by Henry, Jane
It would've been cute how slow she was to see the truth, if it hadn't been so goddamned tragic .
"You're a Villanova," she whispered. "Dante. Dante Villanova." Her eyes remained closed as she stated my name. "You are the heir to the Villanova throne, aren't you?" she whispered, and her eyes opened and met mine, those innocent, beautiful eyes now damp with tears .
I nodded my head and swallowed hard. "Yeah, baby," I said, not able to tell her anything but the truth. I had to. "That's me ."
"Why didn't you tell me?" she choked out .
"I wanted you to know me. The real me. Not the one the media calls ruthless and bloodthirsty ."
She swallowed hard, her face paling before she whispered. "Are you, Dante? Ruthless? Bloodthirsty ?"
I shook my head. "Bloodthirsty, no. I hate violence, baby. But ruthless? If I have to be, fuck yeah ."
Her eyes closed for a brief moment before she opened them again, and lifted her chin, brave and certain. "I don't care ."
"You don't care about what?" I asked, grasping her around the waist and tugging her over to me, needing to hold her, needing to know that what we had wouldn’t go away because of my fucking family name .
"That you’re a Villanova. That you're... one of them. Whether they want to admit it or not, you're a good man, Dante. I know it. I'm a good reader of character, you know," she said with a serious nod of her head .
I could only grin at her .
"Are you, baby?" I asked, dragging my hand from her waist up her slender back, making her shiver before I slowly smoothed my fingers through her beautiful, soft blonde hair, careful not to mess it up. "Then what do you think, Gabriella?" I whispered in her ear. "What's your read on my character? What do you think ?"
"You're a good man who loves his family," she whispered. "You are loyal and brave, and fearless. That's not what I think. It's what I know . It's what I see. It's what I feel ."
And I knew then that I loved her, this girl I'd only just met, who’d walked into my life and resurrected the man I once was, the man who'd been mired in a vice so long he hadn't come up for air in fucking decades .
"Although..." her voice trailed off and she worked her lower lip .
"Yeah?"
"Do you, like... really make men... you know..." her voice dropped to a whisper, but she was unable to hide the excitement in her eyes. "Swim with the fishes? For real? Really ?"
I barked out a laugh so hard she jumped, literally jumped, right in front of me .
I held her in my arms, pulling her straight to me. "Swim with the fishes," I murmured, my body shaking with laughter .
“I’m serious!” she hissed .
"Listen, Gabriella. You're here tonight, and you're with me. I want to enjoy the time we have here but I need to make sure no one knows who you are. I want to keep you safe. I don’t want to talk about what I do or who I am. It’s not the time or place, baby ."
I noticed the music then, the speakers piping it through the garden, a sweet, hauntingly melodic tune played on the violin. I didn't recognize it, but it spoke to me, and I placed my hand on the small of her back to steady her, to draw her in, so that our bodies were flush against one another. I drew her to her feet, took her hand in mine, nestled my other hand against her hip, and we danced .
We danced in silence, holding each other, as the music played on. I didn’t know how things would play out now that they knew who she was. I had to bring her somewhere safe. But where? How ?
"Dante?" she whispered after a few minutes. She trembled a bit, and I wondered if she was cold, but the night was so warm .
"Yes?"
"So if you're like... a Villanova. You're a criminal, huh ?"
I would hold nothing back from her .
"Yeah, baby ."
We continued to dance in silence for another minute before she spoke again, and this time her voice warbled a bit .
"Would you protect me if anyone tried to hurt me?" I nearly laughed again, but her question was so serious I couldn’t do that to her. I hid a smirk by burying my face in her hair, but when I really thought about her question, really contemplated where it came from, I nodded my head, sobering .
"Gabriella, if anyone ever tried to hurt you, they'd have to get through me first. I'd never let anyone touch you. Ever ."
We danced a bit, and then, "Would you... kill them? If they tried to hurt me ?"
I swallowed, determined not to lie to her. "I try not to kill people, Gabriella ."
She had to know this side of me, the ruthless side that lived by another set of laws. I would not hide that from her .
A moment later, her plaintive, sweet voice whispered in my ear again .
"Daddy?"
My body warmed, my eyes briefly shut before I opened them, my cock hard just hearing her call me daddy .
"Here we are ."
I smiled. "Here we are," I repeated .
"But...where do we go from here?" she asked .
I didn’t have a fucking clue. "I'm not sure, Gabriella. I don't know what we'll do. I do know that tonight, you're here with me. And soon, everyone will know you're mine ."
"Everyone?" she asked in a whisper .
We danced on. "I'm not sure how we can prevent it at this point. But we need to be careful with how we approach things. When we go up there, to the ballroom, you put your mask on. Yeah ?"
"Uh oh ."
"Uh oh what ?"
"It's your stern daddy voice ."
I smiled, and shook my head. "My what ?"
"Your stern daddy voice," she said. "The one you use when you're getting all serious and dominant. I mean not like you aren't always dominant, you know? Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying you're, like, a wimp or anything. I just mean when you're getting all into commander mode ."
I tickled her side and she giggled and snorted up against me .
"All commander mode, huh?" I asked .
"Yep. And your eyes go all stormy and you cross your arms on your chest as if you're ready to fight battle ."
God. If she only knew. Still, I couldn't help but smile at her observation .
"Yeah? Then what ?"
She ducked her head shyly against my shoulder. "And then you threaten to spank me if I disobey you. At least..." her voice trailed off .
I smoothed my hand over her back, her beautiful, curvy body pushed up against mine. "At least what ?"
She leaned in and whispered in my ear. "At least that's how it ends in my fantasy ."
My cock lengthened as I held her against me. "It ends with the threat of a spanking ?"
"Mmmhmm. Yes. I prefer to end it there because it hurts when you spank me." I pulled her away and her eyes were twinkling. I'd ride this .
"Is that right, little girl? So you don't like when Daddy really spanks you ?”
Her pupils dilated and her cheeks flushed. "No," she croaked .
"You're lying," I whispered, tapping her chin with my finger. "Aren't you ?"
She swallowed and didn't respond, but I would push this .
"Little girls who lie to their daddies get punished," I said, shaking my head. "Such a shame to have to put a girl in a ball gown over my knee ."
She grinned at me and shook her head. "Not a shame at all ."
"Then you were lying," I said, doing my best to give her the "stern daddy voice ."
She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Daddy. But you're right. I was lying. I love it when you take control." her voice l
owered. "When you spank me ."
Good, because she had a damn good one coming .
The music stopped and I listened. It was time. I would be wanted up in the main area now, and I’d have to play the part of the gracious host. "I have to get back up to the ballroom," I said. "You remember what I told you. Your mask is on at all times when you're up there. Yeah ?"
She nodded. "Yes, Dante ."
"Good girl." I pulled her to me, and kissed her forehead, not knowing what would happen next, where we’d go from here. I only knew she was mine, and that I would do anything to keep her safe .
Chapter Fourteen
I couldn't believe it. I was too stunned, really, to process much at first, but even after I found out who Dante was, I knew I couldn't let this be the end for us .
I didn’t have any money. And Dante was the heir to an organized crime ring. How would I reconcile that? What would we do ?
But I had to reconcile this. He was the man I'd fallen in love with .
"Always keep your mask on," he said, pulling me along with him. "When we get to the dance floor, I have to play my part for a little while. Stay close, wear your mask, and you talk to no one. Yeah ?"
I nodded. "Yes, Daddy ."
He was being a little crazy. But, we were talking about a guy who knocked skulls together professionally, so maybe he had a point .
"Let's go," he said, dragging me along with him. When we entered the ballroom, I was momentarily blown away by the sheer opulence, but that's when I saw her. I froze, and even though I held my mask in place, my whole body reacted on instinct. Agatha stood, her two daughters by her side, surveying the room around her with disdain. Her cold, calculating look went from one person to the other, not fully looking at anyone. I hoped she'd glaze right over me, but I couldn't know for sure how she'd react. Dante, of course, noticed my reaction .
He paused, bent down, and whispered in my ear. "What's the matter ?"
"She's here," I whispered back, my foot still paused halfway up a stone stair that led to the main hall .
"Who?"
"Agatha," I said with a grimace. "My stepmother. She's here with her daughters. I knew they’d be here, but I didn't know how it would affect me, seeing them like this." I buried my head on his shoulder. "Even with the mask on, what if they recognize me?" I asked fearfully. "She hates me, Dante. She'll see me punished for this, somehow. I know she will. She would be enraged to know I was with you ."
“No one is gonna hurt you, baby. I promise you that.” He gathered me close, his huge, strong body like a force field against all that would hurt me, and for a moment, I allowed myself to feel his strength, to really embrace him back, my body soft against his. And then they turned to us, people watching him as he walked into the ballroom with me, and I almost lost my nerve. I almost turned and fled. I could hear soft murmurs around us, feel everyone’s eyes on us, and the little mask I wore seemed suddenly far too small, like I was grasping a teeny floaty ring in a riptide .
"Smile," he said in my ear. "And keep walking. You'll be fine, baby ."
His raspy voice gave me courage and strength, as I held onto him and kept walking to where he led me, and then the orchestra broke into song and he swept me to the side as couples began to dance. My heart stuttered in my chest, my hands shook, and a fine sheen of perspiration dotted my forehead beneath the mask. I couldn't deal with this. I couldn't handle the pressure. What would Agatha do if she saw me? How would his father handle everything ?
He was leading me toward someone who stood in the distance, a beautiful, sophisticated older woman with blonde-gray hair swept up into an elegant up-do. She was beautiful, her gentle eyes troubled as she looked about her. This was a woman who had seen much, but when her gaze rested on Dante, her face lit up. I liked her already .
Anyone who could look at him like that was someone I could love .
She smiled and held her hands out to him as he approached, one protective arm around the small of my back .
"Do what I say, Gabriella. Follow my lead. Understand ?"
I nodded. "Yes, of course ."
Though the woman smiled benevolently at Dante, her gaze began to flit about the room .
"Dante," she said warmly, putting a hand out that he took and she squeezed. "Where have you been? We've looked everywhere for you. Your father is beside himself ."
I felt Dante stiffen next to me. "He'll be fine," he said. "Mom, I want you to meet someone." He turned to me, and his voice hardened. "Do not remove your mask," he ordered, then he took me by the hand and pulled me forward. "Mom, meet Gabriella. Gabriella, my mother, Adele Villanova ."
Oh my God. This was his mother. He was introducing me to his mom .
She smiled widely at me, and shook my hand, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "I would hug you, Gabriella, but we must be discreet. If he wants your identity hidden, it's for good reason." Then she pulled away, still smiling brightly .
I could only nod. "Pleased to meet you," I said, suddenly wishing the little mask in my hand was a paper bag or something like an invisibility cloak to help me feel less awkward. The hand that held mine grew tighter at the same time Dante said in a low whisper, “He's coming. I'll go to meet him. Mom, you watch her ."
And he was gone, quickly whisked away to go see someone. With a quick tug, his mother drew me close to her. She leaned over as a waiter walked by with drinks in long, stemmed glasses, and plucked two of them off the tray. "Here," she said, still smiling, but speaking quietly so that only I could hear her. "Take one. We're going to carry on and speak politely to one another but speak of absolutely nothing. And call me Adele. Okay?" She grinned, then, but it was forced and I could only nod. I took the glass of champagne and swallowed, grateful my mask only covered my nose and eyes, for I needed the liquid courage .
We watched the dancers, the room alight with laughter and music and lights before she got a second drink for me that I drank as rapidly as my first .
"He's going to have him dance with some other women, Gabriella," Dante's mom whispered to me. "Don’t let it bother you. It's just part of the game, the way Dante must keep up appearances, okay? None of them mean a thing to him ."
I appreciated her kind words. But even her warning did not prepare me for watching Dante take women to the dance floor, one after the other—beautiful, elegant, cultured women. They whispered things in his ear that made him laugh, and he played the part of the gracious host with ease, his eyes not meeting mine once. I knew he had to do this. If he looked at me, others would notice. Still, it stung .
And then she was there, Agatha , Elenora on her left and Violet on her right, and they were waiting their turn to dance with Dante .
Nausea clawed at my stomach at the thought of his strong, powerful hands on either one of them. I hated this. I could not bear to watch. It surprised me how vehemently I reacted to seeing them even close to him, knowing that Agatha's plan was to get one of them into Dante's good graces, and more .
"I need to use the ladies' room," I choked out to his mother, who blinked in surprise .
"Yes, of course," she said. "It's right behind us. I'll follow, and wait for you ."
She gestured for me to walk behind the throng of people, to where a hallway brought us to the restrooms. I nodded my thanks to her, and pushed the door open to the ladies' room, taking in deep, cleansing breaths as I made my way to the sink. I looked around me. The vast room adjoined a sitting room with silk-covered seats and large mirrors with gilded frames hanging on the wall. Just beyond where I stood, two women I did not know fixed their make-up in the mirror, but then they left, and I was alone. I needed some cold water, and I couldn’t do anything holding the damn mask u
p to my face. I placed it down, turned on the tap, and splashed a bit of cold water on my face, letting it dribble in my parched mouth, when the door opened. I grabbed at my mask, but it slipped from my hand, crashing to the floor. I couldn’t reach it in time. My stomach twisted as I realized I’d shown my face. I picked up the mask and held it in place, but it was too late. When I turned around, Agatha stood in front of me .
At first, her eyes merely registered surprise, before they bled to red hot fury. "You," she said, walking toward me with her index finger pointed directly at me. " You !"
And it was in that moment that I really knew how much she hated me, I truly understood that any kindness she'd ever shown me held an ulterior motive. I'd spent the past few years trying to do what my father had asked me to, to take care of Agatha. I'd done what I thought my duty was, devoted myself to the business, even though I had nothing to call my own, not even a friend or a car or a day off to myself .
I'd made a terrible mistake. I’d been played for a fool. And when her eyes met mine, I could feel the rage, see her anger .
“You!” she screamed, her voice ringing with fury. “How dare you come?” she hissed. “You don’t belong here. You are nothing more than a whore,” she began, when the door to the bathroom swept open and Dante's mother walked in. Agatha turned, pushed past both of us as quickly as she'd come in, and we both stared at the door as it swung shut .
"Are you all right, Gabriella?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern. "That woman looks vaguely familiar to me. I heard her raise her voice, and so I came straight in. Do you know her ?"
I stared at the door and nodded my head. "I do," I said, my voice quavering. "She’s my stepmother ."
Adele’s eyes registered surprise. “Oh," she said. "That's a bit... surprising. Why did she look so angry at you?" she whispered .
"Because she hates me," I answered miserably .
She shook her head, dumbfounded, and then she looked down at my hand where I still held my mask. Her eyes gentled and one hand reached for the side of my face, tenderly cupping my jaw. My eyes met hers once more. "And he's right, Gabriella. You are beautiful. I’m honored to see the girl behind the mask. I don't know you, nor do I know how this evening will play out. But I can see it in your eyes, Gabriella. You are good for my son. Only someone who welcomes malice and spite could ever hate a girl like you." She pulled me into a brief embrace. "Now put that mask back on before he sees you without it and loses his mind ."
