Chapter 97
NINETY-SEVEN
ROSALIE
Dante slapped at Stitches, making Stitches cackle as they sat at the dining room table.
In the time I’d been here, I’d noticed they were pretty intense people with sporadic outbursts of violence.
It was one of those moments because Dante was throwing toast at Stitches, who was dodging them like he was in the Matrix. Stitches fired back with an egg. It hit Dante in the chest and broke, splattering his white shirt with bits of uncooked egg.
I let out a squeal as Dante dove toward Stitches, knocking his plate off the table.
“Sorry about them,” Ashes said, placing a plate of waffles in front of me. “They do this shit all the time. Baby, you want pancakes or waffles?” He looked to Sirena, who was watching Dante and Stitches wrestle on the floor, each calling the other colorful names.
She signed, and Ashes chuckled before putting pancakes on her plate.
She looked at me and smiled before shaking her head. It was hard to communicate with her, but Dante had been teaching me sign language. She was eager when I asked how she was, and she quickly replied that she was happy I was there with them.
Watching Dante and the guys dote on her made my heart ache, reminding me of the life I once had. Dante was good to her. Maybe a little strict and overprotective, but I understood why, considering who his father was and the dangers within this world.
Sylar came into the apartment, his black hair windswept.
“Watchers. I have news,” he proclaimed.
Dante kicked Stitches once more before untangling himself from him as Stitches groaned, calling him a prick.
“What is it?” Dante demanded, getting to his feet.
“Tate Riley was spotted north of here. You know what that means,” Sylar said.
“They’re still in the city.” Dante got to his feet. “Where was he seen?”
“None other than your father’s club on the north end.”
“He’s likely in a safe house. Didn’t the tunnels extend into the north end?” Ashes asked.
“They… don’t.” Dante frowned. “They stop in the city center and extend in other directions. He wanted to expand to the north end, but to my knowledge, he wasn’t able to.”
“I’d say that’s a lie,” Sin grunted. I’d spent an evening with Sin while everyone was out and Sirena was sleeping.
He was a quiet, grumpy sort, but he was kind.
He’d told me his story, which broke my heart.
His own father tried to murder/suicide them, and he’d survived.
It seemed all the guys were bonded through trauma.
“So what are we going to do?” Shadow asked, sliding orange juice to Sirena, who was focused on Dante. “I’ve never heard of the north end having the tunnels. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t, though.”
“Same,” Sylar murmured, frowning. “It’s odd that I’d never know about it.”
“He’s a prick cocksucker,” Stitches muttered, sliding into a seat next to me and spearing a waffle. “He has a lot of secrets.”
I watched as Stitches’s hands shook as he angrily stabbed his waffle again. The evening I’d spent with him was enlightening. He’d told me in great detail the things he wanted to do to Everett once he caught him.
I told him I’d pay for the plastic to wrap his body in.
Sirena’s hands moved fast as she spoke, her colorful eyes wide.
“Specter, it’s a lead. It’s something,” Dante said gently. “We’ll follow up on it.”
I’d been told Everett had her dad and sister. Shadow told me Cady was pregnant with Church’s half-brother’s baby. The brother was dead now. A necessary appointment in the woods was what Shadow called it.
I had a feeling these guys killed a lot of people.
I wasn’t so sure that Sirena didn’t help.
She was eerily calm about all of it, even smiling when killing someone they didn’t like was brought up.
She scared me a little, but she was such a sweetheart.
It was confusing to sort out her personality.
Her not speaking didn’t make it any easier.
I was just grateful she wasn’t tearing my hair out because Dante spent every night in my bed with me. He wouldn’t leave my side. He’d whisper to me, telling me stories about our mother. He asked me about my life. Even tried to give me advice.
I think in another life, we’d have been best friends.
Of course, the way it was looking now, he wasn’t going to be letting me out of his sight.
“We are stagnant,” Sylar said, his blue eyes fixed on me. “Dante, you need to let Rosalie go.”
“No,” Dante snarled, glaring at Sylar.
“I am telling you—”
“I don’t give a fuck what you’re telling me,” Dante snapped back. “It’s too dangerous out there for her. She’s been through enough.”
“This won’t be like that,” Sylar insisted. “Rosalie, tell him.”
“Tell him what?” I ventured, looking nervously around at everyone. I had no idea what I was supposed to tell him.
“About your singing. The contract.”
I frowned. “How did you know about that?”
Sylar tapped his head as an explanation. “Tell him.”
Dante looked at me with confusion on his face.
I cleared my throat, not sure what the contract had to do with anything.
“I, uh, was offered a record contract,” I mumbled. “I’d have to go to California.”
“Whoa,” Stitches murmured.
“Nice.” Shadow grinned at me. “That’s really impressive.”
I shook my head. “I-I’m not going to take it—”
“You are,” Sylar said firmly. “As soon as Dante releases you, you’re taking it. It’s going to change your life. It will lead you to the mountaintop.”
I stiffened at his words. “H-How do you know about that?”
He winked. “I grant wishes because I’m magic. We talked about your wishes the night you made me your lover.”
I scowled at him. I remembered the night, but I hated how he used the word lover like it was more than a quick makeout session.
I looked to Dante, my heart thrumming hard. He stared back at me, the frown still on his face.
“Why don’t you sign the contract and leave this world behind?” he asked.
“I-I’m scared,” I admitted softly. “I didn’t want to leave my guys.”
“You have no guys,” Dante said. “None. So why are you still in this city?”
I looked around at everyone watching me. It was a fair question, so I gave it my truth, something I hadn’t admitted out loud yet.
“I’m scared it’ll close this chapter of my life for good. I-I’m scared of letting it go. Of it being final.”
“Rosalie, this part of your life ended a long time ago,” Dante said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. “What you’re doing now is risking your life for nothing. Your guys left you. They moved on. Marriage. Babies. It’s over.”
His words crushed me. I’d been avoiding all of it for months now. I hid in clubs and distractions to take my mind off the pain.
Dante pulled my chair out and kneeled in front of me. He reached out, tilted my chin up, and wiped my tears.
“Rosalie, my sweet sister, if you can leave, do it.”
“Y-You’ll let me?” I choked out.
“I-I want to be part of your life, but I want that life to be something you’re proud of.
This isn’t it. It terrifies the fuck out of me that you’d go, but I also know it’s so far from this world that you’ll be safer.
I’d ensure it. I have resources you can’t even imagine.
” He wiped another of my tears away. “I will let you go if you swear to me you’ll sign that contract and get the fuck out of this city.
You told me last night that your dream was always to sing. Here is your chance. Fucking sing.”
“I’m scared,” I whispered.
“Good. It means it’s challenging,” Dante said fiercely. “It means it’s worth it. Right?”
I nodded, looking down at my hands. “I’ll be alone.”
“You won’t,” Sylar broke in. “Trust me.”
I sniffled. I didn’t question him. I was quickly learning he really might be magic.
Dante pulled his knife from his boot. “Do you remember what you agreed to with me that night we cut one another in the bedroom?”
I nodded. “We-We agreed to make a deal.”
“Well, it’s time to sign on the dotted line,” he said. He held his hand out and cut his palm. His blood blossomed out. “Give me your hand.”
I stared into his eyes, noting there was no malice in them. Only… love. It made my breath catch. He was my brother. He cared. He loved me.
I trusted him.
I gave him my hand, and he brought the blade down and broke the skin on my palm. I hissed at the pain, watching as the blood blossomed out.
He slid his bleeding palm to mine.
“Tell me you’ll sign the contract. That you’ll leave and live this new life.
In return, I will guard you. Protect you.
I will be your eyes. Your ears. Your protector.
I will kill anyone who gets too close. I am your monster, sweet sister, and I would die to protect you.
I would kill to protect you. Tell me you agree. ”
God, could I do this? It was a huge step, but it was on Fox’s list of things for me to do.
I had to do it.
For Fox. For me.
I nodded, exhaling. “I agree.”
“If you back out on me, you’ll stay here forever,” he continued. “This will be your new home. Your new life. You will never leave this place. It doesn’t matter if you try to escape. I will find you and bring you back. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I whispered, knowing damn well he wasn’t bluffing. “I-I have a modification.”
He raised his brows at me.
“Enzo and the horsemen are to be kept safe. Anson, too. I-I want Matteo, Alessio, and Klaus to be safe. The kings as well.”
“That’s a tall order,” Sin muttered.
Dante didn’t look away from me. “I will control the entirety of the underground in only weeks. This will be a very different world. We are the judge and jury once that happens.”
“Please,” I begged softly.
“The horsemen have hurt you so much. Why do you want their safety?”
I swallowed hard and said the words our mother left behind in Russian. I didn’t know what they meant, but I knew now was the time to use them and hoped I was pronouncing them correctly.
“Если ты должен нести грехи других, не забудь, какое сердце принадлежит тебе.”
Dante blinked at me. “If you must bear the sins of others, do not forget which heart belongs to you.”
His translation made my heart clench.
“I bear the sins, but this heart is mine. I want their safety, and I want Everett to suffer.”
“So be it,” Dante murmured, agreeing to my terms.
Relief flooded through me. “So be it.”
“Ah, family bonding,” Sylar said fondly. “It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?”
“You’re a weird fuck,” Stitches muttered.
Dante released my hand and cradled my face, his blood on my cheek.
“I love you, sister. I do. I will ensure you have the world. I will fulfill our agreement.”
I placed my hand over his, my heart racing.
“Sylar.” Dante didn’t look away from me. “Make the necessary arrangements. My sister will be leaving us.”
“About time,” Sylar muttered, pulling his phone out.
“It’s so weird here,” I said, smiling at my brother.
“You don’t know the half of it.” He smiled back and let his hand fall away. “Let’s eat, and maybe you can sing for us.”
I nodded, liking the sound of that.