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Tony:Nope. No activity on any of his bank accounts for days.
Merda. How is this man surviving under the radar like that? Before his disappearance, before Rose’s attack, there was no large cash withdrawal, nothing. It isn’t possible to get by in this day and age of Big Brother completely unseen. And how was an ordinary, run-of-the-mill plastic surgeon evadingme? None of this made any sense. Where the hell is this guy?
CHAPTER33
STUCK WITH ME
Rose
A gentle whooshing sound draws me back to consciousness, and I vaguely make out a warm lap as my pillow. The shrill cry of a seagull finally pries my heavy lids open, and the black leather backseat of Dante’s Town Car comes to focus.
I roll over and find my face in Dante’s crotch and a naughty Italian with a wicked grin peering down at me. “Well, sweetheart, if you find your mouth down there with nothing to do….”
“Shut up,” I groan and force myself up. A shiver rolls down my spine, and goose bumps cascade across my arms. For once, it’s nothing ominous but rather quite the opposite. The backseat window is rolled down, showcasing the white caps of the Great South Bay.
The ferry the car sits atop bobs along the small waves in a gentle rocking motion. I stick my head out the window to get a better look at the sky. A riot of colors streak across the blue, a rainbow of golden ochres and bright magentas as the sun creeps across the horizon.
Gawd, I can’t remember the last time I was up in time for a sunrise. Okay, maybe up for an early shift when I worked at that other yoga studio, but never outside to enjoy its splendor.
Studio … ugh, my torched apartment. Thank gawd I’d brought a few personal items along with all my necessities when I’d moved into Dante’s house. They were all I had left now … except for the handful of things I’d left at my childhood home in Long Island. The crazy thing was how unemotional I felt about all of it. I should’ve been devastated, but a part of me is relieved, happy even, to be done with that place. After what happened in there, I don’t think I could ever go back.
Dante’s head pops up beside me, and I sneak a glance at the fiery mob boss. The typically hard cut of his jaw has relaxed, the deep trenches across his forehead vanished. He looks remarkably calm and at peace.
“Where are we going?” I whisper, scared to break the tranquility of this rare moment.
“To my beach house on Fire Island.” His gaze turns wistful as he eyes the small fishing boats scattered across the blue.
The island seems deserted compared to the normal bustle of summertime. Like most of the beachside towns, they’re extremely seasonal relying on Manhattanites fleeing the city in the blazing summer months. And it’s definitely not summer. Which now that I think about it, shit, it’s New Year’s Eve. How did I almost miss that? I cast a covert glance at Dante; guess we’ll be ringing in the new year together. A mad flutter of butterflies whips at my insides.
Returning my attention to the peaceful scene, I try to hold onto the calm. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Fire Island so quiet like this. It’s eerily beautiful.
As the ferry begins to slow, Dante pulls me back into the car, and the moment of utter peace starts to dissipate. A vein across his forehead flutters, and I want to ask what’s caused the change, but I hesitate, wary of making it worse.
“No one will find us here,” he mutters. “The house is in Mamma’s maiden name, and Luca and I have been adamant about keeping this part of our family’s life private.”
“Okay. I trust you.”
His expression softens, and now I understand what had him so flustered. My safety. A bubble of warmth fills my chest. Something changed between Dante and me in the past few hours. I didn’t want to get my hopes up because I couldn’t handle the disappointment, but I felt the shift all the same.
The ferry grinds to a halt at the dock, and the rumble of the engine falls away. Dante leans across the spacious backseat and slides open the privacy screen that covers the small window to the front. “You already spoke to the housekeeper?”
“Yup, it’s been handled, boss. The girls came, tidied up the place and stocked it with all the necessities, per your request.”
“Good.” He slides the screen shut and settles down beside me as the car’s engine ignites, and the vehicle rolls off the ferry. There’s only one other car on the boat with us. Definitely the emptiest I’d ever seen.
“So, what’s the plan?” I eye the mob boss warily. This is starting to feel like a couple’s getaway, and my stupid, fragile heart is running away with me.
“I’m winging it, as they say.” He throws me a mischievous wink. “I already emailed both of your bosses and told them you have Covid, so you’ll be out for the week.”
“Dante!” I hiss. “You can’t do that without my permission.”
“Like fuck I can’t.” He crushes my hands between his, squeezing until I swear I hear the crunch of small bones. I’m so taken by the possessive idiot I don’t even flinch. “You don’t understand what burning your apartment symbolizes in our world, sweetheart. They’re marking you.”
A chill skitters up my spine, not at all the good kind this time.
“I didn’t want to scare you, and I swear, I’ll never let anyone lay a finger on you again, but until Feng is taken care of, we’re staying here, and you’re not leaving my sight.”
I swallow hard; the rage in his tone is nothing compared to the fear lacing it. If he’s frightened for me then shit, this must be bad. “Okay,” I murmur.
