53. Dante Valentino
CHAPTER 53
DANTE VALENTINO
A ntonio
“Don’t be nervous.” Serena squeezes my hand as we walk toward the door. The early morning light filters into her apartment, but it does nothing to cast away the icy shadows frosting my veins. There aren’t many things in this life that scare me, unless it relates to losing Serena, but coming face to face with Dante Valentino is one of them.
“I’m not nervous,” I mutter.
Serena halts midstride and tugs my hand so I spin toward her. “Look, Toni, I’m not going to lie and say my dad is going to be thrilled about this, but he loves me. If there’s anything I’d stake my life on, it’s that. And I love you… it won’t be easy for him to accept at first, but he’ll give in eventually. He’ll understand.”
I force my lips to slide into a smile I don’t feel. “How can you be so sure about him?” I thought my father loved Raffaele and yet, what he did to him…
As if Serena has read my thoughts, her expression softens. “Dante is not your father, Antonio. Papà would never do to me what he did to Raffaele.”
“How can you know for certain?”
“Because I know my father, and I’m one hundred percent secure in his love for me.”
“I hope you’re right, tesoro .”
Another knock, this one more forceful than the first resounds across the apartment.
“We better not keep him waiting,” I murmur.
“There, you see, you’re beginning to get Dante Valentino already.” She offers a reassuring smile. “He’s definitely not a patient man.”
Heaving in a steadying breath, I march the remaining distance to the door, half-certain I’ll meet the barrel of a gun when it swings open. Twisting the handle, I hazard a quick glance at Serena over my shoulder and memorize every detail of her face in case it’s the last time I see it.
I wouldn’t blame Dante one bit for killing me. Without even having a child yet, I feel it with the utmost certainty. If the roles were reversed, I would destroy anyone who ever threatened my daughter.
I can already imagine a family with Serena…
Blinking quickly, I chase away the heart-warming image for now, storing it in my memory forever. If all goes well today, then maybe, but I can’t afford to lose myself in visions of a future that may never be.
Serena’s hand closes around mine, twisting the knob, and a scowling Dante fills the doorway, his dark presence sucking all the air from the small foyer.
“ Cazzo , how long does it take to open a fucking door?” he growls, eyeing me with barely veiled disgust. The temperature in the apartment drops to frosty levels, the tension thick in the air.
“Well, hello to you too, Pa.” Serena, ignoring his dark glare, curls her arms around his neck and pulls him into a warm embrace.
“I’m glad you’re alive,” he grumbles, that murderous gaze focused solely on me. For a middle-aged man the King’s enforcer is still intimidating as fuck.
“Same.” She steps back, an attempt to move by my side, but Dante’s big hands remain, fingers curled around her shoulders protectively. “So, this is Antonio Ferrara…”
The scowl only grows deeper, magnified by the now openly savage glare. “I never agreed to speak to that pezzo di merda , only to meet with you,” he grits out. “After the hell you put me through?—”
“Dad…”
Already, this is going wonderfully. Clearing my throat, I prepare to launch into the speech I spent all night writing, but Serena cuts me off.
“Where’s Mom?”
“Grabbing some coffee and pastries from the café down the block. I don’t know why she insisted, as if this is a social visit.” He rolls his eyes. “She’ll be here in a minute.”
“Oh, stop, Pa.” Serena tries to wriggle free of his hold, but he doesn’t budge. “Well, are you going to sit down or what?” She ticks her head toward the leather couch in the great room. It’s impeccably maintained, her housekeeper must have been coming weekly since I took her. A fresh bouquet of violets sits on the center of the coffee table, my contribution to the inviting room. I’d snuck out of bed earlier this morning and picked them up from a street vendor.
Nothing brings a smile to Serena’s face like those brilliant lavender blooms.
With a grumble, she tows her father toward the sitting area, and I move into step behind them, keeping my distance. At this point, I’m more than happy to allow Serena to take the lead when it comes to dealing with her father.
“Sit,” she barks.
And to my surprise, the pissed-off, tattooed King’s enforcer does.
Maybe she really does have her father wrapped around that cute little pinky like she claims. A twinge of hope sparks, but I smother it before it grows out of control.
Serena folds down onto the couch across from him and I slide in beside her, my arm instinctively curling around her shoulders.
“Get your fucking hands off my daughter before I rip them off.” Dante’s words are low and deadly, nothing more than a frosty whisper.
I pull my arm back so quickly I nearly hit the back of Serena’s head.
“ Papà !” she hisses.
Dante slides to the edge of the cushion, raw fury blazing across his icy glare. “I agreed to hear you out, cuore mio, but I refuse to sit here and watch as the man who threatened to kill my only daughter gropes you right in front of me.”
“Gropes? I think you’re being a little dramatic.”
“Dramatic? No. Dramatic would be me whipping out my knife, cutting Antonio’s arms off and beating him with them until his body goes limp.”
A shudder races down my spine at the vivid image. I clench my molars to keep the retort from blurting out. He’s not the only one who can make threats here.
“ Papà , if you can’t even hear us out?—”
“Us?” he roars. “There is no us, Serena! This man captured you, kept you hostage for weeks and tried to use you to regain his territory.”
“Territory you stole from him!” Serena shouts back.
“It was just business.”
“But for him, it was personal. It was his father’s land, his newly deceased father.”
“Who was a complete psychopath from what I’ve heard…”
“You of all people should know you can’t choose your parents.”
Dante’s eyes flash, nostrils flaring. “Serena?—”
“No.” Her head whips back and forth. “It’s time for you to listen to me.” Her hand closes over mine, fingers tangling tightly with my own. “I love Antonio, and I need you to promise that not only will you return the rightful territory to the Ferrara’s, but you’ll also swear never to hurt him.”
His jaw tightens, a tendon fluttering like mad. “I can’t promise that, Serena.”
“You can and you will, or you’ll never see me again.” She stiffens, her entire body cut from glass. “If I can’t trust you to back off, then I’ll have to run away with him. He has too many enemies now, and I won’t lose him, Pa. So, you’ll leave me with no other choice.”
“You can’t be serious,” he snarls.
“Wait.” I squeeze Serena’s hand, pivoting to face her, my heart nearly exploding from the lengths she’s willing to go for me. We never discussed any of this last night when we returned to her apartment. Her family means everything to her, and her willingness to walk away from all of it for me is incredible. But it’s more than I would ever ask of her. “I could never allow you to make that sacrifice for me, tesoro .”
“Finally,” Dante grumbles. “Someone talk some sense into this girl.”
Ignoring her father for a moment, I pin my gaze to hers, holding both hands between us. “I don’t care about the Ferrara empire anymore, Sere. You’re all that matters to me. The Kings can have it if it means I get to keep you. I’m getting the far better part of the deal.”
Her lips tremble, those brilliant sapphire irises glittering as she regards me. “Are you sure? You fought so hard to keep your father’s legacy alive?—”
“My father was an asshole, and I don’t need anything from him anymore. I’ll build something new, something with you.” I finally turn to face Dante, prepared to bear his wrath. “I know that what I did was unforgivable, and as much as I hate the pain I caused you and Serena, I can’t bring myself to completely regret it because if I hadn’t made such a rash move, I never would have found your daughter. I don’t blame you for not believing me, for thinking I’m a piece of shit, but I love Serena with my heart and soul. I will spend the rest of my days on my knees, begging for her forgiveness. And yours, if that’s what you want.”
Dante just grunts, but the hard set of his jaw softens a touch.
“My territory is yours, all of it. I’ll even throw in my men, if there are any still loyal to my family.” I lock eyes with the daunting man, injecting steel in my veins. “I will love and protect Serena until my dying breath. There are no lengths I wouldn’t go to in order to keep her safe. But I will never walk away from her, Signor Valentino. I may have stolen her from you all those weeks ago, but she’s the one who ended up stealing my heart. Now, it’s hers to keep forever.”
Serena’s hand finds mine again, fingers entwining with my own. She leans in, soft lips brushing my ear. “I love you,” she whispers.
The sharp buzz of the doorbell breaks the spell of the tense moment, and Serena shoots up to answer. Standing, my wary gaze trails her form, fingers twitching for the gun at my hip. I don’t relax until the door swings open, revealing her mother on the other side.
Dante hisses out a curse, drawing my gaze across the coffee table. His eyes are fixed to mine, studying, analyzing. “ Merda , you do love her, don’t you?”
“With every part of my dark, broken soul, signore .” I drop back down on the couch, dropping my gaze to my clenched fingers.
“Just perfect,” he grits out. His eyes narrow, still scrutinizing. “You do understand how this will look to my enemies, don’t you?”
My brows knit as I regard him, and it only takes me a moment to understand. I’ve grown up in this world, aware of all the ramifications, of the importance of each calculated move.
“You think Serena will be at risk if you don’t make an example of me?”
He nods.
He’s not wrong.
“Taking my territory is a start…”
“It doesn’t make a statement quite like your dead body hanging from one of the Ferrara nightclubs.”
“Fair enough.” I consider, gnawing on my bottom lip. “I would never want to put Serena’s life at risk again.”
“Well, you would be.”
A jumble of thoughts race through my mind. The most obvious answer is there, but I’m not certain Dante or even Serena would agree to it.
“What are you thinking?” He eyes me from across the table as Serena and her mother continue their own hushed conversation in the foyer.
Steeling my spine, I look Dante dead in the eyes. “An arranged marriage for the sake of bringing our families together, strengthening both and avoiding bloodshed.”
He snorts on a laugh. “Why would I ever choose the Ferraras when there are dozens of more powerful families to pick from?”
“It’s a logical option considering your niece’s relationship with my brother.”
His mouth twists, but already I can see his resolve faltering. “It’s a stretch at best.” It isn’t though. Serena has already told me Raffaele has won over the younger Valentino. It’s only a matter of time until my brother proposes to Bella. Our families will be tied together, nonetheless.
“No one will question the Kings, and you know it,” I add just to stroke his ego.
Dante’s lips curl into a rueful smile. “There’s still a more pressing issue.” He ticks his head toward the foyer, to the beautiful woman hugging her mother. “Have you met my daughter? Do you know her at all? She would never agree to an arranged marriage.”
“I think she would if it meant keeping me alive and peace in the family.”
He smirks, a flash of something unexpected in those dark eyes. “Maybe you know Serena better than I thought.”
I certainly hope so, and I plan on spending the rest of my life learning everything there is to know about her.
Serena and her mother walk into the sitting room, and I rise, my body moving toward her as if propelled by gravity. It takes tremendous physical effort not to touch her. Dipping my head to Rose Valentino, I offer a smile. “A pleasure to meet you, Signora Valentino.”
She waves a dismissive hand before curling onto the couch beside her husband. “Gawd, please don’t call me that. It makes me sound so old. Rose is just fine.”
“Okay, then, Rose. Now, I see where Serena gets her good looks and sparkling personality.”
Dante’s scowl morphs into something truly murderous, and I give up on any further attempts at flattery.
Serena plops down onto the couch, and I fold down beside her, my gaze darting between her and her father. Would he bring up the idea, or should I?
A long moment of silence passes, and when he doesn’t utter a word, I turn my attention to my tesoro . The bright sunlight streams into the windows, setting those vibrant blue irises aglow. Her lips pucker as she regards me, cheeks growing rosy when I don’t speak for an endless minute.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
It only takes me an instant to decide. Since the moment this woman dropped into my life, it’s been pure chaos, but Dio , I can’t remember the last time I was happier. She awoke something inside me, something I was certain had long since shriveled up and died.
I drop to my knees and take her hand, eyes locked to hers.
A gasp squeezes out through her perfect pink lips.
“Serena,” I begin, my voice unsteady with the overwhelming weight of my emotions. “From the moment we met, my life has been a whirlwind. A whirlwind of danger, of uncertainty, but also of unimaginable excitement and unexpected love—all because of you.”
She shifts on the couch, free hand pressed to her chest.
“You've seen me at my absolute worst, yet somehow, you saw something in me worth saving. You challenged me to be a better man and to love as fiercely as I fight.”
I squeeze her hand tighter, my nerves getting the best of me. “Serena Valentino, you stole my heart in ways I never imagined possible. I love you more than I thought I could love anyone. Will you marry me? Will you be the one I wake up next to, fight for, cherish, and protect, for the rest of our lives?”
My gaze remains fixed to hers, vulnerable and hopeful. Everything else fades to a whisper as I wait for her answer, my future hanging in the balance.
“Where’s my ring?” she blurts.
A chuckle dislodges the tension in my chest as her sparkling eyes meet mine. “I—I don’t have one. Yet.”
Serena’s eyes dart to her father, brow curved in an incredulous arch. “Did you make him do this?”
“Of course not,” Dante grumbles. “You think I want you to marry him?”
Grasping her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I force her wary eyes to mine. “ Amorè , it might seem sudden, but I meant every single word. And I’ll get you any ring you want as long as you agree to marry me.”
Her eyes light up, the blue shimmer more radiant than the rising sun. “Sounds good to me.” She slides off the couch and into my waiting arms, claiming my mouth with a ravenous kiss.
I may have taken her hostage in a blind quest for revenge, but she captured my heart in return, and now I would make her my wife and spend the rest of my days proving how much I love her.