73. Rose
ROSE
Luckily, the doctor Dante had called arrived just after he dropped that bomb because I don’t think I could’ve held in my anger or frustration with him any longer. Luca, my Luc, would never do that, especially if it put me in danger.
I stormed off after the doctor checked me out, gave me a sling for my shoulder, which I won’t be wearing, and some painkillers.
But other than some superficial cuts and bruises outside of my shoulder, I’m okay, physically that is.
I’m supposed to “rest and take it easy” or whatever.
Like that is going to happen. Apparently, I’m being hunted, and I’m also the heir to some criminal empire.
If you gave me unlimited guesses, I would not have ever picked Mafia princess as my family legacy.
I am fuming at Dante right now. I can’t believe he thinks Luca could be at fault.
I don’t have any other theories to offer, but I just can’t accept Dante’s.
If that was the case, then why would Luc put himself in harm’s way if he knew something like that was going to happen?
Why would he risk his own life to come to the house?
Standing under the spray from the shower, there is only one answer that makes sense.
He came to warn me, to protect me. Somehow, he knew I was in danger and chose to risk his life to save me.
It’s my fault he’s gone. No, I don’t know if he’s gone for sure yet.
I need to figure out a way to go back to the house and see for myself.
Surely, the local cops have already been there, or the fire department at minimum. Maybe I can check nearby hospitals too?
There is no way someone in town didn’t hear the explosion or see the smoke billowing from the trees.
Even with how remote his property is from everything else, someone had to have seen something.
I’m sure the locals are all buzzing about wondering what is going on.
SHIRLEY! I need to find a way to contact her and let her know I’m okay.
Well, okay as in alive, I guess. I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay again.
I doubt she is even worried, honestly. No one has ever cared about my safety and well-being before, so why would someone start now?
Well, not no one because Dante cares in his own warped, possessive way.
First, I need to get a new phone, and then I’m going to rent a car and go back to the house to see if I can piece together what the hell is going on.
And I need to figure out a way to lose Dante.
Luckily, with a new phone and rental car, his tracking options will be limited to CCTV cameras in the city.
He might be known as a shadow, but growing up in foster care, I learned a thing or two about being invisible.
I will play Dante’s game for now, but I think it’s time I take control of this situation.
After getting out of the shower, I quickly dress in some comfortable black leggings, a loose black crop top, and some old Converse sneakers.
I need to blend in, and my designer clothes won’t do for this mission.
Throwing my hair up into a messy bun, I grab a small crossbody bag to use as my purse.
I’d prefer to take a backpack so I can carry more supplies, but I don’t want Dante to get suspicious, so this will have to do.
“Dante, I’m starving. Let’s go grab some food, and then we can chat with Angelo. I have a lot of questions for him and was a bit caught off guard last night to process everything.”
If Dante is surprised by my change of demeanor, he doesn’t show it. With a nod, he follows me out the door and to the elevator. I am hungry, so this little side quest will accomplish two things: feeding me and facilitating my escape from Dante.
Luckily, the little bodega on the corner has amazing bagel sandwiches.
They also happen to offer prepaid cell phones and have a back exit that leads into the alleyway next to it that only the owner's favorite customers know about. That’s how I usually go in after his shop is closed for the evening but need a bag of chips or a late-night snack.
I just leave cash for him behind the counter and a note of what I took.
I always make sure to leave extra money to cover the cost of the items I’ve stolen from there over the years when I was a kid and didn’t have any money for food.
The owner looked the other way for all those years, and this is my way of paying him back for his generosity.
Lucky for me, Dante shouldn’t know about the secret exit because I haven’t used it in over a year, so he would have never seen me coming or going from that alley.
“Great, did you have a place in mind?” Dante responds casually as we walk out of the front doors of my building and onto the busy sidewalks of New York City.
Yes. Yes, I do, Dante.
“There is a bodega on the corner a few blocks away. I figured we could just grab a sandwich and head to Angelo’s. Did you drive here from his place? We can also just take a cab too.” I’m fishing for information, but I feel like that is a normal question to ask.
“Uh, no. My car is still at Angelo’s. We’ll have to take a cab.”
“Then how did you get to my place this morning?” This is something I’ve been wanting to know but didn’t want to ask for fear of his answer.
“I walked there. Last night. Shortly after you left Angelo’s…I, uh, followed you.”
Perfect. Just the answer I didn’t want to hear. I didn’t even notice him following last night when I was walking home. I am going to need to do a better job of being aware of my surroundings moving forward.
“Oh.” That’s all I can muster at this point. I don’t want to accidentally say something that might tip him off that I have more plans for today other than going to Angelo’s.
“Oh? That’s all you have to say? I figured you’d be upset or, I don’t know, something. You are handling all of this very well, Belladonna. I knew you were strong, but you are impressing me.”
I’m not going to correct his use of the nickname he has for me. I need him to trust me now more than ever.
“I just figured it’s easier to accept the information as it comes. We’re in this situation together now, right?” I need to know he is on my side, but it doesn’t hurt to dig the knife a little deeper so it burns even more when I pull it out.
“You are the only thing that matters to me in this life, Belladonna. Nothing else matters but you.”
“What about your house? I’m sure everything is gone now or damaged at the very least.”
“Like I said, you are the only thing that matters. Plus, I built that house for you. We can always rebuild if you’d like.”
Well shit. That is not what I expected his response to be, and his words are trying to claw themselves into my desperate heart, starved of love its entire life.
And what does he mean he built it for me?
Is that why it looked like all my private sketches?
He must’ve seen them when he was watching me.
And what? Thought he’d just casually build a custom dream home for someone he didn’t know?
And why do I secretly love it? I definitely need to get my head checked after all this is over.