Page 37 of Ruined in Vows

My chest tightens. I’ve been waiting for this conversation to happen but have been blissfully delusional while ignoring it. Honestly, my mind has been elsewhere, focused on more important things than my fiancé. I don’t want my brother to go to war with the Romanos, but I also don’t want to marry that pig, now that I know the love of my life is alive.

“I know,” I whisper thickly, “and I will address it as soon as we leave Vegas. For right now, all I can think about is Dante.”

“Fuck,” Nico bites out. My eyes snap to him. He scrubs a palm across his jaw, looking stressed. I hate that I am the source of his turmoil, but I can’t change who I love. “It will mean war with not only the Romanos but the rest of the commission, unless I can prove that somewhere, somehow, Riccardo is involved in this shit with the Russians. I have people looking into it as we speak. As soon as I saw Dante with my own eyes, Iknew in my gut Riccardo is somehow responsible. He is the only one that is set to gain anything from Dante being dead. I just have to find the proof and go to the commission with it. They won’t take his betrayal lightly. But it will save us from going to war with the other families.”

“Thank you, brother,” I tell him, heartfelt.

He shakes his head. “Don’t thank me yet. This is all subjective right now. I don’t know anything for sure. And until I do, we don’t know which way this is going to go.”

I quirk a smile at his honesty. For once, my brother isn’t sheltering me or keeping me in the dark. He is being honest, laying out everything on the off chance this doesn’t go our way.

Before I can say anything further, Nico’s phone dings. Fishing it out of his pocket, he glances at the screen, then looks at me. “He’s here.”

Butterflies swarm in my stomach at Dante’s impending arrival.

My reaction to him has never dulled from the moment I knew I was in love with him. I may have been young, but even then, I knew what I felt for Dante was more. It sounds corny, but I believe we are soul contracts, predestined before birth to be together. Transcendental souls that would find each other in any life or reincarnation.

Commotion from the door breaks me from my reverie. My heart kicks up to an unnatural speed when I spot Dante behind Alessio in the now open doorway. Matteo joins them, speaking in a low voice that I can’t hear, before nodding and allowing Dante to pass. He eyes Nico before his dark gaze lands on Mamma, then me. His tense body seems to relax when he looks at me and I feel the same. In a couple of long strides, he makes his way to the lounge area. The couch shifts when Mamma rises, allowing Dante to take a seat next to me.

“Thank you, ma’am, but you didn’t have to get up for me. I can sit over there.” He motions to the empty space beside Nico.

Mamma rolls her eyes. “How many times over the years have I told you to call me Val?”

Dante chuckles. “Well, that I don’t know, because I can’t remember.”

Mamma winces. “Sorry. That was inconsiderate of me.”

Dante shakes his head, taking a seat beside me as Mamma moves to sit by Nico. “No apology needed. It isn’t your fault.” His smile is genuine as he looks at her.

Nico clears his throat, drawing all our attention to him. “Dante,” he greets.

“Nico,” Dante responds.

I roll my eyes at the masculine energy rolling through the room.

“Did anything come back to you after our talk yesterday?” Nico gets right to the point and I don’t miss the hopefulness in his tone.

Dante shakes his head. “No. But I overheard mywifeon the phone.” My heart sinks at that one word.Wife.I don’t think I have ever hated the word more.

My inner self pouts. I should be the only woman to be called Dante’s wife.

“And?” Nico prompts.

“They are definitely hiding something.”

Hope builds inside me, and without thinking, I reach over, taking Dante’s hand. It's so natural to me, instinctual. It feels so right, our hands entwined together.

“Well, let’s see if I can jog your memories any further.” I look to my family. “Can you give us some privacy?”

Nico glowers but does as I ask, grumbling out, “We will be in the kitchen.”

I watch as they walk away before turning to Dante.

“Are you ready to hear more?” He nods. “Good. Let’s go back to when you finally admitted to your feelings for me.”

Chapter 25

Allegra

---