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Dante’s hand tightens around my fingers, crushing them in his big palm. I shoot him a narrowed glare barely restraining a squeal.
“Sure, Rosie, whatever you say.” He rolls his eyes then kicks the recliner back. Turning to Dante, he stretches out his legs, calling attention to the glaring hole in his sock. So embarrassing. “So, Dante, what do you do?”
“Italian mafia.” His dark eyes sparkle with amusement, and the entire room goes silent. My heart stops, and I’m sure my jaw is about to unhinge. A long second later, Dante chuckles, the warm, sultry sound chasing away the chill that had settled into my body since I walked into this house. “I’m joking, of course.” He leans across the armrest and pats my dad’s hand, a little too vigorously. “I’m a businessman, Mr. Holloway. Perhaps you’ve heard of King Industries?”
“Why, sure. Who hasn’t in the tri-state area?”
“It’s our family business.”
Now it’s Dad’s jaw unhinging and Janet’s eyes flashing dollar signs as she saunters toward us with our glasses of water. “So, you’rethatValentino?” Janet squeaks.
“I’m assuming you’re speaking of my brother, Luca. He’s the CEO, the former most eligible bachelor in New York City. I’m his elder brother. I deal with other aspects of the business.”
“He’s currently acting CEO, actually,” I interject.
“It’s only temporary.” Dante shoots me a sidelong glance.
“Unless Luca and Stella start popping out babies.” I take a quick sip of the water.
“They’re not even married yet.”
I shrug. The way those two fuck like bunnies I wouldn’t be surprised if they had an oops baby.
The rumble of an engine and the crunch of tires spinning through gravel sends my head on a swivel over my shoulder. An old Chevy truck pulls into the driveway, and all the air squeezes from my lungs.
No! What the fuck is he doing here?
CHAPTER37
SEE YOU IN HELL
Dante
A tremor surges up Rose’s spine, the reaction so violent her entire body trembles. What the fuck is going on with her? She’s been keeping something from me, and I was okay with it at first. I wanted to give her time so that she’d feel comfortable enough to tell me herself, but enough is enough. If she doesn’t tell me what the hell is going on here, I’m going to spank it out of her, and I don’t care if her whole damn family hears her screams.
“Rosa…,” I growl in her ear. “What is going on?”
She swallows hard, her anxious gaze pinned to the hallway that leads to the front door.
“Nothing.” Tears fill her eyes, and she chokes back a sob.
Footsteps echo down the corridor, the ominous slapping spiking my heartrate.
“Cazzo, Rosa,” I hiss. “If you don’t tell me right now, I swear to God, I will punish you.” My own body vibrates with rage at seeing her like this. I’ve never felt so damned helpless in my life. Clenching my fists, I attempt to soften my tone. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
“I—I can’t….”
I glance around the room at her father and stepmother who seem completely oblivious to Rose’s total meltdown. How can they be so blind?
The source of the heavy footfalls appears around the corner, and every muscle in Rose’s body goes tense beside me. From the corner of my eye, I catch her face pale, a sickly pallor coating her typically rosy cheeks.
I glare up at the male as his gaze lands on Rose, and a spark lights up his gray eyes, a sneer curling his lip. He’s tall and lanky with wispy blonde hair, probably a decade or so older than me. Nothing that screams predator.
“Well, hello there, baby girl,” he croons. “It’s been way too long. When Gerry told me you were visiting, I couldn’t help but come by since I missed you at Christmas.”
But her reaction to him is nothing short of terror.
Dead, my ass.
