by Bella J.
I looked up, sound starting to return, the chaos and mayhem pulling me back to the here and now. And then I saw her. Layla. Her limp body being dragged by the man who would die by my hand.
“Matteo!” I roared, and then I was on my feet, running toward them.
He struggled to get Layla in the car, and when he aimed his gun in my direction, it was too late. I was already there, knocking the gun out of his hand before I flung my fist, my knuckles connecting with his jaw.
Layla fell against the seat of the car, flaccid and lifeless. I felt the pain straight through to the marrow of each bone as I witnessed how helpless and fragile her body was against the drugs. To them, she was nothing more than a pawn, a weapon to use in this war against us. But to me, she was everything. To me, she was the world, and by using her, Matteo had fucked with what was mine.
In other words, he had to die.
Matteo scurried off the ground, but I kicked my boot into his spine. Like a useless piece of shit, he tried to crawl away from me, but I planted my heel into his back once more. Behind me, I knew the war was raging on. But I only had one goal which drove my every action. One score to settle.
With a snarl, I grabbed the back of Matteo’s jacket before hurling him around. He tried to fight back, but he was no match for the wrath which had taken possession of me. My hate demanded violence. It craved carnage. Every drop of blood that spat from Matteo’s face was ecstasy to me.
I slammed my fist into his face. Again, and again, and again.
If you have to slit the throat of every motherfucker who threatens your woman, then you do it with a goddamn smile on your face.
I pulled the knife from my sleeve, the blade glinting with evil intent. Straddling the son of bitch whose blood now coated my hands, I embraced everything about this moment. I knew it would be a memory I would cherish for the rest of my fucking life. A memory of revenge.
I leaned over him. “Tonight, this war ends with you being sent to the deepest pit of hell.”
He smiled through bloodstained teeth. “I guess I’ll see her there, then.”
I balked, the blade still in hand. “What?’
He laughed maniacally. He just laughed and laughed like a crazy person who knew his time was up.
I jerked him up by his collar. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Your little whore just injected herself with an overdose of heroin.”
The wind was knocked right out of me, my spine nothing but layers of ice. “No,” I whispered.
“Oh, yes.” Matteo continued to laugh, blood pissing from his nose and mouth. It wouldn’t stop, the sound of victory that echoed through his laugh. It wouldn’t fucking stop…until I sliced the blade of my knife through the flesh of his throat.
A menacing laugh turned to a dying gurgle of blood. But it didn’t sate my bloodlust. Not even the sight of blood bubbling out of his torn flesh was enough. I lifted the knife, then screamed as I pushed it into his chest, feeling the blade hit bone. It was fucking euphoric, watching the life drain out of wounds inflicted by my knife.
I wanted to cut him open. I wanted to be true to my word by slicing him from nose to navel, but Lucio’s voice pulled me out of my murderous haze.
“Dante! He’s dead.” He pulled me off Matteo’s corpse. “He’s dead, man.”
I searched around me and caught sight of Stefano staring at me before looking down at his dead son. There was nothing. There was no sign of any kind of emotion on his face while he took in the image of the bloodied body of the only child he had left.
When his eyes met mine once again, that was when I saw it. The threat. The promise. The vow for revenge.
I grabbed Lucio’s gun, but when I aimed, Stefano had already jumped into the car. And with screeching tires, he drove away.
Lucio grabbed my shoulder. “I think your girl needs to get to a hospital.”
I rushed over to her still lying on the back seat of the car. Lucio was behind the wheel, starting the engine by the time I closed the door.
“Layla.” I grabbed her chin. “Layla, wake up. Wake up, baby.”
I leaned down, but the sound of my rapid heartbeat made it impossible for me to hear hers. “Please, Layla. Hold on. Just hold on.”
Hold on, Layla.
Please…
Chapter 21
Dante
I couldn’t lie. It had been hard adjusting. Ever since that fateful night, my life had never been the same. None of our lives.
I tried the best I could to move on. To forget the flashing images and relentless memories which did not give up on their pursuit to torture me. Every morning, I would sit at my bedroom window and look out at the sunrise. It was the only time I allowed myself to miss her. Only for those few minutes, I would let my heart bleed for her. After that, I would gather the strength to face the day by staring into my son’s eyes.
Rafe.
My son.
The reason I had to move on.
It had been weeks, yet it still felt surreal. I had a little boy, a boy who not only carried a part of me and a part of her inside him but who was also a symbol of what Layla and I shared.
I had missed so much. His first smile. His first word. His first step. And for a while, I resented how I would never have those memories. But I understood. I understood why Layla had felt the need to run, to protect our son from me, from our family. If I had been told the same lies, I wouldn’t have done it any differently. I would have done everything in my power to keep him safe, which was exactly what she had done. How could I begrudge the choices his mother made when it was her instinct to protect which dictated her actions? So for that, I thanked her. Deep down, I thanked her for only wanting to put our son first. Before herself. Before me. Before us. And I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
I sat on the bench watching him run around. The sound of his laughter filled the gap in my heart Layla’s absence had left behind. It made the longing worthwhile.
“Daddy, look. Birds.” He jumped up and down with excitement. It wasn’t something I could describe, the way I felt whenever he called me Daddy.
That was probably the day I missed her the most, the day I had to tell him who I was. It was something I wanted to do with her at my side. A moment I wanted to share with her. But unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. It was something I had to do on my own, and I expected it to be difficult—especially for him. It took me two days to decide which was the best way for me to tell him…until Karina had finally convinced me there was no “best” way to tell a four-and-a-half-year-old that you were the dad he had never known. For Christ’s sake, I was a total stranger to him. All of us were. Even after Layla had taken him to Kate, he was sent to a children’s home to live like an orphan among children he didn’t know. The trauma this tiny boy had to go through…goddammit, just thinking about it made every muscle in my body go taut with anger. It made Matteo’s mutilated face pop into my head, the image soothing away my rage. That was one memory of that night I chose to hold on to. The memory of revenge.
Yet after preparing myself to experience the crying and confusion of a small boy, Rafe surprised me by merely staring at me for a few seconds, and then uttered the words which made the tainted heart inside my chest swell.
“I’ve always wanted a daddy.”
That moment made my entire world shift on its axis. The foundation my life had been built on was shaken by five little words—the words of a boy I had now devoted my entire existence to.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
Antonio took a seat beside me, his eyes fixed on Rafe chasing the birds. “You two have been spending a lot of time here lately.”
“Yeah. Rafe loves the garden.”
Antonio placed his hand on the bench then glanced around. “I love what you did with it. You know,” he waved around, “the whole re-doing of the back garden.”
I snorted. “Re-doing?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, well. You
should thank Karina. She did all this.”
“Our sister will make a good mother someday.”
“She sure will.”
Karina was a godsend through all this. Rafe had immediately taken to her, and even though she couldn’t fully take his mother’s place, she had done a fine job being a substitute while he adapted to his new surroundings. New family.
“How is he doing?” Antonio asked while watching Rafe play.
I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. “He misses her.”
“That’s to be expected.”
“I just wish I knew how long it was going to take.”
Antonio placed his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t rush it. Give it as much time as it takes to heal.”
I sighed. “I know. I’m trying.”
“You’re doing good, brother. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
I smiled as I glanced at him. “Thanks.” I sat back. “And how are you doing?”
He took a deep breath before pulling his hand through his hair. “Okay, I guess. It all happened so suddenly, with Dad’s death, it’s going to take a while to get a handle on everything.”
“Well, if anyone can do it, it’s you.”
He shifted. “I’ll find him, Dante. Even if it’s the last thing I do.”
“I know you will.”
I shared Antonio’s lust for revenge against Stefano. My dad saved my life by taking a bullet for me. Stefano and his dead sons had caused our family enough pain. It was time he paid for his sins against us. But for now, Rafe needed all of my attention, which was why I left the hunt for Stefano Mancuso to my brother, at least until I’d decided what our future held. Whether it was here with the rest of my family, or somewhere else, I didn’t know yet.
I glanced at my brother. “Revenge is a big burden to carry, Antonio.”
He nodded. “It is. But it’s a burden I carry willingly. I won’t rest until I’ve avenged his death. I owe him that much.”
“Just…don’t let it consume you. A blackened heart doesn’t cure easily.” Ask me, I know.
“Too late for that, brother.” He slapped me on my shoulder before standing. “My heart isn’t just black. It’s buried…along with our father.”
I didn’t respond. What could I say? Truth was, if it wasn’t for Rafe, a dead and buried heart would probably have been my fate as well. But it was no longer hate or rage that fed my soul. It was love, and hope, and faith. Everything a little boy had given me. Amazing how something so small could change a grown man’s entire outlook on life.
“You going to be okay?” I looked up at Antonio.
He shrugged. “Who knows what the future holds.”
Rafe fell on the grass, birds scattering everywhere. I let out a laugh.
“Dante?”
“Yeah?”
Antonio smiled. “I’m happy you have him. Rafe. The two of you will be okay.”
I breathed out. “Yeah. Me too. I just wish it could have been the three of us, instead of just the two of us. But who knows what the future holds, right?” I grinned, and Antonio smiled back.
“I have the feeling your future is going to turn out exactly the way you want it.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I love you, brother.”
I placed my hand on his. “I love you too.”
Antonio walked back to the house while I continued to watch my son play as if he hadn’t a care in the world. I remembered how Antonio and I used to play outside, a time when we didn’t know what it meant to worry or have responsibilities. All we worried about was having fun, playing, and simply being carefree. And now look at us. Killer turned father. Apprentice turned boss.
I worried about Antonio. Even though he had been preparing for this his entire life, groomed and taught to lead, it wasn’t going to be easy. There was a long, troublesome road ahead of him—the new boss. I didn’t envy him at all. As the saying went, “heavy is the head that wears the crown.” I just hoped the crown wouldn’t wear him down someday.
“Daddy, will you push me on the swing?”
I smiled. “A push for a hug?”
His little lips curved into a tiny smile—a smile which had the power to make everything wrong in the world become right.
He ran toward me, arms held wide, then jumped onto my lap. These were the moments that now defined my life. The moments I had these small arms wrapped around my neck, the purest form of unconditional love.
I thought I was a man who had known love. But I was wrong. There was nothing like a parent’s love for a child. Nothing. Your life, your heart, your soul were no longer your own.
I pulled him up in my arms and walked toward the swing.
“Mommy!”
I stilled.
“Look, Daddy, it’s Mommy!”
I closed my eyes and let out a breath. Was this it? Was this the moment I had been waiting for?
“Mommy!” Rafe wiggled himself down, and I had no choice but to let go. “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!”
My heart wanted to leap out of my chest, my skin cold and warm at the same time. I was too afraid to turn around in case this wasn’t real.
“Mommy, you’re here!”
Slowly, I turned, my heart pounding with anticipation. When I saw her, I sucked in a breath.
“Layla,” I whispered as I stared at the beautiful woman who had her arms around my son. It was true what they said. Life wasn’t measured by how many breaths we took, but by how many moments took our breath away. This was one of those moments. Moments which left me breathless.
She hugged Rafe tight, kissing him all over his face while he giggled and laughed. It was like a scene out of a fucking Hallmark movie.
I bit my bottom lip while I took her in, listening to my heart as it beat with vigor and the most indescribable joy.
She looked up, and when her eyes met mine, everything shifted into place. Everything aligned perfectly. Our past. Our present. Our future. I saw it all in that exact moment in time.
“Layla.” I wanted to repeat her name a thousand times. I wanted to hear it on my lips, taste it on my tongue.
I walked closer, never taking my eyes off her. She looked more beautiful than ever. Long, golden hair blowing in the soft breeze. The floral-design knee length dress hugged her body perfectly, her cheeks once again painted with a healthy pink glow.
“Hello, Dante.” She smiled, and it made my heart swell inside my chest. “I’m sorry—”
I pulled her closer and smothered her words with my lips. I had waited too damn long for her to come back to me only to have it pass with words which could not describe how powerful this moment was to me.
With her still holding Rafe, I wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against me, kissing her, tasting her, and pouring every ounce of longing I had felt over the last eight weeks into this one simple act of affection. Never was a fucking long time, but never would I go without her again. Never would I experience a single sunrise without her sitting next to me.
Reluctantly, I pulled away, leaning my head against hers. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
I pinched my eyes closed, pushing back the tears which threatened to show my weakness. Her. She was my weakness.
I kissed her again, her lips wet and warm against mine. She moaned, and Rafe giggled.
“Mommy and Daddy sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
Layla snickered. “Where did he learn that?”
“One word. Lorik.”
She laughed, and I finally moved back to look at her. “How are you doing?”
“I won’t lie to you. It’s a battle every day. But I’m good.” She looked at Rafe and kissed his cheek. “As long as I have you, I’m good.”
I pulled them both close, placing a hand on Rafe’s back and a kiss on Layla’s temple. Her sweet scent wrapped around me, and finally, my soul could find rest. With her. With Rafe. Our family.
“I love you, Dante.” Her words had a direct line to my rapidly beating heart.
“Say that again.”
“I love you.”
“I need to hear you say that every day for the rest of my life.” It was a plea of a desperate man who realized he was nothing without the love of his life.
“I love you with all my heart, Dante. That has never changed.”
I closed my eyes, silently thanking God for the angel he had sent me. If it wasn’t for her, for her love, I would have been swallowed whole by a cruel and empty world.
“I love you too, Layla.” I placed another kiss on her head. God, I would kiss this woman a hundred times a day for the rest of my fucking life. “Tell me what you want to do. Where you want to go. I don’t care where, Layla. I’ll follow. I’ll follow you and Rafe to the ends of the Earth.”
She looked up at me. “I don’t want to go anywhere, Dante. I want to stay right here.”
I narrowed my eyes and studied her beautiful face. “Are you sure? You left once because you felt our world was unsafe for our child. After what happened, I will understand if you still feel the same way. But this time I’m coming with you.”
She placed her finger in front of my lips. “I made a mistake. I never should have run from you. But now I know Rafe and I are safest with you…here, with the rest of your family.”
If my heart swelled any further it would fucking explode.
Layla put Rafe down, and he ran off to the swing. She placed her palm on my cheek, and my skin erupted with chills from her touch. “I love you, Dante. You. The real you. And if I had to take you away from here, away from your family, I won’t have all of you.”
I shook my head. “Layla, you have all of me.”
“If you leave your family behind, you will leave behind a part of yourself.”
I pulled her up against me. “You and Rafe are my family now. You are my life.”
“And you are mine.” Big, beautiful, amber eyes stared up at me. “Our son is a part of this family. He’s a Valenti. A wolf. And what kind of mother would I be if I took him away from the people who would care most for him?”