Page 56 of Vow of Hate

But now… now I feel more unhinged and lost than I’ve ever felt and it’s all because of her.

Fuck. Maybe I really do want to marry her. Keep her all to myself. But to do that, I’d have to make peace with Gabriel and I can’t be anyone’s lap dog.

“What has gotten into you?” Gabriel asks. “The Dante I know doesn’t just come here and converse with people like this.”

“Maybe I’m a different Dante. An evolved one.”

He snorts. “You? Never.”

I flash him a smile as I stand up. “Have a nice evening, Gabriel. And it’s your lucky night. I won’t blow your club up.”

Anger contorts his features but other than that, he stays silent.

I whistle to myself as I leave the club. But just for fun, I take out the small gun the guard had missed from my shoe and walk over to the bouncer. I place the gun against his side and shoot. A loud scream runs through the air from the sound of the gunshot. The bouncer doubles over.

I’m already walking away, slipping my gun back into my jacket. Gabriel won’t call the police on me. He hates whenever police get involved in his business. All mafia men do.

So for now, I’m safe to return to Sienna. I do make a point of losing the car that Gabriel sends after me. He’s desperate, trying to find where Sienna is. I won’t give him the satisfaction.

Once I make it back home, I find Sienna asleep in bed, wearing the satin nightgown I bought for her. It’s a slinky thing I thought would make her look sexy but right now, all it does is make her look sweet as she sleeps. Innocent despite what I have done to her body.

Without even thinking about it, I lay down beside her and pull her into my arms.

She stirs awake. “Dante?”

“You wanted to know what my best day was?” My voice sounds muted in the quiet room.

“I thought you had already told me. The day you went out for ice cream with your mom.”

“No. That was all a lie. I mean, it wasn’t. That day really did happen. She sold me to the man who became my father to pay off her debts. But it was a lie that it was my best day.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “So what was your best day?”

“I was twenty-five. Growing my empire. The one my father left behind wasn’t much. There was this man. A mafia man. He had been giving me trouble.”

“Trouble how?”

“He kept leaving me severed fingers at my restaurant. It was scaring my customers. Making business harder for me. I knew I had to deal with him. So I finally did.” I trace my fingers along Sienna’s stomach. She leans back into me. Who knew she’d ever feel safe with my touch? I like the darkness in her that allows her to feel any sort of affection for me.

“What did you do?” she whispers.

“I found his home. He had a wife. Three daughters. Living the family man dream. And yet, he was a psycho who liked cutting off people’s body parts. His family didn’t know. They thought he was just a business man. So they were surprised when I came into their house. They screamed and screamed. I tied them all up. And I stood there, feeling the most powerful I had ever felt. Even more powerful than when I killed my father in the middle of fucking a prostitute, though that had been a good day too. But I stood there, over their bodies, as they screamed and I knew no one could take me down. God, it had felt good.”

“What happened?”

“I shot them all.”

She gasps. “Even his wife and daughters?”

“Yes. I am a monster, Sienna. You shouldn’t care for me.”

“Who said I care for you?”

I tilt her chin back and make her look into my eyes. “Because you begged me to touch you. And then you begged me to open up to you. You only did that because you want to know me. You want to see some goodness in me but I am not a good man. I never have been. I get drunk on power. That was my best day. The day I realized I could do whatever I wanted and I wouldn’t be controlled by anybody. Not my father. Not Gabriel. And not you.”

She frowns. “Me? I have no control over you.”

“You have more control over me than you realize. And that’s dangerous. I don’t like to be controlled, Sienna.”