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We ride to school together, and sometimes eat lunch together. Lena and Nathan hang out with us now to study. When Dante is busy with family work, I usually hang out with one or both of them, and things don’t feel quite as tense as they used to. We’re not worried about me getting clubbed upside the head now that the Romanos’ main competition are their allies.

I do my exercises at home now instead of going in, officially graduating from PT. My shoulder may never feel totally the same, according to the doctors, and chronic pain seems like something I’m going to have to live with, but life is moving forward.

It’s the weekend before Valentine’s Day when Dante picks me up to go to his family’s mansion.

“You sure you’re feelin’ up for this?” he asks me when we’re over halfway there.

I chuckle. “If I wasn’t ready, I wouldn’t be in this car, babe,” I tell him. “Besides, I’d feel bad about disappointing all of your family who are waiting for us.”

I fidget with the hem of my coat and stare out at the snowy road. It’s dark out, the high beams are on, and the snow is heavy, but I feel safe with Dante driving.

“They’d get over it,” he mumbles. “You look nervous, though.”

“I am. Your family will be there watching.”

He nods. “I know, I know. I’ve walked you through it. If you change your mind…”

“No! I haven’t and I won’t. I want to do this, Dante.” I reach over and put a hand on his thigh.

He shifts in his seat. “Careful, or we might not make it to the house.”

I smirk a little.

When we finally get there, everyone is waiting, just like with Contessa and Yvette. This time, they’re waiting, too, newly married and looking incredibly happy.

We can’t talk to them, or anyone else.

I’m led into a different room than Dante, where I undress and put on white linen pants and no shirt. I feel incredibly exposed, especially with the scars on the back of my shoulder.

It feels like I’m waiting forever before I’m finally motioned out into the familiar room with the ornate bench in the center. Everyone’s eyes are on me and Dante. I watch him walk toward me, his broad shoulders and naked torso exposed for everyone to see. I put my focus on him and nothing else, just like we talked about.

I kneel on the bench in front of him.

Nothing else exists but us in this moment, as Dante’s eyes lock with mine.

I know the words already, every single line that Nicholas is going to say. I’ve repeated them to myself over and over, worrying about getting them right, stressing about stuttering or saying something weirdly.

But in the moment, I hardly hear myself say them.

It’s a fuzzy blip in my memory. The words echo in my ears, come out of my mouth and out of Dante’s, but I can’t really hear them.

The dagger slices the top of my chest, and it stings. The pain is cold, but Dante’s tongue on my chest is warm and wet. Our blood mingles together in this moment as I bind myself not only to him, but to his family, as I pledge my loyalty.

My own mouth suckles at the blood from his cut, lingering longer than I intended. I feel his pulse against my tongue, and it’s difficult not to feel heat spread downward to my groin.

I have to remind myself to stop and focus.

Our blood is made one, and all of the eyes on us are filled with pride, even those that once doubted this moment would ever happen.

Dante eases closer to me, and his mouth finds my neck. I moan softly and tilt my head to the side. The people watching us are suddenly inconsequential. My hands slide along his chest, feeling his blood smear along his pecs, and I want to lick it all off him again, but he’s biting at my shoulder and I’m gripping him tighter.

I pull his head up to mine and capture his mouth with my own. He kisses me back more aggressively than he has in quite some time.

I taste our blood as our tongues swirl together in an erotic dance that turns me on even more.

“I’m yours,” I mumble as he breaks the kiss.

“You’re mine.”