Page 81 of Unforgiving Queen

“Why?”Because it feels wrong. Because my sister loves you. Because my sister is your half sister.

“I don’t know,” I said, quieting my racing thoughts.

He pressed his hands against the wall on either side of me. “By the time we’re done, Reina Romero, I’ll dig up every secret you’re keeping from me.”

I shivered as his words called to mind the one secret that would surely get me killed.

“I don’t want another date with you, Dante,” I said with a measured tone, hoping he couldn’t see the fear in my eyes.

I remained still, waiting for him to do or say something, but then he suddenly stepped away and I drew a deep breath into my lungs.

He strode into the living room, his gaze taking the apartment in.

“Just you home?” I nodded, wiping the sweat from my brow. “Where’s your sister?”

I stiffened but kept my face impassive. “Out.”

This whole thing was beyond messed up. Amon and I had a thing. Dante and Phoenix had a thing. And now… what? We’d play swapsies?

“Why are you here, Dante?” I asked, shifting around the living room and standing next to a vase. If he tried something, I’d shatter it against his skull.

God, somehow it always seemed to come back to a vase, didn’t it?

He studied me coldly. It was clinical, almost as if he were observing an animal, careful not to make any sudden movements.

“Maybe my brother was all wrong for you,” Dante drawled with a smirk that I guessed he thought was sexy. Or maybe he was purposely irritating me, I couldn’t tell. “There could be another true love waiting for you.”

My mouth parted in shock. I had to be hallucinating. “Excuse me?”

“I could be better than him. I could be your true love, doll face.”Huh?Then, as if he slipped, he added, “No, doll face isn’t right. Maybe I should call you sunshine?”

This whole conversation was bizarre and random. Almost as if he was testing me.

“How about you don’t call me anything at all?” I said incredulously. Both nicknames were hideous. The Leone brothers had my head spinning today. “What are you saying, Dante?”

“Do you want to kiss me, sunshine?”

“No, I don’t want to kiss you,” I snapped. Ugh, the thought of his lips on mine made me want to puke. Disgusting.

He slipped his hands into his pockets. “You don’t sound too sure about it.”

His confidence would be his downfall. “I am,” I deadpanned. “Please stop being delusional. It will never be my desire to kiss you.”

Good God, and this guy was related to Phoenix? At least she got all the good genes from our mamma. Dante was clearly batshit crazy.

“You might not like me, but I bet you’d enjoy it.”

He stepped forward and my hand shot out, my palm landing on his chest, keeping him at bay. “Don’t even think about it,” I gritted. “We don’t even know each other.”

“Exactly.”

“Take another step, Dante, and I swear I’ll smash something upside your head.”

He let out a dark chuckle. “I believe you would. No matter, I didn’t want to kiss you anyway.”

God help me. How in the hell would I get out of this mess?

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