Page 37 of Beautiful Vows

He takes a seat. “She was friends with yours. Your mother made mine promise that if you were ever brought into this world that she would make sure you were safe.”

“Safe?”

“You gain my protection.”

I narrow my eyes, confused. “How does that protect me?”

“Antonio didn’t like it, but my father agreed to my plan.”

I gasp. “Your spectacle in Mexico. That…”

He interrupts. “That was to let Gallo know I was married. It was to let the others know I wasn’t conforming to their idea of the Syndicate.”

“Why didn’t you let them know who I was?” I’ve often wondered when I’ve been in bed at night. Dante married me but then kept me a secret, despite knowing how powerful it makes him.

“I had to know who’d react to it and how. “

“The ones I killed, by any chance?”

“Yes. You must appreciate I couldn’t name you until that was sorted because once everyone knows you are Aurelia Moretti, we have more obstacles to take care of.” He smiles. “You proved yourself as a worthy leader. But I’ll deal with everyone from now on.”

I’m no longer the naïve girl whose life was taken from her. “I’m stronger than you realize.”

He laughs. “Don’t I know it?”

He stares for a moment and sighs. "But you've learned so much and you need to take a step back and process it."

My heart painfully slams against my chest. “My mother.” Swallowing back the lump that suddenly found its way into my throat, I blink back the water creeping into my eyes, refusing the cry. “I saw what she did.”

He stares at me, waiting.

“She…” I shake my head.

Dante bounds out of the chair and wraps his arms around me. “I know, and I'm sorry. I’m here for you. Just let me look after you.”

Overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions, and finally having someone to hold me, I crumble under the weight of my pain.

Tears stream down my face, and my body trembles with the intensity of the past few days. Dante keeps hold of me, enveloping me in a protective embrace.

"Shush, baby," he murmurs, his voice a gentle lullaby as he strokes my hair. "I'm here for you. I'm going to look after you."

I cling to him, my fingers clutching his shirt, seeking solace in his hold, and in the warmth of his embrace as he holds me tight and lets me sob before I ask, "How did you know I was here?"

Dante's eyes meet mine as he gently wipes away my tears. "Lia, every time you run, I'll search for you. Until you realize our connection runs deeper than the forces that conspire against us. Until you realize we're married forever and you're mine. Until you only run to me."

"You mean you asked Jove if he could track me?" That bloody fish is probably still swimming around the boat. I sigh, my body shaking against his.

Dante bursts out laughing, his chest rumbling against mine. "Antonio is the one who tracks you. If only you realized what that man has done for you, you may find it in your heart to forgive him."

"He let my mother die," I state, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes.

“She made the decision, not Antonio. Antonio never wanted it.”

Although his words resonate within me, he's no better than me. He is waiting for the moment to topple his father. "You know that your dad never wanted my mother dead?" I ask, watching his reaction closely.

"My personal problems with my father are bigger than that," he says, his jaw clenching.

"Things aren't always what they seem. I've just found out that the hard way," I say, squeezing his hand gently.

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