Chapter 9 - The Sovereign's Vow
The silence that followed Victoria's call was heavier than the gunfire.
Dante stared at the darkened phone screen for a long moment before sliding it back into his pocket. He walked into the closet, ignoring Clara’s fearful flinch, and knelt down until his eyes were level with Leo’s.
Leo sniffled, his small hand wiping at his nose as he peered at the imposing stranger.
"You're very brave," Dante said softly, his voice dropping an entire octave, losing every trace of the violence that had possessed him moments before. "What's your name, little warrior?"
Leo looked at me for permission. I hesitated, my throat tight, but nodded slowly.
"Leo," the boy murmured. "Leo Carter."
Dante’s jaw tightened at the surname, but a tender, breathtaking smile touched the corner of his lips. "Leo. It means lion. A good name for a strong boy."
Dante reached out, his large, calloused hand moving slowly, giving Leo time to pull away. But Leo didn't. Instead, he reached out his tiny hand and touched the rough scar running across Dante's knuckles.
A shudder ran through Dante's entire frame. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, as if committing the sensation to memory, before gently curling his fingers around Leo’s tiny hand.
"Nobody is going to hurt you," Dante promised, looking the boy dead in the eyes with the sacred solemnity of a blood oath. "Not while I am drawing breath."
He stood up, looking at Clara. "Take him into the panic room in the master suite. It has independent air filtration and enough provisions for a month. Luca is outside with three guards. You will be completely safe."
Clara nodded quickly, lifting Leo and following Dante’s instructions without hesitation. As she carried him out, Leo waved his little hand. "Choo-choo man."
Dante stood motionless until the door clicked shut behind them. Then, he turned to me.
The air between us flared with three years of unresolved agony, betrayal, and raw, electric desire.
"You should have told me, Elena," he said, stepping toward me until I was backed against the wall of the bedroom. "The moment that test turned positive, you should have called me."
"And what would you have done, Dante?" I challenged, my chin defiant even as my heart hammered against my ribs. "You were already committed to the sham marriage! You would have locked me in a tower, just like this one! You would have turned my child into a target for every rival family in the country!"
"I would have claimed you!" Dante roared, slamming his flat palm against the wall beside my head, his body caging me in. "I would have announced to the Five Families that anyone who looked at you would die! I wouldn't have let you suffer in the cold alone for three years!"
"I wasn't suffering!" I lied, tears burning behind my eyes. "I had peace! A peace you can never give anyone, Dante! Look around you—we haven't been in Chicago for six hours and we’re already being shot at!"
"Because you came back for a damn box of papers!"
"I came back to destroy the woman who destroyed us!" I screamed, grabbing the lapels of his shirt, shaking him with all the strength I had left. "Victoria stole my life! She stole my father! And she stole *you*!"
Dante froze, his eyes widening slightly as the raw confession hung between us.
His hand came up, grasping the back of my neck, pulling me flush against his hard, trembling body.
May you like
"She never had me, Elena," he whispered fiercely, his lips hovering an inch from mine, his breath hot and ragged against my mouth. "Not for a single second. Every breath I took in that house was an executioner counting down the days until I could come find you."
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