Dante
My wife looks so beautiful in her tight dress and heels. All made up just for me, my hand in hers as she stares in horror at her ex lover chained to the wall. She looks out of place here. A pretty flame in the depths of a dark, musty warehouse.
As soon as the surveillance footage arrived through a secured server I went straight to the footage of the DeLuca community and what I saw confirmed the theory I had about Alessia's 'friend'. I immediately called Riot and asked him to send Jamie to me. He had no objections to handing the soldier over so he arrived a few hours later via jet escorted by one of Riots men.
I should've been combing through the footage to see if anyone from the DeLuca family killed my father but my mind refused to focus on anything but my wife and her ex lover.
Alessia turns those glistening amber eyes toward me and it takes everything in me not to fall at her feet. I don't like upsetting her. I want to make her happy more than anything else, but I can't ignore what she's done. I need her to be aware that, although I will never harm her, I will slaughter any man who thinks he has access to her. Intimately or otherwise.
"Don't do this." She begs, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Please let him go."
Her tears are a hard thing to witness but unfortunately in this case it's unavoidable.
My jaw clenches, hand aching to reach up and cradle her tear streaked face. "You begging for his life only angers me more, piccolina."
She turns her back to Jamie as if she can't handle the sight of him here in this state any longer, peering up at me through a fan of thick black eyelashes. "I thought you said we had a date."
I fight a smirk, seeing right through her. She's trying her best to distract me and it's cute but it won't work.
"We do, with Jamie." I take her tight dress in with greedy eyes. "But we can go out for dinner afterwards if you want." It's probably close to two in the morning by now but I could figure it out, being Don does have a few perks. "You are dressed very nicely for me."
"You're insane." She mutters, blinking at me in disbelief.
"I'm actually very logical, piccolina, but where you're concerned well... you need to understand that I'll go to great lengths to ensure you're mine and only mine." I guide her closer to where I have him chained to the wall, his face bloody and bruised from the discussion we had before I gave in and removed one of his fingers when he refused to speak. "I've seen the surveillance footage. I want to know what you two did, where you went and I want the truth this time. Each time you lie I'll take another finger and once we're out of fingers I'll have to move onto something a little more painful."
I'd asked Jamie but he'd kept his mouth shut which was fine because Alessia seeing him alive and broken would work more in my favor anyway. It would set the precedent for what happens to men she gives her attention to.
Her brow furrows. "But if you've seen the surveillance you know we left the community and where we went."
Cazzo. My blood boiled in my veins at the sight of her getting in his car when I watched that footage.
I nod. "Yes but I want to hear it from you. Where did you go when you left the community?"
I want to see if she will tell the truth or lie. Will she try to hide where they went and what they did?
Her lower lip trembles. "Dante..." She stares at me for a moment and then must realize we won't leave this room until she answers. "We went back to his apartment."
I cup her face, unable to fight the urge any longer, swiping the tears from her cheeks with my thumbs. "And what did you do?"
Her eyes shutter closed as if she can't stomach looking at me while coming clean. "We kissed."
I close my own eyes, pressing my forehead against hers as betrayal burns hot in my gut. "And then?" I barely manage to get the question out, the two words feeling heavy on my tongue.
"It felt wrong so I pushed him away." Due to our closeness the confession crashes against my mouth and I breathe it in.
"Why did it feel wrong?"
She pauses and I open my eyes, pulling back so I can see her face. "Because he wasn't you."
I study her expression, searching the depths of her endless amber eyes for the hint of a lie. She pushed him away because of me? Because of our connection?
"I regretted it as soon as it happened and I've felt guilty ever since." She admits. "We had to wait a little while before he could take me home so the guard at the gate didn't get suspicious as to why he came back so quickly but all we did was watch a movie and then he took me home afterward."
Relief hits me harder than I expect it to. I know they've most likely had sex before but that was months ago, the possibility that it happened when our relationship was building hurt. Knowing it didn't happen, knowing that our connection was strong enough to make her regret even a kiss eases every bit of tension I'd felt over the entire situation. She had loved this man, she had cried over him in Sicily, she didn't even want to marry me and yet she chose me over him.
"And that's it, nothing else happened?"
She shakes her head, eyes frantic but open and honest. "No, I swear. The kiss made me feel bad enough. I wouldn't have even attempted to go further."
"Okay."
"Okay?" She breathes and a smile curls her lips. "You believe me."
I nod. "I do."
And her smile only grows, the feeling of having it pointed at me sinking into my chest to a part of me that has longed for her since I first heard her name.
"So you'll release him?"
"No."
The expression falls from her face, all that glee evaporating instantly. "What? Why?"
I release her hand and grab a tire iron from the ground. I've already warned him away from her once and that didn't work so now it needs to be permanent. Sure she felt guilty this time but who's to say he won't come crawling back to her in the future. That won't happen if he's not breathing.
"Please don't." She clutches my shirt, manicured nails digging into my stomach through the fabric. "I'll do whatever you want but don't hurt him for something I did. He broke things off with me, I called him crying that night because I was panicking. I initiated the kiss, not him. It's my fault, take it out on me not Jamie. Please don't do this, Dante." She begs, her sweet voice sounding so pretty when she says my name.
I stop, our eyes meeting. "If I spare his life you're mine. Your body is mine." I drag my thumb across her bottom lip. "This mouth is mine. Your smiles, your love, your happiness— every thought in that pretty head is mine. Everything. It's mine. I don't even want you to think about Jamie or any other man for that matter."
"Deal. I'm yours, it's all yours." She agrees immediately, her tone frantic.
"I mean it, Alessia." I warn her.
"I swear."
My hold on the tire iron releases, the object smacking the floor with a loud clatter. I take her hand, tugging her into my chest. She tilts her head to look up at me, makeup smeared beneath her eyes but it doesn't take away from how beautiful she is. Now that I know what happened I can't hold myself back anymore. I lean in and kiss her, feeling like it's been weeks since I last tasted her mouth when it had only been a few days.
One hand glides up my chest while the other finds my hip, her supple body molded to mine. Nails dig into my thigh, teeth scraping against my bottom lip and I lose myself in her. Merda, she's everything. I could easily spend the rest of my life just like this. Our tongues meet and I swallow down her moan, the sound of it making my heart race.
I lift her into my arms. Her tight dress rides up her thick thighs, most likely showing her ass as she wraps her legs around me but I don't care. Let Jamie have one last look of what he can't have. I hope he listened to every word she said and I hope it cut him deep enough he'll stay away.
I groan at the taste of her, the feel of her in my hands. My obsession. My wife.
Her fingers find my hair, manicured nails scraping against my scalp. If I thought she would go for it I'd fuck her right here in front of Jamie but I don't want our first time together to be in an old warehouse and I don't want her to have sex with me just because she's afraid he will die if not.
I break the kiss, my dick pressing against the zipper of my pants, dying to sink inside her. I turn on my heel with her in my arms, not bothering to spare Jamie another glance as I carry her from the building. She shouldn't be here, tainted with the darkness she forced me to show her. I know what she thinks of made men and I never wanted her to look at me with fear in her eyes but tonight she had. I'll make it up to her though.
As soon as we exit the building she scrambles out of my arms. I nearly drop her in shock but manage to catch her at the last minute and place her on her feet.
She pushes against my chest with a scream. "What is wrong with you!"
I let her push me, stumbling back against the door as she glares at me with those angry amber eyes. Such an abrupt change from a minute ago.
"I'm sorry but it had to be done."
"It had to be done?" She repeats incredulously. "You cut off someone's finger Dante, you have a man locked in a warehouse just because we kissed!"
"Well maybe this wouldn't have happened if you would've told me from the beginning who the friend-" I practically spat the word. "- was and what you did that night. Maybe then it wouldn't have consumed my every thought since then and now." I demand.
She pushes on, ignoring my words. "And then you kissed me right there in front of him while he's bloody and bruised like a dog pissing on a tree to mark its territory." Her face scrunched in disgust. "You don't own me, Dante."
I push off the door and stalk the few feet between us. "That's not what you said in there." Her throat bobs as she swallows but she doesn't back down.
My fearless, stubborn, little wife.
"I didn't say you owned me, I said I'm yours." She holds up her left hand, flashing her ring at me. "Alessia Di Salvo." The combination of our names sends a shiver up my spine. "I'm your wife, your partner— not your property and if you ever pull a stunt like this again I won't even be your friend."
That threat hits me like a smack across the face.
I take her hand before she can lower it and brush a kiss across her knuckles just above her ring. "And if you ever pull a stunt like you did the night before our wedding again I'll get tips from your brother on the best way to keep a woman captive."
Her eyes blaze. "I fucking dare you."
I can't help but give her a smile. Cazzo it had been too long since I'd seen that look in her eyes. Defiant and pissed. It's almost as pretty as the jealousy that shone in her eyes earlier when she asked me where I slept last night.
She deflates a little, as if all the fight has left her. "I thought you were better than this." Her eyes widen a little like the confession shocks her just as much as it does me even though she's the one that said it.
With the pain of that single sentence sinking into my bones I watch as the expression on her face falls just before she turns around and gets in the car.
I thought you were better than this.
Her words play on repeat in my head, they hurt more than her kiss with Jamie had and I can't help but wonder if I pushed her too far.
With a frustrated sigh I approach my car, opening the passenger door to buckle her seatbelt like I always do only to find it buckled. She meets my gaze, that defiance still there lighting her eyes. I don't even think she was this mad when she found out I was the man she would be marrying at our engagement party.
I close the passenger door and get in the driver's seat. Our car ride is silent, I don't even bother turning the volume on the radio up. I know she won't sing and it'll only make me feel worse. When we've driven a good enough distance away from the warehouse I pull over onto the side of the road and put the car in park. I feel her eyes on me as I grab my phone and give Riot a call.
"I'm not cleaning your mess up, Di Salvo." Riot answers on the second ring, snarky as usual.
"I need you to send him away and make sure he doesn't come back." I keep my tone even, the emotions I'm feeling out of it. "I don't want him anywhere near her."
He's silent for a minute as if in shock. "He's still breathing?"
My jaw clenches. "Unfortunately."
But he's a problem I've handled once, I'm sure I'll have to handle him again and at least Alessia will see that I tried.
"I'll have someone pick him up tonight, send me the coordinates."
"Grazie."
After a brief pause he asks, "Is Alessia okay?"
My brow furrows and I glance over at my wife. "Of course, Riot. I'd never hurt her."
"I didn't think so but I needed to be sure. And it's Lorenzo now, welcome to the famiglia, fratello." His tone is teasing as he ends the call and I can't help but sit there shell shocked for a few minutes.
Not only did he call me brother but he told me to call him by his given name. Of course I'd noticed his siblings had started calling him Lorenzo after he became Don but I didn't expect him to want others to as well. He had acted like the name was a burden for so long, even though he cleared his fathers name to become Don, it still felt forbidden.
I push the shock from our conversation away and send him the coordinates of the warehouse.
"Was that Lorenzo?" Alessia asks as I slip my phone in my pocket.
"Yes." I reply, putting the car in drive and pulling back onto the road.
She gasps. "But you said you wouldn't hurt him."
"And I won't but I don't want him anywhere near here, near you. Lorenzo will send him away."
"Lorenzo will punish him." She demands, venom lacing her words.
I don't say anything to that because I can't guarantee it won't happen. He did go against orders after all, Lorenzo has every right to discipline him but there are also things worse than death. Lorenzo usually isn't one to take the easy route.
The remainder of our car ride is spent in silence. It's not until we're driving through the gate that Alessia finally speaks.
"I can't believe you woke me up and had me get dressed for a date so you could have a power trip. I styled my hair and put on makeup just to have to go back to bed." She mutters.
"Do you want to go on a date?" I question in surprise, putting the car in park in front of the house.
She levels me with a glare. "No."
Before I can respond she unbuckles her seatbelt and bolts from the car, slamming the passenger door in her wake.
I exit the car with a sigh just as my wife slams the front door and when my feet touch the steps to the porch I hear the click of the lock slipping in place. She really locked the door knowing I can unlock it, this woman. I reach into my pocket to grab my keys... only to not find them there at all.
How the hell?
Then it hits me.
The kiss.
I should've known she gave into me too easily, should've taken it as the red flag it was. While I was lost in her she must have snagged my keys. She knew my car is push to start so as long as the key fob is in the car it'll start, I'd have no need to remove my keys when we got in the car.
"Have fun sleeping outside!" She says through the door.
Clever, clever woman.
I pull my phone from my pocket, thankful she didn't have a chance to snag it, as I text Gabriele. He's the only person other than Nadia who has a key to our house. I could go to the guest house and ask for her key but I don't want to wake her this late in the night.
Dante:
I need you to come unlock my front door
Gabriele:
The finger didn't go so well, huh?
I can practically see the smirk on his face through the phone.
Gabriele:
Be there in ten
I take a seat on the porch steps, running my hand down my beard. Alessia's clearly mad, the question is how do I fix it?
I'm still contemplating that same question when Gabriele arrives thirty minutes later.
"Ten minutes, huh?" I state dryly as he approaches.
He smirks. "Got caught in traffic."
Liar. He probably took his time, mentally gloating over being right.
Gabriele hands the key over and I unlock the door before giving it back to him, not bothering to offer for him to come inside.
"Good luck." He chuckles, making his way across the porch toward the steps.
I step inside the foyer, locking the door behind me and make my way upstairs. The house is dark, as is our bedroom when I enter. The moonlight shining in through the curtains illuminating the lump on our bed.
I close myself in the closet and get undressed down to my boxers. I have funeral arrangements to finish up this evening so I have plenty of time to sleep beside my wife.
I slip out of the closet and go to the ensuite. The room smells like her lotion, the bottle still sitting on the counter by the sink. I release a yawn, the last few days catching up to me and I quickly brush my teeth before shutting the light off and exiting the bathroom.
Alessia's in the center of the bed when I approach it. One arm laid across the bed with the other rests above her head. I pull the covers back so I can slip under them and immediately notice the shirt she's wearing. A smirk tugs at the corner of my lips as I lie down. That's my shirt.
I can't help but ease a little closer to her, the side of her body warm against mine. Comforting even though we aren't actually touching. So much so that as soon as I close my eyes I fall asleep.
————————————————
Hey babe's! I was laughing while writing this one, Dante has no control over Alessia and it's so funny. Not him thinking they were having a moment when really she was stealing his keys 😂
Hope you guys have a great weekend! Happy Friday!
Love youu🖤🖤
— Katy