Chapter 19 Dante
DANTE
When I answered Rafe’s call, I was so tense I could hardly concentrate on driving.
“Alex was following you,” Rafe said. “You were right.”
“What the fuck was he thinking? If I hadn’t noticed him, if he’d shown up at Uncle Bébé’s, he could’ve been killed, possibly by somebody in our family. No one would know that I could vouch for him. He’s such a fucking idiot.”
“He is a twenty-year-old frat boy. Of course he’s an idiot. He’s also a really cute one. I see why you like him.”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “Rafe, I am not in the mood to play games.”
“I would never take what’s yours, big brother. You know that. But I can’t help but look. I mean, I have eyes.”
I needed to change the subject. “What did he say?”
“He said he was driving by your house, saw you leave, and he just couldn’t help himself. He clearly has no sense of danger, no proper response to taking risks.”
“Rafe, neither do you.”
“I know when some things are risky, I just do it anyway.”
This discussion was pointless. It always had been. “What did you say to him?”
“I told him to turn around and made sure he was scared to keep looking for you. I said you’d call him when you could, but that it might be tomorrow.”
“Or it might be never if things go south.”
“Dante, we’re going to all be fine.”
I wish I had his confidence. “Thanks for intercepting him. I’m glad it wasn’t someone else, but I also wish I’d gotten to yell at him myself. Why the hell would he take such a risk?”
“He’s obsessed with you, Dante. Really fucking obsessed. To the point that if we were average guys, you might need to be worried, but I know you can take care of yourself, no matter what.”
I texted Alex, letting him know the code to get into my house, then telling him to stay there and take care of Adenine.
I still blamed him for my sudden cat ownership.
I suspected if he could be there with my things and enjoy the illicit thrill of staying at his professor’s house, he’d be less likely to try and find me again.
I needed him safe in my house, where he belonged.
This was going to be a hell of a fight. I needed to be clearheaded and able to focus on the moment.
Lorenzo was so good at that. He could close everything else out, but now, with Niko’s life at stake too, I wondered if he’d still have that ability.
I was worried he’d make a move without thinking it through.
And now I had Alex to think about instead of just my brothers.
Couldn’t we have just been a regular family?
Then you wouldn’t have a PhD, and you wouldn’t be a professor, and you would never have met Alex.
For Alex, I supposed it was worth it.