Page 54 of His Son's Ex

If an innocent bystander ends up taking a bullet because of my carelessness, I’ll never forgive myself. And Eva would see me for the monster everyone thinks I am.

I climb into my waiting car and nod to my driver. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I fish it out and see Eva’s name flashing on the screen, and my chest tightens with a strange warmth. I answer on the second ring.

“Dante?” Her voice is cautious, threaded with concern. “Are you okay?”

I close my eyes for a second, letting the tension slip from my shoulders. “I’m fine, Eva. Just coming back from a visit with my mother.”

She hesitates. “Oh. Everything all right?”

I can’t help the small laugh that escapes me. “As all right as it gets in this line of work.”

She sighs. “Guess that means you’re not up for dinner then.”

I stare out the window, the city lights flickering by. “Actually, dinner sounds great. If that’s still an option.”

A beat of silence then, “Sure. My treat. I know a quiet place near the office.”

I picture her face, her brilliant smile, the focus she brings to everything she does. “I’ll meet you there in half an hour.”

We hang up. The driver glances at me in the rearview mirror, his expression politely unreadable. I lean back, letting out the breath I was holding.

Isabella wants to meet Eva soon. I’ll have to bring her into that tumultuous world.I wonder how she will handle it, meeting the woman who shaped me, the one who taught me to be ruthless yet regrets it every day.

A small part of me wonders if I can keep the peace. If I’ll be able to resolve this Lombardi fiasco without bodies piling up, proving to Eva I’m not just a cruel man in a suit. But if it comes down to it, if they threaten her safety…

I clench my fists, ignoring the faint ache in my knuckles. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

For now, I’m going to enjoy dinner with Eva. A moment of normalcy, if I can lie to myself that the city around us isn’t standing at the edge of war.

I glance at my phone, reading her text—an address to a small bistro. A smile lifts my lips.

We’ll make do with the illusions we have.

“Take me downtown. I have a date,” I say to my driver.

I let my mind drift to Eva—her fierce intelligence, her warmth, the way she looks at me like she believes in me, believes I can overcome being the demon I’ve been.

God help the Lombardis if they try to take her away from me.

CHAPTER 14

EVA

“Breathe,” he says, voice low enough that only I can hear. “She’s going to love you.”

Dante’s warm palm presses gently against the small of my back, grounding me.

I smooth my hands over my dress, ignoring the soft tremor in them. The mansion’s front doors tower before me, carved mahogany polished to a flawless sheen. My heart thuds against my chest a little too fast.

It’s only dinner, I remind myself.

Dante’s wearing a tailored black suit with a crisp white shirt, no tie. God, he’s sexy. The way he looks at me—calm and reassuring—settles some of the nerves.

“I’m trying,” I whisper, attempting a shaky smile. “Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea?”

He dips his head, lips brushing my ear. “We’d have to do it eventually. Besides, my mother insisted.”

Just hearing the name of the formidable Isabella Bellacino is enough to send a fresh wave of anxiety fluttering through me. She’s the legendary matriarch, the quiet force behind the family’s throne. She’s the one who asked—more like demanded—I come tonight.