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Holding my bicep, Ivy pleaded with me to stay. “Dante, can't you send someone in your place? There has to be someone who could fill in for you.”

If only I could. My job since this whole thing went down was to make sure she didn't get away. I did my job. But I hated it. I couldn't keep her safe if I didn't do as I was told.

I wasn't going to risk her life, not for me, not for anyone.

My father was ruthless, he warned me not to get close to her.

He wielded his gun in my face, letting the metal taste my skin. My fate would be the same as Sesto's if I went against my father.

Life wouldn't exist for me.

He wasn't going to risk his entire empire, he'd kill me before that could happen. My father was willing to loosen his rope with Remo, but only because it didn't involve a set of bars.

Remo kept his pockets full, he thought we needed him. I felt totally different.

And I ended up doing exactly what he told me not to.

I let Ivy in.

“There isn't, Ivy, I'm sorry. I'll try and get back as soon as I can, but I don't know how long this is going to take.”

“Is this meeting about me?” Her eyes gaped large as saucers, shining like she was holding back tears.

God this woman is strong.

I didn't want to lie to her, and I wouldn't. But I couldn't tell her everything.

That would crush her.

“Yes, it's about you. But it's not the deal today, today's for talking.” Sitting back down on the bed, I gripped her wrist and tugged her onto my lap. Wrapping my arms around her belly, I laid my head on her back. “I'm still going to try and fix this, Ivy, I am. But I can't promise you anything, and that kills me.”

“I don't want promises, I want something that's real.” Twining her fingers into mine, she squeezed hard. “How do I know you'll come back?”

“You don't . . . You just have to trust me.”

“Do you trust me?” she asked, rolling her head on her shoulders and resting it against mine.

“I want to.”

“It goes both ways, Dante. If you want me to trust you, you need to trust me.” Holding up her ankle, she wriggled it softly so the chain jingled.“Trust me.”

Biting the inside of my cheek, I raised my eyes to hers. “Can you promise me you won't do anything stupid, that you'll stay right here and wait for me?” Her eyes drifted, flicking between mine. Cupping her cheeks, I spoke sternly. “Promise me, Ivy.”

“I promise.”

Kissing her soft lips, I curled my arms around her waist. “I'm going to fix this, somehow someway . . .” Brushing my nose against her chin, I let the warmth of her skin seep into my bones. She was so delicate, her skin felt like velvet against my face. “I'll keep you safe from him and from my father. They won't get to you, I'll do everything I can to make sure of it.”

“Just make sure you come back. I don't like being here alone.”

“No one's going to hurt you here, no one even knows where you are.” Running my thumb across her lips, I inhaled a deep breath. “If someone did find you and tried anything—anything at all—I'd fucking kill them.”

“What if your father comes back to finish what he started?”

“He won't, this is all on me.”

“How can you be sure? He wants me gone, he thinks I know too much.”

How do I tell her?