The Vows He Must Keep

the threshold and laid her bags on the floor.

A quick scan of the barren downstairs space had her chest tight with emotion, so she distracted herself by opening shutters and windows, bringing light and much-needed fresh air into the stagnant dark rooms.

When she next looked at her watch, she was shocked to see that almost an hour had passed. She was covered in dust, sweat glistening on her brow, but something warm and precious hummed within her that felt suspiciously like relief.

It had never sat well with her to leave this beautiful house closed up and vacant. Her parents would have been happy to see it being taken care of, to see their daughter reconnecting with her roots in the home that held such precious memories.

She cleaned herself up as best she could and then set out for the hospital, to find out what exactly it was that Angelus Fiero simply had to tell her in person.

Two hours later she finally emerged from Angelus Fiero’s hospital bedside onto the street, her legs feeling as if they might give out at any moment. It turned out the man had a very pressing reason for bringing her here. One that involved a web of secrets and strategies that her brother himself had created. Once she was safely alone in the dark interior of the car, she fought the urge to give in to the hysteria and tears threatening to burst free from her chest as she processed everything the old man had revealed. But one fact shone out high above the others.

Her brother had survived.

Duarte was alive. He’d been recovering from severe brain trauma and was being kept in a secret location, but he was alive.

A thousand thoughts flew through her mind at once, but one drowned out all the others. She wished Valerio had been there with her for this. She wished she hadn’t been alone to take the hit of a bombshell of this magnitude.

She was hardly aware of the drive back to Casa Avelar. Her brain was stuck somewhere between numb shock and trying to analyse what the logical next step might be. But there was nothing logical about any of this. Nothing at all.

Stepping out of the car, she paused as she noticed that the lights in the villa were all blazing bright and a sleek black car was parked at the top of the driveway. She paused on the stone steps, her senses on high alert. The front door opened and she felt the tightness in her chest released on a heavy exhalation of breath.

Valerio.

His shoulders filled the doorway, the light grey material of his silk shirt making him seem ethereal, as if she could reach out to touch him and he might not even be there.

‘You didn’t answer my calls.’ His voice was low and effortlessly seductive, with just a little hesitance thrown in.

‘So you flew to Rio? You could have just left a message with my PA.’

She fought the shiver that ran down her spine as he held her in place with that intense gaze. The look in his eyes startled her. It was how she imagined she must have looked every day for the past week.

Miserable.

She needed to tell him what she’d just found out—that her brother was still alive and had been kept hidden somewhere in Brazil. But a part of her wanted to know why he was here, how he felt about her, before he knew about Duarte.

Had he missed her?

The look in his eyes was almost enough to tip her over the edge of control and send her melting into a puddle at his feet. Was it simply regret at the loss of the precious friendship he’d spoken of? She held back, schooling her features as much as possible. Once burned, twice shy might not apply to every situation, but that didn’t mean she should dive headfirst into this particular fire without thinking it through.

She crossed her arms and allowed the silence of the evening air to fall heavily between them. He moved first, taking a few steps down the gravel driveway with ease, showcasing long, powerful legs encased in worn designer denim. Of course he would look more delicious than ever, she groaned inwardly, imagining how awful she must look in comparison.

‘I spoke to Angelus Fiero.’ She tried to control the wavering of her voice, determined not to break down in front of him but desperately needing to unburden herself. ‘He told me that Duarte is alive.’

Valerio froze. ‘That’s impossible. I saw him die.’

Dani opened her bag and handed him the folded hospital document as she relayed the information she’d been given of Duarte’s injuries and rehabilitation in a facility deep in the rainforest.

For a long time Valerio just stared at the piece of paper in his hand.

‘I thought about what I would say for the entire flight here...’ He spoke softly, his hand moving for a moment as though he wanted to touch her but decided against it. ‘I didn’t plan on you telling me any of this. I’ll come with you. We will find him together.’

Dani nodded thankfully, letting the silence pulse between them before she spoke. ‘Valerio...why did you come if it wasn’t to hear what Fiero had to say?’

Valerio hesitated, then seemed to make a snap decision. ‘I came for you, Dani. I should have come sooner. I should have followed you the minute you left my yacht. I told myself I should be relieved that everything had changed, that you were free of needing me, but...’ He shook his head, looking away from her.

Dani felt something in her heart stretch—something that felt foolishly like hope blossoming. ‘You were scared,’ she said softly, a thrill of electricity shooting through her when he looked up and met her eyes.

‘I’m known for taking risks and following my instincts, even if it leads to trouble.’ He shook his head. ‘But the things I’ve done in the past...risking my safety and my wealth on crazy ventures... None of that scared me. I never truly valued my own life. I always saw myself as dispensable.’