30. Dante
CHAPTER THIRTY
dante
I t’s been three days since I last saw Bianca. Gio and I have had a few odd jobs to run, but nothing major. I’ve tried to call and text her, but I have no real way of knowing if her dad believed she took us out or if she is okay. My mind is running rampant with things that could have happened. She might be chained up somewhere by now. What an absolutely fucked up situation. I essentially had her chained up when we first met, and now I am terrified someone has done the same.
“Ay D, you want in on this?” Gio shouts from the kitchen. I look over and see him holding a skillet and pointing to it with a wooden spatula.
“I’m good, man,” I respond. I can’t remember the last time I ate a real meal, but hunger is far from my mind.
“You gotta eat sometime,” Gio says, walking closer with his skillet in hand.
I shake my head and slowly make my way to the kitchen. I sit at the counter on a barstool while Gio scoops rice and chicken into a bowl in front of me.
Gio and I haven’t talked much since we got back from our Bianca mission. I’ve been so distant, wondering if I will ever see Bianca again. I’ve just been going through all the motions for the last few days.
I pick at my food while Gio talks in my ear from the other barstool.
“So? Do you want to?” He asks.
I look at him for a few seconds, realizing I haven’t heard a single thing he’s said.
“Do what?” I ask.
He sighs. “Damn. You’re really not okay, are you?”
I shake my head.
“Well, what I said was, do you want to go over there?” He puts a hand on my shoulder.
“I’ll drive, we run it like a job and scope the place out.” He adds.
“Okay.” I agree.
We finish eating and head to the garage.
“Park on 15th.” I advise.
He turns the lights off and parks on the side of the street. From this spot, we have a perfect view of all the East windows of her quarters. I can see people moving around, but none of them are Bianca.
I pull out the binoculars and try to focus in on the windows. Immediately, I see Dmitri. He is pacing back and forth with his cell phone to his head. He lifts his hand to his forehead and rubs his fingers across it, visibly frustrated.
I toss the binoculars in Gio’s lap and fling open the door. Before Gio can stop me, I am already on the property. I wasn’t five feet in before I felt a hard hit from the side and then a slam to the ground. I don’t fight it. I get lifted to my feet by two large Russians in all black. I let them walk me inside, but I turn to Gio, “stay there,” I mouth. I want to do this alone, and having Gio ready at a moment’s notice is going to be more beneficial than having us both being hauled off to a dungeon.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask
“To boss.” One of the hounds replies, his accent thick and heavy.
I know it’s a risk, but being in the presence of Bianca’s father might be the actual death of me. Right now, I don’t care. I need to know if she is okay, but if I have to kill him myself, I will.
They take me up a flight of curved stairs and a large set of double doors. I’ve only been in the manor on Bianca’s quarters, so I’m unfamiliar with where I am. However, the halls and doors are strikingly similar to Rocco’s place. Man, mob bosses really do have a type.
“Enter. We stay.” The other goon demands as they step behind me, releasing their grip on my biceps.
“Well, gee. Thanks for the escort, fellas.” I joke.
“Move.” One of them spouts, pushing me forward.
I open up the doors and take a step in. The goons shut the door behind me. I look around and see bookshelves, a large desk, and a leather chair. Yep, very Rocco. But as I turn, I see a hospital bed and a man strapped to a plethora of wires and machines. Holding the hand of the man…
“Bianca! Fuck. I thought... I’m so glad you’re okay.” I rush toward her.
She stands and lifts a hand to stop me in my tracks.
I stop, shocked by her movement.
“Not. Here.” She says under her breath, nodding her head at the man in the bed.
She stands and walks across the room to a large window with red curtains drawn. In front of the window are two velvet chairs and a table between them. She points, and I take a seat across from her.
“You have to understand I couldn’t risk making contact, and things here have been a nightmare. When I got back… Dante, everything’s changed.” She begins.
“Bianca, I didn’t mean to…”
“Do you know what my father would have done if he found you here? You would’ve left here in a bag with your skin turned inside out, at a fucking minimum. How could you be so stupid to come here?”
“Bianca, what happened? Is that?” I turn and look at the bed.
“Yes. Father has fallen ill, and in his place, I have been put in power here. I have trained my whole life for this and I still don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.” She puts her hands to her face to support her head.
“Dante, why are you here?”
“I had to know if you were alive or dead, kid.” I reach out to touch her hands, and she pulls them away.
“We can’t.” She mutters. “If he wakes up. If he finds out that…”
“I don’t mean to be a dick but, he doesn’t look like he’s going to wake up baby.”
“Well what do you suppose I fucking do then? Wait around, run the family, and have you on the side? That’s never going to work, and someone is going to get killed.”
“Someone always gets killed in this life. You know as well as I do that some risks are worth it, right?” I plead, still with my hand out on the table for her to hold.
She reaches out and places her hand in mine.
“Until he wakes up, I am just trying to keep everything above water.”
“I know you have a complicated relationship, and I know you never felt the same after he sent you on the job that left you…” I point to her abdomen scar.
She sighs and slightly rolls her eyes.
“Just listen. Rocco and your father have beef. Rocco has no reason to maintain a war if you’re the one in power. We have mutual enemies, right? With you in charge, we can change how all of this works, baby! Just think about it. Rocco’s son marries you, tying the families and we have two armies that no one will ever fuck with ever again.”
“Oh, and what? Live happily ever after? You’re fucking delusional Dante.”
“Am I, though? Just think about it. And for fucks sake, please just let me know you’re okay every few days would you?”
“Okay, I’m sorry. You have to go. I’ll call you, I swear, but you can’t be here right now. The dumb-shits outside don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground. I will tell them you were here by mistake, and you are to be walked out the front door. But Dante, don’t come back here again. If one of my fathers counsel sees you talking to me like this, not only will it be your ass but it will be mine too.”
“Just promise me you’ll think about what I said.”
“Okay. Now go, please.” She begs, letting go of my hand and standing from her chair.
I walk away, not kissing her and feeling my gut shrivel thinking about it. I walk to the door, and she calls the goon squad to walk me out. All I can hope now is that she considers my Hail Mary. It’s our last shot at any life together. It’s my last shot at being happy for the first time in my life.