Chapter 10
Rachel
The hate I felt towards this man was like nothing I had ever experienced before.
My fingers twitched, pleading with me to gouge his eyes out. To peel the skin from his face and make him fucking eat it.
The all-consuming need to end his useless, pathetic existence was so palpable I could almost taste it. It was a craving—a longing—to make him feel some of the pain that was currently splitting me in two with grief.
He had me over a barrel, and I was completely fucked.
Even in my rage, I could see how damning this evidence was.
Most were only stills taken from videos, but I knew the video was out there.
Dante wouldn’t have played his hand if he wasn’t entirely sure he had me cornered.
I ought to be counting my blessings that this country didn’t have the death penalty.
But I wasn’t. Instead, I was thinking about all the ways I would skin this man alive the minute I got the opportunity to. That would be a crime I would happily take responsibility for.
“So, what do you say?” He smirked at me, like the cat who had got the fucking cream.
Oh, but how I wanted to wipe that smirk right off his lips. I would give my right arm—no, fuck it, I’d give up both my arms if it meant I could take that head from his shoulders and stake it into the ground like poor Zach.
And to think, not five minutes ago, I was hating myself for having such a physical reaction to him.
My body had responded to the mere sight of him.
As soon as he spoke to me in that gruff, sexy voice, my heart had leapt into my throat and my thighs had clenched.
I was a goner when he presented me with his back to collect the folder, and I saw all the tight, rippling muscles working away under his cut.
My mouth watered at the tattoos peeking out from the arms of the shirt he wore, and my tongue longed to trace down the ink as it snaked around his forearms.
Dante had always had the ability to set my body aflame. Fortunately for me, he also had the ability to douse that arousal out and replace it with nothing but fury.
“You—” I began, only to be interrupted.
“Oh, Rachel,” he laughed. “What’s with the look of anger? Try to think positively about this.”
“Oh, positive? I positively think you’re a cunt. How’s that?”
“Cute.” He smirked, making me want to slice his lips off his face and shove them up his asshole.
And yet that smirk still did insane things to me, and I wanted to die on the spot thinking that he may notice.
I hated myself for having such an intense reaction to him, and yet he couldn’t have cared less. He was immune to me. He didn’t crave me like I craved him, and it was so fucking obvious he had moved on. Just like I thought I had.
He made me feel crazy. My emotions flipped within seconds whenever I was around him. I craved him and I hated him. I had once thought I loved him. And now I wanted to claw his eyeballs and shove them so far up his ass he threw them back up.
He confused me. He clouded my judgement. I couldn’t think straight when I was around him. His mere presence was consuming, and I was fighting for control, just like I always had whenever he was near.
“You’ve done a good job,” I admitted, pausing as I considered my next words.
I couldn’t afford to make one wrong move here.
“The folder. The evidence. The threats on my parents’ lives…
But you’re more insane than I thought you were if you believed I was going to give in that easy.
You don’t get to do everything by your own rules.
If we’re doing this, if you’re really going to force me to stay here for six months, then we need to lay some ground rules. ”
His eyes lit up, and it was at that moment I knew I had lost.
I could make all the terms and conditions under the sun, but he was the victor here. He was getting what he wanted. Me, back under his roof, the old lady he never wanted, but for some reason, he would never let go.
“Let’s hear them.”
I stepped closer to him, and before he could decipher my intentions, I gave in to my impulses and swung my hand up, delivering a hard slap across his face, the clap echoing through the room.
“And now we negotiate,” I grinned, sitting down on the sofa, resisting the urge to shake the sting from my palm.
Dante sat in the chair opposite me, a huge red handprint on his cheek. I let out a small huff of satisfaction and crossed my legs, swinging my foot in his direction.
He glared at me, his fists clenched at his sides, but he never made a move to retaliate.
Count your lucky stars, Rachel!
“First stipulation. I want Axel returned to me the moment this conversation is over.”
“Done. I may need to get an ice pack first, though. That’s one nasty right hook you’ve got.”
“I’ve been practicing.”
“I can see.” He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “Next?”
“What’s the terms here? What happens after six months?”
“Well…” he paused as he thought it through.
“How about this? If you’re still not happy here after six months of solid effort, then you’re free to leave.
You can take Axel with you— and Bee, if that’s what you wish.
But you must stay in Leeds, preferably in the compound.
We’ll keep the courts out of it, and we’ll both sign a legal statement, signed and notarised, agreeing to co-parent, but I will only come for visitation.
But you must agree to six months of solid effort, Rachel. Or else there’s no fucking point.”
That seemed too easy. Nothing was ever simple as far as Dante was concerned. “And if I don’t last the six months?”
“Then we shall never speak again—”
“Sold! Bye!” I said, shooting to my feet.
“We shall never speak again, apart from through lawyers. And they’ll keep you well informed about my case for full custody of Axel and your criminal case.”
“Ahh, that pesky thing,” I chuckled—even if it was a hollow, fake chuckle. I sat back down and gave him a sheepish grin. “I half hoped you had forgotten.”
“Nice try,” he said, and then sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“I’m hoping neither of those options comes to light, Rachel.
I’m hoping after six months you’ll realise you can be happy here.
I’m hoping you’ll see the changes, see how different things are, and how good we can be together, and you’ll forget about leaving entirely. ”
“We were never good together, Dante.” I shook my head.
“No? Before it all went tits up and the war happened, there were some good times. Whether you want to admit it, we had fun together. We made each other laugh. The sex was always amazing. There’s no reason we can’t have that back.”
“Whilst we’re negotiating and talking, I want to add another stipulation. No sex.”
“Fuck off,” he laughed, sitting back again.
“I’m serious. If you want me to seriously give this a shot, then I don’t want you clouding my thoughts with sex. I want to be thinking straight, and I’ve never been able to do that when you’re too close.”
I fucking hated admitting that. But I figured if we were putting all our cards on the table, I had to give a valid reason for enforcing abstinence.
“Fine,” he said, sounding as though it was anything but fine. “But you have to sleep in my bed every night.”
It was my turn to laugh in disbelief. “Not a chance.”
“Non-negotiable,” he said with a shake of his head. “We’re going to be living as a genuine couple. That means having you in my bed every night, exactly where an old lady should be.”
“Fi—”
“And you can’t have sex with anyone else,” he interrupted. “If sex is off the table, it’s off the table completely.”
“I’m not the one with a new partner!” I hissed back at him, my hand aching to slap him again.
He grinned at me, “jealous?”
“About the fact you get to have sex and I don’t? Sure. But hypocrisy has always been your strong suit, hasn’t it?”
“I’m not having sex.”
“But V—”
“Forget about her,” he waved. “She’s easily gone.”
“Fine. Fine ,” I gritted my teeth. I pushed myself to my feet and glared down at him. “But I want my freedom. If I am promising to stick by your side for six months, then you have to trust I’ll keep my word. I don’t want you trailing me or putting tracking devices in my phone.”
He got to his feet too, towering over me before grinding out: “If I give you your freedom, then it’s only fair that you are never allowed to even hint about wanting to leave here for the next six months. You must act as though this is your permanent future.”
“Then it’s only fair that you make this a pleasant living environment,” I hissed, pushing closer to him. “Which means getting that mother of yours under control. I’m not spending six months being insulted by her.”
“Then you can control your temper and not goad people. There’s another stipulation.”
“Then you can’t interfere with the way I choose to raise the children.” I pushed up onto my tiptoes until my nose was almost touching his.
Big mistake. Being this close to him had my body roaring to life, wanting everything that I had once been able to take freely.
“And you’ll stop trying to interfere with club business!” He snapped back, his breathing heavier.
Seems like he’s not as unaffected as I previously thought!
“And you’ll stop making fucking demands of me!” I hissed, wanting to stomp on his foot.
And wanting to take his lips with my own.
It’s just physical, Rachel. Nothing more.
“And you’ll stop being a fucking brat!” He seized my arms, shaking me slightly. Electricity shot through my skin at his touch, making me gasp slightly.
“And you’ll get your fucking hands off me! You can also attend weekly therapy sessions to get your temper under control!”
“Snap! If either of us has a short fuse, it’s definitely you!” He snapped back, but there wasn’t quite as much venom in his tone as there had been. He almost sounded soft, his lips hovering over mine.
“Fine,” I breathed, not knowing what else to say.
“Great. But first, we’ll seal all of this with a kiss,” he growled before his mouth closed over mine.
The months fell away. The pain, the hurt, the anger… it all became nothing the moment I felt his lips on mine. And in its place was… it almost felt like relief.
I pushed him away before that feeling had a chance to take root and explode.
“Are we in agreement?” He asked, not letting go of my arms.
“I want it in writing,” I said softly, stepping away from him and looking down at the floor. “I want a written contract stating that after six months, you’ll let me go.”
How had we got to this point? This man had once traced all my scars like they were holy. And now he was using every wound, every weakness, every mistake, against me.
I barely even recognised the people we had become.
“Done.”
“Perfect,” I glared back at him. “Now go get my fucking son.”