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Dante
I run my hand over her damp ponytail. It’s already started to curl and frizz. I kiss her forehead and close my eyes. She’s safe and in my arms. I can breathe again.
“Go ahead and ask. It’s killing you,” she says sleepily.
“How did you end up one of his—”
“I’m not one of his. I’m more of an independent contractor. When I met your brother, he was looking for something.” She shrugs. “I think I fit the bill. We got to talking, and we became friends. A few months later, he hired me. I came to work in your company in the mail room and moved up as he told me to. It’s something we do sometimes.”
“We?” I murmur.
“My aunt and my mom started a security firm for female clients. You know, women in power who need protection but don’t want some big dude following them around. You’d be surprised how many times that situation can go wrong.”
I snort. “So Gio thinks I’m a woman?”
She laughs and slaps my chest. “No. We’ve had clients who wanted female bodyguards. Well, that was before. At some point, the business changed. There’s more money in what we do now.”
“I bet.”
“We never take jobs that aren’t worthy. There are a lot of sick fucks out there who deserve to see the barrel of one of my guns.” She looks up at me. “Besides, tonight was the first time Gio has asked for my services. I had thought for a moment he wanted me for Bella. You know, to protect her.”
I inhale through my nose. “Is that the last of your secrets?”
“No, remember the girl from high school?”
I nod.
“I beat her to within an inch of her life. I have a really bad temper. It’s why I took being bullied. I knew what releasing that rage would do. Wh…what Nyla found was my suicide note when it all became too much.
“Dad, he was so hurt that he missed it, but he and Aunt Denise allowed me to work for the company and I channeled all that rage into what we do. Our third family business.”
I stare at her. She is everything I’ve ever wanted. The perfect, unexcepted mirror of my soul.
I palm her face and run my thumb across her lips. “Is that it?”
She lifts her head from my chest and smiles sadly at me. “My parents were murdered in front of me. I was three but I remember a little. They were protecting someone. I remember the pretty lady with the dark hair. She held me while we were in the panic room. She tried to turn me away from the monitors.
“But I saw. My parents didn’t have a chance. They killed them both. It all happened so fast. They were gone by the time Auntie Denise and Elijah got there.”
She slides her hand up my chest as her eyes take on a distant look. I run my fingers across her cheek.
She looks into my eyes with tears gathering in hers. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I told you that.”
I kiss her trembling lips and pull back to look into her eyes. “You can feel free to tell me anything. I’m sorry about what happened.”
“I was fucked up for so long after. Auntie Denise started to teach me how to fight and shoot as early as five. My skills grew from there. I always felt like she was preparing us for those people to come back and try to finish the job.
“They were the monsters waiting in the dark. Then one day I stopped fearing someone coming for me because I was the monster now.”
“Baby, you couldn’t be a monster if you tried. Although, I’m sure no monster wants to fuck with you.” I laugh.
She nuzzles her forehead to my chin. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
****
“Where’s Gio?”
“I don’t know,” Dario shrugged. “His friends are over.”
I get excited. I want to be cool, like Gio and his friends. At least, I think they’re cool.
Bored out of my mind, I turned and ran into the house to find Gio and his friends. I got to Gio’s room and reached for the door. Mom rushed in from the side doors.
“Dante,” she barked.
I turn to find my mother looking as if she’d seen a ghost. She shook her head at me. Her cheeks turned red with anger.
“What have I told you about going into Gio’s room uninvited? You have to respect others’ privacy. Get your hand off that door. Where’s Dario?”
“I…I only wanted to hang with Gio,” I whispered.
She ran a hand through her hair. I didn’t understand why she was so upset with me.
“You can’t go in there. You need to listen when I tell you something, Dante. Go to your room. You boys are out to make me crazy.”
I pop up out of my sleep with a gasp and those words ringing in my ears. I look down at Lizzy sleeping next to me. She’s here. She’s safe. She would never leave Bella and me without a word. Not like my mother.
