Chapter 44
ROMI
Dante has been watching me all night, and his presence is reassuring. I don’t know how I pulled it off, but with help from everyone, and many sleepless nights, not only do I think it’s my best collection yet, it’s also the most meaningful to me.
Lorraine is featured all around the room.
And her books have finally made their debut.
Soon, she’ll be touring the world. So many people congratulate me on the collection and coming back with a bang.
Their praise, though nice, has never meant much to me.
What counts are those who stand with me today, supporting me.
My mother continues to chat with Dante, which is peculiar because if she knew what he really did for work, she might not stand so close.
And yet, it gives me a little thrill to share this secret with him.
At least I can speak about it at any time with Ara, Elanee, and Lily. Sienna still isn’t aware.
As if knowing I was thinking about her, she comes up to me, beaming.
“It’s incredible, Romi. You’ve really outdone yourself on this one.
” She hugs me, and it’s nice to have her here.
Ara and Luca have been mostly at home since the birth of Elizabeth.
Ara sends us more photos in the group chat than I would’ve thought.
Even the most reserved of us can be motherly, it would seem.
Lily and Lorenzo returned to Italy only a day after the Shaun incident.
It came as a lesson that on this path I’ve chosen with Dante, I need to be more conscious of possible threats.
It doesn’t scare me, but it makes me want to be better.
I’ve even considered taking up self-defense classes just in case.
Dante said I don’t need to, because he’ll always protect me, but I reminded the arrogant fool that I’d already been kidnapped once without him by my side, and he was literally shot in front of me. Vest or no vest, I wasn’t willing to become a liability for him.
“Yeah, I think Lorraine would be really proud,” I say, looking around the room. Sienna squeezes my hand with a smile. “And how are you doing with the whole Michael thing?” I ask.
Sienna rolls her eyes. “Fuck that guy. I’m a prize.
And when I’m ready, I’ll put myself out there again.
But I’ve decided to return to London for a bit, actually.
Not to act in that same film, but there are a few smaller parts in other movies my agent thinks I can get.
So, I’ll go between here and London. I’m not giving him the satisfaction of squashing my dreams.”
“Good, that's how it should be,” I say proudly. “When you’re in London—” The thought dies immediately as I see Meredith pushing through the crowd.
“You can’t be here,” my agent says, trying to step between us, but Meredith shoves past her, waving that grubby finger of hers in my face.
“How dare you capitalize on my daughter’s writing!” she seethes.
“Meredith, you can’t be here,” I remind her. “Remember the restraining order?”
After she came to my apartment raving about wanting Lorraine's belongings, my mother quickly went to work to request a restraining order. And after I talked the idea through with Sienna and Elanee, I asked her to have her lawyers draw up a contractual agreement between me and Meredith for a hefty sum in exchange for permission to do as we pleased with the manuscripts. It should’ve been the last time I saw her, and yet, here we are.
“I don’t give a shit about that. That money should be going to me. All of this”—she circles her finger, drawing everyone’s attention—“is because of my dead daughter. You killed Lorraine, and now you’re making money from her work.”
“The money is going to a cause, Meredith,” I say, trying to keep my composure and stick to the non-disclosure we’d both signed. But, as I'd feared, she only ever wants more.
Warm hands wrap around my arms as Dante’s cologne wafts under my nose. He’s standing behind me, his heat pressing against my back. Where I might have once been reactive at his touch, he now steadies me. Strange, with the way he’s just as explosive and even more deranged than me.
Security weaves through the crowd, who whisper amongst themselves.
Internally, I apologize to Lorraine, but I can’t give this woman what she wants. I don’t know what Lorraine would’ve wanted, but I want to fight for her and keep this woman away.
“Get your dirty hands off of me!” she shouts as she tries to tug herself out of one of the security guard's hands. “How dare you make a fool of my daughter and me!” She raises her hand, but before she can take a swing, it’s caught by the guard.
We watch her kick and scream as she's dragged out. Whispers stir amongst the guests, and I look away, ashamed and embarrassed. I can’t control Meredith’s actions, but I hope those who are here see her for who she truly is—and that the rumors come to a stop.
I’ll no longer give her that power over me again, letting her words encroach on me daily.
Dante leans down and whispers into my ear, his hot breath caressing my skin. “Would you like me to kill her?”
I shake my head as I turn and bring my arms up around his neck. Those dark-brown eyes drink me in, and my breathing steadies.
“No. But maybe we should sneak out. I’ve done everything I need to for tonight. Didn’t you say you had something to show me?” I arch a suggestive eyebrow.
He smirks as he leans in and kisses me through a quiet complaint of “It’s about time.”
When Dante said he had something to show me, I assumed it was code for sex since we can’t keep our hands off one another. I wasn’t expecting the long motorcycle ride or for him to drive onto my father’s old property as if he owned the place.
I grow wary as we approach the house, lights switched on inside. When we come to a stop, I open the visor. “Dante, we can’t just walk up to people’s homes.”
My heart is racing because it’s been so long since I've seen it up close like this. It needs a little TLC. I can tell, even under the dark night sky and only one outside light, which turned on as we approached on the bike.
“Trust me” is Dante's response, which immediately irks me because whenever he says something like that, he’s scheming. I flip my leg over the bike, much more comfortable now in jeans and the leather jacket with the bedazzled llama on the back, as opposed to the dress I was wearing earlier.
He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the door.
Oh my fucking God, is this guy really going to speak to the owners in the dead of night? I’m already half-humiliated, but it changes to confusion when he pulls out a llama keychain with a single key attached. My eyebrows furrow as he unlocks the door, and I swallow hard.
“Why do you have a key to this property?” I ask suspiciously.
My breath hitches at the thought of what he’ll say next as a mix of emotions tears through me. When he opens the door, it reveals the old wooden floors I learned to walk on. But it’s empty, no furniture in sight.
He pulls me in by the hand, and I come to a stop as I look to my right, and there’s a giant tree decorated in Christmas lights and colored balls. It’s the only thing in here.
“Because this is our home now,” he says, studying me carefully.
What? I can’t even get the word out because it won’t push past the lump in my throat.
I walk toward the Christmas tree, my feet pulling me with flickers of memories from my childhood.
I look up at the beautiful chandelier, which is dusty and aged but still works.
The fireplace, despite everything, still looks to be in immaculate condition.
“Did you seriously buy this house, Dante?” I ask. I’ve always ridiculed him for his gifts and romantic gestures, mainly because it’s turned into a game between us. But this is different. This is everything.
“It’s in your name,” he says as he releases my hand and places the key in it, then curls my fingers over the llama keychain. He then points outside the window. When I follow his gaze, my mouth drops open as I make out the shapes in the dark.
“Are those… llamas?!” I scream, running to the window to get a closer look. My hands press on the glass like a child's.
He chuckles as he wraps his arms around my midsection, and I look at him in the reflection of the window.
“Who thought a ruthless killer could be such a softie?” I joke as he presses a kiss below my ear.
“Just don’t let it get out. I have a reputation to maintain,” he growls, and it sends goose bumps down my spine.
I turn to wrap my arms around his neck and stare into his molten eyes.
We’d already discussed getting our own place after my latest collection came to life.
Although I honor and love Lorraine, my time living in that apartment has come to a close.
I can’t remain there without seeing her every day, and I no longer want to be held back by those shackles.
I want to remember her in better times, when she was alive, not the way I mourned her after she passed.
The idea of having more room was also very appealing, but I had no idea that Dante was putting together something like this—a place I always wanted to return to without even knowing it. It terrifies me the way Dante knows what’s best for me. It's ludicrous, really, but true.
What started off as a carnal obsession has turned into something more, something sweeter and more like forever. I press my forehead to Dante’s as we begin to sway to a silent song.
“Thank you, Dante,” I say earnestly, embracing this moment. “But how will this work with your job and—”
“Romi.” He chuckles my name. “Just be in the moment for a second. We have the rest of our lives to figure out the logistics. I’ll buy another place in Manhattan for both of us as well.
We can come and go as we please. You don’t have to move in here right away.
But let me assure you, wherever you are, that's where I'll be.”
I bite my bottom lip, tears springing to my eyes. “You always sound so sure.”
“If there’s one thing I’m certain of, Cattivella, it’s you. It will always be you.”
I can’t help but smile, hating how happy he makes me when all I ever want to do is tease him and argue with him, especially for the hot make-up sex. But tonight, I don’t want to put up much of a fight. Tonight, he can have all of me; sweetly, unconditionally, and appreciatively.
Well, until the next time he pisses me off, and that will probably be sooner rather than later.
I press my lips to his, forcing my tongue into his mouth as we feverishly kiss, both grinning. Knowing that whatever Dante was about to say, it was definitely something smartass to irritate me.
And I can’t help but smile because I want him no other way.
My imperfect, unhinged man. All for me. Always.
THANK YOU FOR READING DANTE AND ROMI’S STORY.