Page 16

Chapter Sixteen

Nadia

I can’t let my father take me back. I can’t be controlled by him again.

I would rather die.

Something primal takes over me and uses my body to grab the steering wheel. He tries to fight me on it but ends up losing. The car crashes into a tree.

The airbags deploy, hitting me right in the face. For a moment, I’m dizzy, seeing stars, then my vision clears and I see my father beside me, groaning and rubbing his head.

I need to get out of this car. I need to run. I need to be free of him.

If he manages to take me back, he won’t return me to Anya. I won’t be safe.

And then I’ll probably never see Dante again and I’m not sure if that makes me happy. In fact, it’s the opposite. The thought of never seeing Dante again makes me want to curl into a ball and bawl my eyes out.

He tries restarting the car but the engine fizzles out. With an enraged scream, he tries again and again but it’s no use. The car will not start.

My fingers scramble to open the door but it’s locked.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He grabs my arm and hurls me back into my seat. The only saving grace is that it’s not my hurt arm. It stings from pain.

“Let me go, please. ”

“You’re not going anywhere.” He grabs a gun from the backseat and cocks it. “Dante will be right behind us.” He manages to get his door open and kicks it shut before I can leave. He locks the door behind him.

I crawl into the backseat but just like the passenger door, the back doors are also locked. I’m stuck inside.

The sound of a car approaching makes me look up. It’s Dante.

Before he can get out of the car, my father starts firing at him. I can just make out Dante’s features through his window. His face is set into grim determination.

With a rev of the engine, he drives the car straight at my father. Father doesn’t stop shooting, even as Dante gets closer and closer.

And then at the last minute, my father dives out of the way to avoid getting hit. Dante jumps out of the car and shoots at him. My father runs into the trees and disappears into the woods.

I slump against my seat. I’m free of him. But I know it won’t be forever. My father is not an easy man to get rid of.

Instead of chasing my father, Dante runs over to my side of the car. He could have chosen vengeance but instead… he’s choosing me.

He tries opening the door but it won’t unlock. “Get down. I’m going to shoot the window.”

I hunker onto the backseat as Dante fires a bullet through the passenger seat. The window shattering is like thunder. After unlocking the door, he motions for me to come out.

“You’re ok.”

I find it funny that Dante is trying to comfort me. Just a few weeks ago, he wanted me afraid of him. He wanted me to hate him.

But I’ve never hated him. Feared him, yes. Hated him? No. He’s just a Mafia man, like any other.

Dante helps me out of the car. Once I’m on steady ground, my legs give out. He catches me in his strong arms.

“I’ve got you. Are you hurt? Nadia?” The worry in his voice is so vivid and pronounced. He actually cares for me , I realize. There’s no hiding the way he’s looking at me right now.

“Am I still your prisoner?” I ask.

He blinks, before pulling me into a tight hug. “The fact that you can talk is a good sign. ”

“I need to know. Am I still your prisoner?” I look up at him, aching for an answer. I need to know where Dante and I stand. I saved his life and he just saved mine. We’re even now.

And that changes everything.

Dante’s eyes soften the longer he looks down at me. “No.”

“Am I free to return to my sister?”

“Why does that matter? If you go back home, your father will find you.”

“But the only way I can truly care for you is if I’m free.”

He averts his eyes. “Let’s talk about that later. Right now, I need to get your arm fixed up. You’re still bleeding.”

In the adrenaline of it all, I forgot that I was hurt. Now, the pain of it is distracting enough to make me push aside my need for answers.

Dante helps me gently into the car. He’s being much more attentive than he ever has been before. As we drive away, his hand finds my knee.

“Where are we going?” I ask once I realize we’re not heading back to the ranch house.

“The house has been compromised. Matteo has another house lined up. We’re going there.”

Further from Anya. I miss her desperately and yet, I didn’t make the choice to return to her. I made the choice to stay with Dante. To save his life.

I’m quiet on the drive, my thoughts filled with so much conflicting emotion. Part desire and warmth for Dante, part need to be free of him. We’re stuck in a strange sort of limbo. I want him and yet I can’t have him. Not really.

The only way I’ll ever be truly happy is if this war ends and I can be with both Dante and Anya. But that’s up to Dante to change and he’s as stubborn as a mule.

The new house is more cottage-like than ranch-like. It looks like a fairytale come to life.

Except, I’m not exactly living in a fairytale.

Matteo is waiting for us at the new house. Same with Aiden and Finn.

I stumble to a halt at the sight of the hitmen. They still scare me with their unpredictability.

“You got her back,” Finn comments, eyeing me over.

“Yes, as you can see,” Dante snaps, standing in front of me. “You don’t need to look at her like she’s a prized cow you want to eat.”

“I do love a good steak.”

His euphemism makes me blush.

“Aiden, tell your brother to stop.”

Aiden smacks Finn upside the head. “Stop.”

“You didn’t have to hit that hard,” Finn mutters, rubbing the back of his head.

“What are they doing here?” I whisper.

“When the other house got compromised, the plan was to come here. So… here they are.”

I stand closer to Dante. He notices. “Can they leave?”

“Scared of the hitmen, are you?”

I can only nod and move closer to Dante’s side. He slides his arm around me.

“I won’t let them hurt you. Not now. Not anymore.”

The air in the room shifts because of Dante’s words. Finn scowls. “You almost sound like you care for the girl. She’s our prisoner.”

“No, Finn. She was my prisoner.”

“And now? What is she?”

Dante sighs, pulling me in closer. “I’m not quite sure. But you will not hurt her. I’m not going to torture Nadia. I’m done with that.”

“Why?” Aiden asks. “I don’t get it. What happened?”

“She saved my life,” he says simply. “She didn’t have to and yet she did.”

“So, she’s delusional,” Finn comments.

“Maybe. But Nadia is mine now. I will not torture her.”

“What about Erik and the rest of them?” Aiden asks as he pulls out a knife and twiddles it between his fingers. The sight makes me sink further into Dante. “Don’t you still want to torture them?”

“Yes,” Dante says but I notice that he says it much more slowly, almost like he’s starting to reconsider some things. “And keeping Nadia here is doing that. I just don’t want to torture her anymore.”

Finn narrows his eyes. “Why not?”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you. Now, I don’t need either of you for the moment. So, you can leave.”

The brothers share a glance before they walk out of the house. Finn glares at me as he goes but otherwise, nothing else happens. The moment they’re gone, I feel like I can breathe again.

Dante doesn’t let me go.

“She’s bleeding,” Matteo says, nodding at me .

“I’ll handle it. You can go too, Matteo.”

He knows better than to object to his boss so with a simple nod in my direction, he leaves too.

Dante and I are alone. That thought makes my stomach flutter.

“Let’s get your arm bandaged up.” He leads me into the bathroom and pulls out a first aid kit. After inspecting the wound, he says, “It’s a fairly shallow cut. You’ll heal up nicely.” He disinfects the wound before putting a bandage on it.

His touch is so gentle and nice. It’s nothing like the hot, taboo touches we’ve shared in the past.

“Thank you.”

He skims his fingers down my arm. “You’re welcome.”

“I was scared today.”

“Your father is a persistent man, I’ll give him that.”

“He is. He’s been trying to get me back for the past four years. He won’t stop. Erik has been able to keep him at bay but Erik wasn’t there. I thought for a moment that my father was going to succeed. That he would put me back into my old room and lock the door and never let me leave.”

“Sounds like you were a prisoner in your house growing up.”

“I was. He never physically locked me up but his anger would be enough to keep me there. I was so scared of him. I thought I was getting stronger away from him but seeing him today, it all came back to me. He still scares me. I felt like a little girl again.”

Dante places his fingers under my chin and tilts my face up to his. “I’ve seen you become more brave. You were shy and timid. In some ways, you still are. But I’ve seen you stand up to me. Not many people can do that. You might not roar but you have a quiet strength to you, Nadia. I would hate to see that broken.”

I clutch his arms. “You almost broke me. In that cold basement. I thought I was going to die down there.”

“Oh, baby. I was so angry with you then. I thought you were my enemy. But you’re not. And… I can’t believe I’m saying this because I never say this to anybody but… I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?”

“For forcing you into this war. For using you in my games. I thought you would be easy to torture. I could break you and make you turn against your family. But you already hated your father. And what I found was a girl that I didn’t want to break. Seeing your father take you away today, it made me realize something. I don’t want to lose you, Nadia. I don’t want to see you get hurt. I’ve never had these feelings for anyone before. Why now?”

Slowly, I cup his face in my hands. “You mean it? You’re really sorry?”

“I am.”

“Are you still going to go after Erik?”

He wavers before he nods. “I have to. He won’t stop coming after me.”

“So, we’re still technically enemies then, despite what we feel for each other.”

“You shouldn’t feel anything for me. You should hate me.”

“A part of me does,” I admit. “But another part of me wants you to kiss me right this moment.” I’ve never said something so bold and brave before. After thinking I was going to get trapped by my father again, I now realize that I want to go after the things I want.

And what I want is… Dante.

“I want to consume you,” he whispers darkly against my lips. “I want to ravage you. I want to take your innocence and make you mine.”

Desire floods through my body. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.

“We can’t,” I whisper. “I’m supposed to wait for my wedding night.”

“Fuck your wedding night. You belong to me.” He grips my hips and sets me on the counter right before he kisses me with so much passion, I think I might pass out.

Dante spreads my legs open and settles himself between them. I can feel his erection pressing against my inner thigh. I’ve never seen Dante naked before. The thought both thrills me and terrifies me.

Before there was a barrier between us. We could still claim we hated each other.

But now, if we do this, I’m not sure how I could ever hate Dante again.

He picks me up and carries me into the bedroom, kissing me the entire time. Then he lets me go. I fall onto the bed with a gasp.

There’s a darkness to Dante’s expression that excites me. He wants me. He wants to claim me.

“We shouldn’t,” I say again as he pulls my pajama bottoms off.

“You’re right. We shouldn’t.” Despite his words, he still takes my shirt off next. “No bra?”

“I don’t sleep in one.” My skin flushes down to my neck

“God, the sight of you, baby.” He kisses down my chest and over my breasts, giving me goosebumps. The only thing in his way is my underwear. Once that goes, there won’t be anything stopping him from taking me .

Nothing except myself. I could tell him no. I could yell at him to stop.

Yet, I keep my mouth shut. The only sounds that come out of me are little gasps and moans.

Dante kisses down to my panties, then stops. “I’ve imagined this so many times, it’s almost embarrassing.”

“I just need to know. Do you want me to be yours because you want to hurt my family. Or…”

“Ask it.”

“Or do you want me to be yours because you just… want me to be yours?”

His hands tighten on my hips. “I want you to be mine because I want to possess you fully. I don’t give a fuck about your family right now. I just want to be inside of you.”

It’s not exactly the answer I want but I know it’s what I’m going to get with Dante. There’s still a darkness inside of him that will never go away and that’s something I’ll have to contend with.

“What’s it going to be, baby? Do you want to stop? Or do you want me to take you?”

I know what I want, even though it’s the last thing on earth I should want.

Silently, I open my legs wider.

Dante smiles.

He grips my panties and rips them right off me. I gasp from the sensation. It’s both rough and electric.

He places his palm between my legs and begins to rub me, warming me up. My hips buck of their own accord. My body has always had a response to him, whether I’ve liked it or not.

“You’re wet for me,” he growls, sparking more desire through me.

My only response is to moan softly.

“Even your little sounds are shy.” He removes his hand from between my legs and grabs my face, kissing me deeply again. I arch my body against his.

He stands up and slips off his shirt. The sight of his muscular, strong chest only lights me more on fire. With a smirk, he kicks off his shoes and slides his pants and boxers down, showing me all of him.

His erection is a lot larger than I was expecting – not that I had really imagined anything. I was never allowed to watch anything pornographic and even after moving into Anya’s house, I never had the bravery to do it.

“Don’t be scared, baby. I won’t hurt you. ”

“It won’t hurt?”

“I’ll make sure it won’t.” The gentleness to him now compared to when we first met is astounding.

“But I’m not sure how I’m going to control myself,” he says, leaning over me. “God, I need you.”

He sets his length right up to my entrance. Dante grips my legs and brings my ankles over his shoulders. “I want to be as deep inside of you as I can get.”

My inner walls clench at the thought. Never in my life have I been this turned on.

Our eyes meet.

Dante thrusts his hips forward and enters me in one motion. The sudden pain of it makes me cry out. He slows down.

“You got to relax, baby,” he says through gritted teeth. “You got to relax and then it won’t hurt.”

I look up into his eyes and tell myself that I don’t need to fear Dante. I did once but now, I know he won’t hurt me. He saved me from my father and for that, I’ll always be grateful.

My inner walls relax around him.

“There you go,” he murmurs. Slowly, he begins to thrust into me. Each time, he sinks deeper inside of my body.

After a moment, it starts to feel really good. The pain is replaced with pleasure.

I let out a soft moan.

“There you go. God, look at you.” Thrust. “You look so fucking delectable.” Thrust. “You’re mine .”

Dante then loses control. His thrusts turn more rough and frantic. I try to match his pace but it’s impossible so I let myself lie back and enjoy it. I let him claim me as his own.

I let myself be taken by my enemy.

He grips my ankles tighter and lets out a low grunt as he plunges into me harder. I almost choke from the pleasure of it.

Suddenly, Dante moves my legs around his waist and he leans over me so we’re chest to chest. He presses his head to mine like he’s trying to leave an imprint there.

Our hips are moving frantically together. My toes curl from the pleasure of it. It’s so good. So good. So…

“Oh,” I moan as my pleasure builds inside of me. My hands clutch Dante’s back. His shoulder blades are so defined and strong.

He lets out a gasp. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Dante look so vulnerable. His hands press into the mattress on either side of my head. The sight of his fingers clutching the blanket and fighting for control sends my desire soaring through my body.

“Nadia,” he groans.

Hearing Dante in the full throws of pleasure is enough to send me over the edge.

I let myself fully relax right before my release hits me. I arch into him with a moan.

“Fuck, baby. You are mine. Mine.”

I tremble in his arms, shuddering and shaking from pleasure.

Dante thrusts into me once, twice, and finally a third time before he comes next. He groans. The look of utter contentment on his face makes me feel safe with him.

It makes me see a future with him – just for a moment.

But if Dante insists on going after my family still, then I can never have a future with him.

He gently pulls out of me and flops onto the bed. Instantly, I feel cold.

Loneliness and regret creep into me.

“We shouldn’t have done that,” I whisper, staring up at the ceiling.

Dante goes eerily still beside me. “What?”

“Dante… we shouldn’t have done that.” A tear escapes my eye.

“I thought you wanted to be mine.” He props himself up on his elbow and looks down at me with confusion. I hate that I put that confusion there. I wish things could just be more simple.

“You said I was yours, which means you won’t let me go. You won’t let me return to Anya.”

“But I thought you didn’t want to go back. Your father will find you.”

“But I need to see my sister again. You have to understand that. I can’t be with you unless she can also be in my life.”

He grabs my face. It’s not exactly rough but it’s not exactly gentle either. “You are mine. You gave yourself to me. Do you regret it?”

“Maybe,” I admit. “I was supposed to wait for my wedding night.” Now, if Dante does ever let me go, no Bratva man will want me again. Now that I’ve been defiled by a Mafia man.

But I know I don’t want to be with another man. I want Dante.

I just can’t want him without Anya in my life .

“Too late now, baby. I just fucked you. Your innocence is gone.” He wipes my tear away with his thumb.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Stay with me. Be with me. Forget your family. Leave it all behind.”

That’s the difference between Dante and I. He doesn’t have a family to miss. He wants me to be his but I can’t be. Not when Anya is still worried for me.

Not when me being here is torturing her.

“I need to see my sister again. She needs to know that I’m ok.”

“She won’t understand. She’ll think you’re crazy for wanting to be with me. And if you return to her, Erik will never let you go. He will keep you from me. And then he’ll try to kill me and more people will die. You saved my life to try to save more lives. So you can’t go.” He gets out of bed, anger radiating off him.

“I thought I wasn’t your prisoner any longer.”

“You just have to be smarter than this. It’s either me or your family. You can’t have both.” His words are like a slap to my face.

Dante storms out of the room before I can get another word in.

The sad part is, I know he’s right. I have to make a decision.

It’s not going to be an easy one.

Anya

My father shows up on my doorstep, covered in blood and sweat.

“You’re not welcomed here,” I snap. Before I can slam the door in his face, he speaks.

“I found Nadia.”

I go cold in my bones. Erik was out looking for her but couldn’t find her. My father getting his hands on her was the last thing I wanted.

“Where is she?”

“Back with that filthy Italian. I tried to take her home with me but she did the stupidest thing. She made me crash my car. It was like she didn’t want to leave with me. ”

“Can you blame her?” I ask with a huff. “You’ve been a terrible father to us. So, what happened after that?”

“Dante got his hands back on her. I don’t know where they went. Probably to a new house.”

“So… Nadia is in the wind again. You had a chance to save her and you blew it. Now, Erik will have even less of a chance of finding her. So thanks for that.”

“I had her in my car. How was I supposed to know that she’d try to stop me?”

“If you had just stayed out of the way, Erik could have tracked that license plate and found Nadia and saved her and she’d be back with me. Instead, because of you, she’s back with Dante again, who knows where. So fuck you.”

“You didn’t see her. She likes that fucker.”

I go still. “What did you say?”

“Nadia is gone. Lost to me. She sided with that Italian. I saw it with my own eyes. Your sister isn’t coming back to you.”

I slam the door on his face.

Then I promptly fall onto my knees because I can’t hold my weight up. Not when I’m so worried for Nadia.

Not when I think I’m losing her more and more as every second passes.