Page 64 of Beautiful Vows

"You're not the boss of me." I glance over my shoulder and meet his gaze defiantly, refusing to back down. "And Rafe's life was on the line. I couldn't just stand back and do nothing."

Dante's jaw clenches, and for a moment, I think he's going to argue further, but Rafe murmurs something. His voice is too quiet to make out the words.

"Don't talk," I soothe, brushing my gentle lips over his. "Stay strong."

Dante drops his head against the back of my neck and I feel the anguish he feels at nearly losing his brother. "Sorry." He further tugs me until I am so close to him there is no distance between us and wraps the belt around the two of us, securing us as the blades cycle up to a deafening roar.

As the helicopter lifts off, I chance a glance at Romeo and Mateo Conti. They sit opposite me. Romeo's brow furrows. His eyes narrow as he regards me with curiosity.

Mateo, on the other hand, remains eerily still, his face an inscrutable mask that betrays no emotion whatsoever.

"So you are alive, and …" Romeo ventures, breaking the tense silence. "You're Aurelia Moretti."

It's not a question, but a statement of fact. I admire his directness.

"Yes," I reply, holding his gaze steady.

Romeo nods, as if confirming something he already knew. "Why did you come here? Revenge?"

I hesitate, weighing my words carefully. "Among other things."

Mateo remains silent. His piercing pale blue eyes bore into me with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine. There's something unnerving about his stillness, a secret power that puts me on edge. Then I remember what Milly told me and a shiver skates down my spine.

Despite what she said, there must be more to Mateo and Enzo's relationship. Have I just killed his lover's brother? If so, I just placed his lover, Lorenzo Bianchi, as the head of his family. And that will escalate his need for an arranged marriage.

Shit!

"What other things?" Romeo asks.

I don't want to pick a fight and prefer to downplay my role here. "My husbands."

"Husbands—" He leaves the word hanging in the air.

Antonio glances over his shoulder at me. I'm sure he is wondering what I'm going to do next.

I'd like to disappear and have these babies with no more drama in my life. Maybe I’ll live in my house in the Bahamas or maybe the quietness of Switzerland will be good.

"I need someone to be at the clinic to do a full body CT scan within the next half an hour," Dominic says into his phone. "Thank you," he says before hanging up and calling another number. "Hi Cade, Dominic here. We've got Rafe. He's alive."

I smile because I'm sure that conversation wouldn't have happened a few months ago.

I watch as Dominic makes yet another call. "Hi Milly, Dom here. How's Amara?" I smile, liking he cares about my sister, too. He laughs. Obviously, Milly tells him something funny. "You go on your date and I'll take her when I get back … And thanks Milly."

Romeo's jaw clenches and he looks like he's going to explode, but he stays staring ahead, like he never heard.

I smile because damn, my sister doesn't let the grass grow under her feet. A date already.

Dominic disconnects his call and turns to me and says, "Amara is pretending she can't remember the taste of ice-cream."

"Maybe she can't remember. The amnesia affects her short-term memory, doesn't it?" I reply.

"She knows where to find the bloody stuff, though."

I laugh. "Who is Milly on a date with?"

Dominic rolls his eyes and sighs. "Lorenzo Bianchi."

"What the fuck!" Mateo growls, but Romeo remains quiet, though his nostrils flare.

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