24. Dante
24
DANTE
W here is Ilaria?
The party started over an hour ago and I haven’t seen her once in that I know she is here because my mother has remarked how beautiful she looks and how she is getting along so well with everyone.
Which I would love to see for myself.
“You didn’t warn me, Dante.” Francesco is by my side, lookingat me like he has a secret and I hate the smug smirk on his face, “When you mentioned Ilaria was different I didn’t know you meant she’s sensational.”
And now this moron has met Ilaria without the safety net of me. This night couldn’t get any worse.
“You didn’t scare her?”
He looks into the glass of whiskey he’s drinking, taking a deep sip that worries me.
What the hell did I miss?
“If anything, she scared me.” His eyes are looking into mine and there’s something serious in his gaze that makes my palms sweat and my fist clench like it needs to connect with his face, “Do you realize what sort of woman you’re dealing with, Dante?”
I’d break his nose later because I finally spotted her, the white dress she is wearing clinging to her curves. The curl of her hair straightened, hanging down her back as she smiles at a waiter taking a glass of champagne.
Do I know what I’m dealing with?
A goddess. Helen of Troy. The woman was sent down from heaven to destroy men.
Ilaria.
My Ilaria.
I ignored Francesco as he gazes at her, looking away as if he can’t stand the sight of her and that worries me all over again.
What happened?
My body moves to where she is standing alone, wrapping an arm around her. She looks up like she’s surprised to see that it’s me touching her and I rearrange my plans for the night to torture Francesco and find out what he did to the top of my list; the idea of her expecting someone else to be beside her other than me triggers something primal in me.
Ilaria is mine.
Not only should she know that but no one should be foolish enough to even think otherwise.
“I’ve been looking for you, princess.”
Her lips press together at the nickname and her displeasure at the pet name I’ve been teasing her with since meeting, throws me off my game as I scramble to try and find solid ground to stand on with her.
What is happening?
“Not hard enough.”
Three words.
She is short with me. A small tantrum maybe because I didn’t give her enough attention? Or she is still annoyed with me from earlier.
If she hadn’t quit her job she would have gotten the flowers and an apology a lot sooner. That could have smoothed out some of the tension that she was obviously carrying.
Which reminded me…
“I sent flowers to-“
“We should say something to everyone who came.”
She doesn’t even look at me as she starts to move away before I can reach out for her. Interrupting me and pulling away from me all at once.
Ilaria wants to drive me crazy and she’s succeeding.
She stops at a small area that is set up for a band to play live music and looks at me with that sweet look. All smiles and adoration in her eyes. Something about it, knowing how fake it is makes me sick as I come up beside her, letting Ilaria wrap an arm through mine and give me a squeeze as she stares up with glassy eyes.
She’s drunk.
I realize it as I’m grabbing the microphone, smelling how prominent the champagne scent of hers is lingering.
And I like that she’s drunk even less knowing that some how my cousin is involved in something that happened with her tonight.
“Thank you to everyone who has come out tonight.” I start the speech, watching our guests turn to face us, “As we start our lives together the support of our family and friends is so important to the both of us. Ilaria and I are grateful for each and every one of you. We look forward to celebrating again with you in just a couple weeks as we exchange our vows.”
There is polite applause and I’m surprised that as I look down at Ilaria she tugs me down into a kiss.
It’s meant to be short, sweet but I can’t give her that right now. All I can give her is the need to control and desperation. The way I need to claim her in front of everyone.
Maybe Ilaria is playing a game with me but she still opens her mouth, turning her lips to welcome my tongue and kiss me back. Making that soft little whine she does when she likes something, which causes me to break away to look at her, fire in my eyes.
“My office.”
She nods, weaving her hand into mine as we start to make our way through the crowd.
Someone stops me and I’m furious as she bumps into my back, ready to tell whoever it is that they can get lost. My scowl is prominent as I look at my father and instead of being her usual composed self Ilaria lets out the cutest giggle I’ve ever heard.
My head whips around as she looks at me, all smiles now as her giggles take over and I can’t help but smile back at her, foolishly letting it take over my entire face as I watch the joy that she had written so clearly across her features.
This, right here, is how I want her to always be.
Happy.
Her happiness matters to me more than anything else and I realize with remorse that some of my stress I’m holding is from the fact I had taken some happiness from her this morning and the idea that Fransesco got to share in any of it had made me jealous.
“Leave them alone.” My mother gives us each a smile and I think she loves Ilaria more than me already.
But she turns my father away from us before he can give us whatever warning that he wanted to give me, letting us continue on our path to my office.
As the door slams, Ilaria looks at me, her back to my desk and her eyes wide as she hears the click of the lock as it moves into place. She sets down the glass of champagne she had been drinking behind her. There’s something about the way her eyes are on me, taking in the suit she had sent over.
Crisp white shirt, navy blue suit, no tie, and brown loafers.
But as she reaches out, undoing another button, pressing her fingers over my collarbone, her thumb dragging over my throat, all my anger vanishes, letting my hips pin her to the desk as she looks at me and I see that there is trouble lurking in her eyes.
“Fransesco choked me today.”
And there is my anger again.
“What?”
Red .
Everything is red as I swipe everything off my desk, turning away before I can ring Ilaria’s pretty little neck that my cousin had his filthy fucking hands around.
But I don’t turn quick enough to miss the fingerprint bruises and I’m bending her so she’s laying on my desk, my hand on her jaw as I turn and see the clear sign that she had been handled by him.
“ Ilaria .”
Her name comes out between clenched teeth because I’m afraid that I’m going to hurt her, my anger is so strong as I try to get control but I can’t.
He left bruises on my fiancée. Marked my girl. She was not to be shared. I had told him.
But Ilaria looks at me, her hand going to mine on her jaw, pushing at it until she’s wrapping my fingers over the bruises. Her eyes are locked on me as she licks her lips, not afraid of my anger or how I could hurt her.
“Go ahead, Demon. Squeeze .”
The challenge makes my brain fog as I react, squeezing around her neck. And instead of reacting by trying to pull me off, by fighting and flailing, Ilaria moans.
Her legs open as I move between them, shocked at the way she pushes up, letting me squeeze that pretty throat of hers harder.
Oh God.
I run my hand over her leg, tugging at her dress so it bunches at her waist, my hand loosening as she takes in a struggling breath.
Her heart’s beating so loudly as I look down at her mesh white thing. There’s a delicate daisy print that I run my thumb over feeling her shiver underneath me.
Good.
Let her know how I can make her feel.
“Why did my cousin choke you Ilaria?”
My thumb slides down, pressing against her slit as I rock it back and forth, teasing her clit in small circles before going back up. She’s responding perfectly. All soft gasps as wetness pools under my finger, dampening the pad of my thumb.
“Because I was leaning off the roof and he held me so I could fly.”
Jesus Christ.
I stop, looking up at her as she stares at me with this look in her eyes that makes my heart break.
“Ilaria…”
I gulp.
I can’t even bring myself to ask what was going on. Did she want to jump off the roof? Was she so unhappy with me that…
God.
Her hips rock against my hand and she pushes her throat up, wanting to be choked again. She’s giving me control as all this new fear hangs between us.
“I just wanted to feel, Dante. Fuck. I just want to feel.”
There’s tears in her eyes as I pull my hand away from her throat. Wiping her tears as I nod in understanding.
“So let me make you feel. Do you trust me, Ilaria?”
“No.”
And her honesty pisses me off.
She trusted that asshole Francesco to hang her off a roof but me, she didn’t trust me.
“Dante. You’re complicated. You say things that hurt me and I don’t even think you realize the damage you do because you’re busy moving along so quickly.”
Her words are like a knife in my chest. Thinking about how she is right.
“The birth control. That’s my body, Dante, and you’re already making decisions for me. You just do it without asking.”
Ilaria has me feeling about two inches tall. She’s the one exposed on my desk and yet I’m the one feeling like too much of me is showing in the moment.
“I’m selfish Ilaria. I want you all to myself for a little while. I want you to have our children, someday, but I also want to have you as you are now. A bit wild and free. I want to be able to take you around the world and have moments that’s just us before you become a mother and all your time is given to the kids.”
She softens, her hand coming to my hair, looking at me like she’s all mine again and relief floods me.
“You want to have kids with me? Do you think I’ll be a good mother?”
And it hits me what I’ve done.
I stole a dream from her.
“Ilaria, I want a baseball team of kids with you. The way you have stepped in doing things to take care of me. You’re not going to be a good mother, principessa. You’re going to be the best. And if you don’t want to wait. If you want to get pregnant right away I will be happy to make that dream come true.”
Her hands are pulling at me, making me crawl on my own desk as she holds me to her. Squeezing at me as I breathe again.
I might have actually fixed this.
“I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, principessa. I promise to talk through things with you more.”
She nods her head, blushing as I shift against her and I realize I had promised to make her feel and had fallen through on my promise.
Time to fix that.
Her eyes watch me as I do a push up off her, watching her, the way she’s calmer now showing in her eyes. Like the storm was chased away by me.
“I can make you come here on my desk or I can take you home and have you coming in our bed. Your choice.”
The soft smile on her face as she shrugs her shoulders in a noncommittal way.
“I want both.”
I’m falling to my knees in front of her my, my lips kissing outside of her panties, tongue teasing over the mesh fabric so I can taste the tang of her body as she leaks through them.
She tastes like my newest addiction.
Hooking my thumbs into her panties I slide them off and into my pocket looking at her sweet pussy. She must have gotten waxed today because she’s puffy and slightly red but so smooth as my tongue slides over her.
Ilaria’s whimper as she tries to scoot closer has my cock stiff. My hand reaches down, adjusting myself as her hand slides into my hair, tossing her head back with her eyes closing.
We can’t have that.
“Eyes on me.”
Pushing herself up on her elbows she nods her head, following my directions as I pull her lips apart, feeling her squirm as I look at her, one thumb running through her folds as her breathing gets a little more broken.
She knocks over the glass of champagne as she moves, giving me more room to work with.
My handprint around her neck is clear, red and probably going to bruise later and I love that. Love knowing that she has to wear a part of me until they fade.
“Dante, please.”
She doesn’t know what she’s asking for and yet she is here begging me for it.
But she doesn’t trust me.
I lick her thigh, nipping at the flesh as she yells out from the sting. My teeth marks are clear and I think I’ve unlocked a new kink I never knew I was into seeing them.
“You have to trust me.”
And it’s there. The realization that she had to give all parts of herself to me. But her uncertainty is the most important to give up.
With a nod I see it on her face.
“Okay.”
It’s a small, cheap victory and yet I take it, leaning in as I swipe my tongue over her over stimulated clit. Her thighs try to trap me as she arches from the pressure of my mouth on her.
“Fuck, Dante. Oh fuck that’s-“
POP. POP. POP.
It starts off as three shots.
There’s screaming and I’m standing up, gun drawn as I yank Ilaria off the desk and move her to the small closet in my office as I see the frantic confusion glowing in her eyes.
“Get inside here and don’t come out for anyone. There’s a false wall on the left.” I’m commanding her, needing to check on the situation but also needing to know she is okay.
I turn to go out to the chaos as more gun fire sounds and Ilaria grabs me, both her hands on my face as she drags my lips against hers, frantic and quick.
But it’s there.
That spark is there and we both feel it.
“Don’t leave the closet, Ilaria.”
It’s one last warning before I throw open my door and head out into the chaos that has descended over our engagement party.
Holy hell.
There’s broken glass and most of the men have gotten the guests out and safe.
There’s no bodies or blood on the floor but that doesn’t matter. The men work fast so I’m not convinced that no one got hurt but as I watch my father approaching me with several men including my cousin behind him.
My father grabs my arm, looking at me first to make sure I’m okay before letting me go as his fury settles in.
“You wanted to work with the Cartel.” There is so much anger in his voice, “ So, you’re going to fucking deal with this mess, Dante.” H i s arms spread to show the mess.
My eyebrow raises and I look at Francesco who nods once in confirmation that my father is speaking the truth about who had the audacity to shoot up my engagement party.
“You go to that meeting and you bring me back that motherfuckers balls and if you don’t, not only will I let Francesco take over the family I’ll let him have your fucking bride too.”
My fathers fury shocks me.
He blames this on me.
All on me. And now I have to fix a problem that I don’t have time to deal with.
He threatens the family like I haven’t had a million conversations with Francesco about how he would take over after my father dies. Get me out of the game. I can handle all of these things but the thought of him trying to take my marriage away from me.
My mouth goes dry.
Ilaria would always follow her family, she has proven that over and over again. So if I messed up this Cartel deal and her father directed her at my cousin she would go, no matter what has happened between us.
It hits me like a gut punch.
“Is my father alright?”
And as if I couldn’t get angrier yet again Ilaria decides not to listen and comes wandering out to a place that is all shot up and I’m not sure has been cleared yet. Not seeming to care that she could be walking out into a gun fight.
My hands are in fists and Francesco smirks knowing that I’m furious by the little hellcat that comes to stand at my side, pretending to be a united front.
To make matters worse, I see my father soften when he sees her, like he already is under whatever magical influence she obviously holds over everyone that comes into her life. And I feel her arm slide behind my back, looking up at me with eyes daring me to try and tell her off in front of people.
“Has anyone seen my friends and father?”
Her voice has an edge to the tone and since I just walked out of my office where she had been, she knows I don’t have the information for her.
“Me and your father put your friends in a car home. They’re going to his house for the night so that he can watch over them. He was walking around the perimeter last time I saw him.”
I was going to knock out Francesco’s teeth.
The way Ilaria nods, giving him a smile that was not meant for him to have before squeezing my arms and looking up at me like she was asking my permission to leave.
But if the princess wanted to come out here when we were talking business she was going to be stuck there for a few minutes longer.
She’d have to wait to call her friends to check in on them. I was already feeling on edge about my fathers comment about giving Ilaria to Francesco and then seeing the smile.
It made me crazy.
“Ilaria, go call your friends and check on them. I have a car waiting outside for us to go home tonight.” Her fathers voice was tense as he watches her nod her head, letting her take off and get away from me.
Once she was outside I felt the wrath of him come down on me. I was really managing to piss off everyone today.
“Ilaria will be staying at my house until I feel like your security is adequate. Maybe because your cousin has been away on business you let things go lax but you need to tighten up, Dante. This was a night to celebrate my daughter and should be a happy memory. But you didn’t think ahead and put her in danger.” His fury is so strong that it makes me feel weak.
I expect my father to come to my defense and say this wasn’t my fault but his silence makes it clear that he agrees with her father.
“She should stay with me so that-”
“So that what? You can get her killed. No. I will talk with you tomorrow.” He is speaking to my father now, dismissing me like I’m a child and can’t be a part of their conversation anymore, “If Ilaria wants to talk to you she will, Dante. Do not go calling her all night when she has had a traumatic experience.”
It’s a warning from the North End Butcher before he turns and leaves me with a mess that I don’t even know how to clean up.
Soon enough everyone is filing out, even my cousin who I still want to fight is leaving as my father talks to him about security measures he wants to have put in place.
And I’m alone.
This was supposed to be my engagement party but it turned out everyone was having second guesses about me getting married to Ilaria.
Everyone except for me.