I say, and I watch his fingers navigate through the digital landscape as he attempts to breach the security measures protecting Antonio Conti’s domain.

I glance from Rafe to Cade, noting the worry etched across Rafe’s face. It’s clear that he’s deeply concerned with Lia’s well-being. But I’d be more worried if she had gone to Eduardo Gallo’s home first.

“She’ll be fine,” I say to Rafe, my voice filled with confidence.

“She will,” Cade replies. “I know her. She’s strong and clever.”

Rafe releases a frustrated sigh.

“Cade, she’s been shot, and she’s pregnant. She’s far from strong,” I say.

“Fuck, that’s Dad’s car leaving Antonio’s house,” Rafe says, pointing at the screen. “What time was that?”

Cade checks the time on a side panel. “One thirty, this morning.”

Rafe groans. “We need access to the cameras inside the house. We need to get her out of there.”

“Shit!” Cade responds, as he scans through every trick he’s got to get camera entry inside Antonio’s house. “I’m in. I’ve got access to Antonio’s internal security system so we can work out exactly where she is before we rescue her.”

He clicks through hundreds of screens and goes back in time until he stops at one and we watch Lia as she slides along a wall, gun in hand.

“Fuck!” I hiss.

We continue as she waits outside a room with her gun ready to take aim.

“And now we know she killed Giuseppe Rossi and probably Leonardo Bianchi,” I say. "We know what her plan was tonight."

“So she was at Antonio’s finishing the job,” Cade says. “But we just saw Dad leave a few hours later.”

My stomach drops.

“Fuck,” Rafe hisses, watching the screen as Antonio knocks the gun from her hand and beckons her into his office. “He took her.”

I swallow. “We have to help her.”

“Fuck!” I grunt.

“What if he’s killed her?” Rafe mutters.

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