Page 107 of A Bossy Proposal

“Definitely.” She smiles. “But I’ve loved every moment of our time there. I feel I know you so well now,” Amelia says, her eyes twinkling.

Just as our appetizers arrive, Amelia’s phone buzzes. She glances at it, frowning. “It’s Luca, I should take it somewhere private.” She excuses herself to take the call.

I watch her walk away, admiring the way her dress hugs her curves.

But when she returns, her face is pale.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, immediately on alert.

Amelia sinks into her chair. “Vincenzo’s back in the US. Luca and Gabe are on their way to New York.”

“Fuck!”

“I should’ve realized…”

“Why?”

She takes a shaky breath. “Because he called me this afternoon. Just two words: ‘Tick Tock.’”

My blood runs cold as I stare at the skyscrapers of Manhattan on the horizon. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to ruin our night,” she whispers. “I thought... With him being in Italy, it was nothing.”

I signal for the waiter. “We need to go. Now.”

Minutes later, I grip the armrest as the helicopter lifts off, my jaw clenched.

Amelia’s eyes are fixed on her lap, her shoulders hunched.

“West, I’m sorry,” she finally says, staring ahead. Her voice is barely detectable over the noise of the rotors. “You should forget about me. My life will always bring problems.”

I turn to her, my anger melting into concern. “Amelia, look at me.”

She turns and lifts her eyes to look at me, and my heart aches seeing them brimming with unshed tears.

“I’m not angry because of who you are,” I say firmly. “I’m angry because you didn’t confide in me. We’re in this together, remember?”

She nods, wiping at her eyes. “I just...I didn’t want to burden you or spoil your surprise.”

“You’re not a burden,” I insist, cupping her face and wiping at her tears with my thumbs. “You’re everything to me.”

The pilot’s voice crackles over the intercom. “Sir, we can’t land on the building. There’s another helicopter already there.”

Amelia’s face drains of color. “Oh God, West. It’s Giovanni. It has to be.”

She fumbles for her phone, dialing with shaking hands. “Luca? Where are you?”

I strain to hear the response. Amelia’s knuckles turn white as she grips the phone.

“Okay, hurry. Please,” she says before hanging up. She turns to me, fear etched across her face. “Luca and Gabe are on their way.”

I squeeze her hand. “It’ll be fine. I promise I won’t let him hurt you.”

I’m going to kill the man myself if he tries to take her from me.

As the helicopter circles Manhattan, adrenaline courses through my veins. I grip Amelia’s hand as the city lights blur beneath us.

Amelia’s phone buzzes again. She answers it with shaking hands, putting it on speaker.

---