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“I’m not leaving her, Ma.” He held my hand tighter, pulling me closer to him. I inhaled a breath, remembering how he’d smelled the exact same the night we were together, like the forest mixed in with a distinctive musk only Dante had. It was enticing…addictive.
She rolled her eyes at me as if she was fed up with him, but I could see the smile on her face clearly. “Fine, let’s go up to your room, then.”
She didn’t wait for anyone to say another thing as she spun around and headed toward the stairs, leaving us standing with just the man who had been in the doorway—Lorenzo. Zara had told me all about the Beretta family, so I knew he was the boss, and Dante’s big brother.
“I want an explanation when she’s cleaned up,” he demanded, to which Dante nodded, then led me away.
I wasn’t sure what to think or how to feel as we moved up the stairs and then to the left. My nerves thrashed through me at an alarming rate, and I couldn’t deny that there was part of me that regretted coming here. Maybe I was making a bad situation even worse. Maybe I’d done the wrong thing. Maybe I was overthinking it all. Maybe I could have talked Dad down and—
No. There was no talking him down, not after what he’d done.
I lifted my hand to my mouth as we walked into a large bedroom behind Dante’s ma, wincing as my fingertip touched the split in my lip.
“You okay?” Dante asked, leading me over to the edge of the bed.
“I’m…” Was I okay? I really wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure about anything anymore. Dad was supposed to be one of the good guys and these people were supposed to be the bad guys, so why did I feel the safest I’d ever felt right now? Why did I not fear for my life? Why did I feel so comfortable around them?
“Here you go, Aunt Rosa.” I glanced at the man standing in the doorway, holding some supplies in his arms. His gaze met mine, his eyes almost black in this light.
“Ah, there you are.” Rosa walked over to him and patted him on the side of the face. “You’re a good boy.” His jaw clenched at her touch, but he didn’t bat her away. I had a feeling he didn’t like it but wouldn’t say anything to the woman who was clearly in charge here.
Anytime she’d spoken, they’d adhered to her demands. She was the true boss of the family, at least, in my eyes right now anyway.
She placed the supplies on the bed next to me, starting to open a packet when Dante said, “I got it, Ma. I’ve cleaned enough cuts and bruises over the years.”
She paused her movements, her face dropping as she turned her gaze to him. Sadness flitted over her eyes as they had a silent conversation. It only lasted seconds, but it was enough for me to notice, and then in the blink of an eye, her expression was gone, and in its place a kind smile as she turned to me. “Are you hungry?” I opened my mouth, not sure what I was going to say, but she was already turning around to leave. “I’ll get you some food.”
Dante chuckled under his breath, shaking his head as she closed the door behind her, leaving just us in the enclosed space. Swallowing at the thought of being alone with him, I scanned the room. On one side there was a leather sofa facing the wall with a TV attached. A small table separated the space between the sofa and where we were—on one of the biggest beds I’d ever seen. I turned, taking in the two doors sitting on either side of the headboard.
“Look at me,” Dante murmured, placing his thumb and finger on my chin. He swiveled my head to face him, his eyes lighting with fire as he stared at my lip and then my cheek. “I’ll clean you up,” he started, “and you can tell me what happened.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him that it was nothing, that I fell, but lying wouldn’t help me with the paperwork I’d signed.
“Ouch.” I winced as he placed something against the cut on my lip. “That hurt.”
“I know. But it’ll make it heal faster.” He focused on cleaning the cut, and when he moved to my cheek, I decided it was now or never. If I didn’t tell him everything all at once, then I’d never say it.
“That day that you saw me…my dad…he…” I tried to focus my eyes on anything but him and how close he was. “He hadn’t long found out that I was pregnant.” Swallowing, I continued, not giving him the chance to interrupt me, “He found out when I came here to tell you.”
He paused his prodding, making me look directly at him. His brows were furrowed, confusion spread over his face. “You came here?”
Nodding, I whispered, “A guy called Christian turned me away.”
I heard his intake of breath. “That motherfucker.”
I placed my hand on his arm, squeezing. There wasn’t time to be angry, not when I’d only just gotten started. I had to tell him everything, had to confess it all. “But as I left, my dad, he erm…he pulled me over.” I sighed, remembering that day. It wasn’t how it was meant to happen—none of this was how it was meant to happen. “He found out that it was your baby and told me I had to get rid of it.” Closing my eyes, I let my shoulders sag. “Then he took me to that place—an adoption agency—and when I realized what it was, I ran out of there.” Pausing, I opened my eyes. “Straight into you.”
He pulled in a deep breath, his movements slow as he dropped the piece of gauze he was using. He was waiting, not saying a word. I tried to think of the best way to say it, but…there wasn’t a good way. I had to lead with the truth, be systematic and relay the facts.
“Then today when I got home, the adoption agency was there again.” His face was turning redder the longer I spoke. “I refused to sign the paperwork. I’m not giving my baby up, Dante.”
“Our baby,” he ground out. “It’sourbaby, Navy.”
“Our baby,” I whispered.
The silence stretched in the room, neither of us looking away. But I still had more to tell him. I hadn’t gotten to the worst part yet.
I swallowed, trying to obtain the courage I needed to say the words.
