Page 10 of Cross + Catherine: The Companion

The Talk

Cross POV

“Cross, take a walk with me.”

To another teenage boy, those words might have sent him running for the hills. To Cross, it kind of sounded like a challenge.

There was probably something wrong with him.

Dante Marcello stood tall and formidable in the kitchen entryway, waiting on Cross. The man’s wife continued her work at the stove like she hadn’t heard a thing.

Catherine’s wide eyes turned on him where they both sat at the table. He pushed up out of his seat, and shot her a smirk. No need for her to worry, after all. Her father wasn’t actually going to do anything to him. Maybe try. Although, even that was unlikely, considering his father knew where he was.

Nobody in the business of the mafia wanted to start a street war over something stupid like a teenage boy dating somebody’s daughter.

Cross peeked at Dante. The man gave him a look before he turned on his heel with a wave for Cross to follow over his shoulder. He didn’t say or do anything else, and he didn’t look back at Cross once as they headed through the hallways of the large home. Complete silence echoed except for their footsteps hitting against hardwood floor.

Okay.

So maybe this man would start a street war over someone dating Catherine.

Cross still held out hope.

What the hell else did he have going for him at the moment? Arrogance was his best friend. Even when that friend did nothing but cause him problems.

Dante navigated the halls of the large home while Cross continued walking behind him, and stared at his back. When they came to the back staircase, Cross expected them to go up a level. He knew that’s where Dante’s office was situated in the house. Instead, Dante went down the stairs.

Cross followed silently.

Finally, Dante spoke once they were down in a cold, gray room that looked like storage. The man opened one door, and waved toward the darkness. “Go on in, Cross, and have a seat.”

“Somebody going to jump out at me or something?”

Dante chuckled. “It’s not the monsters you can’t see that you need to be concerned about, kid.”

All right.

Cross noticed something odd as he passed the door Dante was still holding open for him. The fact the man needed to hold it open or else it looked like it would slam shut was one thing. Like it was heavy as hell.

Also, it had to be at least six inches thick. All steel.

Cross blinked, realizing something else.

Soundproof, likely.

The stupid part inside his brain that literally didn’t know what the taste of his own fear was shrugged it off. The smaller part of his brain that knew something wasn’t right told him to back away slowly and head upstairs.

Dante was behind him.

Cross wasn’t going anywhere.

“Take a seat,” Dante repeated.

Cross stared into darkness. “Where?”

“Go in.”

He took a couple of small steps into the room. Behind him, Dante followed and allowed the large, heavy metal door to slam closed behind him. The sound rattled Cross’s bones, for fuck’s sake.