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“Yes.” She said it slowly, almost as if she was asking me a question.
“We went to get some baby—” I held my hand up at Ma’s voice, silencing her.
“Dante,” Uncle Antonio started. “You need to take a breath, son.”
My nostrils flared at his words, my frustration turning into so much more as I turned my head to look at him. He’d been the one who took me to and from my fights every week. The one who had taught me how to clean myself up and hide the bruises and cuts.
“Fuck you, Antonio.”
His lips flattened into a straight line, his face turning red. No one talked to Uncle Antonio like that…ever. But I was done. They were all about protecting the family, yet they’d taken Navy out and hadn’t even told me. What the fuck was that about?
“Dante,” Navy whispered. I jolted as her hand touched my arm, causing her to pull back. “We just went to get some baby things.” She paused, waiting for me to look at her, and when I finally tore my stare from Uncle Antonio, she continued, “You do realize we don’t have a single thing, right? We’re not prepared…at all.”
I heard what she was saying, and I knew it was the truth. But I couldn’t see past the fact she’d gone out of the house and I hadn’t been there to protect her. I’d been with Lorenzo all day, and there was no way he hadn’t known about this. Nothing was done without Lorenzo’s say-so.
Was that the reason he’d kept me out of the house for what felt like twice as long as was needed?
“You shouldn’t have left the house,” I told her, my tone stern, brooking no room for argument.
Her lashes fluttered on the tops of her cheeks as she blinked several times, her throat bobbing as she swallowed, and in the click of a finger, her expression went from placating to pissed off. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly.”
“I can’t believe you.” She planted her hands on her hips, standing at her full height of five foot three. She was tiny compared to me at six foot four, but that didn’t make her stance any less alarming. “I’ve been in this”—she waved her arm around—“place for over a week and I haven’t been outside once.”
“For your safety,” I interrupted.
“No.” She shook her head, pointing at me, her finger jabbing my chest. “Because you want to see me locked up here!” I raised a brow but she didn’t let me talk. “I’m not some princess that you can keep locked up in a tower, Dante. I’m a person.” She jabbed her finger in my chest again, but I didn’t let her see that it had come sharp on my breast bone, instead, I kept my face as straight as possible. “You have no idea what I’m going through.” She pushed past me, swaying as she did, but that didn’t stop her from moving toward the stairs.
I rolled my shoulders, turning around to see her walk away and feeling the burning stares of everyone on me.
“And another thing!” She spun around, now at the bottom of the stairs. “You don’t get to tell me what I can and cannot do, Dante Beretta.” My stomach dropped as she said my full name. “I am my own person.” She moved some hair from her face, puffing loudly. “I may be cooking your baby, but that doesn’t give you the right to tell me what I can and can’t do or where I can go.” She paused, her eyes burning a path right into me. “If I want to go out with Rosa and buy a thousand pairs of baby shoes, I will, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
“Navy.”
“No.” She held her hand up, much like I had with my ma, a move I already regretted. “You don’t own me, Dante. You’ll never own me. I’m here for my baby. I’m here because…” She trailed off, her words escaping her, but I knew what she was trying to say.
I stepped forward, wanting to go to her as a tear rolled down her cheek. I didn’t think she was upset though, it looked more out of anger. Anger that I’d caused.
Fuck.
“Don’t you dare come near me right now.” Her face was like thunder, her warning to stay back. “I’m going for a nap.” She gave me one last look, then took the first step, taking an age to get to the top, but when she finally did, she didn’t turn back, just went toward my bedroom, leaving the entire entryway in silence.
“You’re such an asshole,” Sofia snapped. “Why would you do that?”
“Do what?” I kept my attention on the top of the stairs.
“That!”
“I didn’t know where she was.” It was all I had. The only explanation that I could give.
“I’m so disappointed in you, Dante,” Ma murmured, and that was the thing that finally broke my stare.
I hated the hurt shining on her face. “I’m sorry, Ma.”
She shook her finger in the air. “It’s not me you need to apologize to.” She pointed up the stairs in silence.
I’d made a mistake. I’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. I’d panicked.
