Page 39 of Heartless Vows

The door to the penthouse opens before we reach it.

Aurora falters as Nico Russo fills the doorframe.

“I didn’t know you were bringing company,” he scowls.

“I didn’t tell you I was, but this is a face-to-face issue, so here we are,” I say.

Even though I know he’s happily married to my sister, I still tighten my arm around Aurora when he gives her a once-over.

“Why are you standing in the doorway? If Giorgio is here, then—”

Serenity elbows her way past Nico and stops mid-sentence as she notices Aurora. Her brows rise and she tilts her head for a moment.

“Aurora? You were just a kid the last time I saw you! How are you? And why are you here with my brother?”

Without waiting for a response, she takes Aurora’s hand and pulls her away from me.

There areveryfew people I’d allow to come between me and my betrothed.

Serenity is one of them. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body and there’s no way I can make up for how I’ve failed her.

Even with the dark edge of menace emanating from Nico’s eyes, he watches my sister with the same emotions I feel budding in my chest for Aurora. With a sigh, he stops her from passing with a hand on her slightly rounded belly.

“You can recognize someone you haven’t seen since childhood, but you can’t remember the name of your bodyguard?”

Serenity sighs and pats his arm as she slips past.

“It’s not on purpose, I swear. Remembering and learning are two completely different things, especially during pregnancy, so blame it on the hellion you planted in my belly, not me.”

I chuckle and enjoy the flash of frustrated levity on Nico Russo’s face until he meets my stare and recalls why he asked me here.

He might have a lead on who’s behind the attacks on both our families.

Chapter 11

Aurora Achilles

I can’t speak pastthe lump of emotions in my throat, but Serenity senses my upheaval and offers me a glass of water. I take it and use it as an excuse to delay my response. She fills the silence.

“I think the last time I saw you was at that godawful wedding several years ago, the one where half a dozen people passed out from heat exhaustion and went to the emergency room because some dumbass planned an outdoor wedding in the middle of summer. I’m sure the open bar didn’t help, either.”

“Wait, I wasn’t the only one who fainted?”

“Oh no, you definitely weren’t. But youwerethe only one Giorgio caught and carried all the way across that humongous venue to the ambulance. I’ve never seen my brother run so fast in my entire life.”

“You’re quite the chatterbox today, aren’t you, Senny?” Giorgio says from behind me.

I miss Serenity’s response as he joins me at the counter, standing so close his arm brushes over mine.

“Confinement looks good on you, though.”

His teasing tone shocks me from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes, followed closely by envy and yearning.

Serenity ignores him by pointing her focus at me.

“So why are you here, and what made you come with my brother?”

“We’re getting married,” Giorgio answers for me.

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