Page 70 of Crimson Vows

“Too late for what?” I press the phone so hard against my ear it hurts, desperate for answers.

“Nico,” Gia says, waving a hand at me. “Put it on speaker.”

I hesitate, but then my thumb obeys, pressing the screen. Dante’s ragged breathing fills the room, a ghostly echo of distress.

“Hey Dante, it’s me, Gia. We’re both here, okay? Can you talk to us? Tell us what’s going on.” Gia says, her tone firm yet soothing.

“Gia, I’m so sorry. Everything is so fucked, and it’s all my fault.” Dante’s voice is shaky.

“Take a breath, man. Slow down.” I interject.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Dante mutters as he continues his downward spiral.

“Hey, sweetie, I want you to focus on my voice. Okay?” Gia’s command is velvet-wrapped steel. “You’re safe, alright. It’s just us here. I need you to talk to us.”

“Safe?” Dante lets out a maniacal laugh, a sound that scrapes at my insides. “Nothing’s safe, and it’s all my fault.”

I look at Gia and mouth the words, “What the fuck are we supposed to do?”

She lifts a finger to her lips to silence me before she continues. “Dante, stay with us,” she pleads. “Is this about you talking to Smitty? We know you didn’t mean for any of this to happen. All we care about is that you’re safe. I need you to calm down so we can sort all this out together.”

“I can’t even fucking think...” he wheezes, but there’s a shift, a subtle pause as if he’s finally starting to hear us.

“Okay, that’s okay. We got you. Where are you right now?” Gia’s voice doesn’t waver.

“I don’t know. I’m in my car, just driving around,” he answers, and I’m relieved to hear him finally make at least a little sense.

“Good, good,” she replies. “Now, I want you to listen very carefully. I’m texting you an address from my phone.” Her fingers fly over the phone screen in her hands, dispatching the vital information before I can even react. “It’s a place that’s safe. Nobody knows about it. I want you to come straight here, and we’ll figure all of this out. Do you understand?”

After a brief silence, Dante’s raw voice comes across the line, a mix of remorse and fear. “Yeah, I understand. I really am sorry I got you all in this mess.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry, just get here,” she responds firmly.

“Okay, on my way,” he answers before disconnecting.

She turns to me, a flicker of concern in her eyes. “What the hell happened to him? He sounds so scared.”

I nod in agreement, but a nagging thought refuses to remain silent. “Yeah, I know. But, um, Marco really didn’t want you to tell anyone where we were, especially Dante.”

“Yeah, well, Marco will just have to understand, won’t he?” she says defiantly. “Dante clearly needs us right now, and I’m not just going to let him stay out there in his current state.”

I can see the resolve in Gia’s eyes. Nothing I can say will change her mind that she did the right thing, and at this point, there is no undoing it. As much as I’m worried about Dante, I could never have been the one to go against Marco’s wishes. He enlisted me to keep Gia safe, and that is my sole focus. However, there is a slight sense of relief that Gia has taken it upon herself to throw Dante a lifeline.

As we wait for Dante’s arrival, I can’t shake the thought that this isn’t just about Dante’s guilt. Something has him rattled. “His voice... I’ve never heard him sound like that.”

“I know, but I’m sure once he’s here and realizes we have his back, he’ll be fine.” Gia seems to be trying to reassure herself more than me.

She moves to the window, pulling back the covering again, her energy betraying the edge of nervousness she has now.

Her phone buzzes, and I watch her look down at it. She bites at her lip apprehensively before declining the call and shoving it into her pocket. I was about to ask who it was when suddenly my phone buzzes.

Before I can even look at it, she says sharply, “Don’t answer it.”

My eyes fix themselves on the name on the screen. “It’s Marco,” I state.

“I know. Don’t answer it,” she repeats.

“Gia,” I mutter as my hand obediently retreats. “What if he needs us?”

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