Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Dante had the presence of a statue—devoid of all emotion.
“I’m going to tell her everything.”
His stonelike gaze hardened at the threat. His expressions were always subtle and nuanced because he kept his emotions the way he kept his cards—close to his chest. But the anger was unmistakable.
“As a courtesy, I’ll give you the opportunity to speak to her first. Word it in whatever way you want to make yourself look as good as possible. I don’t care. My agenda is not to show her what a horrible man you are, but to prove that I’ve always been faithful to her, that she’s all I’ve ever wanted since the moment I met her. I’m tired of living with this cloud over my head and watching it pour down on our sunshine.”
Dante said nothing, bringing his hands close together, wearing a ring on each hand. “I meant what I said. Tell her—and your parents are dead.”
I was surprised, but not entirely so. “I saved your ass, Dante.”
“My ass wouldn’t have needed to be saved if you’d just given them the ten percent. I’m not an idiot. I know that was on purpose.”
“If I wanted to kill you, I would just do it myself,” I said. “In fact, I’d prefer it.”
His expression remained hard.
“I saved your daughter. You at least owe me that.”
“Again, you decide to fuck with the Colombians—”
“And you decided to bring her there. That’s all on you, Dante. As manipulative and deceitful as I think you are, I know you love your daughter very much.” I saw it in the way emotion overcame him in certain moments, the way he’d begged for her life instead of trying to save his own. He did some shitty things, but if it came down to her or him, he would take the bullet so she could walk away. “Tell her, or I will.”
“Then I’ll shoot both of your parents through the fucking eye.”
If only Scarlett knew half the shit that came out of his mouth. “I can tell Scarlett the truth, and if something happens to my parents, you’re the cause of it. You lose your daughter.”
“Then I may as well take your parents so we’re even.”
I hadn’t expected that at all. “You would let innocent people die just to be spiteful?”
“I don’t give a shit about innocent people,” he snapped. “Tell Scarlett the truth, but know that it’ll come at a price. If I lose my family, you lose yours. So you have to decide what’s more important to you. Your marriage or your parents.”
This man really was a sick fuck. “I’ve proven myself loyal to your daughter. It would suit my best interests if I killed you, and while I could snuff out your life without her ever suspecting me, I would never hurt her like that. I would never deprive her of her father. I wish you would grant me the same respect by supporting my marriage to your daughter. She deserves to know the truth—that I would never even look at another woman.”
He blinked a few times, his stare resembling boredom. “As there’s no way to accomplish that without incriminating myself, I can’t help you. You seemed to have done a remarkable job earning her trust, because she’s told me how much she cares for you.” He said it with a hint of disdain, like it made him sick to know that her feelings for me were genuine.
“She married me because she felt like she had to,” I said. “But now she’s married to me because she wants to be. I know that must kill you.”
He returned to his stoniness, looking at me like he felt nothing at all.
“You know I’m innocent. You know I didn’t do any of the things I was accused of.”
“Found guilty of. Big difference, Axel.”
“You think your daughter would love me if any of that shit were true? If I ever treated her that way?”
“She’s never said she loves you. You’re assuming.”
“I know she does,” I said softly. “I told her she could leave me if she wanted, that I would continue this business with you, just to see what she would say. And you know what? She decided to stay. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”
Now he looked away, knowing he was defeated.
“I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her, Dante.”
He continued to avoid my eyes.
“We’re going to open a restaurant together. Have a family together. Do it all together. I know I have no other choice but to accept you as an accessory to our lives. Why can’t you do the same for me?”
His stare came back. “It’s clear that I tolerate you.”
“I deserve to be more than tolerated. I deserve to be fucking celebrated for the way I treat your daughter. I do all the gentlemanly bullshit like open doors and pull out chairs, but I do a lot more than that, like remain faithful to her because I want to be faithful to her, protect her with my life the way I did when I faced the Colombians without a bulletproof vest. I fucking love your daughter, and you should be grateful that I care for her so deeply. It’s a dream come true, if you ask me.”