Chapter 38
A R I A N A
Dante didn’t ask, he told me.
“You are coming home with me,” he said, his voice leaving no room for argument, he still had me pinned gently against the wall, his body a warm, solid presence.
“I… I can’t,” I tried to say, my voice weak. “I’m staying at Natalie’s. I p>
He stated simply, finally stepping back and took my hand, his fingers lacing through mine, his grip was firm, but not painful. It felt… possessive. “You are not staying there anymore p>
I wanted to argue and tell him he couldn’t just order me around but the fight had gone out of me, the kiss had left me feeling shaky and confused.
And the look in his eyes… it wasn’t cold anymore.
He led me out of his office, his hand never leaving mine, people in the hallway stared, but he didn’t seem to notice or care, he just walked, pulling me along beside him.
The car ride to the Russo mansion was completely silent.
I sat pressed against the door, as far from him as I could get in the back seat. I stared out the window at the passing city, but I didn’t really see anything.
My mind was racing. What was I doing? Why was I going back? He had torn up the divorce papers, he had kissed me, he had claimed me.
But what did that mean?
I sneaked a look at him Dante was staring straight ahead, his jaw set, He looked deep in thought, his hand rested on his knee, and I could see his fingers were clenched into a tight fist.
He was angry but not at me, I could feel it.
The anger was like a dark cloud around him, but it wasn’t directed my way… Dante is a very confusing man, the more I try to understand him the harder it gets for me.
The car moved through the busy streets, then through the quiet, tree-lined roads that led to his house my heart started to beat faster as the huge iron gates came into view.
This was wrong, I shouldn’t be coming back here, I’d probably regret this at the end of the day.
Panic clog my throat as we drove in knowing that this was it I was going back,
Back to the cage, back to the man who confused me more than anyone else in the world.
The car stopped Dante got out first, then offered me his hand, I hesitated for a second before taking it his fingers closing around mine, warm and strong.
He didn’t let go as we walked up the steps to the front door.
He finally stopped in the grand foyer, turning to face me he still held my hand.
“You are home now,” he said, his voice low. “And you are staying p>
It wasn’t a request, it was a fact and for the first time, the thought of staying didn’t fill me with dread.
It just made me feel… tired and maybe, just a little bit, safe.
I walked to my room as Dante left to his.
I let out a breath as I sat on the edge of the big bed in my room, just staring at the wall not knowing what to do, I didn’t know how I was feeling.
Everything was a mess.
A soft knock came at the door.
“Come in,” I said, my voice quiet.
The door opened and Esmeralda walked in carrying a tray with a bowl of hot soup, some bread, and a cup of tea.
Her kind old face broke into a warm smile when she saw me.
“Oh, dear child,” she said, her voice full of relief. She put the tray down on the bedside table and came over to me, pulling me into a tight hug. “We were so worried about you. I missed you p>
I hugged her back, feeling a lump form in my throat, it felt good to be welcomed.
Esmeralda pulled back and held my face in her hands, looking me over. “You look tired and you’ve lost weight you need to eat.” She gestured to the tray.
I nodded, but I wasn’t really hungry my stomach was in too many knots.
Esmeralda sat down on the bed next to me remaining quiet for a moment, just patting my hand.
“He was not himself, you know,” she said softly.
I looked at her. “Who p>
“Dante,” she said. “The two days you were gone… he was back into his shell. He was so upset and dark, he barely spoke to me like he use to. He just paced around the house or locked himself in his study p>
I didn’t say anything, I just listened, my heart starting to beat a little faster.
“He tried to hide it,” Esmeralda continued. “He tried to act like nothing was wrong but I have known that boy since he was a baby, I know him too well, he was worried sick about you, he was… lost without you here p>
Her words gave me mixed feelings.
Part of me felt a strange warmth, knowing that he had missed me, that maybe he had cared enough to be upset.
But another part of me was scared.
Scared of what that meant.
Scared of getting hurt again.
We talked for a little while longer, she told me about the small things I had missed and Lina had upset Dante, he fired her. How he had fired a guards for not finding information about me fast enough.
It all painted a picture of a man I didn’t fully recognize, a man who was not in control, a man who was affected by me.
When Esmeralda finally left, telling me to eat and rest, I was left alone with my thoughts.
Dante Russo, the cold, powerful mafia boss, had been lost without me.
The thought was terrifying.
And, if I was being honest, a little thrilling.
But I couldn’t let myself be deceived, I’m still not convinced that Dante wasn’t doing all this for his personal reasons, it was hard to believe.