by Leah Holt
To Dante, being back here meant he had lost a battle. But to me, it was like seeing the open arms of the one person who could hug you and make you feel safe.
I didn't like being on the run; in fact, I hated it. Gathering what little we had and fleeing into the darkness at an hour the rest of the world was tucked away snugly in bed—It sucked.
I knew it was keeping us alive, I knew it was a voiceless guide to keep our heads above water. But it never got any easier. All I wanted was a place to call our own.
And right now, the house standing at the head of the driveway, it wasn't the hell I had taken it for the first time. Today it was our home.
It sounds strange, I know, but everything I had was gone; my house, my life, none of it existed. There was only one ounce of peace I was able to find while we were hiding, and that was knowing my family was alright.
I had called my father once, only to find his phone had been disconnected.
But Dante took a gamble and was able to use his connections to track down my family. They were alive, but that was all I knew. Knowing they were still breathing had set me at ease, but not knowing if Remo would go for them next was killing me.
He had no problem taking out Bane, why would my family be any different?
Especially because I was the one he wanted.
I wanted Remo dead just as much as Dante. . . If not more.
And now Dante was forced to come back. Forced by the hand of our enemy to return to the one place where safety ran thin and death was imminent.
None of this was new to me, death had been calling my name and reaching its sharp claws into my back for way too long.
But for Dante, this was entirely different. He was the monster people feared, he was the sound of your last breath, the voice that released your soul.
He wasn't used to actually feeling fear. Despite the danger he faced every day with his job and position in his family, the world around him painted him as the grim reaper.
The only thing for him to fear was himself.
Wrapping my fingers over his tensed arm, I squeezed. “We don't have to stay here, we can stay at a hotel or something.”
“No.” Dropping his head, his eyes shut tight. “We're wearing X's on our backs, Ivy, we need safety, not flashing lights raining down on us. This place is safe, it's always been our protection when shit went bad. I can't risk bringing you someplace Remo could get to you so easily.”
Biting my lip, I stroked his jaw. “I love how you want to protect me, Dante, but I don't need protection, I need vengeance. You want Remo dead as much as I do, isn't that why we're here?”
His shoulders shook slightly as he let out a weak laugh. “It's weird, huh?” Tapping his thumb on the steering wheel, he lifted his face to mine. “I stole you away, promised you safety, and now I drove you right back into the thick of it.”
“He killed your father, I wouldn't call it anything other than need. You need this. . .” Running my fingers up and through his hair, I leaned in close. “And so do I.”
Wishing death on someone wasn't an easy choice for me, but Remo deserved everything he had coming to him. If we didn't do this he would continue his wrath, his heavy hand, and we'd never be free.
Pinching my chin between his thumb and forefinger, Dante's eyes flicked between mine. “I'm not doing this for him, Princess.” His deep brown stare sent shivers up my spine. “But, the first thing I need to do is tend to my father's funeral. Once he's laid to rest, everything else will fall into place.”
Nodding, I pressed my lips against his. They were soft and warm, filling my stomach with a torrent of butterflies and flurrying fish. Every kiss sent my body into electric overload, pushing me to the limits of what I thought love was.
But to be loved, to feel love. . .
It was so much more.
To love meant to hurt, to hurt meant you were feeling true emotions. And for the first time in ages, I hurt because of something other than pure pain. My heart was always hot, my lungs would suffocate as Dante would push himself closer or pull me in tighter.
I wanted to force myself to believe that everything I'd gone through was worth it to have ended up here with him. I wanted to believe in fate.
But I can't lie, forgetting it ever happened was something I tried to do daily.
All I wanted was a little piece of normalcy. Maybe one day I'll get there, I'll wake up and everything will feel like it was just a horrible dream. That my body was never broken, that my skin never held the colors of the rainbow.
Maybe one day I'll be able to replace all the pain with happiness, erase the memories and suffering, and just be normal.
One day.
Our lips unlocked, Dante smiled and reached for the door handle. “Ready?”
“Yeah, let's go home.” Smirking, I opened my door and walked to the front of the car.
Holding out his hand, Dante twined our fingers together and guided us up to the house. His pace slowed as he climbed the front steps, his free hand coming out and stopping me just behind him.
“What? What is it?” I asked, trying to look around him.
Holding a finger to his lips, he nodded his head at the door. “It's cracked open.” His voice was a whisper, finding the wind, and making its way into my ear.
“Maybe we left it like that?”
Shaking his head no, Dante signaled me to stay behind him as he pulled out the gun from his waist. With the tips of his fingers, he nudged the door open, holding the gun out firmly in front of his chest.
Sidestepping, he inched his way into the house, sweeping the weapon from left to right.
Following closely behind him, I kept my steps light and soundless. That was a trick I had learned when I was trapped at Remo's. It let me stroll around the house without his knowledge and gave me some time alone.
He never let me roam, never let me out of his sight. I was watched day and night by him or his hired eyes and ears. The doors all had locks on the inside and out, the windows were barred, but even the smartest man had a weak spot. He had to sleep.
I payed close attention to Remo's routine and habits. The more I behaved, the more I followed his stupid fucking rules, the more time I got out of my closet prison.
And it bought me time alone in the dark, when he was out cold, his home became my stalking ground. I took note of every single detail in that house, all with the hope that I could use it to my advantage.
There were bumps in the road, my mouth would get the best of me at times, I couldn't help it. And it cost me a number of painful bruises or deep lacerations from whatever his weapon of choice was at the time.
There were scars on my back from a cord he used to whip me once for throwing his dinner across the room. Two of my knuckles were offset and larger than the rest because he had broken them after he caught me trying to steal a knife from the kitchen drawer.
Once I braved using the phone and attempted to call my father. I held the phone in my hand, had the buttons all dialed except for the very last digit.
Then his voice rang in my head with his threats and punishments. I wanted to call my father so badly, but I wouldn't risk his life for a single phone call. If any of what Remo said was true, my father put me there. There was nothing he could do to help me.
So, I hung it up, walking away with my head down, leaving another breadcrumb of the person I was behind.
I could have called my father, I could have even called the police, but I didn't. Remo had stained my mind and body with fear for my family. I wasn't scared for myself, I wasn't afraid to die, but I was afraid for them.
But as I lost a part of me in that moment, I took something else from it. It was the first time I realized how strong I truly was.
Yes, I had been beaten. Yes, he had desecrated my body with visual proof he was in control. Yes, I had survived it all.
But it took strength to hang up that phone. Because I wasn't afraid for myself, I was afraid for them. That was the hand I was dealt, that was my life. And I was
going to be the only one that bore the punishments for it.
Their lives meant more to me than my own.
I knew I was strong enough to outlast Remo's dark side, to live and break free. Dialing one number wouldn't save me, it would only hurt the ones I loved. The strength of knowing I would put them first before myself filled me with warmth and confidence.
My body was damaged, but my mind was my muscle.
“Dante, I don't think anyone's here. Nothing looks messed with or anything.” Scanning the living room, I saw Dante's empty glass still on the table, no cupboards or drawers were open. The house was just as we left it.
“Stay here,” he whispered. “I'm going to check upstairs.” His feet left soft thunks on the wood, and as he disappeared above me, I could follow his movements as his shoes made gentle taps across the ceiling. I knew what room he was in and where he was going next just by following the sound of his feet.
His face finally popped back into view, his body more relaxed and at ease. “It's empty, whoever was here is gone.”
“Maybe no one was here to begin with.”
“Someone was here, Ivy, I can feel it. I just don't know if it was my dad coming to look for us or if it was someone else. But someone's been here.” Closing the door, Dante walked over to the chair by the fireplace and dropped into it.
“So, now what?” I asked.
Holding out his hands, he shrugged. “The funeral is tomorrow, then I'll talk to a few guys and figure out how to go about this whole thing.”
Walking over to him, I ran my hands over his shoulders. “What time do we have to be at the funeral?”
“We?” he asked, angling his head. “No, I don't want you there, you're staying here. I can't have you exposed like that, Remo could be there waiting for just that reason.”
“Dante—”
“No.” His arm wrapped tightly around my waist, steering me in front of him. “You're not going, and that's it. It's too dangerous.”
“Dante, there's going to be lord knows how many people there. Remo isn't stupid, he wouldn't try something like that. And if he did, it'd be his dumbest move yet.”
Walking his fingers up my back, Dante rested his forehead against my belly. “I'm sorry, but no. You'll stay here where I know you'll be safe.”
“But you think this place got broken into, how is this safe?”
“It was just my dad, it had to be, I'm sure of it. He probably came back here looking for us, that makes sense.”
“I don't want to stay alone, I hate being alone.”
Sliding his chin up over my stomach, he tugged me onto his lap. “You won't be alone for long. I'll go to the funeral and come right back.”
“I don't like it, Dante.”
“Princess, trust me, nothing will happen while I'm gone. I'll be back before you know it.” His hands teased the ends of my hair, tickling the base of my neck.
Goosebumps jumped off my skin, circling my body. Rolling my head to the side, I asked, “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Make me forget the world around me with just your touch?”
A smug grin filled his face, eyes sparking and igniting the rich color. “Because I'm that good.”
Giggling, I locked my fingers behind his neck. “You are so full of yourself.”
“No, I just know what I'm good at.” Dante's hands worked their way down my ribs, slipping firmly around my ass. “And that's you, Babe, I'm good at working you.”
My lips perched to the side, lids lowering. “I think you have that backwards.”
Grinding his hips up, I felt his cock poke up into the heat between my thighs. “Do I?”
Shaking my head yes, I rolled my waist over the thickening muscle. “I'm the one on top right now, so I'm pretty sure that means I'm working you.”
“I stand corrected, work away, Princess, work away.” Dropping his arms onto the chair, he stared up at me with need in his gaze.
Shifting on his hips, I tucked my knees by his sides and began to rock slowly. “I'm in control this time, that could be dangerous.”
“Just because you're on top doesn't mean you're in control.” Dante's hand stretched up, curling into my hair. Tugging down hard, he forced my head back. “Just because you're on top doesn't mean I can't take you how I want.”
Biting my lip, my eyes closed as I moaned. “Fuck, Dante, you're so dirty.”
“Tell me, tell me how dirty I am.” Slipping his free hand up my shirt, he pinched my nipple, rolling it between his fingertips. “Tell me what you like.”
Grinding down, I could feel the warmth seeping down my thighs. Prickles jumped across my skin as he leaned in and bit my nipple through my shirt. “I can't hear you.”
My lips parted as I exhaled in arousal. “I like when you touch me, I like when you take me how you want and fuck me like it's your last day on earth.”
Dante lifted my shirt over my head, throwing it down hard. His lips met my stomach, planting light kisses across my belly and tender, but delirious nips up my ribs. “Keep going, tell me more.” The words fell over my skin, hot and eager.
“I love when you kiss me all over,” I said, letting out a loud gasp as he dragged his teeth over my side. “I love when you pull my hair and when you grip my throat.”
“Good girl, now let me tell you what I like.” His mouth buzzed over my breast, flicking the hardened bead with his tongue. “I like when you're body heats and I can see the sweat bead up on your skin.” Licking the skin of my chest, he moved to my other breast. Rolling my nipple between his teeth, he plucked it hard. “I like when you're eyes shut and you can't stop it, I like when you beg for my cock because your body needs it.”
“Dante,” I moaned, rolling my head in his hand. “Fuck, you turn me on.”
His fingers worked magic over my body, tearing into my hair tighter, and holding me close. “I like when your pussy is so wet it drips.” Dante's fingers tore at my pants, lifting me just enough to pull them down and slip them off my legs. “Do you know what I love the most?”
“What?” I asked, licking my lips and letting his words paint me in sin.
“I love when your body shakes and crumbles beneath me. I love when everything around us disappears and you can't find words to speak, when you can't move all because of the high I'm pushing you towards.”
Popping the button on his pants, I slipped my hand inside and pulled out his rock hard cock. Dante was engorged, his chest was firm and lifting in quick snaps. His eyes were glazed over under thinned lids.
With his hand still firmly laced in my hair, I lifted to my knees and let my juice guide him inside. Dante moaned, squeezing my roots harder. Slowly I lifted and lowered, rolling my hips and riding his length.
The air around us grew hot, our bodies warming and becoming slippery as we made love. Placing my hands on his chest, I dug my nails into his skin and held on.
Releasing my hair, Dante gripped my hips, his face set on my breasts as I bounced up and down. We didn't speak, we didn't moan.
The only sound encasing us was the angry slap of our bodies as they collided and ground together. Dante's mouth was open, his lips twitching and curling. I felt his cock thicken and throb deep inside me. Pulse after pulse, the hot come coated my insides.
Every inch of his length was buried, the thick mane of hair around the base tickled each crease and fold of my pussy. My clit pulsed as he pressed his thumb over my needy button and swirled the tender spot.
The tingles in my belly ignited like wildfire, spreading through every muscle and vein. My toes curled, fingers bending and clutching with force into Dante's chest. Melting all over his cock, my body went limp and I slumped on his shoulder.
“Holy shit, Princess, I feel great.” Running his fingers up and down my back, Dante kissed my neck.
“Incredible, that was incredible.” The words came out riding air as I tried to catch my breath. “Wow.”
“That right there,” he said, picking up my shoulders an
d holding me upright. “Is going to give me a big head.”
Laughing, I rolled my eyes. “You already have a big head.”
Brushing the hair from my face, Dante smiled. “You really are so beautiful.” His fingers twisted and teased the loose strands. “I'll never let anything happen to you, I hope you know that.”
My lips perched, tugging up high. “I do, I know that.”
His eyes fell to my hands, brows dipping in. “No matter what happens, don't forget.” Lifting my hand to his face, he kissed the back of my palm. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Searching his face, a worried feeling swept in and stole my heart. “Are you okay? What are you thinking?”
Letting out a forced chuckle, Dante huffed under his breath. “Nothing, it's nothing.”
“It's something, what is it?”
“Ivy, you know who I am and what my life is. There's always going to be danger and death, violence and pain. I just want you to know that no matter what, everything I did was for you.”
He was starting to scare me. Dante looked like he finally had felt his first rush of fear, like he was staring death in the face, and he had no idea what to do with it.
“Dante, I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you.”
I knew we had walked into a lions den plagued with starving animals. There was a war waiting for us. But I was more than willing to jump in.
Second thoughts. . .
I didn't have a single one.
This was for me, this was for him. . .
This was to live.
Four
Dante
I couldn't breathe. Tugging at the collar of my suit, I tried to loosen it and let the air flow in seamlessly. My nerves were on edge. I didn't remember ever being so nervous in my entire fucking life.
When my mother died I was too young to really understand exactly what was happening. My father came home really late, my brother and I were asleep—at least that's what he thought. But I remembered seeing his shadowed face in our doorway and hearing this gentle sniffle like he had a cold.