Her shoulders slumped. “I wish I could believe that, Allie. But I saw that limo blow up. I heard a man inside screaming as he burned to death. I-I think it was my brother, but it could have just as easily been the driver.” She pushed her hair back from her face as she walked slowly over to the end of my bed. “I miss him already.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered around the lump filling my throat. “I would give anything to take today away. To make it so it never happened.”
“So would I.”
She stood there for several long moments, neither of us speaking, both of us mourning her brother. I’d heard Benito and Adrian talking earlier and knew Cristiano’s ring had been found with what little remained of a male body.
A firm tap on my door had me stiffening, but Victoria moved to open it as if she already knew who it was. I caught the low murmur of Adrian’s voice as he muttered something, and I saw my cousin nod. Glancing at me over her shoulder, she gave me a small, tremulous smile. “I’m headed to bed, Allie. Try to get some sleep. If you need me, you know where I’ll be.”
No sooner had the door closed behind her than I jumped out of bed and locked it. That little lock wouldn’t stop my father if he decided to come to my room, but I hoped the extra men patrolling the entire house and grounds would keep him away. Hands shaking, I pulled my diary out of its hiding place and tore a sheet of paper from the back. Hastily, I wrote a note to my cousins and put it where only they would think to look for a private message from me. If something happened to me, I didn’t want them to trust my father. At least they would have their guards up if they knew he was responsible.
As I made my way back to bed, the calmness completely faded, replaced once again by that numb, nauseated feeling.
I dropped onto the edge of my bed and wrapped my arms around my stomach, bending in half as I tried to breathe through the nausea. If Cristiano was gone, then logic told me Dante was too. Maybe it was just shock that was making me think I could still feel Dante. I wanted to believe that he was still alive, that he was safe and healthy wherever he was.
The sick feeling didn’t ease, but it didn’t get worse either. A long time later, I crawled under the covers and pulled one of the extra pillows against my chest as the tears began to fall. The clock beside my bed told me it was nearly one in the morning.
My father wasn’t likely to come this late. Besides, he had already gotten what he wanted. The person he hated the most in the world was dead. He was probably ecstatic right now and couldn’t have cared less about me. My fear of the man was turning to hate. I wanted it to be Papa who had died today.
It was a horrible thing to want, for my own father to die. But with Dante gone, it was the only thing I could wish for that would save me.
“You promised,” I sobbed into the pillowcase. “You promised, Dante.”
Chapter 4
Dante
From my hiding spot just inside the compound walls, I watched as the lights in the mansion were turned off, one by one. My ability to get in and out of places like a ghost was only one of the reasons I’d been such a good soldier for Vito. It was a skill I’d mastered early into my teen years, and one I was thankful for now.
Only one light remained on, but I wasn’t worried. Not when that was the room I was intent on getting to.
Keeping to the shadows, I snuck into the back entrance of the mansion and quickly made my way up to the second floor. Two guards were already in the hall outside the bedrooms, but their backs were to me, and they didn’t even see me as I turned the doorknob for the bedroom that was my ultimate goal.
Finding it locked, I mentally cursed. I hadn’t been expecting that. There were nights when I had come to check on Allegra without her even realizing it, and her door had never been locked. Shooting a glance over my shoulder to make sure the guards were gone now, I pulled my kit from my back pocket and hurriedly opened the lock. Neither the door nor I made a sound as I closed it and crossed the room to Allegra’s bed.
She looked like an angel asleep with one of her pillows clutched to her chest. The sight of her tears, still damp on her lashes, made my hands ball into tight fists. All day, I had been anxious to get back to her. I’d asked Anya repeatedly to go check on her for me, but Cristiano had forbidden her to leave his side. He didn’t believe her about Gio, and knowing what she was capable of, he hadn’t trusted her not to kill anyone else if she was out of his sight.
Leaning over, I kissed each tear-soaked eye. Allegra began to stir, a sad little sigh escaping her pouty lips. “Dante,” she murmured with a heartbreaking hitch in her voice.
I stroked the backs of my fingers down her cheek, tracing the trails her tears had left on her delicate skin. “Shh, shh. I’m here, Allegra baby.”
“I knew you weren’t dead,” she sobbed softly.
“Baby, open your eyes. Wake up. I’m here,” I breathed at her ear.
Her entire body seemed to jerk. She lifted her lashes, and the soft, angelic look on her beautiful face was replaced by fear. Frantically, her eyes darted around her, looking for the danger. When they finally settled on me, her entire body seemed to deflate, and she began to shake. “Dante?”
I cupped her cheek. “Yes, it’s me.”
“But… But…” She swallowed hard, shaking her head. “You’re dead.”
“I can’t explain now. We have to get out of here.” I stood and went to her closet. Grabbing the bare necessities, I tossed them into the smallest case I could find. “Grab only what you can’t live without.”
When I didn’t hear her feet moving around, I glanced over to find her still sitting up in bed, her eyes wide as an adorable little owl as she watched me with confusion. “What? What’s wrong? Are you okay? Did Gio hurt you?” If he had touched her again, I was going to kill him with my bare hands. Fuck the plan.
She shook her head dazedly. “No. I… I’m just trying to determine if this is a dream or reality.”
I pushed the clothes I was holding inside the case and zipped it closed before going back to her and lifting her out of bed. “There’s no time to convince you, sweetheart. We have to hurry. If Gio finds me here, the gig is up, and everything will have been for nothing.” I pressed a kiss to her temple. “Come on, little one. Hurry for me.”
I carried her into the closet and grabbed the first black clothes I could find. The black leggings molded to her legs and hips like a second skin. As I watched her bend over to tie her shoes, my mind nearly went blank. Thankfully, she straightened and pulled a large black hoodie on over her pajama top, effectively blocking my view of her perfect ass.
Pulling the hood up over her head, she went back to grab a few things out of her nightstand and pushed them into the side compartment of her case. While she was in the bedroom, I hid the note I’d written for Scarlett. There had been no time to contact her during the day, but there was no fucking way I was going to leave her to deal with her uncle when she didn’t know everything he was capable of.
And I didn’t completely trust Anya. The plan we’d come up with had so many opportunities for failure that, with one slip, it would all fall apart. If Scarlett found my note, I could count on her to put the pieces together and come up with a plan of her own.
Grabbing the case and Allegra’s hand, I opened the bedroom door and glanced out. The hall was empty, but it wouldn’t be for long.
I pulled back and closed the door again. Her eyes were still wide open, but there was worry marring her brow. “Baby, I need you to be completely quiet. Don’t even sneeze. Understand?” Mutely, she gave me a nod. “Good girl. I promise, I’ll get you away from here.”
“Dante…” she whispered. “What’s going to happen when Papa finds me gone?”
“Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. By the time he realizes anything, we’ll be in Chicago.” I stroked a finger down her cheek. “You don’t ever have to concern yourself with Gio again. I swear.”
One of her hands caught mine that was still ling
ering on her petal-soft skin. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”
I lowered my head, touching my lips to the corner of her mouth. Her soft gasp revved up my body, but there was no time for the kind of fun my cock wanted to have right then. “Even dead, I still would have kept my promise, Allegra baby.”
I felt her tremble, and I drew away quickly. Opening the door again, I saw the next round of guards was just going down the hall. I had five minutes to get her out of the house. Linking our fingers, I pulled her with me down the back stairs, keeping my ears open for the least little noise.
At the bottom of the stairs, I started to enter the kitchen, which gave us a direct exit out into the backyard. We sprinted the distance to the door just as I heard a voice I recognized entering the kitchen.
“Ciro, I don’t want to fight about this. Let me eat a sandwich, and then we can go to bed,” Scarlett was saying just as the door shut quietly behind us.
Getting out of the compound wasn’t nearly as tricky as getting into it. I knew where Victoria and her sister used to sneak out. No one but Vito knew I used to follow the twins when they were teenagers, to make sure they were safe. Victoria had been a pain in the ass, venturing out to clubs that were owned by our rivals. There had been plenty of times when I would have loved to wring her neck. Lucky for her, I’d never told Vito about some of those nights out.
The car I stole earlier was parked three blocks away. I made Allegra run until we reached it. Only once I was driving back to the safe house with her securely fastened into the seat beside me, did I let out the breath I’d been holding all day. Eyes on the road, I reached out for her hand and lifted it to my lips.
“You okay?”
“Y-yeah, I’m good,” she answered in a weak voice.
Glancing over at her, I found her eyes anxiously on the side mirror, as if she expected her father to be chasing after us. I tightened my hold on her hand. “It’s over now. He won’t ever touch you again, Allegra baby.”
“He will eventually find me, one way or another.”
“He won’t.”
Instead of arguing with me, she changed the subject. “How are you alive, Dante?”
Giving her hand a final squeeze, I replaced mine on the steering wheel. “Let’s leave that until we get back to the house. It will be easier when you see for yourself.”
“See what?”
“Just trust me, sweetheart.” I caught her gaze and gave her a wink. “Okay?”
Without hesitation, she nodded. “Okay. I-I’m just glad you’re not dead.”
“Would you have missed me?” I teased, but her chin began to tremble.
“I would have wanted to follow after you,” she whispered and glanced out the side window.
My hands tightened on the wheel, aching to reach for her, but there was no time for even a small delay. Once I had her safely in Chicago, then I could hold her the way my soul was screaming for.
It took a while to get back to the safe house. I drove around the block several times to make sure we weren’t being followed, then pulled into the garage of the house Anya had set up for us. It was on the harder side of town, where gunfire and sirens were the residents’ lullaby every night. I didn’t know how Anya had come by the house and didn’t care enough to find out. It didn’t have a single link to Cristiano or me, which was all that mattered to me. Beside me, Allegra looked scared as she glanced anxiously around at the lawn equipment and the second car I’d just parked beside.
“Nothing and no one will hurt you here, sweetheart,” I assured her. “You have nothing to fear now.”
“But what if Papa finds us?”
I leaned over the console to kiss her cheek. “He won’t. And even if he did, I would kill him before I’d ever let him touch you.”
She closed her eyes and let out a ragged sigh. “When that car exploded today, I wished it were him inside. I wanted it to be him who died.”
I tucked her head under my chin. “If only, baby. If only.” That was too easy a death for the sick bastard, though. I wanted him to die at my own hands, wanted to draw it out and do to him what he had done to others. “But your father’s days are numbered. He won’t be breathing the same air as you for much longer.”
Her fingers clutched at my shirt. “It’s wrong to want him dead, but I’ve prayed for it so many times.”
I kissed the top of her head, then lifted her chin so she could meet my gaze. “I don’t want you worrying about him anymore. He’s out of your life.”
Tears spilled from her beautiful eyes. “You don’t know what he’s like, Dante. He will find a way to get me back. And if he ever figures out you’re not dead, he will lose his mind and come after you.”
That was something I expected—and looked forward to. I wanted to be the one to put a bullet in Gio Vitucci’s head. Before he’d died, I’d promised my father I would do it one day. But first, I had to fulfill all the other promises I’d made to the people who were still alive and mattered the most to me.
“Do you trust me?”
“More than anyone,” she assured me, that trust and love shining out of her eyes like a beacon.
“Then trust me to take care of Gio for you.” I touched my lips to her forehead and quickly made myself pull back. “Now, come on. We can eat before we start the long drive to Chicago.”
The kitchen was deserted when we entered through the garage door, but I could hear Anya’s voice coming from one of the other rooms.
“You can be pissed all you want, but I’ll prove to you that your uncle isn’t who you think he is.”
“My family is probably going out of their mind right now, Anya. Scarlett is pregnant, for fuck’s sake. What if this causes her to lose the babies? If something happens to her or Victoria, I’m holding you responsible.”
It had been a while since I’d heard Cristiano so full of anger, but he was clueless to just what kind of a monster his uncle really was. His family loyalty made him blind, but I was about to force his eyes open.
I guided Allegra over to the beat-up old table in the middle of the kitchen and pulled out one of the battered chairs. She sat, folding her hands in her lap, her eyes darting around the room in quick movements. “Where are we?”
“It’s a safe house. No one will find us here, but we’re not staying long.” I went to the fridge and pulled out the takeout containers Anya had come back with earlier in the day. I’d been too hyped up by the activities of the day and worry for Allegra to eat then, but now that I had her with me, I realized I was starving. “Have you eaten today?” I asked, putting the containers of Greek food into the microwave.
“I had a little breakfast, but I was too excited to eat much. Then…” She swallowed hard and shrugged. “Then I had no appetite for anything the rest of the day.”
Footsteps came from the direction of the living room, and then Anya appeared in the doorway. “So, you’re back,” she said with a smirk. “And you’ve brought me someone to play with!”
“Anya?” Allegra stared at her in confusion.
“In the flesh, love.” She gave her a wink as she crossed to the coffeepot and poured herself a mug.
“I smell food,” Cristiano grumbled as he walked into the kitchen. “I’m starving.”
“When aren’t you starving?” Anya muttered with a roll of her eyes.
“C-Cristiano?” Allegra gasped, all the blood draining from her face as she began to sway in the chair.
Chapter 5
Allegra
Seeing my cousin, hearing his voice, after thinking I was never going to do either ever again had my head spinning. I stared at him as he scratched at his scruffy jaw with one hand and hungrily rubbed a hand over his hard abs like he hadn’t eaten in days. There he was, dressed in nothing more than a pair of sweats that hung low on his waist, walking around like it was any other day and his family hadn’t just seen him die in a car explosion.
Tears of relief blinded me as I began to sway in my sea
t. I didn’t have a clue what was going on, but I was glad to see him alive, even if I was so confused it was giving me a headache. “C-Cristiano?” I gasped just as strong hands caught me and righted me in my chair. Dante stood behind me, holding me in place with his hands on my shoulders, keeping me steady.
Brown eyes so like his sisters—like my own—brightened when Cristiano saw me. “Hey there, little one.” He crossed the distance that separated us and pulled me up for a tight hug. “Damn but I’m glad to see you.” Pulling back, he glared at Anya over his shoulder. “Tell these two they’re wrong about your pops.”
All the questions I’d been aching to ask died on my tongue, and I fell back into my chair. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and turned my gaze to the ugly, worn linoleum on the floor. The truth about Papa had eaten at me for so long that the secrets felt like they were a tangled web attached to my spine. The fear he had instilled in me should I ever breathe a word about how he really was, about the beatings—about Mamma—were the scars that I had to bear alone.
“Now’s not the time to remain quiet, myshka,” Anya advised as her feet appeared in front of me. Slowly, I lifted my eyes until I met her gaze. The compassion and understanding in those blue depths made my cheeks burn with humiliation and shame. “Your family should know what a rat bastard they have hiding among them.”
Behind me, Dante tightened his hold on my shoulders but stayed quiet. I didn’t need him to verbally agree with her because I could feel it radiating off him and into my bones. Biting my bottom lip, I shifted my eyes to my cousin. “Papa is a bad man, Cristiano. He’s done things you could never imagine. I don’t know what happened today, but if Dante said Papa is behind it, then he was.”
Anger and disbelief crossed my cousin’s handsome face. “Not you too, Allegra. Come on now. Don’t tell lies about your own father.”
“Show him,” Dante commanded in a low voice that soothed me but left no room for argument.