CHAPTER TEN

DANTE

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That’s the second time I’ve kissed Adelina Baldoni in my life. It’s not going to be my last.

However, I will admit that kidnapping her wasn’t my brightest plan. She hates me.

She’s also trying to play me.

I don’t know what she thinks she’ll be able to achieve in two-and-a-half hours tonight, but I figure dining out on the back lawn will be a nice change for her.

I have felt guilty locking her away.

This way we can talk and start the process of her accepting her fate as my wife.

I am going to marry her, and I want her consent before we do. Leo can marry Gianna—or not—I don’t care. But Carlos will have to accept that his daughter is mine and back the fuck off.

Her loyalty will be accepted by the families once she takes my name. This is the way of the mafia.

Dirty.

Unfair.

Deadly.

But you know, we’re fucking criminals, so it is what it is.

If I thought Adelina truly hated me and there was no chemistry between us, I might reconsider my position.

But there is.

That kiss didn’t lie.

I felt her pressing against me, against my hard cock. Eager and wanting more. I have no doubt she’s dripping wet and changing her panties right now.

She’ll be as frustrated as I am but unable to do anything about it now that I’ve told her there are cameras in the room.

There are, but not in the bathroom or facing the bed.

Unless I adjust the setting...

I really need to jerk off, but my testicles are sore as fuck after she kneed me in the groin.

Goddamn her.

I’d be impressed if I wasn’t so damn sore.

If Adelina behaves tonight, and if she admits she wants to fuck me, I will give her some release. Otherwise, she is in for more sexual torture.

One thing she is not getting tonight is her freedom.

I almost scoff at the thought of her escaping. The guards on this house have doubled since I returned home—at my order—and while there are detectives sniffing around and parked down the road most days, none of them are making a move.

I also haven’t left the property.

“Boss,” Nick says, walking toward me. “We have some news.”

Great, I hope it's something fucking good.

I hope they’ve found Gianna. By now, I’m convinced she’s with Braxton, so if they’ve found her, they’ve found him.

Oddly, I’m not worried about her. My instincts tell me he would look after her. He might be a liar and our enemy, but I’m a man and the look in his eyes when he was with my sister was real.

It’s the same one in mine when Adelina is near.

“Office,” I say, striding past him, and nod when I see Jono.

With my father gone, I’ve made changes to the house. Mostly in this office and business spaces. My mother thought it was too early and disrespectful because he hasn’t been buried yet, but she doesn’t understand how important it is for me to show I am in charge.

I’m head of the family now.

I sit at my desk and lean back in the chair.

“Braxton Ashford,” Nick says, and my brows lift.

“That’s your guy,” Nick continues.

Braxton Ashford. Not Rossi.

Doesn’t sound very fucking Italian to me. The lying son of a bitch.

I’m not even going to pretend to be surprised.

“Where is he?” I demand.

“All we know is that he’s associated with Connor Barrett. And...he’s a former Marine.”

I laugh. I can’t help it.

Because of course he fucking is.

“A US Marine working with the feds?” What fucking next? I shake my head.

Part of me hates that I liked the guy. I did. And I was happy that Gianna was in love and looking happier than she had in a long time.

“We have an address for his family,” Jono says, scrolling on his phone.

I wait.

And consider my next move. Braxton is responsible for the death of my father. Hell, he might lead the authorities to me, and I’ll spend the rest of my life in prison.

Plus, he has my sister. Probably.

“Let’s pay them a visit tomorrow,” I tell my men.

“As in—” Nick starts, but I sit forward in my chair and interrupt him.

“As in, me, you, Jono.” I rub my jaw. “And a team of soldiers. It’s time I left the house.”

Jono curses.

“Listen, they’ve had almost eleven days to arrest me. They clearly don’t have any evidence, or a search warrant, or they’d have come knocking. I’m not hiding out any longer.”

I was getting restless.

And if I had to listen to Adelina screaming for another goddamn day, I was going to muffle her.

Then...I’d be inches away from taking what I wanted without her permission, and she’d never forgive me.

Could be worth it.

Nick and Jono share a look, but I ignore them. It’s their job to protect me and worry. And to follow my orders.

“They’ll harass us. Follow us. We already have a car tailing us even though they know you’re not with us,” Nick tells me.

I wave out my hand. “Whatever. Make sure the driver sticks to the fucking speed limit and our taillights aren’t broken.”

Jono snorts as I smirk down at the notes on my desk.

Looks like I’m about to come face-to-face with the man who has my sister and made me a don.

Eventually.

A little visit to his family should shake him up a bit.

Eye for an eye, Braxton?

Let’s see what he’s made of.

“All right, so what about Addy? You want me to take her home?” My eyes shoot up to Nick.

Is he fucking joking?

“No, I don’t want you to fucking take her home. What the fuck for?” I growl.

He holds up both his hands and stares at me like I’m a goddamn idiot. “Ah, so we don’t cause a goddamn war between the families. Carlos has already sent three threats. With a deadline.”

I want to tell him he’s crossing the line. That he doesn’t get to speak to me like that. I’m well aware of Baldoni’s threats.

But I need men around me that I can trust. Men who can speak their minds, not sink into the shadows and whisper in corners behind my back.

I’ve known Nick a long time.

Jono shorter...

“Leo wants my sister. I want Adelina.” I push my notes away and stand, walking out from behind my desk and crossing the room to the enormous window which overlooks the grounds of the estate.

“So you going to negotiate with Carlos?”

No.

She’s mine.

But Carlos will need something, or his pride will be hurt. Pride gets more men killed than anything in this world. That something he wants is Gianna.

For whatever reason, Carlos wants his son married to my sister. So Braxton needs to return her. I figure sending a message via his family will be enough to shake him up.

He already owes me his life.

He’s known Gianna a couple of weeks. She won’t be that valuable to him.

Then Carlos can get the fuck off my back.

And I will marry Adelina.

Easy.

“Something like that.” I turn. “Prepare the visit to the Ashford family home and keep searching for Gianna. I need her home.”

Just in case I’m wrong, and she’s not with Braxton.

Right now, I have a special dinner to prepare for.

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I STAND WITH my hands in the pockets of my pants and gaze out across the vast backyard. On the other side of the vast space is the swimming pool where us kids spent years playing and my parents held parties. And Adelina and I pretended not to be interested in one another.

These games have gone on for decades.

My patience for it, gone.

She is mine.

I never expected my father to die this early—none of us did. Even though every day is a risk in this dangerous world. But now that Frank is gone, the door is open for me to claim the woman I’ve wanted forever.

I’ve spent too long fucking other women, feeling nothing, wishing it was her. I get off, sure, but it’s not enjoyable.

She can pretend she doesn’t feel the same way, but I don’t believe it for a second. I felt it in our kiss that day in the Hamptons and I see it in her eyes. Anger doesn’t hide desire very well.

Someone should tell her.

Now I want answers.

I want to know why she fights her attraction and refuses to admit how she feels. Why she stands back and seethes when other females in the families offer themselves on a silver platter...and she watches me take them up on their offer.

I wasn’t going to be a monk for her.

Why? Why has she made herself the forbidden fruit?

I know she’s not subservient. Although I’d argue when my mouth is back on her and my cock inside her, she will do exactly as I tell her.

“Get your hands off me!” I hear the woman herself cry.

I spin and glare at the guard.

“Sorry Boss, she tried to run, so I had—”

Touch her. He’s not comfortable saying it.

“I didn’t try to run. ” Adelina rolls her eyes.

I glance back at the soldier and he’s white. He’s worked for my father for a long time, so I spare him anymore panic and nod.

“Thank you, Jackson.”

“Yes, sir.” He disappears so fast I almost wonder if teleportation has been invented.

“Stop fucking with my men. You know what could happen to them,” I say as I walk over to Adelina.

“Maybe let me go then.” She pulls her arm away when I try to take her elbow.

“Sit,” I demand, my patience thinning even more.

The table has been set with the Baldassare silverware, which has been in the family for seventy-five years. A server fills both our glasses with pinot grigio.

“Shall we serve now?” the woman asks, and I nod, and she leaves.

I smile darkly across the table, taking in my beautiful dinner guest. I had clothing and personal items delivered to her, including this silver cocktail dress.

Whether she’ll admit it or not, she’s also gone to the trouble of pinning her hair up so her neck is exposed and her makeup is smokey and seductive.

“You look stunning, kitten.”

“Stop calling me that.” Adelina picks up her glass and sips it, her eyes locked with mine. “Did you pick this?”

“The wine?”

“The dress? I’m assuming yes because of this neckline. You can almost see my belly button.”

My smile broadens.

“It’s Dior.”

“And?” She shrugs.

“I’m buying my girl the best.” I shrug back, my smile brightening.

I like playing with her like this.

“The best would be letting me go home.” She drops her glass heavily down on the table.

“I can’t.” I admit, sitting back as my smile fades. My eyes drift over the shimmery silver fabric of her gown. Or rather the space between it, over her creamy skin which never fails to make my mouth water.

Or my cock thicken.

“Why not?” she demands. “Why did you do this, Dante?”

“You’ve always been mine, Adelina. You know that.” I growl, my rare temper starting to push to the surface.

Why won’t she accept this?

Accept us?

“I’m not yours.” She hisses, leaning forward, smart enough to know if she makes this conversation public, it will make me even angrier. “That’s not something you get to decide.”

“It’s not your father’s either. Wouldn’t you agree?”

She sits back.

Interesting.

I thought she was going to defend him. After all, he has made it clear I cannot have her. That I would never have her. I thought it might be the reason she has refused me.

I want to know.

“Wouldn’t. You. Agree?” I demand.

Several servers come out carrying large white plates. They set the Atlantic salmon in front of us each and in the middle of the table place bowls of green beans, carrots, and baby potatoes. Small jugs of sauces are added next, along with a basket of freshly baked bread with butter.

My eyes lift back to hers and we wait for our privacy to return. Soft music plays and the trees are covered in fairy lights.

It’s a magical setting.

If you ignore the way Adelina’s glaring at me.

“Yes,” she finally answers.

Yes, she agrees. The decision about who she marries is not her father’s. Finally, we are on the same damn page.

“Good,” I say. “Then we also agree that it is yours. And you will agree to marry me.”

I reach out and spoon some vegetables onto my plate, and then rip open one of the delicious smelling warm rolls.

“No,” she says quietly.

I lift my eyes to hers, frown, and scoop butter onto the roll. So she still wants to play games.

“No. I do not want to marry you.”

I continue buttering my roll.

“Did you hear me!?” Adelina demands.

She is mad I’ve kept her locked up. Fine. I will give her space to vent her anger. Then she will marry me.

“Eat.” I point to the food with my fork, then slice the succulently cooked salmon and take my first bite.

It is perfection.

Even the potatoes are the perfect mix of soft and fluffy, with some of the butter from the bread rolls dripping through them.

“Eat.” I repeat as Adelina just watches me.

I swallow my food and lift my glass, taking a sip of the five-hundred-dollar bottle of wine.

With each bite, my jaw tightens. I force myself not to acknowledge the hatred flowing from her.

Then I snap.

“Eat, or you will go back to your room.” I slam down my utensils a moment later.

“Fuck you!”

“I wish you would.” I growl, catching the roll that comes flying at me. Then I’m around the table in the next second, pulling her to her feet, gripping a handful of her hair and tugging it so she has no choice but to face me.

“Stop it. I am not returning you just so your father can send you to another man. Do you understand that? You are fucking mine.”

She pants, her lips wet and red as her body shudders in my arms.

“He won’t...I have...please let me go.” She begs me, despite the arousal lining her face.

“Never.” I growl and smash my mouth down on to hers.