CHAPTER 25
The knocks on the door startle me.
“Lana, it’s me,” Dante calls. “I need you to come down.”
I sigh, pick up Finn, and open the door—only to find the hallway empty. He’s gone.
He actually took the “I’ll keep my distance” thing seriously.
My chest tightens, and so does my stomach. Why am I not relieved he’s true to his word?
Because you’re an idiot.
I head downstairs. Dante stands at the entrance with two men. One is young, blond, and lean; the other is older, dark-skinned, and broad, built like a wall.
The blond keeps his gaze down. The big one doesn’t—his pale blue eyes lock on me.
Dante looks at me and takes two steps back.
Distance.
“Lana, this is Javier.” He points to the blond. “This is Angelo.” He points to the older one, who keeps checking me out. “These will be your bodyguards from now on. They’ll follow you whenever and wherever you want.”
Angelo gives me a charming smile. My cheeks flush, and I laugh nervously. He steps closer, grabs my hand, and kisses it, looking straight into my eyes.
“At your service, bella.”
Lovely. Another Italian.
I spot Dante. He has a murderous glare turned in our direction. Or, rather, towards Angelo. I stiffen and focus on Javier. He nods once with a shy smirk, then returns to his upright stance and serious face.
I thought the younger one would be bolder. Although Angelo doesn’t look that old—he may be in his early thirties—Dante is about the same age.
“Does that mean I can go out now?” I ask, looking at Dante.
He crosses his arms and nods. “Only in the daytime,” he insists. “They won’t be around at night.”
I tilt my head to one side. “But you just said—”
“Daytime only,” he repeats through his teeth.
“I have no problem with repeating my shift at night,” Angelo says, his eyes glued to me.
Am I losing my mind, or is he implying things?
“Daytime only,” Dante bites. “I won’t repeat it again.” He looks at Angelo. “If I find out she went out at night, I’ll take measures, and you won’t like them.”
Angelo nods and turns to me again with a cocky grin.
A shiver runs through my body, and I turn to Dante once more. “So... can we go out now?”
He tenses his jaw and nods. I grin from ear to ear. “I’ll go get my stuff; won’t be long.”
Possessive prick. That’s what he is.
A possessive little prick who won’t take no for an answer.
And he’s such a control freak!
He could have come out with me any day, but no. He’d rather do it now that I have my bodyguards—which he hired!
Jealous. Bloody possessive, jealous, overbearing, controlling prick.
“I didn’t know you felt incapable of looking after us,” I tell him when we get to the park. “If I had known it was an ego issue, I would have accepted the bodyguards much sooner.” And with a smile, I add, “Don’t worry, it’s okay to need a little help.”
Angelo muffles a laugh. Javier slaps him in the ribs. Dante, on the other hand, remains calm.
“I’m here checking that they’re doing their job properly, not to look after you. I told you I’d keep my distance.”
“And you’re doing the exact opposite right now.”
He approaches me, so close I have to look up.
I tense. Is he going to hit me? Now? In front of—
No...
His gaze is not the same as Stefan’s or my father’s when they threatened me. Nor is there hostility in his posture.
It’s pain.
“You’re living under my roof,” he murmurs, low enough for only me to hear. “You stabbed me; I’ve kept my distance... What else do you need me to do to realise I have no other intentions? All I care about is keeping you both safe.”
“Let me go,” I snap back in a whisper.
The pain deepens in his gaze—just as it does in my chest.
“Everything I’m doing is to protect you both.”
“But who protects us from you?”
“You think I’m some kind of danger?”
“I know you are. You ruined me that day.”
“I ruined you? I didn’t do anything!”
“Exactly.”
Finn starts to wail in the stroller. I shift all my attention to him. His little blue eyes are dry but desperate, begging to touch the ground.
I pick him up and carry him towards the swings. I move back and forth with him in my arms, but I don’t get the boost I’d like.
Dante stands a few feet away, Javier right beside him. There’s no one else in the park but us, thank God. As much as I know this is for my safety and Finn’s, it’s embarrassing to be around some bodyguards. I’m not important enough for anyone to need to look after me.
“Want a little help?” Angelo asks.
I jump, startled, and nod.
“Thanks.”
He smiles before moving out of my sight.
His hand settles on my lower back, sending an uncomfortable crawl through my spine. I don’t like him very much, but I want to think Dante wouldn’t put us in danger with people who are not trustworthy.
He pushes me again and again. Finn laughs excitedly. I’ve never brought him to a park before. We were never allowed to go out like this.
“I got it.”
And once again, the traitor ruins everything.
I stretch my legs to stop the swing just as he comes up behind me.
“I changed my mind; I want to play on the seesaw.”
I move before Dante can touch me.
“Do you want me to be on the other side?” Angelo asks again once I’m sitting on one end.
I nod. Dante wanted to watch, so he will.
Angelo climbs on, the seesaw tips up... and I can’t get down.
“I don’t think this is going to work!” I shriek as Angelo starts bouncing, making us both jump in place. Finn can’t stop giggling.
“Maybe Javier—”
“I’m not here to play; I’m working,” he snaps.
Angelo raises his hands and walks away, careful not to let us fall. “I was just saying.”
“What if I sit behind you?” Dante whispers in my ear.
I startle again and instantly pull away.
“I’ll find another place to play.”
This time I approach the slide. I climb with Finn in my arms. With a glance, I ask Angelo to stand at the bottom.
“Angelo’s going to catch you, okay?” I tell Finn.
He shakes his head, looks at Dante, and stretches his little arms toward him. My heart shrinks.
“Love...”
He whines aloud. I sigh and look at the traitor, nodding. He takes Angelo’s place with a smirk plastered on his face. “At least someone knows whom to trust.”
I roll my eyes.
Inufferable prick. He picked Angelo himself.
I help Finn slide down. Dante grabs him as soon as my son reaches the end and tickles him. My baby bursts into laughter. My stomach churns at the image; my heart aches.
Dante puts Finn down, and he comes running straight back to me.
For the rest of the afternoon, I allow Dante to play with us. He touched a sensitive spot, and I don’t want the good time I’m having with him to slip away. Not today.
He doesn’t touch me, but he does speak to me—mostly about Finn. Angelo and Javier keep their distance, only watching.
More children and babysitters arrive and join in. After a while, the three of us continue playing together. First, I chase Finn while Dante helps him escape. Then Dante chases us, and we run until he catches us.
As the sun begins to sink, I get distracted for a second, and Dante crashes into me. I fall backward onto the grass.
“Ouch!”
“Mummy, Mummy!” Finn shouts, running clumsily toward me.
Laughing, I scoop him up, squeeze him tight, and tickle him until he squeals. That’s all he knows how to say properly. It’s adorable.
Dante, who also fell, rests his head on one hand and looks up at us with a small smile.
For a moment, I feel whole... But it hurts.
Dante notices. His smile fades, his face turning gloomy.
“I’m sorry—”
“Don’t.” I cut him off. “Not now.”
Finn pulls at my hair. Dante frowns. “Non facciamo male a mamma.”16
I snort, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach. “I don’t think he understands Italian.”
“He will... eventually.”
I sigh. Finn pulls at my hair again. I don’t complain, but my face must give me away because Dante keeps staring at me with pity.
I’ve been ignoring how long my hair is… because I have no choice. I want to cut it. I can’t even take care of it anymore. And to top it off, Finn pulls it every chance he gets.
“Finn—”
“It’s okay,” I murmur.
Dante gently takes my son’s little hand out of my hair. I sigh. My boy looks up at him, laughing. Dante sits up and casually lets his hand drop over mine. And I don’t pull away. Not now.
I don’t want to fight with him any more. For today, just today, I’ll play dumb. I’m not going to listen to that voice.
His eyes meet mine, and the ice in my heart begins to melt. I can’t let it. The wall I’ve built must stand firm—for both of us.
Finn babbles and wriggles on my lap. Dante and I never break eye contact. Not even when the other kids run past us.
“I miss you.”
“Let me in.”
“I’m good.”
He doesn’t need to say the words aloud for me to understand everything he wants to tell me. I can’t reply in the same way, though.
“Just today.”
He squeezes my hand gently, breaking the moment. I turn to Finn, about to stand up when Dante says, “Do you want to go get some ice cream?”
My heart clenches, but I offer him a weak smile and nod.
Dante stands and scoops Finn into his arms. When I rise, he takes my hand and guides me.
“Does he eat sugar?” he asks, looking straight ahead.
“A little.”
“Remember I took you to a coffee shop? It’s not too far from here. You wanted to try all the flavours and…”
I glance back. Javier follows us, pushing Finn’s stroller. He smiles at me and, with a nod, urges me to look ahead—so I do.
Dante talks about the renovations at the café, but I don’t really listen. I can’t take my eyes off him or the way he looks with Finn.
They look so much alike. But there’s no way he could be his. I wish he were. I would have had an excuse to look for him, and—
No. Not even like that.
I would have chickened out. After learning what he does for a living, I didn’t want him anywhere near me. I still don’t.
But for one day, I turn off all the alerts in my head—just until we get home and reality strikes me again.
For one day, I had the family we promised each other hours before I found out he was a traitor.
For one day, I allow myself some happiness.
Notes:
16. We don’t hurt mummy.