Ruined in Vows (Marchetti Family #3)

24. Allegra

Chapter 24

Allegra

W aiting on the couch patiently, I watch the clock on the wall, the minutes ticking by almost painfully slow. I can feel Mamma and Nico’s inquisitive stares on me, but I ignore them. Ocean decided to stay with Romeo today, much to Nico’s annoyance, and even invited Athena to join them. Let’s just hope my best friend keeps herself in check and doesn’t make any inappropriate comments about my brother. At least Marcia is with them, should any tension arise.

“Could you be more obvious?” My brother's voice, filled with amusement, breaks into my stare off with the clock.

Glancing over at him, I shoot him a glare. “We are running out of time. We leave Vegas in two days, and I need to get through to Dante before then.”

Pain flashes in his eyes. I know this whole thing with Dante has been hard on him too, so he understands my urgency. Whereas all I can think of is reminding Dante of who he is, Nico looks at the logistics and reality of the situation.

“Don’t you think I want that too? Christ, Leg, I want nothing more than to have my brother back. But he isn’t our Dante right now. And we don’t know if we will ever get that version of him back. There is a big possibility he will never remember us.” He voices my fears out loud, but I refuse to accept it.

Shaking my head, I state vehemently. “No. I won’t, or can’t believe that. I will do everything in my power to bring him back to us.”

Mamma reaches over, taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “We all will, honey. And of course we are here for you both. It just might be a long road to your happy ever after.”

The smile I flash at her is small but grateful. Because no matter how much I refuse to acknowledge the truth of the situation and bury my head in the sand, my brother is right. We might never get Dante back. It has crossed my mind several times but I just can’t bring myself to imagine that outcome. I won’t. It hurts too much.

“We also need to talk about Riccardo and what will happen going forward. He won’t break this contract, Allegra. Not now that he thinks that you are all in.” Nico brings up the elephant in the room.

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, I knew 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 my wife on 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.”