Page 11 of Rescued By the Mafia

The perfectly polished front door swung open and a voice inside said, “Welcome home, Boss.”

Dante guided Iris over the threshold, through the foyer that was larger than the living room of the apartment she’d woken up in, and into a wide, open sitting and dining space. A truly beautiful gathering room, with an electric fireplace on one wall beneath a massive flatscreen television. Plush furniture, a sizable dining table, and enough space to dance around all of it. Dante turned to face her. “You’ll have keys and codes for the security system by morning,” he said. He pulled her hands into his. “Understand that while your life must change, I have no desire to cage you in. This is your home, effective immediately.”

She thought she had been keeping up with the conversation in the SUV, but now she felt as if she were spinning. Somehow, she hadn’t expected this. “What about the apartment … and my things?” Her chest tightened. “Do I have to quit my job?”

“I can send men to gather anything you would prefer not to lose,” Dante said. His brow furrowed. “But that apartment is unsafe. We both know it.”

She chewed on her lip. He wasn’t wrong. Her information was in that car. As well as her spare key. And her bastard ex had possession of the car. Her breath hitched and Iris shook her head. “I don’t— I just need my clothes.”

Dante pulled her close and slid a hand into her hair, pressing her head to his shoulder. “That’s the one thing I can’t have another man do for you, Snapdragon. I’d have to kill him.”

Iris frowned. “I need clothes, Dante.”

He chuckled. “Unfortunately, I suppose that’s true.” One of his hands fell away and he encouraged her to move with him, phone in his other hand. “Do me a favor and put your sizes in here,” he said, handing the phone out to her.

Confused, Iris took the device and looked at the screen. All she saw was a note app. She sought his gaze again, finding him watching and waiting. She drew a breath. “You really don’t have to buy me new clothes.”

“You’re the one who pointed out that you need something to wear.”

She had. Just as he had pointed out the danger looming over her apartment.

Iris nodded and typed in the information he’d requested. She wasn’t sure how this surpassed the problem of the third-party involvement, unless he planned to shop himself.

Dante took the phone back when she was done and leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. “Good girl,” he rumbled above her ear as he straightened.

Something inside of her clenched. Those words—those simple words—they shouldn’t have hit her like they did.

“Now,” Dante said, already tucking his phone away, “let me give you a proper tour while we wait.”

four

New Home

“This is where you will sleep. For now.” Dante motioned into the spacious room, standing back enough for her to step inside if she wanted.

Iris gave herself a few seconds to take it in. The large bed took up only a small portion of the space, a closet stood open and waiting at the far end, and a curved picture window with a cushioned seat built in called out to her. It was a nice room. Certainly more than she truly had need of. But his words had piqued her interest even more than the space, so she turned to look back at him. “For now?”

Dante nodded. “As far as anyone else is concerned, you and I are a united front. But privately, it’s important that we have trust between us. Part of that means making sure you understand that no matter the things I am willing to do, one thing I will never do is force myself on you. So, until you’re comfortable sharing one hundred percent of your space with me, this is your retreat. In this room, no one—not even me—will intrude on you. You dictate who enters, how long they stay, and even whether they sit or stand.”

Iris felt her heart beat faster as she listened to his answer. He was offering her a sanctuary, within the confines of his own home, yes, but still a sanctuary for no one but herself. More than that, however, he was offering her boundaries. Physical, tangible, and emotional boundaries.

Dante stepped closer and brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek in a gentle caress. “Try not to let this all overwhelm you, Snapdragon,” he said quietly. “You were meant for this. You belong here. Everything else will fall into place.”

She let herself breathe him in for a second, allowing her mind to chew on his words. “It’s a lot,” she finally said. “I can’t even say that I know you. It seems crazy to be standing here, even considering accepting all this.” She also wasn’t about to say that she was refusing it, because deep in her heart she wanted to leap at this opportunity with an enthusiasm that was foreign to her. But fear of a repeating history demanded she at least be cautious.

Dante’s lips lifted in a shadow of a smile. “You know me,” he said. “Knowing someone doesn’t require years of exposure or hours of intense conversation.” His hand moved to her chin, holding her face up, her eyes on his, as if she might look anywhere else. “You watched everything that went down at that garage. I saw you tracking everyone’s positions, your eyes reacting to every word.”

She swallowed almost nervously. Of course she’d watched, and listened. She would never again be stupid enough to shy away from a situation that involved her.

“None of that was an act, Iris. It wasn’t an idle threat.” Dante released her chin and took half a step back, never looking away. Never blinking. “I don’t make idle threats. The outside world may know me as a business man born to a wealthy family, because that’s all true. But the real truth is that I am the head of the most powerful mafia family west of New York. I am the Dragon. And if you stand with me, everything that is mine will be yours.”

The breath rushed from her lungs as the words she hadn’t let herself think filled the air between them. She’d heard whispers, of course, about organized crime in Newark. But Newark was practically a stone’s throw from New York City, so she’d dismissed the rumors as urban legend. Exaggerations of fact at most.

Dante gestured to the hall they’d walked down moments earlier. “Tonight is the only night I will let you walk out my door and promise you no consequences. If you stay, I’ll assume you’ve made the decision to pursue this future with me.”

Her heart thundered in her ears. She couldn’t stop her eyes from darting down the hall again as she envisioned doing exactly that and marching out the front doors. Would he really let her leave? Even if he did, surely, he wouldn’t drive her anywhere, so she’d have to walk until she was somewhere she could safely call for an Uber. If she made that choice….

Iris wetted her mouth and met his stare again. “Will I be a prisoner here, then?”

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