Chapter Twenty-Three #2
My father circles toward him. They’re like a pair of sharks sizing each other up. “This is family business, Dante. We got a prince for our ugly duckling. You should have stayed out of it. If not for you, the little freak would’ve come crawling back eventually. She was living in her goddam car.”
Dante smiles. It’s not a pretty thing. More of a maniacal sneer.
“I respected you enough not to get involved until she came to me. I made sure she was protected, and her needs were met without treading on your toes. I’m her godfather.
Twenty-six years ago, I swore to God and a priest that I’d take care of her.
I meant it. I never forgot it. And yet you did.
You forgot that she’s not property, she’s a person.
She has her own hopes and dreams. Our job, as parents, is to support them.
You seem to have missed that lesson. The only thing you did right was ask me to take on this responsibility.
You cut her off from her family. She’s part of my family now.
Dubois? Come on.” He strides past my father, counting on Tristan to obey.
Tristan does as he’s told, giving my father a wide berth. I keep expecting someone to intervene—these are my father’s people, after all. Dante and his crew of silent goons are outnumbered more than ten to one, and many of the guests have their own reputations to uphold.
But nobody moves.
The name Giovanetti holds way more weight in this town.
I suck in a breath of fresh air as soon as we emerge from the church. I tap Tristan’s shoulder. “You can put me down now.”
“Of course.” He sets me on my feet. “Are you okay?”
“Better, now.” I keep a tight hold of his hand. I want reassurance that this is real, and that I’m not currently in the middle of the most fantastic dissociative episode of my life.
“Good. That means I can give you this.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out Kepler’s goggles. “Here, Dante, catch.”
My godfather catches the goggles out of the air.
He kneels on the church steps to put them where they belong on Kepler’s face.
“There you go, Cannoli,” he coos. “Poor boy, you’re shaking.
Don’t worry, if that stupid fuck ever lays a finger on you again, I’ll make him eat his own fingers. Without condiments.”
I lean into Tristan’s side. I have so many questions, but they all fly out of my head when I realize that we have an audience. A woman stands against one wall of the church, her hair hidden under a black scarf, her face obscured by oversized sunglasses, and her thin arms wrapped around her middle.
I blink a few times, but the apparition remains. “Mom?”
She smiles sadly and lifts one hand in greeting.
The front door of the church slams open again to reveal my father. There’s no sign of Luca, but a few of the guests have rallied to form a protective wall at my father’s back.
“What now, Vito?” Dante asks, sounding more annoyed than anything.
“This isn’t over. You think I’m going to tolerate this kind of disrespect?”
“Careful.” Dante straightens up from Kepler’s cage. “Remember who you’re talking to.”
I doubt that anything’s getting through to my father right now.
Never mind that we’re outside now, with potential witnesses.
Never mind that Dante’s got a handful of men with him, all of whom are probably armed.
To my father, nothing matters more than his sense of total control.
Dante made him look weak. Of course, he won’t abide this.
Even though deep down, he has to know he did it to himself.
Tristan steps forward, putting his body between me and the showdown unfolding in front of us. It’s enough to make me swoon, but I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who notices. All eyes are on my father and Dante Giovanetti.
“How did you even find out about this?” my father snarls.
“You think you can keep secrets? From me?” Dante scoffs.
My mother steps forward. “I spoke to him.”
My father finally notices that his wife is lurking nearby. His hands ball into fists. “Alessandra? I told you to stay out of this.”
“She’s my daughter, too,” my mother says. My throat constricts. I wonder what that word means to her, because she’s never interfered on my behalf before. Never, in all the years of my father’s torment.
Still, she finally came through when it mattered most.
“She’s no daughter of mine.” My father lifts his hands in the air. “Fine, Dante. You want the little freak, you can keep her. I’m done.”
Dante shakes his head. “No, you’re not. Apologize.”
“To her?” My father sneers at me, like I’m nothing. Like I’m trash. I don’t flinch away this time, because I know better. I’ll never let him make me feel lesser again.
“Tell Minerva you’re sorry for putting her through all of this,” Dante insists.
“Hah. I’m not doing that. You would go to war with me over her? For what? She’s nothing.”
“She’s everything,” Tristan says. “She’s brilliant, and funny, and kind. You just never saw it. Because you don’t deserve it. And you sure as hell don’t deserve her.”
My father stares at Tristan like he’s something stuck to the heel of his shoe. I grip my man’s hand tighter. I hear him. I believe him.
Dante chimes in. “Your daughter’s a genius.
She created a device that’s going to change lives and make millions.
Speaking of which, cupcake, there’s a contract for you to read.
Later. When you have a minute.” Dante tosses this information over his shoulder like it’s an afterthought and not a life-changing announcement.
My father glares at me, but he still doesn’t speak. Nobody behind him is rushing to his aid, either. He seems to have realized that nobody’s going to back him up here.
Sensing the shift in my father’s tone, Dante mounts the steps once more. “If you ever try to interfere in her life again, you won’t just lose her—you’ll lose me. And that means you lose everything.”
My father blanches. He can’t afford to lose Dante’s business connections, his influence, his backing. For the first time in his life, he’s the lesser man.
He takes a deep breath. “My apologies for today, Minnie,” he grits out, as if it physically pains him to speak. I know they’re just words, and that the sentiment behind them isn’t real. Still feels pretty good to hear them, though.
Dante steps even closer, voice dropping to a lethal tone. “Go home, Vito. And while you’re at it? Rethink every single decision you’ve ever made.”
Nobody stops us when we leave. I stick close to Tristan, feeling unexpectedly reluctant to leave my mom. I can only imagine how furious my father will be when they get home, and I’m afraid he’ll take that anger out on her, now that he’s lost his favorite punching bag once and for all.
That’s not my problem, though. She’s my mother. She was supposed to keep me safe, and she’s done a shitty job of that for most of my life.
Two limos are idling on the curb. Most of Dante’s bodyguards pile into one of them, while Dante, Tristan, and I take the other, along with one of Dante’s men.
It takes a bit of maneuvering to get my poofy dress through the door.
I seriously consider ripping the skirt off if it means we can get out of here faster.
Once we’re safely away, Dante hands me Kepler’s cage. I cradle my little guy on my lap, though I’m hesitant to open his cage again in case he gets scared and runs away. To my relief, he doesn’t seem to be hurt, though he seems skinnier. He chirps at me and nuzzles my fingers through the wire mesh.
“Thank you, sir,” Tristan says. “For everything.”
Dante waves him away. “Even if you hadn’t come with me, I’d have come alone. Vito needed to be put in his place. And that Luca kid…” He sucks his teeth. “He’s not as smart as he thinks he is.”
Tristan squeezes my hand. “What happened, Min?”
I tell them everything. Tristan’s brow furrows as I speak, and Dante’s face turns redder with each word.
When I get the part about Luca bribing one of the guards, Dante tells the guy next to him, “Make a note. I want that guy blacklisted from every security company in the city.” To me, he adds, “And if Luca thinks he’s going to get away with what he did, he’s about to find out just how wrong he is.
If either of you gets so much as a hint that he’s sniffing around again before then, call me. ”
Tristan and I both nod.
Dante sniffs. His expression softens. “You look good in that dress, cupcake.”
“You really do.” Tristan kisses my cheek. “In fact…” He reaches into his pocket again, but this time he hesitates. “Actually, you know what? This is really bad timing. Forget I said anything.”
“What?” I ask. “What’s going on?”
Tristan licks his lips. Dante nods for him to continue, but he’s so focused on my face that I don’t think he notices.
“I love you, Minerva. When I thought you left, it nearly wrecked me. I never want to go through anything like that again. Which is why…” He produces a velvet box from his pocket. “I want to ask you something.”
Tristan opens the lid, revealing the most perfectly ‘me’ ring I’ve ever seen.
“Minerva, would you do me the honor—”
“Yes!” I squeak. I lean sideways to throw my arms around him. It’s an awkward embrace, with my skirt filling half the space and Kepler’s cage still balanced on my lap, but we make it work.
Nothing on Earth will force me to part from this man ever again. A little obstacle like object permanence isn’t even enough to slow me down.