Page 69 of Ruined in Vows

Nico inhales a calming breath, sighing. “Allegra is right. Sit down, Dante.”

Dante does as he is asked, taking the seat beside me once again and holding my hand.

“What are we going to do about this?” he asks, but I can't give him the answer he wants to hear.

“Nothing. I already agreed to it.” Dante tenses beside me. I stroke his hand, silently asking him to calm down. “It’s nocoincidence that he has asked for dinner. Think about it? After the fire last night, I believe he wants–”

“You think this is his way to ensure you are none the wiser?” Dante deduces, cutting me off.

Nico speaks before I get the chance to.

“Yes.” He looks at me. “There is no doubt in my mind he is going to be looking at you closely tonight, Leg. You just have to make sure you keep your poker face in place and don’t slip up.”

Glaring at the little faith he has in me, I say, “I know. Even though he believed I was in Miami, Riccardo was the same after I came home from Vegas. Asking questions without asking them. I have quickly realized; it is his modus operandi. But trust me when I say, I know how to handle him.” I assure them.

“I don’t like this,” Dante grumbles.

Smiling up at him, I squeeze his hand.

“Don’t underestimate me, Dante. I know exactly how to play Riccardo Romano.”

Chapter 42

Dante

Before our meeting with Nico ended, he informed me that the specialist doctor that he had employed to help me would be visiting tomorrow and doing his first consultation. Though I was grateful, I couldn’t bring myself to get my hopes up about my memories returning, considering it had been six months since I woke up and they hadn’t returned yet.

I could tell Allegra was hopeful. She had informed me that she had done extensive research into the best Neurologists in the country and Doctor Nabil Baddour and his team were at the top of their field.

Between the whole team and their methods of therapy for brain injuries, they had achieved things with patients that other doctors believed would be a miracle to accomplish. Allegra had high hopes for me under his supervision. I just hoped things worked out in the way both she and I wanted them to.

My gaze burned into myprincipessaas I track her every move around her bedroom. She is getting ready for her ‘date’ tonight and is trying to ignore me, but I know with certainty that it is getting harder with every moment that passes. I am proven right when she lets out an exasperated sigh and turns to face me.

“You know I don’t want to go to dinner with him, Dante. But I have no choice. We don’t need him getting suspicious. Like we agreed, it is no coincidence that he has asked to meet not even twenty-four hours after ‘Luca’s’ death.”

“I hate this,” I grumble.

Pain flashes across her beautiful face. My chest tightens, that she is in this position, that I am making things harder for her. Allegra exhales, erasing the distance between us and joining me on the bed. She cuddles into me.

“I hate this too. The man is a disgusting pig, and my time spent with him has been nothing but torturous. But we can’t afford to lose sight of why we are doing this now. I will do everything in my power to protect you. To protect us. And if that means dinner, then I will do it with a smile on my face.”

My eyes close, and I squeeze her into me. “You are the strongest woman I have ever met, angel.”

She chuckles, and when I feel her lift her chin, my eyes snap open, locking on her beautiful blues. “You are also strong, Dante. With all that you have been through, the confusion, the not knowing who you are. And still, you fight for yourself, for us, with every day that passes. I am in awe of you.” Her voice is earnest, and emotion tightens my throat.

Brushing my lips against hers, I say, “And I, you. I worship the very ground you walk on,principessa. You are mine as I am yours. And no one is going to change that. We are forever.” As if it is instinctual, I curl my little finger around hers in a pinky promise but get a different reaction than what I expected.

Allegra gasps, her eyes widening as she looks down at our joined fingers. “Dante,” she whispers.

I frown, confused, looking from our fingers back to her face. “What’s wrong?”

“It's our thing.” She squeezes my little finger with hers. “This. A pinky promise that could never be broken.” Her eyes areglassy, hope shining in them. “Did you…” she trails off, biting her bottom lip. “Did you remember something?”

I want to lie to her, tell her that I did, just to keep that look on her face. Nonetheless, I cannot lie to her. But… it was instinct, to link our fingers, so maybe subconsciously I did remember something. Maybe that’s a better way to put it and that way I am not lying. “It wasn’t so much remembering. It was just instinctive, joining our pinkies that way. I think it's trapped in my subconscious, just waiting to be released. I just need to find a way to do that.”

She beams at me, reaching up with her free hand and running a finger down my cheek. “Doctor Baddour is going to help with that. I have a really good feeling about it.”

Pulling my finger from hers, I flip her beneath me. Allegra squeals, her chest heaving as she stares up at me with hooded eyes. She licks her lips, and my restraint snaps.

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