Page 42 of Risky Vows

He comes immediately after, like he was ready, and waited one millisecond after I found my release to get his.

Our bodies tremble, slick with sweat, the scent of sex swirling around us.

I sigh while he dashes out of the bed, grabs a pair of lounge pants slung over a chair, and slips them on. "Amara."

I run my fingers through my hair, wiping it from my face. "Yes?"

He stares at me, standing in the middle of the room. "Why didn't you tell me your brother woke up from the coma?"

My heart stops. I pull myself into a sitting position, my limbs shaking for a different reason than moments prior.

Buckets of panic roll through me. Denial is futile. He’s discovered the truth, and I can't give him anything but what little I can offer. My side of the story. "How did you find out?"

He shrugs, his stance harsh. His jaw clenches. "Doesn't matter."

He's right. It doesn't. I let out a long sigh, willing my heart to slow so I can talk calmly. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you."

"Sure."

"To be honest… we didn't want you to know because my mom was scared that you or someone from your family would harm my brother, given our agreement for you to run their business. When he woke up, we wanted to give him time to find out what kind of life he was supposed to lead and if coming back to what he was doing was an option," I say, my eyes not leaving his.

His right eye twitches. When he's pissed off, he's very economical with his movements. I've learned that about him—and now, I'm the reason he's pissed off. "When did he wake up?"

"A month ago, he opened his eyes. He’s been recovering ever since."

He shakes his head slowly, disappointment oozing from him. "And you didn't once think to tell me."

Damn it. My stomach twists in knots. I've dealt with disappointment from my parents all my life. For a while, I was disappointed in myself. But to be on the receiving end of that energy from Massimo is a different beast. It's an assault on my very soul. "I thought about it, yes, but I was scared. I didn't want you to be mad at me," I say evenly, realizing how dumb I sound. How selfish.

"Because you knew hiding it was wrong."

I slip out of bed, naked, not bothering to pull the sheet with me. At this point, he's seen all my angles. All my sides. He knows me inside and out. And from the look on his face, he's not happy. "Massimo… I'm sorry."

I move toward him, but he steps back and lifts his hand in denial. He wants space from me, and I can't insist.

Anxiety wells inside me, my nerves overwhelmed. I sit on the edge of the bed, where we had sex and I declared my love for him not long ago. I grab the sheet and wrap it around me—now needing that extra layer of protection.

"Do you know what it means to me to hear it from a third party that your brother awoke from the coma and is planning a comeback while I was trying to recover some of your family's money? Makes me weak in the public eye. If you had told me, I could’ve done something about it."

"Like what? Killing him?" I ask prematurely while still processing his words. The idea he could have learned about Alonzo from a third party adds another level of contempt. No wonder he's so pissed. Damn it—I wish I’d told him. This is all my fault.

He walks in a small circle. "Do you think murder is the answer to all problems?"

"Sometimes it is. When you killed Ugo to avenge James and me."

"To avengeyou. Not James."

"Well, I'm thankful you avenged his death, too. He didn't deserve what he got," I say lightly, hoping to change the heavy tone of the conversation. Maybe Massimo will understand. He's mad now, but when he takes a breath, he'll realize I didn't mean to hurt him.

Massimo comes to a halt and tosses a look my way that could freeze cities. "Didn't he?"

I shift on the bed. Okay, so changing the tone of the conversation is out the window. "What do you mean?"

"James wasn't the sweet, average Joe you thought he was. He was a journalist, planning to write a story and tell everyone about your family."

His words stab the flag of deception in my heart. That can't be true. My chest suddenly feels heavy, weighed down. "What? Who told you that?"

"Your mom."

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