I wanted to kill him. Right then and there, I wanted his dead body lying at my feet so I could spit on him. I wanted—
I stopped that train of thought and sucked in a calming breath. It didn’t work, so I tried again and again. When the red haze finally cleared and I was thinking rationally again, I looked at my husband. “I want him watched. Around the clock. Something doesn’t smell right. And I don’t want him to catch us unaware even for a second.”
Chapter 7
Dante
The drive from New York to Chicago was a fourteen-hour journey. I was running on no sleep, but there was no time to stop and rest. Someone was bound to discover Allegra gone soon, and I needed to get her as far away from her father as possible before he started looking for her.
Just as we entered Pennsylvania, she fell asleep with her head on my shoulder. The events of the previous day had taken their toll on her both emotionally and physically. The weak sun that came through the clouds showed me how pale she was, but it couldn’t hide the dark circles under her eyes. She had been so scared she’d lost me, but in truth, it was I who was terrified of losing her.
Taking her to Chicago, when I hadn’t had the time to prepare her for what to expect, was a gamble all its own. There were so many secrets I’d kept from her, so many things I had left unsaid, that the chances of her hating me when she did find out sat like an anvil in my stomach. My plan had been to explain it all to Allegra during our honeymoon so as not to blindside her when I took her home with me.
Clenching the wheel, I reminded myself she wasn’t the only one I’d made promises to. Those I loved most had pulled me in a completely different direction for more than a decade, and now time was running out. I had to move quickly to secure Allegra’s safety. That took precedence over any confessions I needed to make.
Just outside of Akron, Ohio, I figured it was time to change vehicles. Stealing cars was something I had done for fun as a teen with Cristiano and Ciro. We were young thugs and thought it was funny back then, but now that I was risking not only getting arrested, but Gio Vitucci catching up with us, there was zero fun in boosting cars.
Casually, I pulled into the long-term parking area at the Akron-Canton airport. I drove around until I found a car that wouldn’t be too noticeable but would survive the rest of our drive. Finding an older model Ford Escort, I parked the sedan I’d stolen the night before.
Allegra startled awake. “Are we there?” she asked drowsily.
“Only about halfway there, sweetheart. Stay here for a minute. I need to secure us another car.” I didn’t give her time to question me as I got out of the car and walked over to the little Ford.
The car was so old that it wouldn’t need a chipped key fob to start it. I started to break the back window, only to realize the doors had been left unlocked. Getting in, I made quick work of starting it up, then went back for Allegra and her suitcase.
For hours, she kept glancing at the passenger side mirror, even after we’d put the state of Ohio behind us and were well into Indiana. Showing her this side of my world wasn’t something I had ever wanted to do, but if it meant keeping her safe, I would reveal every last part of myself to accomplish it.
“Don’t worry so much, Allegra baby,” I told her with a reassuring grin. “No one will report this car stolen until much later in the day, if not longer. That’s the beauty of snatching one from a long-term airport parking lot.”
“What if there had been cameras?”
I shrugged, dismissing her concern. “There probably were. But like I said, no one will be looking for a while. By then, this car will be long gone.” Catching her fingers, I kissed her palm then laid her hand on my thigh. “Try to sleep again. We still have a while to go.”
Her head returned to my shoulder, but it wasn’t until we reached the Illinois state line that she seemed to breathe a little easier and finally began to drift off to sleep once again.
The moon was hiding behind the clouds as I pulled up in front of the gated house. The temperature had dropped, and I could practically feel the impending snow chilling my bones without having to check the forecast. When I punched in the code, the gates silently eased open, and I pulled up to the huge, secluded house.
The sound of the garage door shutting us in had Allegra stirring. “Dante?” she murmured sleepily then jerked upright once she realized I’d turned off the engine.
“Easy, sweetheart. We’re home.”
“Home?” Eyes wide, she glanced around the garage. Seeing the two other cars that I had just parked between, she asked, “You mean the compound?”
“No. I mean home.” Opening the door, I climbed out and stretched my stiff muscles. We’d only stopped for gas once since Akron, and I’d grabbed us some snacks and drinks. The junk food hadn’t lasted long, and now my stomach was complaining right along with the rest of my body.
Hesitantly, Allegra opened her door and stepped out. “I thought we were going to the compound.”
“I’m not sure how safe that is right now. Your father could have someone watching it. No one knows about this place, not even Vito.” Cristiano didn’t even know about it. If he came looking for me, he wouldn’t be able to find me. The house wasn’t in my name. Not a single thing about this place could be connected to me financially or electronically. Opening the trunk, I grabbed her case and then took her hand.
“This is your house?” she asked skeptically as we entered the huge, restaurant-style kitchen.
The housekeeper was at the stove, cooking something that made my empty stomach groan in hunger. Seeing us, the old woman widened her eyes. “Dante! We weren’t expecting you so soon.” Her gaze landed on Allegra and softened. “We thought you would be on your honeymoon by now.”
I released Allegra’s hand and crossed to the woman who had been taking care of me since I was a boy. Dropping a kiss on her cheek, I grabbed a piece of garlic bread and bit into it greedily. “Change of plans, Eloise. I hope you made extra. We’re starving.”
“I always make extra,” she said with a roll of her wise, brown eyes.
“Dante…?” Allegra stood where I’d left her, looking small and lost.
Devouring the rest of my bread, I grabbed another piece and went back to her. Lifting it to her lips, I tempted her with the buttery goodness. Eyes trapped by mine, she opened her mouth and took a small bite, then moaned in appreciation as the flavors exploded on her tongue.
Everything inside of me went still as my body hardened at that seductive sound coming from such an innocent mouth. If everything had gone the way it should have the day before, I would have gotten to taste her by now. I would have slid deep into her sweet heat and savored the paradise I’d been dreaming of for too fucking long. I had been dying slowly, denying myself even a small sample of this woman, but I didn’t think I could wait another damn night.
Tonight, she was sleeping in my bed, in my arms. And I was making her mine.
As if she could read the thoughts that were drugging my mind, she melted against me with a soft sigh while she continued to chew the small bite of bread. “Dante,” she whispered, but the weakness in her soft voice wasn’t from fear this time. I could hear every ounce of need she had echoing in every syllable of my name.
Eloise cleared her throat loudly behind me, causing Allegra to jerk in reaction and start to step back from me. I snaked my hands around her waist and pulled her roughly against my aching body. “Tonight, you are mine,” I breathed at her ear, causing her to tremble in reaction. I touched my lips to the top of her head then turned to face the old woman who was watching us with amusement in her eyes.
“Allegra baby, this pain the ass old lady is Eloise. She was my housekeeper growing up, and I’ve kept her around just to bust my balls over the years.”
“Keep talking, boy. My mind’s old. I might forget that I made enough food for you, after all.” She wiped her hands on a dish towel that was hanging from the ties of her apron and pushed between Allegra
and me. “And there’s no need to introduce this beautiful child. I would know her anywhere.”
Pink filled her cheeks as Allegra let Eloise hug her tightly. “He talks about me, then?” Bashfully, she glanced up at me over the smaller woman’s shoulder. Pleasure coated her voice, and I winked down, causing her to blush even brighter.
The housekeeper didn’t even bat an eye as she stepped back. “Constantly, child. I was sure he was going to drive us all batty if he had to come home again without you.”
Eloise probably thought she was embarrassing me by confessing that to her. But Allegra already knew how I felt about her, so whatever the older woman might or might not say about my actions while away from her wasn’t something that would ever bother me. The look I gave Allegra told her that, and happiness sparked in her eyes, replacing the unease from moments before.
“Did you two drive from New York?”
I shrugged as I snatched another piece of bread and then opened the fridge to extract a beer. The thing was overloaded with food and drinks, but only a couple beers from my last short visit just a few weeks before. I stayed here often, but not so much that someone might get suspicious back at the compound. When it came to the people I loved, I didn’t trust a single person but those behind these four walls.
“It’s a long story. But I’m too tired to explain it all tonight, Eloise. I think I’m going to show Allegra our room and take a shower. Could you bring us up a tray?”
Her wise eyes narrowed on me before shooting down to Allegra’s left hand. Seeing only the engagement ring I had placed there a few weeks before, those narrowed eyes turned into a full-blown glare. “Separate rooms?”
“No.” My voice was low and hard, something it had rarely ever been when I spoke to this woman who treated me like her own child. I loved and respected her, but there wasn’t a force in hell that would keep Allegra out of my bed tonight, or any night afterward.
“Is that what Allegra wants?” Eloise was drilling her eyes into Allegra now, and my girl began to fidget under that hard stare.
“I… Um… I…” she stuttered helplessly.
“It is, of course, Allegra’s decision,” I amended, not wanting to scare her. I stepped in front of her, blocking Eloise’s harsh glare. “But I would prefer to have you with me, sweetheart.”
Her entire body seemed to soften, and she leaned into me. “It’s what I want too,” she murmured.
“Good. That’s sorted, then.” I frowned over my shoulder at Eloise. “Now, could you bring us up a tray?”
The old woman released an exasperated sigh but didn’t argue. “Of course. It will take me about half an hour, though. I have others who need my attention first.” “Perfect. That gives us plenty of time to shower.” I entwined my fingers with Allegra’s and guided her toward the back stairs.
“Dante.” I stopped at the first stair but didn’t look back. “Should I let the others know you’re home?”
I closed my eyes for a moment, debating the pros and cons of each answer. “Yes, tell them. But also tell them not to expect to see us until breakfast tomorrow. Then I’ll explain everything—to everyone.”
“Boy…” she began to admonish me, getting the meaning of the last part. But when I turned to look at her, whatever she had been about to say dried up on her tongue. “We will see you at breakfast, then,” she said with a disappointed look in her eyes.
Guilt punched me in the stomach, but I couldn’t say what I wanted to right then. Not with Allegra standing so trustingly beside me.
“One more night won’t hurt anyone,” I bit out and turned away. Tightening my fingers around Allegra’s, I climbed the stairs with her.
In the master bedroom, I tossed her small case on the ottoman at the foot of the bed before going back to shut and lock the door. Allegra sat on the edge of the bed, then fell back onto the mattress with a contented sigh. “Mm, your bed feels so good.”
Fuck! She had no clue what she was doing to me—the way she looked so edible lying across my bed, her hair spread over the covers, and that sleepy, fuck-me look in those beautiful eyes of hers. A hunger that had nothing to do to with food began to gnaw low in my gut, making my cock throb and balls ache in a way only Allegra had ever created inside me.
Shower first, I reminded myself. Then food.
Then Allegra.
I pulled the old black T-shirt over my head and tossed it into the corner of the room, along with my shoes. I wasn’t sure where Anya had gotten the ratty clothes she had given me after taking my suit, but they would have to be disposed of along with the stolen car. All of that could wait, however, until I’d gotten some sleep.
“Make yourself comfortable, sweetheart. I’m going to take a quick shower, and then the bathroom is all yours.” And then you’re all mine.
She rolled onto her stomach and pillowed her head on her crossed arms. “Take your time. I’m so comfortable right now, I don’t want to move.”
I bit into my fisted knuckles to keep from groaning out loud at the sight of her ass in those tight as fuck black leggings.
Shower. Food. Allegra.
Those words were like a mantra inside my head as I closed the bathroom door on the sight of that perfect ass and the sweet, precious girl it belonged to.
Chapter 8
Allegra
As soon as the door clicked shut behind Dante, I grabbed one of his pillows. Hugging it to my chest, I let out a nervous little laugh and grinned up at the ceiling.
The fear that always seemed to be a part of my every waking—and sleeping—moment was gone. Papa was several states away and had no idea where I was. Dante was really okay—and just a closed door away. But most importantly, we were together.
Tonight, I was going to be his. A wedding ring didn’t matter to me. It never had where he was concerned. All I’d ever wanted was to be with him, to love and cherish him the same way he had me over the years. He was always the shining light whenever the darkness of Papa’s rage would try its best to destroy the love in my heart.
The bathroom door opened, and I turned my head to watch as Dante walked out of the now steaming bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped low around his waist. My mouth went completely dry as I saw a drop of water fall from a lock of hair onto his chest and slide down his hard body toward the towel.
Oh, sweet holy.
Everything about this man was total perfection. Even the ink across his chest. “I will rise,” scripted in black ink across his left pec, was one of many things about his body I had always been fascinated with—and not just because of its location on his rock-hard chest. The scar right above his navel was just as intriguing to me. During the three years he came for regular visits to Sicily, we spent several occasions in or by the pool, and I’d fantasized about tracing both the tattoo and the scar with my fingers—and then my tongue.
My cheeks flamed with a combination of need and embarrassment at my thoughts, but I couldn’t tear my eyes off him.
Noticing he had my full attention, he smirked, which only heightened my pleasure at simply looking at him. Dante De Stefano was a stoic man with everyone except me. No one could ever tell what he was thinking when he had that hooded-lid expression on his face. He was outwardly emotionless. But I had always been gifted with another side of this man. The warm, full of love and life guy who made me laugh when I needed to the most. Who turned my insides into a quaking, melty mess with just a wink or that smirk he was gracing me with right that moment.
“Go shower, sweetheart,” he commanded in a low, rumbly voice that made my tummy tighten. “I’m about to run out of patience and devour you here and now.”
I hopped up off the bed and sprinted into the bathroom. But once I was inside, I slowly shut the door, wanting to enjoy the view of him in just that towel for a little longer. His dark gaze caught mine, and the hunger I saw in his depths made my breath catch.
“Allegra,” he groaned with what sounded like agony in his voice. “Please…hu
rry.”
Biting my bottom lip, I hurriedly shut the door. Leaning back against the wood, I touched a trembling hand to my heart, begging it to slow down as my eyes went around the bathroom. It was huge with a tiled steam shower that had three different shower heads, as well as a waterfall head that was attached to the shower’s ceiling. The toilet was off to the side with a sliding door for extra privacy. The floors were tiled in a smoky gray-and-sandstone combo, but there was nothing overly macho about this room.
If anything, I would have thought this bathroom had been designed solely with a woman’s comfort in mind.
Had Dante done this for me?
A giddy feeling had me opening the door to the linen closet, where I found large, fluffy towels as well as an entire assortment of anything a woman might need or want. Grabbing what I needed, I turned on the shower so it could heat up again and then brushed my teeth with one of the extra toothbrushes I found.
After running a brush through my hair to get out all the tangles, I stepped into the shower and let the steam and powerful wall jets ease my stiff muscles from having been in a car for so long. The shampoo and conditioner were the same that I always used, something only Dante could have known. I made quick work of washing and conditioning my hair, then took my time with the rest of my body. By the time I got out, my skin was pink and glowing.
But there was nothing I could change into. The idea of putting on the clothes I’d worn all day held no appeal, so I tossed them into the hamper. Opening the linen closet again, I took another look and found a silk robe. I dried and slipped on the robe. There was a hair dryer and several different curling irons on one of the shelves, but I didn’t want to waste another minute.
Leaving my hair damp, I stepped out of the bathroom and found Dante sitting in the middle of the bed. He was wearing sweat pants now, but they hung low on his hips, showing off that hypnotically sexy V. Half the pillows were propped behind him, and the other half were fixed for me beside him. A tray was resting at the foot of the bed with two plates of pasta covered in marinara, the crusty bread he had fed me earlier, and salad, along with a bottle of wine and two bottles of mineral water.
Marrying Her Mafioso Page 6
