Page 44 of Dirty Behavior

Scooping her into my arms, I pulled her up and into my chest, whispering the last promise I was ever going to make her. “I promise I'm going to end this, I just have to figure out how.”

Her fingers ran long strokes up and down my back. Lifting her face off my chest, Ivy said, “You know how.”

“I wish I could be as sure as you, but I don't. I don't have anyone on my side.”

“Yes you do.”

“You don't count anymore.” Cupping her belly, I smiled. “Remember?”

“I'm not talking about me.” Ivy's brows arched high, her face still and steady.

Who is she—

No, not him.

She can't be thinking him.

“What are you getting at?” I asked, dipping my head and holding her eyes on mine.

“You won't like my suggestion.” Letting go of my waist, she picked nervously at her thumbs. “But I think you should consider it.”

Don't. Don't say it.

The look on her face told me where she was going with this. I didn't want to hear it, I didn't even want to consider it.

Swallowing hard, I watched the lump go down her throat. “Ask Sesto to help us.”

The air around me became soiled, just the idea made me sick. I felt like I was standing on the bow of a boat and the sea was churning my stomach upside down. I wanted to throw up. The feeling was sitting there in the back of my throat, coating my tongue in the most vile burn.

I didn't want to ask him for help, I didn't want to ask him for a fucking thing.

“Ivy, I can't, you know I can't.”

“Well what about your other guys? Did you talk to any of them?”

Shit, how the fuck do I tell her.

I didn't want to tell her that all of my guys were working for the enemy. They had betrayed my family, I had no one left.

But Sesto wasn't an option, no fucking way.

“No.” Shaking my head, I couldn't look at her.

“No, what? No you didn't talk to them or no they won't help you?” Ivy tried to move, lining her face up with mine. She knew I wasn't telling her everything, there was no point in lying.

“They won't help, they can't.” Puffing my bottom lip up, I shrugged a shoulder.

“Why not? What's stopping them from doing this after all the other shit they've done for you and your family?”

“Ivy, I didn't want to tell you this, but all my guys work for Remo now. Vince said they had no place else to go, that they needed the cash.”

“Vince said—So just because Vince said, that means that's it?” Her back jerked, spine straightening firm. “That's not good enough, how could he do that to you? Fuck that guy, Dante.”

Holding up my hand, I stopped her from talking. “It doesn't matter, I'll figure it out, I always do. But Vince isn't an option, Sesto isn't an option, none of them are.”

“I don't think we have a choice, Dante. I understand you're not going to let me help, and I'm okay with that.” Looking down at her stomach, she gently caressed just below her belly button. “But you need someone you can trust—” Before I could interject, she kept going.“AndI think you can trust Sesto more than you might believe. I feel it in my gut and my gut's never wrong.”

I wished she was right. But how could I trust him?