The Vows He Must Keep (Mills & Boon Modern) (The Avelar Family Scandals, Book 1)

by Amanda Cinelli

  Another man might have missed the sudden flicker in Fiero’s pale blue eyes. He masked it well, subtly clearing his throat and pasting a grimace on his face.

  ‘You should direct your suspicions elsewhere,’ he said. ‘I’ve been a good friend to this family.’ He shook his head in a perfect show of grief, placing one hand on his chest, where a small gold cross lay over his tie. ‘I have information that the death certificate is to be issued at the start of next week. Quite unusual, considering they never recovered the body...did they?’

  Valerio felt his fists tighten, and nausea hit his stomach as memories threatened to overcome him. The old man knew something—he could tell by the way he narrowed his eyes, tapping lightly on his hat as he moved towards the door. There was no way to know if he was on the right track, but it was enough for him to place Fiero firmly back on the list of those possibly involved.

  He said goodbye to his newly reinstated suspect, closed the door and took in the violent tremor in his hands that had already begun to creep up his forearms at two words. The body. The memories were coming hard and fast. The sharp smell of gunpowder was in the air... Blood soaked the ground around his feet.

  He swore he could feel every pump of blood in his chest as he started walking, counting backwards from one hundred. He never knew when one of these bouts of dream-like panic would hit, and he’d long ago stopped trying to fight them off or cure them with whisky. Like his scars, he felt they were a permanent part of him.

  He reached the nearest bathroom quickly, slamming the door shut just as black spots swam in his vision and forced him to his knees.

  CHAPTER SIX

  DANI SANK BACK into the alcove under the steps up to Valerio’s impressive villa and cursed under her breath. Angelus Fiero had just disappeared into a sleek black car and driven off—which meant she’d likely missed her chance to talk to him. The rest of the board would still be inside, though. Likely being entertained by their prodigal playboy CEO.

  Adrenaline fuelling her, she barely waited for the door to be opened by a member of staff before moving quickly through the house, following the sound of raised voices. At a set of large double doors, she paused, pressing her ear against the wood.

  ‘I’m just saying the majority of our clients are male,’ someone was saying loudly. ‘They flock to us for the promise of the brand. The iconic image of two powerful, handsome playboys who never settle for less than the best.’

  ‘Duarte and Valerio were the dream team...’ A strong female voice sounded out above the others. ‘I can’t help but feel that Duarte’s sister’s talents are better kept...behind the curtain, you know?’

  ‘We can’t dispute the effectiveness of her marketing strategies—she’s had some great ideas,’ someone chided gently from further back in the room.

  ‘Yes, but what good are ideas in a company figurehead when she has all the charisma of a wet blanket. She’s boring,’ a male voice sneered, inciting a rumble of laughter that Dani felt pierce through the thin layer of bravado she’d arrived with.

  Any belief she’d held on to that only a small portion of the board wanted her gone instantly disappeared. She felt her cheeks heat, her heart rate speeding up in the uncomfortable way she knew all too well. Old scars burst open. Damn them for making her feel this way. Damn them for seeing her brother as perfect and her as a poor replacement.

  Someone cleared his throat behind her, making her almost jump out of her skin.

  ‘Eavesdropping, are we?’

  Valerio stood braced against a door frame on the other side of the hall—how long he’d been standing behind her was anyone’s guess.

  She straightened, rubbing her palms on the front of her trousers. ‘It’s impossible to eavesdrop on a meeting I am entitled to attend.’

  ‘I had the notification of the change in venue sent hours ago. It’s not my fault you’re late.’ He glowered down at her, the expression on his face strangely blank, his eyes unfocused.

  ‘Well, that “notification” was purposely kept from me.’ She moved to sidestep him, only to have him hold on to her elbow and gently manoeuvre her back.

  Something wasn’t right, she realised. He seemed on edge. There was a sheen of sweat on his brow and he was just a little paler than his usual olive tone. She stopped herself from enquiring, though, remembering how defensive he had been about his behaviour that morning.

  Her pulse skipped a little as she looked back towards the door, feeling dread creep in at the thought of walking in and facing those men and women after hearing what they really thought of her.

  Valerio tipped his head slightly, listening to the voices still perfectly audible through the door.

  ‘Daniela Avelar is not his usual type.’ A man laughed. ‘She’s frumpy and she frowns too much. No sex appeal, you know?’

  ‘He may be marrying her, but we need to make it clear that Marchesi alone as CEO is our best move forward,’ someone else said, inciting a loud murmur of assent from the others.

  Dani felt Valerio stiffen beside her, heard a shallow gust of breath leaving his lungs. Mortification threatened to overcome her, but she stood strong, plastering a smirk on her face as she turned to face him with a shrug.

  ‘They’ve been singing my praises, as you can hear. Clearly they adore me.’

  ‘Lose the sarcasm,’ he gritted out, bracing one large hand on the door frame. Tension filled his powerful body, as though he were suddenly poised for battle. ‘I’ll put an end to this. I won’t allow them to discuss you this way.’

  ‘You assume that I plan to just walk away?’ She raised one brow, stepping past him and inhaling a deep, fortifying breath. She disliked confrontation, but that didn’t mean she was incapable of fighting her own battles.

  Without warning, she slammed the door open and strode into the room, leaving Valerio momentarily frozen in the doorway behind her.

  ‘Someone forgot to invite the boring temporary CEO to lunch, it seems.’ She threw a glance around as she took a seat at the head of the table and folded her arms across her chest.

  Multiple pairs of eyes landed on her, widening. Some looked down at the remnants of their coffee, spread out on the dining table along with their files and spreadsheets.

  ‘I’d like to know who kept the change of venue from me.’ She spoke with calm assertion, narrowing her eyes as one of the men cleared his throat and sat forward.

  ‘Miss Avelar, there must be some mistake...’

  ‘There have been many mistakes made.’ Dani shook her head, pursing her lips. ‘Shall I begin listing them?’

  She slid a folder from her briefcase, opening up the file she’d prepared in advance the moment she’d realised a coup was in the works. She had evidence here to remove at least four board members for a variety of infractions that violated the company’s code of ethics. And as she read out her first statement, the room was completely silent.

  Footsteps sounded from the doorway. Daniela paused for a moment, watching as the man most of them truly wanted as their CEO finally entered the room. All eyes shifted to him, as if silently begging him to intervene, to stop this woman from tearing apart their plans.

  Dani swallowed hard as his eyes met hers across the room. The impressive expanse of his shoulders was showcased in a simple white shirt with an open collar. She felt a thoroughly inappropriate flash of lust and instantly chided herself. He had to know how impressive he looked, damn him. He wouldn’t look out of place on a Parisian runway. She knew that her larger frame would never be compared to a supermodel, but she certainly wasn’t frumpy.

  She waited a heartbeat as he silently took a seat at the opposite end of the table, but instead of cutting short her speech, he simply nodded and motioned for her to continue.

  A gruelling hour followed, during which four members of the board were put on temporary suspension and the table became filled with more tension than ever. Dani handed
out sheets advising some further steps she wished to take regarding the future management of their design branches and charity assets, but decided to leave the actual decision making to a future meeting. Slow and steady was sometimes the best course of action.

  Valerio had been reserved throughout the whole process, only answering when directly spoken to. A strange tension seemed to emanate from him, and every now and then she caught his eyes on her, burning with something dark and unrecognisable. Uncomfortable, she lost a little steam towards the end of her speech, and was almost relieved when he finally spoke up and commanded the room.

  ‘I’d like to address some of the comments I have overheard,’ he said. He spoke calmly, but with a gravelly hardness to his tone. ‘Firstly, our brand is based on experience, reliability and being ahead of the market—not on a room full of aging business execs who have an opinion on the sex appeal or charisma of those who lead it. Secondly, you will not pass further comment on the details of my relationship with my future wife or debate the reasoning for our marriage. She may be graceful enough not to retaliate against such nonsense, but I am not bound by the same brand of polite restraint.’

  Dani shivered as his eyes met hers for a split second.

  Exhausted, she was relieved when Valerio began to take charge of escorting the others out. She walked over to the large windows and caught sight of her reflection in the glass. Her trousers were wrinkled and her wild curls seemed to have grown even wilder than usual, but she didn’t care. She felt powerful after the surprising success of the afternoon, despite the awful comments she’d overheard.

  It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had spent so much of her energy trying to reduce her curves and bumps, trying to squeeze into waist-slimming corsets and spending hundreds of euros on having her thick Latina curls chemically straightened. She’d been obsessed with looking like the hordes of slimmer businesswomen with their designer suits and pin straight styling.

  After her failed almost-jaunt down the aisle and subsequent break-up with Kitt, something had clicked inside her and she’d started working to accept the body she had. The one she’d been born with. She was done with being shamed.

  Valerio returned to the room, closing the door behind him with purpose. Evidently the meeting was not entirely concluded. She sat down again.

  ‘That was very well done,’ he said sincerely, bracing his hands on the dining table. ‘But it makes what I’m about to say even more difficult.’

  She froze, taking in the darkness of his eyes, and felt trepidation churn in her gut.

  ‘I’ll be stepping back into my role as CEO of Velamar and I want you to take a step back. Maybe recommence your plans to start up your own firm.’

  Stunned, she met his eyes. ‘What the—’

  ‘I asked you to trust me.’ His voice was sincere. ‘I need you to take a step back from the spotlight for a while...until I have a few things in order.’

  ‘You mean you don’t want me leading the brand either? What a shocker.’ She fought the urge to slam her hand down on the table. ‘I will not allow you to put my brother’s legacy at risk with your own shallow prejudice.’

  ‘My prejudice?’ His brows knitted together. ‘They’re the ones with ridiculous closed ideas of sex appeal and whatever else. I defended you.’

  ‘You might as well have agreed with them. You’re doing exactly what they want—getting me out of the picture so they can start picking this company apart like a damn chicken bone. You can’t do this.’

  In one single sentence he’d washed away all her self-doubt and made her feel appreciated for her talent. And then he’d ruined it all by railroading over her authority and making decisions for her once again.

  ‘I can.’ He stood slowly, stalking towards her like a predator. ‘I am the only legal chief executive of this company. I appointed you as temporary CEO in my absence and I have the power to revoke that appointment.’

  ‘You. Bastard.’ She stood her ground even as he towered over her.

  ‘Perhaps.’ He shrugged. ‘But if you trusted me you’d believe me when I say I have my reasons.’

  He allowed his gaze to wander down her face...and further. She felt the heat of his eyes sweep along her chest and abdomen, right down to her toes. She took a step back, the urge overpowering her.

  ‘If you think I agree with any of the things they said about you and your...assets... Clearly you have no idea what the meaning of sex appeal is, either.’

  Her breath caught in her throat. Her mind was whirring, trying to find a clever retort to his words. He had to be trying to unnerve her, to make her leave. She felt hot shame rise within her, along with that damn pulse of awareness that refused to leave her every time he was in her vicinity. He was a beacon of sexual energy and, like a pathetic moth to his flame, she was completely unable to stay away.

  ‘I’ve just been informed that Duarte’s death will be certified in a matter of days,’ he said. ‘We don’t have time for this back and forth.’ He reached for the remnants of his coffee, downing the last of the liquid with a hiss of satisfaction. ‘I need our marriage taken care of and tied up legally before your inheritance is unlocked. We could be married in St Lucia by Monday morning if we leave tonight.’

  ‘St Lucia?’ She repeated the words slowly, her shoulders tensing as she began to prepare all the reasons why she couldn’t just up and disappear to the Caribbean without making plans for the business.

  Then she remembered he’d technically just fired her from the only job she currently had. She had no reason not to go.

  ‘I’m not your enemy, you know.’ He spoke softly.

  ‘I know.’ She sighed. ‘Right, I guess we’re eloping, then.’ She made a weak attempt at a smile. ‘We’ve got a new base being built there. I’ve been monitoring the building work remotely, via our management team on the ground, but I’d love the chance to go and do a walk-through.’

  ‘Should I be offended that your first thought is how to turn our romantic Caribbean wedding into a chance to get some work done?’ He seemed irritated, gathering papers from the table and then thrusting them back down with a huff of breath.

  ‘It’s not a wedding,’ she said quickly, frowning at his strange change in mood. ‘It’s an elopement. I don’t understand why you’re on edge—snapping as though you’re angry with me for all this.’

  ‘I’m not angry with you, Dani...’ he growled, turning to walk towards the door. ‘I’m angry that you’ve been put in this situation. And I’m angry that you still refuse to trust me. But really I’m always on edge—so maybe you’d best get used to that.’

  Valerio had just ended a painful phone call with his mother—his second family intervention of the day—when their car arrived on the runway beside the sleek Marchesi family jet. He felt a nervous twitch in his stomach as he watched Dani walk across the Tarmac ahead of him, in her perfect form-fitting trousers and flowy blouse.

  She was polite, greeting the in-flight attendant as she stowed their bags and accepted some light refreshments. He gestured to the seat across from him and noticed her face tighten as she moved into it, her posture screaming with tension.

  Just as he planned to apologise for his abrupt behaviour after their meeting, his phone rang again.

  Seeing his brother’s name show up on the display, he cursed aloud and jammed his finger on the screen to block the call. Ramming one hand through his hair, he closed his eyes and huffed out a loud breath filled with frustration.

  ‘Is there a problem?’ his fiancée enquired with a raised brow.

  For a moment he considered not answering her question at all. But then he remembered the promise he’d made to himself as they’d driven in silence to the airport—to at least try not to be so closed off and abrasive with her. She was going to be his wife... They were going to be sharing a lot more time together. He needed to put some effort in to his behaviour.

 
Reluctantly, he sat down across from her and met her eyes. ‘You saw that I got a call from my brother earlier today, followed quickly by one from my mother? We haven’t been on the best terms since I came back from Brazil. I’ve been distant, and now they’ve found out about our engagement through the media... Needless to say, my family are not happy about our elopement plans.’

  Dani frowned. ‘Of course they’re not. I never even thought of how they might see this. Do they know all the details?’

  He frowned. ‘My brother knows a bit, but I’ve told him not to tell our parents the full truth. I can’t tell them about the danger, not when my mother is such a worrier. They think it’s a real marriage.’

  He thought back to the sound of worry in his brother’s voice on the phone. Rigo Marchesi had never been one to give his little brother an easy time, but after the display Valerio had put on at that christening dinner... Well, he couldn’t remember all the details, but he was pretty sure that he deserved the scorn in his brother’s voice. His entire family had believed him dead for two weeks and had been overjoyed at his return—only to be shut out and ignored for months on end.

  They didn’t realise that it was better this way.

  ‘I won’t pretend to understand what you’ve been working through these past months, fratello,’ Rigo had said, ‘but this seems quite sudden. I’ve been around you and Dani many times. She hates your guts and she is possibly the only woman I’ve ever witnessed being utterly immune to your charms.’

  ‘No one is immune to my charms.’ Valerio had answered easily. ‘It’s not like that. It’s more like a business arrangement between us.’

  ‘Now, where have I heard that before...?’ Rigo had laughed out loud.

  Rigo and his wife, Nicole, had married years before, as the result of a media scandal. Rigo had sworn his marriage was in name only, and yet now they were the picture of married bliss, with two small daughters and another on the way.

  Across from him, Dani cleared her throat, pulling him back to the present. ‘Valerio, if this is causing problems for your family, we should find another way. We can find someone with similar financial power and influence that we can trust.’