Page 86 of His Bride

“Thank God.”

“Listen. Caelian gave me a quick rundown of what’s going on. I know everything, G. And I don’t want you to do it. I don’t want you with that sleazeball Le Fonti. So, listen to Caelian. He’s got a good plan.”

I glare at the man next to me. He shoots me a smug grin, and I want to knock his teeth out, but I look back at the screen instead. “Where are you?”

“Baby Belucci,” Caelian starts, “remember, no details.”

Baby Belucci?

“Yeah, yeah. I know. G, I’m okay,” Cristiano assures me. “Really. Just trust him, okay?”

“On that note…” Caelian grabs the phone and disconnects.

“You took him?” I stare at Caelian. “And what the hell is that picture?”

“Your brother is safe,” he responds simply. “Like he said, I have a plan.”

I narrow my eyes. “Where’s my father, Caelian?”

“That’s a good question. See, he wasn’t home when my men stormed into your house. Our plan was to drug him and drag his ass out of there, but big old Papa Bear was nowhere to be found.”

“What? But he told me he was sick and asked me to represent him at the fundraiser as Aurelio’s plus-one.”

Caelian lifts a brow. “Of course, he did. He’s practically got you on Aurelio’s cock already.”

“Caelian!”

“Fine.” He holds up his hands. “I’ll admit, that was uncalled for.”

I'm about to retort with a clever comeback, but I stop myself and furrow my eyebrows, unsure of what just transpired. Did he…did he just apologize, Caelian style?

I shake my head lightly, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples. My mind is a maze right now. “You’ll start a war,” I murmur.

“Call me a Trojan Prince.”

“Caelian, I’m serious.”

He turns halfway in his seat, eyes locked on mine. “I made sure every guard, every household staff member thinks it’s Aurelio’s men who barged into your home and kidnapped Cristiano. And the photographic evidence will seem to come from him, too. Your father will get Polaroids of his son bound and gagged. Aurelio likes to use them as a calling card in his less-than-savory work.”

“I don’t like this, Caelian. It’s too risky.”

He takes my hand, and warmth flows through my bones. “You heard your brother. You have to trust me, and baby Belucci is a smart kid.”

“This is reckless. You can’t just come up with this half-assed plan, pretend-kidnap my brother, blame it on Aurelio, and then everything is well in the world again.”

“One step at a time, love. The most important thing now is that your brother is safe. You don’t have to go back to that fucker.”

“And my father?”

Caelian’s expression hardens. “Let him choose sides.”

“And if he chooses my side?”

“Our side,” he corrects. “Then I’ll try my best to hide the utter disdain I feel for the cretin…for as long as we both shall live.”

He reaches for my cheek, cups it, and something inside me lights up. His touch is magic, and it makes me hope for fairytale endings and happily-ever-afters. Each lingering caress sends shivers down my spine, and I lean into the warmth of his hand.

His gaze is unwavering, fierce but gentle all at once. He exudes a fearless courage that's both terrifying and reassuring.

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