Chapter 43
D A N T E
I left the house feeling good.
Satisfied.
I finally felt like things were falling back into place, I was succeeding in making her stay with me.
I got to my office, and Antonio was already there, leaning against my desk.
“You are smiling,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Did the world end? Did Dante Russo finally learn how to be happy p>
I scowled at him, but I couldn’t completely wipe the feeling away. “Shut up, Antonio p>
He laughed, making fun of me but I didn’t care. For the first time in a long time, things felt right.
And I didn’t want that to change, but who was I kidding? There was still a lot more to fix and unfold, a lot more to fight for.
I want to be a better person for her even if it means losing everything I’ve worked for, for as long as she was by my side, I was satisfied.
Then my phone rang.
It was Marco.
“Sir,” Marco’s voice was all business. “Mrs. Russo is meeting her mother at a café downtown p>
My good mood faded a little. What is it with the Melendez? I didn’t trust her mother but at least she was better than her father although she was weak, afraid and always did what Ricardo told her to even if it meant hurting her own child.
“Make sure she doesn’t harm her,” I ordered. “Keep a close watch I want to know she is safe and make sure Ariana doesn’t notice any of our guards p>
“Understood, sir p>
I hung up and tried to focus on work, but I was distracted, I kept thinking about Ariana about how she felt wrapped around me, her screams as she came, her eyes.
Fuck!
I was a goner
The way she felt in my arms, a slow small smile found its way to my lips as I thought deeply.
A few minutes later, my phone rang again. Marco.
“Sir,” he said, and his tone made me sit up straight. “There is a change, Mrs. Russo has left the café she is now with Angelo in a nearby park p>
The world stopped.
Angelo.
The name was like a punch to my gut.
Rage, hot and instant, flooded my veins, the satisfaction from earlier vanished, replaced by a dark, possessive fury.
She was with him.
After everything, after I told her she was mine.
“Where exactly?” I asked, my voice dangerously calm.
Marco gave me the location.
I stood up so fast my chair crashed to the floor behind me.
Antonio stopped laughing, his smile vanishing.
“Dante? What is it p>
I didn’t answer him.
I was already heading for the door, my phone clenched in my hand.
I was going to that park and I was going to show my nephew exactly what happened to men who touched what belonged to me.
I think last time he didn’t get the clear picture of it, my warnings to him had gone in vein and I needed to show him just how much I’m willing to do to protect my belonging.
The drive to the park was a blur of red lights and roaring anger my hands were clenched so tight on the steering wheel my knuckles were white.
Angelo.
Touching her.
After everything.
I warned that mother fucker! I fucking did but turns out he doesn’t learn the easy way but the hard way.
I parked the car, not bothering to turn off the engine, I stormed into the park, my eyes scanning desperately.
Then I saw them.
My heart stopped.
My blood ran cold.
There they were.
Under a tree.
Angelo had his hands on her face he was leaning in his lips were inches from hers, she looked like, god! Ariana… looked like she wasn’t pushing him away.
She was just standing there.
As though letting him to do what he intends.
“Ariana p>
I called out snapping them out of it.
They stared at me in horror.. Ariana’s lips tremebled as she shakes her head vigorously.
I took my eyes off her moving it to Angelo.
I launched myself at him.
I grabbed Angelo by the shoulder, yanking him away from Ariana with so much force he stumbled and fell to the ground.
“Dante, no! Stop!” she was screaming, but I barely heard her.
I was on top of Angelo, my fists flying as I threw him Punch after punch, connecting with his face, his ribs.
All the rage, the jealousy, the fear I felt when I thought I lost her I poured it all into every hit.
“Dante, stop! You’re going to kill him!” Ariana screamed, her voice high with panic.
She tried to grab my arm, but I shook her off. The world had narrowed to me and the man who dared to touch my wife.
Angelo was trying to fight back, but he was no match, he was bleeding from his nose and lip.
“PLEASE, DANTE! STOP!” Ariana begged, her cries finally cutting through the haze.
Then I felt her arms wrap around my chest from behind, she held on with all her strength, her body pressed against my back, sobbing into my shirt.
“Please,” she whispered, her voice broken. “Please stop for me p>
Her words, her touch, her tears they broke through my rage.
I stopped.
My fist froze in mid-air my breathing heavily as my whole body trembling with adrenaline and rage.
I looked down at Angelo.
He was a bloody mess on the ground, groaning in pain.
I slowly got off him, my chest heaving.
Ariana kept her arms wrapped around me, holding on like I was her anchor.
I turned and looked at her her face was pale, streaked with tears.
She was terrified.
I gulped down a lump grabbing her wrist forcefully marching her to the car ignoring her protest.