Page 78 of Vow of Hate

“We don’t have to worry about all of that right now,” I say in a low voice as I set my hands on her hips. “We can spend more time together. What do you say?”

She sucks in a sharp, excited inhale of breath. The eagerness in her eyes is palpable. “I want that. But…” She pulls back. “We know we have a good physical connection. But do we have an emotional one?”

“I’ve opened up to you more than I have anyone else.”

“Which is good. I’m glad for that. But maybe we should spend more time talking. Getting to know one another. On a deeper level than just physical. I think that would be good.”

“Where is this coming from?”

She steps out of my arms and I feel the coldness in the air descend on me. “It’s coming from the fact that I know my mother will never approve of us being together. Not unless you can show you’ll treat me right.”

“I am not a good man. That hasn’t stopped you from wanting me.”

“I know,” she sighs. “But the fact doesn’t change. If I’m going to be in your life, I need to have my mom as well. I need both and I need you to try and get along with her. I need you to apologize to her for what you did.”

“Sienna, your mom is going to shoot me the first second she gets. An apology isn’t going to cut it.”

“It’s a start though and that’s what matters. You need to apologize. You need to do that for me.”

“For you, huh? You think you can start making demands of me? I can’t change who I am, Sienna. You need to know that.”

She takes a step closer to the door. “Then I can’t stay here.”

“But you’ll be back. You can’t stay away from me, can you? Admit it. It’s eaten you alive being away from me all week.”

“Yes,” she admits. “It has. But I also have to be rational. I care for you, Dante, even if I shouldn’t but you have to give the other people in my life a reason to care for you. You have to give me an actual reason too.”

I let out a low whistle. “Once again, surprising me. You do have a knack for it.”

With a sigh, she walks back to me and rests her hands on my chest. “Please, Dante.”

“What makes you think I’ll do anything for you?” I say against her lips.

“If you want me back, you will.”

“I already told you: you’re a danger to me, Sienna. I shouldn’t want you back.”

“And I already told you: I don’t care about that. But I do care about my family. And you need to make amends with my mom. You need to marry me. Make peace with Gabriel. Do everything he wanted to begin with.”

“And let myself be controlled by him?” I hiss, backing away from her. “No.”

“Then you don’t get me.”

“I already have you, baby. You’re here, in my house, right now. You willingly came back to it. I didn’t have to try hard. Just a good fuck in the backseat of my car.”

She winces. “How can you still be cruel to me? How can I want a man like you?”

Her words hit me right in the fucking gut. A reminder of the kind of man I am. It’s something I always cherished about myself but right in this moment, seeing the pain in Sienna’s eyes, makes me feel like utter fucking shit.

Before I can answer her – if I can even think of an answer – the front door bursts open and in storm Gabriel and Matteo with a few of Gabriel’s other men.

“Get away from her,” Gabriel growls, pointing his gun right at me. I don’t move but Sienna does.

She runs right for Gabriel. “How did you find us?”

“I had you followed. I could sense you were going to sneak out of the house eventually. You wouldn’t give up Dante’s location and I thought that was suspicious. Now I know why. He has you brainwashed, Sienna. Dante, you’re coming with us.”

I let out a loud, wicked laugh. It sounds exactly like my old self before Sienna entered my life. “You’re going to torture me, aren’t you?”