CHAPTER 61
PRESENT.
“I’m… I’m so sorry, Dante.”
He shakes his head. “My family became an easy target. My father was an alcoholic and a gambler. He bet our fortune—and my safety. Nonna took me away because she knew he might sell me, but he still saw me at weekends.”
“That’s awful.”
“I know.” He rubs my arm. “I got a tattoo after my mom and Nonna.” He points at the statue on his chest. It’s surrounded by lilies. “And you’re next to them now.”
I smile, shaking my head. I was wondering why he had a new tattoo on his chest.
“I got it after I got discharged,” he continues. “Before I found you. I was sad, I couldn’t sleep, and I needed to feel something, so I asked for an appointment. My mom was pissed because I needed to rest.”
“You give her many headaches, to be honest.”
He laughs. “Let’s hope Finn won’t be as stubborn as we are.”
I groan out loud. Finn groans as well, as if telling us to shut the hell up. I roll my eyes and kiss his head.
After a few moments, Dante says, “It was your family who claimed my mom as payment... Then they wanted me.”
My stomach twists. “My… my family? My father?”
He nods. “Giacomo was in love with Aurora, my mom. I can barely remember what he was like before all the gambling, but I remember my mom. She was so in love she never saw the beast he became, or if she did, never showed it in front of me. He ended up loving money and whisky more than his family.
“We seemed a normal, joyful family, or so I thought. They hid everything from me. One day, I begged my mom for an ice cream; she caved and went to buy one. I had homework, so I stayed with Nonna… and my mom never came back.
“Giacomo did. He took me to my room; there was whisky on his clothes. He reeked.” He sighs. “He beat me until Nonna stopped him, and he shouted that it was my fault she had been taken.”
My heart clenches. Finn moves between us; I hug him tighter. Dante rubs my back.
“After Nonna died, Francesco brought us here. I wasn’t safe in Italy anymore.
Giacomo got away; Dad changed my name to Enzo; he had always wanted a son named Enzo.
” He smiles. “Then I learnt English and went to school like any child, but I didn’t want to.
I was traumatised; I felt I didn’t deserve any of it.
“When I turned fifteen, I grew angrier. I was furious and wanted revenge. Dad helped me find your father, and I began training with him so I could avenge Mom and Nonna. I wanted to make him pay for everything he did to so many women and girls, but I never saw him until—”
“Until?”
He sighs.
“Until I got a call, and they asked me to rescue you. Though I didn’t do it for him, I did it for your mother.”
“My mum?”
He nods. “I know you’re upset with her, but she did everything she could to get you out of there. Dad had rules, and I couldn’t get involved with families like yours, but your mother made me change my mind, and, well, here we are.”
I sigh.
“I’m not surprised about my mum, but my father never loved me. He was obsessed with Tara—she was his favourite.”
“So, my plan of taking one of his daughters was ruined? I chose the wrong one?”
I smile, kicking his legs. “Jerk… I’m sorry to disappoint.”
He laughs and kisses my forehead. Then he looks me in the eye. “All I wanted was for you to be safe and to take you away from him. I’m sorry it took so long.”
I shake my head. “We’re here, and we’re okay. I don’t want to think about him. I want my life to start with you now. No more memories. “Nothing in my life makes sense except for you and Finn.”
He sighs. I don’t want him to close up again, so I ask, “How did you manage to convince my father to get us married if he hated us so much?”
He winces. “I had my reputation. When I first met you, I had nothing. My father had just died, and no one believed in me. Many people inside the organisation quit after he died. I did everything to become someone to be feared, someone worse than my dad. I offered your father immunity so he could keep working. He either married you to me or waited until I found him again and killed him.”
“You threatened my father?”
“Yes. I wanted to take you away, no matter how. Your mother helped, though. She convinced your father to arrange the marriage, so I would be too distracted to keep the organisation going. She knew me. We used to talk. That’s how I knew when I could get inside your room.”
“So, she helped my stalker?”
He smiles.
“Something like that.” He huffs. “I must admit, I used to sneak into your room even before our picnic. I’ve been doing it since I got out of the hospital after your rescue.”
“Creepy.”
“Even now. Every night I went into your room to watch you sleep. And when you had a nightmare, I hid under the bed.”
I sigh. He saw me freaking out. I should be angry, but it’s almost sweet to know he couldn’t stay away from me.
“I knew you were clingy, but not stalker clingy.”
He smiles sadly. “I told you; I’m obsessed with you… and, well, going back to the subject, it was my fault your father contacted Stefan. I beat him up after our date in the meadow.”
My heart plummets. I remember seeing my father beaten and thinking he was so drunk he’d fallen somewhere. “I told you—”
“I know, sweetheart, but I couldn’t stay there and do nothing about your bruises…
After that, he started speaking with the Russians, and they set us up, mostly me.
They have the strongest security in Russia, and not even my father could get close to them.
The only time he managed to do it, he was shot and died because of me…
so they were his best option. He didn’t want to marry you to anyone, but with me in the picture, he had to offer you to someone powerful. ”
A lump forms in my throat. He didn’t want me to get married. He wanted to keep me for himself. That’s why he said that story about me being a prostitute, so no one would want me? Did my mum know?
I want to throw up. It all makes so much sense now.
“So, they’re involved in human trafficking? They all hurt kids?” I try to change the subject, but this is even worse.
“Your father, your brothers. Every man in your family has been involved in human trafficking. I still don’t know why you were treated differently in your house, because every family works the same way.
“How?”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that our son won’t live surrounded by that filth…” He looks at Finn. “If someone like me must get his hands dirty so he’ll have this face every night, so be it.”
Tears blur my vision. “Did my mum know any of this? About his job?” My voice breaks.
“Yes, but she’s not part of it. Your father never let her do anything regarding his work. The only time she was involved in something was our wedding arrangements, because she wanted to keep you safe.
“She suffered as much as you did. I’d say even more than you… she had no one to take her out of that place or help her. She was alone, and she was sold too young. She didn’t have a choice, so please, sweetheart, stop thinking she’s the bad one here. She tried.”
I wipe away my tears and nod. He rubs my cheeks with his thumb. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I’ll try to take her out. I promise I’ll do everything I can.”
But after everything he’s told me about my family, I doubt he’ll be able to keep her safe too.