It doesn’t take long and we are soon making our way up a long and sweeping drive that would rival any stately home in a foreign land. My grandmother certainly knew how to spend money, and this place appears to have cost as much as a small country to run. I still can’t get my head around the fact it’s mine now. Even the Romano’s home looks small compared to this, and I never really thought about it when I lived here briefly. I hated it because I hated her.
Now I see it for what it is, and my breath hitches as I see the beauty all around me. I suppose this is the moment the news really sinks in.
I’m rich. Mega rich.
Part of an exclusive club where there are only a few seats at the table. I never need to worry again, but then again; a different type of worry takes its place. Suddenly, I’m out of my depth and floundering in a turbulent sea. There are many sharks circling me because Dante’s right, I’m considered quite a catch. Picturing my future where men hit on me to gain all of this and nothing to do with the person I am. Nobody ever wanted me, I was always disregarded and ridiculed. Not anymore, now I’m somebody of importance and yet it’s an empty feeling when you have nobody to share it with.
The cab stops and the driver says with interest. “Impressive. Is this your home?”
“Not really.”
He looks confused and I hand him a wad of cash and say softly, “Can you wait? I’m not sure how long I’ll be, or if I’m staying. I’ll pay you.”
He smiles and looks as if Christmas has come early. “Take as long as you like, honey, I’ll be happy right here.”
Once again, I exit the cab and head up the stone steps. Mr. Harrison assured me there would be somebody here and so I ring the doorbell and it’s not long before I hear footsteps heading my way. As the door opens, I see a woman looking at me with curiosity and then the penny drops along with her jaw as she says loudly, “Miss. Grey, welcome home.”
Chapter 38
Dante
I fully intend on checking on Luca and then heading back to the punching bag, but a soft voice stops me in my tracks. “Dante.”
Swinging around, I see Riley standing a short distance away and I know by her expression that she’s heard. I almost ignore her but don’t want to deal with my brother’s anger and so say with a sigh, “Riley.”
She approaches me nervously and her eyes widen as she takes in the sight of my battered face and hands and swallows hard. “Did Lucian…”
“No, Romeo.”
“Oh.”
She looks at me with compassion. “Do you need me to look at those wounds?”
“I’m good.”
I make to turn away, but a hand on my arm makes me stop in my tracks and she looks a little awkward as I glare at her pointedly. She quickly removes it and says in a whisper, “Elena told me that Isabella left this morning, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want your pity.”
Once again, I make to turn away and she says a little louder, “If it’s worth anything, I think she’ll be back.”
“I don’t. They never come back.”
I can taste the bitterness on my tongue as I try to move away and like an annoying bug she carries on “Don’t you think it strange she never took her things?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Her possessions. Apparently, she left with one small bag. That doesn’t sound like someone who is running away to me.”
“Maybe she didn’t want them, maybe they reminded her too much of me and…”
I can’t even say my son’s name because the look in his eyes when he discovers she’s gone will probably haunt me forever.
“Go after her, Dante.”
I laugh derisively. “And why would I do that?”
“Because you love her.”
Spinning around, I advance toward her and watch her face pale as she sees the madness in mine. She cowers before me as I get in her face and spit, “Love. What is love, Riley? Maybe you think you know, but let me tell you what I have with her is not love. She was a distraction, a means to an end and I couldn’t care less that she’s gone. The only person I love, as you put it, is my son. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and find him.”
“She loves you.”
Her words stop me in my tracks and I count to ten in my mind. Riley is seriously pissing me off right now, but something about her tenacity makes me a little more indulgent and I laugh bitterly. “If she loved me, she wouldn’t have left. She ran because she couldn’t face what I am. Do you know how hard it was for me to show her that side of me? Open up and let her inside? I was a fool and I will not make the same mistake again. You see, Riley, they always leave.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought you were.”
“Not a fool, Dante, you see love has a way of painting a picture that is acceptable. Even the worst in someone becomes attractive because it’s part of the person you love. I know that Isabella loves you and if she’s gone, I’m guessing she has a bloody good reason. Don’t give up on her yet, find her, tell her how you feel because I’m guessing nobody ever has. Isabella has never had someone fight for her and she needs to know you’re there for her, in her corner and part of her team.”
I start walking because I can’t take any more. Love, what the fuck does she know, anyway?
As I walk, I can’t shake the conversation. I’m angry and feel betrayed. Isabella knew what leaving would do to me, and yet she went, anyway. Not a word, or a goodbye. She just left and I’m left to deal with the results. But Riley’s words won’t go away.
‘She loves you.’
How does she know, what does it mean and could she be right? Maybe she will return, maybe she’s waiting for me to find her and bring her back. Does she want to test my commitment and what would I do if I found her and she looked at me differently?
I see Marcus waiting and he looks unhappy. His nose has been busted and I feel bad for my part in that. I nod and he comes across and I say gruffly, “I’m sorry.”
His eyes widen and I breathe out slowly. “Your nose, get it sorted.”
He appears uncomfortable and looks tortured and I know it’s because he will feel that he failed. He didn’t. If anyone did, it was me, so I make an instant decision that I’ll probably regret later. “Find her. Then tell me where she is but don’t let her know.”
He nods and heads off, and I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. What will I do when I find where she is? I already know I can’t hurt her any more than I have already. Will I bring her back—to me—to Luca and more importantly, will she want to come?
Instead of heading to the gym, I head to the shower. I need to get cleaned up because Riley’s words have a habit of staying with me.
‘Make her fall in love with you.’
Maybe she already has and maybe out of the both of us, I have fallen harder.
Chapter 39
Isabella
It’s strange being back here. Mrs. Blackwell, my grandmother’s housekeeper, was very kind. She fixed me something to eat and drink, and I asked her to take some out to the cab driver while I looked around.
My house.
It still hasn’t sunk in as I wander around the vast space and take in the finest furnishings and gasp at the paintings on the wall signed by famous artists, revealing these pieces should be hung in a museum, or protected art gallery. My lonesome tour takes me three hours. It’s a lot to absorb, and I still can’t believe it. Mine. I’ve never had anything before and it’s a lot to deal with.
It feels strange snooping around and I almost expect my grandmother to appear and look at me with her autocratic stare and tell me once again what a disappointment I am. I’m kind of used to that but the hallways are empty and my footsteps echo around the large space.
There is nothing out of place and I wonder what will become of it all. I can’t live here, it’s too big. I don’t want staff; I don’t need staff, but can I sell my family home?
Laughing to myself, I
think on the terms of the will. I have six months to decide, anyway, and as the thought enters my head of what that will mean, I almost pass out with fear. Freedom. It’s so close and yet…”
“Miss. Grey.”
I turn and see Mrs. Blackwell looking at me with compassion and she says softly, “Would you like me to make your room up, just tell me which one you would like to occupy?”
“There will be no need for that, Mrs. Blackwell. This is a flying visit; I won’t be staying.”
I almost laugh at the confusion on her face as I say cheerily, “I just wanted to see this place for myself. It’s been a strange year and I needed to connect with reality for a moment.”
She looks worried and I feel bad, so I say gently, “Just carry on as you have been. Nothing will change, just enjoy a quiet time for once. I’ll be in touch when I’m sorted.”
“But…”
“It’s fine, I never intended on staying, just curious I suppose but it’s helped settle my mind.”
As I turn away, I feel a spring to my step that wasn’t there before. I needed to breathe again and this has done the trick. Getting away from Dante was the right thing to do and now I’ve made my decision, I’m content with it.
I don’t look back as I almost skip down the steps and leave a very confused housekeeper behind. The cab driver looks at me with interest as I smile brightly. “Thank you so much for waiting, I really appreciate it.”
Once again, I settle back in the cab and he laughs. “Where to now? I’m kind of interested to see because this day is going down as one I’ll always remember.”
However, once I tell him where we’re heading, it’s a different look he gives me. “Are you sure, honey?”
“One hundred percent.”
“But…”
“Just drive, I’m impatient to go home.”
He raises his eyes and I smile to myself. Yes, home because somewhere in the early hours, I made my decision. Home is where the heart is after all, and mine belongs with Dante and Luca.
As we pull up outside the gates, they open as if by magic. Now we’re here, I feel a little anxious. I know Dante will be angry that I took off without a word. He will have feared the worst, and I know how deeply that would have affected him but it had to be like this. There was no other way I could prove to him that this was what I wanted. Show him what he means to me and take away his fear—forever.
My driver is nervous and I don’t blame him because we have a welcoming committee as we approach the front of the house. It appears they are heading out because there must be twenty guards filling the space around the usual three black cars. We hear shouting and my heart beats nervously inside me as I wonder what’s going on. Is it Luca, please god no, did something happen?
I pull out the rest of my cash and throw it to the passenger seat and say quickly, “Thanks, you should go.”
“Are you sure? I can take you with me?”
“No, please, just turn around and go, I’ve got this.”
I quickly wrestle with the door and slam it shut behind me and he doesn’t hang around.
As I run toward the house, I stare in disbelief as Dante emerges from the wall of black suits. He must say something because the men blend into the shadows until I can’t see them anymore, and now it’s just the two of us.
I feel strangely nervous as I slow down and see the fury in his expression as he directs the full force of his anger at me.
Suddenly, I feel anxious, have I got this wrong? Do I really mean nothing more to him than a plaything and someone to be controlled? I can almost taste his anger and hatred from here and the tears escape as I realize what a mistake I made.
Then he heads toward me at speed and I can do nothing but stand my ground and face his anger because whatever happens next, he will hear me out.
But he says nothing. Instead, he pulls me toward him so fiercely it winds me for a moment. His arms wrap around me and imprison me in danger, and I sink against his chest in relief. Then he leans down and whispers, “You came back.”
“I never left.”
“But?”
Gripping him so tightly it must hurt, I whisper, “I was always coming back. I needed to show you that. I wanted you to know that whatever happens, however dark things become, I will always come back.”
He pulls away and the expression on his face brings tears to my eyes. “Why?”
“Because I love you, Dante. I love Luca and I love this family, your family. I needed time to think and I suppose I left you several times during the night, but I always came back—to you.”
“Why though, why leave without telling me, you must have known how I’d feel?”
“Because this was something I had to do alone. You would have insisted on coming with me. You may not like this, Dante, but you’re a controlling bastard most of the time and it’s a little stifling. I needed this day, I wanted it and I wanted to show you that despite everything, I will always come back—to you.”
The look in his eyes settles my heart because I can tell my words hit home. The relief on his face makes me smile and the sparkle in them soothes my soul. As he crushes his lips to mine, it feels so natural and so right. We belong together and will just have to work things out as we go along.
Dante’s kiss is as powerful as the man himself, and everything else fades into the background as we connect our souls. I can’t get enough of him; I will never get enough because he is the oxygen I need to survive. Nothing else matters but him and Luca, and if he thought differently, then he was mistaken.
As he pulls back, I still see the questions in his eyes and something else that is only just registering with me. “Your face!” I stare in horror at the damage to his perfect face. The bruising, the cuts and the swellings and I reach up and touch him gently. He just shrugs and laughs softly. “It’s nothing, things got out of hand with Romeo. If you think this is bad, you should take a look at him.”
“But…”
Now it’s my turn to falter, and he grins. “It doesn’t matter, nothing matters but you, this moment and the fact you came back—to me - to us.”
Remembering the scene I witnessed earlier, I look around in confusion. “Where is everyone, what’s going on, you were heading out?”
He pulls me close and leans down, whispering fiercely, “I was coming to find you. I told you I would if you ever left.”
“To kill me?” My voice trembles and my eyes are wide as he shakes his head slowly and smiles gently. “To tell you that I love you and beg you to stay—with me.”
“Oh.”
I stare at him in surprise and feel the blush rising in my face as I realize what he said. He loves me.
He reaches out and runs his thumb across my bottom lip and says huskily, “I wanted to bring you back to me. I thought I’d scared you away and I wanted to apologize. The man you saw last night…”
“Hush.” I press my lips to his, to silence his words, and as my tongue tangles with his, nothing else matters. Our kiss is the start of something new and exciting. Today we begin as a family on equal terms. Dante loves me and I love him. The rest is just details that we can work out at a later date.
Chapter 40
Dante
Isabella came back. She is the first person who ever did. That alone means everything because she saw the devil inside me and wrapped him in love. She has accepted who I am and still came back.
Suddenly, along with Luca, she is everything. A tight family unit that will take on the world together.
As soon as we head inside, I drag her to my room—our room because it’s time to show Isabella how much I love her.
She follows me with her hand in mine and it never felt so good. We ignore everyone we pass and I laugh to myself as I picture how embarrassed she must be feeling right now. The knowing looks on everyone’s faces that we pass make me smile, but I know she will be absolutely mortified because it’s obvious what I have on my mind.
As soon as we reach the sanctuary of the bedroom, I p
ull her into my arms and kiss her softly, holding the back of her head in place and punishing her for daring to leave me for a few hours.
Pulling back, I growl, “Never leave me again, it’s too painful.”
Her eyes are bright and I see her heightened color as she smiles provocatively. “Enough talking, Dante, it’s actions that matter now.”
I need no further invitation and think I take the record for stripping her naked within seconds, my own clothes following swiftly behind hers.
Then I stand back and admire the finest work of art I have ever seen. The woman I love.
Dropping to my knees, I pull her close and kiss her bare stomach. I breathe in the scent of a temptress and growl with desperation. My cock twitches and the blood rushes to my head as I kiss lower until I bury my face between her legs and taste a piece of pure heaven.
She groans and pushes closer, and I savor the moment and dine on Isabella as if I’m a starving man. She tastes so good, like perfection wrapped in a tantalizing package, and I groan against her pussy as I lick and bite, making her gasp and moan. “That’s so good, honey, please don’t stop.”
My heart lifts as everything falls into place. I found her, the woman I was always meant to find, and she is the most captivating of mates. With a feral growl, I lift her in my arms and carry her to our bed and lay her down like the finest treasure, careful not to harm her in any way. Lying beside her, I stroke that gorgeous pink hair and love the way her eyes glitter with emotion.
Tracing the soft contours of her face, I gently kiss every part of it from her eyelids to her soft plump lips. She groans against my mouth and inches closer, and I love the way she wants me. Reaching down, I stroke her skin and relish every soft murmur and moan. She is so wet for me and I love how she feels. So desperate to feel me inside her, it’s almost tempting to torture her a little more. But in doing so I would be denying myself the greatest pleasure, so I slowly inch inside her, stretching her walls and filling her with my throbbing cock. She gasps and clings on to my back, gasping as I graze her walls, slowly, gently and taking my time because I want to feel my cock stretching her to accommodate the whole of me inside. I want to probe every inch of her because I need to know the woman who stole my heart.
The Throne of Hate: A mafia romance (The Romano's Book 2) Page 17
