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“No, I don’t.” Glancing over at Eli he still hangs limply from the hook, looking like he’s given up the fight, that he wants Dante to kill him. “Eli probably has proof. I bet he took their phones and shit with the messages, right, Eli?”
“I destroyed them,” he replies blandly, as if it’s no big deal that we can’t prove this shit to Dante.
“How convenient,” Dante remarks as he strolls back over to Eli.
“Look,” I say to stop him. “Not only did Eli save Maddie, but he helped me too. He helped me finally get over some bad shit that happened to me several years ago. Yes, he’s a little psycho sometimes, but he’s loyal to you, to Maddie. You know he would take a bullet for you both.”
“Eli would take a bullet forme? He lied to me, over and over again! I can’t trust a word out of his fucking mouth.”
“He loves you.” The mobster flinches at that comment. “Like a father, I mean. And you won’t even let him sit down with your family for a meal.”
Dante arches a single black eyebrow at me. “You mean for a meal on the table where Eli took my daughter’svirginity?”
“Yes, that table. And he probably shouldn’t have done that, especially not…there. But are you even going to ask Maddie how she feels about him? Probably not. I can tell you what she’ll say—she loves him too.”
Now Dante scoffs. “Eli admitted to manipulating her. He must have manipulated you too if you believe any of this bullshit.”
“Are you willing to risk your daughter’s happiness on your assumption? Because if you kill him, or me, Maddie willneverforgive you. She’ll leave again, and the next time you won’t find her because you won’t have Eli around to do the dirty work for you because he’ll be dead.”
“You’ve got one hell of a mouth on you,” Dante remarks. “Gag him,” he orders the guards. Nobody moves for several seconds. They just stand around all staring at each other. Probably because Eli is usually the one to do that sort of thing. “Did any of you fucking hear me?”
Eventually, one steps forward, hesitating. “Yes, sir, we heard you. But we don’t know where the gags are.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Dante mutters while rubbing his forehead with his left hand. At least the right one holding the gun is still lowered.
Chuckling, I draw the mobster’s attention back to me. “Eli handles the torture and killing for you, right? What will you do without him?”
“I’ll survive,” Dante remarks.
“Well, I won’t. And Maddie won’t either. So don’t you fucking dare kill him for lying to you. Not when you never deserved his loyalty to begin with.”
Shaking his head, Dante says, “It’s like you both have a death wish today, and I can’t decide whose wish I should grant first.”
“Don’t you get it? Eli is running his mouth because he would rather die than take another life for you, especially if that life is mine. You have no idea what he’s been through, do you? He’s spent his whole life being unloved and unappreciated, convincing himself he’s a monster. And you used him, turned him into that monster. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“God, you’re an idiot,” Eli grumbles, trying to sound tough but his voice waivers, his eyes blinking rapidly. “You’re trying to get yourself killed.”
“Isn’t that what you’re trying to do? Isn’t that what you do to protect the people you love?”
He doesn’t answer me, just purses his lips together.
“So, I get that the two of us may not be the men you would ever choose for one of your daughters,” I admit to Dante. “But here’s the thing—you don’t get to fucking choose who Maddie loves, who loves her, or how many men she sleeps with at a time. Those are all her decisions to make. You don’t have to like them either, you controlling prick. That’s why you need to decidewhat’s more important to you—your stubborn, wounded pride or your daughter’s happiness.”
Dante glares at me for a long silent moment. Then he turns back to Eli. “Do you have any final words?”
Eli gives him a shrug. “I’m not sorry, if that’s what you want me to say. Despite what you think, I would never hurt Maddie. I would do anything to protect her. And yes, I know it’s hard to believe that I could ever protect an ant much less your daughter, but it’s true.” Taking a deep breath, he rushes to add, “Maybe...maybe what I did with Maddie started out with me just wanting to get back at you. And I regret that. I do. It turned into more though. So that’s why I’m ready to accept whatever punishment you decide I deserve. Kill me, beat me, stab me. I’ll take it.”
There’s a long moment of silence in the basement as Eli’s final words echo in my head, right before he barks out a laugh.
“God, that sounded so stupid,” Eli mutters. “How ridiculous right? How could any father ever give me,ME, Eligor, the notorious psycho torturer, their blessing to be with their daughter, especially you, Mr. Overprotective Mafia King? I’m a fucking idiot. That’s how I know I love Maddie and Jordan, because I’m strung up here facing the end and saying shit that I know is going to get me killed even faster, but I can’t not say it.”
“Are you finished now?” Dante grits out.
Eli nods. “Yes. I think so. No, wait. I do apologize for going behind your back and fucking…yeah.”
“Do you really expect me to give you my permission to go chase after my daughter like a lovesick fool?”
“No. But now that I’ve had time to think about it, well, you can’t kill me.”
