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“You’ve got to chill the fuck out,” he tells me as he pulls me into his arms. “Portia, it’s going to be fine. They’re here to help. That fucker, Marco, should have been killed years ago. Had my father done his fucking job, he would have been, and this shit wouldn’t be going on.”
He’s so adamant that his father had something to do with my papa’s death that I’m starting to believe it too. I never thought the Famiglia would betray my father. He gave so much of his life to them. He didn’t deserve their betrayal.
“Are you going to tell them about who I am?” I ask. It’s weird to think they’ll know who I am. I haven’t been known as a Leone in a fucking long time, but it’s all going to come out now, and I’m not sure how everyone will react.
He runs his hands along my back. “They’re going to find out,” he says softly. “But that just means you’ll have the protection you should have had when your father died.”
I nod. “What’s going to happen if you find out your father did authorize the hit on mine?”
He brings his hand to my chin and tilts it so I look at him. “Then we’ll uncover who else was part of this and ensure they pay for betraying one of our men. I don’t give a fuck if they were under orders from my father. That shit doesn’t happen. They know that. It’s why it’s been swept under the rug and hasn’t been spoken about since. In our world, no one keeps their kills secret unless there’s a reason.”
He’s talking from experience. When he killed Gio and Angela, he did so under his father’s orders. He acts as though he would have done it anyway, and I believe him. But being a made man is ingrained in him. It’s who he is. He takes orders and does what’s to be expected. If he weren’t part of the Famiglia, he would never have killed them.
“Have you spoken to Beppe?” I ask, changing the subject. Finding out that he killed them was heartbreaking, but I know who Dario is, and I know he would never hurt me. His past is just that, his past. We’ve all done things others would deem unforgivable. I left my mama behind with her rapist and haven’t been back to check on her once.
He nods. “Yes. They spent the night on the streets, talking with everyone. Having the Famiglia asking the questions is helping them get a lot of answers. Our reputation precedes us. We’re going to ensure that those fucking animals who are stealing the women are found, and when they are, we’re going to kill them.”
“I want to be there when you kill Marco,” I tell him, my voice loud and clear. His brows rise, and he opens his mouth to no doubt tell me no, but I shake my head and continue speaking. “That man killed my dad. He raped my mom, and he beat us both. I’m not a little girl who doesn’t know what she’s asking for, Dario. I’ve seen firsthand what that bastard can do, and I want to see with my own eyes that he’s gone.”
He watches me for a beat, his gaze assessing. I’m not sure what he sees in my eyes, but he nods. “Okay,” he says, and my shoulders slump forward as I rest my head against him.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “You have no idea how long I have been wanting to watch that asshole die.”
His hands run along my spine, and I shiver in delight. “Trust me, baby, I get it. The flame for vengeance is always one that burns the brightest.”
He, more than anyone, gets it.
“How was Teagan when you called her?” he asks, and I’m pretty sure there’s laughter in his voice.
“Ass,” I grumble. “She was pissed that I didn’t tell her what was going on. She’s angry that Kelvin had me on the streets—”
“She’s not the only one,” he growls, and I know that no matter what I say, he and Kelvin aren’t ever going to get along. “He knew your past, Portia,” he says. “He knew why you ran away. That fucker knows everything there is to know about everyone, and he fucking uses it to his advantage. He put two women in harm’s way.”
I shake my head. “Dario, no—”
He frames my face. “He did, baby. He knew women were being taken from the streets, and what did he do? He put two women working them. That’s beyond fucked up. He’s got more than enough men on his team. Why weren’t any of them watching over you? Hmm? Not to mention the men he has for his other business. Why weren’t they watching?”
“This is something we’re going to have to agree to disagree on,” I say. “Because I understand your thought process, I really do. But that’s not what happened. Jamie and I have lived on the streets. We know what it feels like to be there. We can assimilate into that world without someone mistrusting us because it’s ingrained in us from our time on the streets how to act and what not to do.”
He sighs heavily. “Right,” he mutters, his voice tight. “Kelvin is someone we’re not going to argue about. Ever.”
I roll my eyes. “You say that now, but the moment he starts talking to me, the green-eyed monster will rear its ugly head.”
He looks affronted. “I’m not jealous of him. I’m pissed because he watches you like he wants you, but then acts as though I’m the crazy fucking one.”
I shake my head. God, I knew he would think that. “He doesn’t.”
He raises a brow. “Are you a man? Do you know what men do when they want a woman?”
I purse my lips. He’s so damn infuriating. I settle my hands on my hips and glare at him. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I snap. “God, Dario, you just can’t stop, can you?”
His lips twitch and it just angers me further. Why is he such an ass? “Thought we weren’t going to argue about the dick anymore?”
My lips part, and I stare at him in shock. “You can’t just let it go, can you?”
He grins at me, and I know he’s just doing it to annoy me. “At least you’re not stressing your cute ass off anymore.”
I narrow my eyes. “You’re skating on thin ice,” I hiss.
