Page 16 of Ruined in Vows

My brows furrow. “How come you are here?”

“Your papà’s orders. Get in the car, Allegra.” He jerks his head in that non-negotiable way.

Sighing, I remove my bag and climb inside. Dario glances at me through the mirror, smiling. “Hey, Dario.”

“Allegra. How was school?” he asks the same question every time he picks me up.

“Good.” I respond just as Dante slides in beside me, shutting the door behind him.

Dario puts the car in drive, pulling out in the next second. But I can’t focus on that. Not when Dante is so close, his body heat smothering me.

Glancing over at him, I find him engrossed in something on his cellphone, ignoring me. My shoulders sag. He really has no interest in me past me being an obligation, and clearly believes he has to take on the role of protector just because of who he is to my brother.

Annoyance slithers through me, but instead of letting it take hold, I unzip my bag, pulling out my e-reader. I probably shouldn’t be reading a smutty book when in this close proximityto the man I love, but fuck it. I need something to take my mind off his indifference to me.

Unlocking the screen, I relax back into my seat, clicking on the book I am currently reading. Getting lost in a particularly steamy sex scene, I don’t realize Dante is staring at me until he rips the device out of my hand.

“Hey,” I snap, glaring over at him.

“I asked you a question. You ignored me. I had to get your attention somehow.” His voice is cool, calm and fucking infuriating.

He glances down, his eyes roaming over my book. My cheeks heat in embarrassment, knowing exactly what he is seeing. “Give that back,” I demand.

His dark eyes snap to me, voice accusing when he rumbles out, “You read porn?”

Reaching over, I snatch my e-reader back, holding it to my chest protectively. “No. It’s a romance book.”

He laughs. “That’s porn and far too filthy for your innocent eyes. Delete it.”

It’s my turn to laugh. “No. You can’t tell me what to do Dante.”

His jaw clenches. “I fucking can. How do you think your papà will react if he finds out about the shit you read?”

Lifting my shoulders, I shrug. “He can’t stop me. I’m seventeen.”

His eyes hood, gaze raking over every inch of my face. He swallows, his voice guttural. “Yes you are.”

“Allegra?” The sound of Ocean's voice infiltrates my haze, piercing my memories and bringing me back to the now.

Slowly, I open my eyes, choosing to focus on my sister-in-law rather than the curious stares of the other people at the table. My cheeks heat in embarrassment that they all witnessed mymeltdown. Ocean smiles encouragingly, but I see the hint of pity she tries to hide.

Clearing my throat, I finally speak. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“Which dish was your favorite?” she prompts, but I get the feeling it's not what she really wanted to say.

“Oh.” I glance around at the dishes spread on the table. Enzo insisted on serving us a bit of everything. Steak. Chicken. Fish. Vegetables. Pasta. It was all delicious. “Umm, I loved the filet mignon in the garlic butter, so I guess that was my favorite.”

“It was really good,” she nods in agreement.

I smile my thanks before turning to my brother. “Nic, do you think it would be okay to visit the fountains? Mamma would really love to see them.” I hate asking but he has made it very clear that he is concerned about our safety. It feels like the right time to talk to him about this though. He is more relaxed now, though a little tension bubbles beneath the surface.

He exhales a long breath. I think he is going to reject my request, but he surprises me when he speaks. “Sure. I will have some of the guards take you. Matteo?” he calls and his second in command saunters over to the table. “Have five of our soldiers take Mamma, Allegra, and Athena to the fountains.” He turns to look at his wife. “Unless you want to go?”

Ocean shakes her head. “I’m tired and want to get back to our son.”

Nico nods, his gaze soft as he stares at his wife with love and awe. “Of course,Tesoro.” He turns back to Matteo. “I want five guards with them at all times. The rest can come with me.”

Chapter 12

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