The old bastard was always more interested inpreserving his own skin than actually choosing sides, but in this case, he bore close watching. I sighed, rubbing my chin. Gabriel and Dante had to know we had hit a snag.
I’d just made a vow to step away from the one woman I loved, but that vow would have to wait. Rocco walked into that room like he wanted blood, and I meant to make sure he didn’t come for ours.
31
EMBERLINE
Idrowsed in the nest of Dante’s arms, hardly believing this was real.
I was afraid to close my eyes because part of me wondered if I would wake up and he’d be gone again. That the past month would stretch on and on without end, and no matter how much I cried, he would never come back.
His skin still smelled faintly of explosives and iron and the sharp bite of hot desert sands, as if the prison clung to him, no matter how many times he bathed. His skin was hot, like the desert sun was still beating down on it.
Right after we’d made love, I swore flames flickered in his eyes, and then they were gone.
But at least he hadn’t suggested leaving again.
Or that he wasn’t safe.
Soon,I promised myself, settling deeper into his arms.Soon, he will put that place behind him, once he has his vengeance on his father, and I have mine. Then we can start all over again. Then we can finally be happy.
Right now, though, revenge felt a world away, marooned on some far-off shore, along with the rest of our troubles.
He stirred beneath me, heart rate picking up, hands skimming down my bare back, callouses dragging against my skin. I closed my eyes again, letting the warm, comforting presence of him ground me, the way an anchor tethered a ship during a storm.
“Emberline,” his voice was still sleep-rough. “The Overseer said something before he died. I’m… wondering now if it might be important.”
My spine went rigid, wishing I could stop fate from shoving us into a future that held nothing but more fighting and more death.
“Anything that came out of that bastard’s mouth was a lie,” I said, staring at the wall. “I doubt he’d recognize the truth if it bit him in the ass.”
“Gods, I’ve missed you.” Dante chuckled, his chest rumbling beneath my cheek. “Normally, I would agree with you, but this was… not something you could make up.”
I tipped my head up to peer into eyes that were too dark, hollows carved out around them, despite feeding from me last night. No, it would take weeks for my husband to regain his full strength, and I planned on keeping him in bed until that rough chuckle turned into a real laugh.
Until he wasn’t haunted and hollow.
Until I could trust him in the world.
Beneath the male I loved, something else prowled. Some part of the prison he’d brought home with him, as I’d brought something back with me from the Underworld.
That was how I recognized the difference in him so clearly.
Because now we were the same.
Both of us hiding our secrets.
And one of these days, I’d tell him mine. My mother, her warnings, the way I felt like I still had one foot in the Underworld… but those were stories for another day.
“He knew he was about to die, and he laughed.” Dante ran his finger down my arm, and I shivered. “Told me I was thinking too small when it came to Giovanni.”
My stomach tightened at his grim tone. “Too small, how?”
“He said Giovanni doesn’t plan to rule the five families.” Dante swallowed. “He plans to turn us into his slaves.”
The word landed like a hammer on my heart.
“Slaves,” I repeated. “How, exactly?”
