Page 28 of Crimson Vows

Dante glances at me, his eyes searching mine for a flicker of reassurance. “More to what?”

“Come on, don’t be like that. To us,” I confess, the words hanging between us like a forbidden truth. “It’s okay that we care deeply about one another.”

Dante glances at me, his expression conflicted. The car hurtles down the road, the night swallowing us whole.

“I thought we both agreed that wasn’t an option,” he mutters, his voice strained.

I grab his hand, the connection between us sparking like electricity. “I know what we said, but feelings aren’t something we can always control.”

He doesn’t pull away, his fingers interlacing with mine as he focuses on the road ahead.

“Dante, I care about you,” I confess in barely above a whisper.

“Then why do you need her?” he asks.

I shake my head, trying not to allow frustration to creep in. “What she did... I owe her everything. But that’s not all we’re talking about here.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s not her that’s the problem. It’s the fact that you can’t deal with the way I’m built. I told you from the start that I’m polyamorous. I never hid that from you,” I state firmly, unwilling to allow him to redefine the parameters I’ve been so transparent with.

The car swerves, a near miss. I grip the leather seat as Dante’s unsettling laughter rolls out. “Damn you. You’ve fucking ruined me. You know that, right?”

“Ruined?” My brow arches in question.

“Before you”—he gestures wildly—“I was content. The women, the bars... But you showed me there’s more to taste in this life.”

I watch Dante’s face soften, his eyes meeting mine, silently acknowledging our shared experiences. The car slows as we approach Gia’s neighborhood, the tension between us easing.

“I never wanted to ruin you,” I admit, my voice tinged with regret for upending the simplicity of his life. “I felt a connection between us, and I thought you could handle the way I was. I wanted to show you something different from what you had ever known.”

His grip on the steering wheel relaxes, a small smile playing on his lips as he glances at me. “Well, you certainly did that.”

“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to. Honestly, as much as I fucking hate to say it, you changed me. It’s crazy because nobody can probably understand what it’s like to live the kind of life we do every day, but you got it. I don’t have to pretend when I’m around you.”

“And I love that.”

“Yeah, well, that’s why I’m having such a hard time watching you go off and fall in love with some woman.”

I smile. “Nobody is falling in love. Why do you think I wanted you here tonight?”

“Fuck if I know.”

“It’s so you can get to know her too. I’ve known Gia since she was a teenager, and there has always been something special about her. We weren’t close before the incident,” I state, trying not to focus on the night Gia’s father shot me. “But it has always been obvious that Gia isn’t like other people. She lives by her own rules and respects other people who do the same. Most people in our world would never accept us for who we are.”

Dante laughs, but I can tell he doesn’t think what he is about to say is humorous. “You’re not wrong, if any of the boys in my crew knew about us... shit. I don’t even want to think about what they would do.”

“Exactly.” I continue. “That’s why we need people like Gia in our lives. She’s the freedom to have friends in our lives who let us be who we want to be without any judgment.”

“Freedom.” He repeats the word like a vow, then nods, sobering up. “So earlier today, at the restaurant...”

“Yeah, that was a disaster,” I finish for him, still staring out into the night. “But it’s fixable. I’m telling you, she’s worth it. Not just for me but for you too.”

“Fine. I’ll try,” he says with a heavy exhale.

I watch the veins in Dante’s thick forearms pop against his skin as he downshifts the car. The black sports car slows to a crawl. I glance up, taking in the sight of Gia’s brownstone. My heart beats a rhythm of anticipation.

---