Page 79 of Ruthless Desire

“Enzo...” My voice is barely a whisper, trembling with the weight of everything I can’t say.

He squeezes my elbow gently, his gaze steady, reassuring. “You don’t have to say anything, Natalie. Just know that I’m here. Whatever you need, whenever you need it.”

I nod, the lump in my throat making it impossible to speak. His words are a balm, soothing the raw edges of my soul. But they can’t heal the damage Dante has done, the scars he’s left on my heart, my mind, my body.

And as much as I want to believe Enzo’s promises, I know the truth: There’s no saving me. Not anymore.

But before I can summon the courage, a commotion near the villa's entrance draws our attention. Raised voices, the urgent tread of heavy footsteps. Dante materializes at my side, his jaw clenched and eyes hard as flint.

"We have to go," he says tersely, his grip on my arm just shy of bruising. "Now."

Enzo frowns, concern etching deep lines into his furry brow. "What's going on, Dante? Is it the Corsini’s?"

Dante gives a sharp nod, already steering me towards a side door. "They've made a move on one of our shipments. Killed two of our men. It's not safe here, not anymore."

Cold dread slithers down my spine, the reality of the deadly game I'm caught in crashing over me like a bucket of ice water. The Corsinis, Dante's blood feud, the ever-tightening noose of violence and retribution - it all feels suddenly, terrifyingly real.

And it’s all my fault…

"Where will you go?" Enzo asks.

And I’m thankful he breaks my spiral, still speaking while falling into step beside us as Dante hustles me through the villa's winding halls. "The compound in the mountains?"

"No," Dante grits out, his eyes scanning the shadows for unseen threats. "Too obvious. I have a place, off the books. We'll lay low there until I can mobilize a response."

We reach a nondescript door at the end of a service corridor, and Dante punches a code into the keypad with fluid efficiency. The door swings open, revealing a hidden garage housing a fleet of sleek, armored vehicles.

"Take the Audi," Enzo advises, tossing Dante a set of keys. "It's the least conspicuous. I'll stay here, try to keep a lid on things until you give the all-clear."

Dante clasps his shoulder, something like gratitude flickering in his gaze. "Thank you, brother. I owe you."

Enzo shakes his head, his smile tight but genuine. "Just keep our girl here safe. And Natalie?" He turns to me, his eyes soft with concern. "Remember what I said. You're stronger than you know."

I manage a nod, throat tight because for the millionth time tonight I want to cry.

Then Dante is bundling me into the passenger seat, the engine roaring to life as he peels out of the garage and into the inky Italian night.

I stare out the window as the villa recedes behind us, the glittering lights and lilting music fading into a distant dream. Beside me, Dante is a coiled spring of barely leashed tension, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.

"I won't let them touch you," he vows, the words low and fierce in the charged silence. "I'll burn their whole fucking empire to ash before I let them lay a finger on what's mine."

A shudder rolls through me, and I’m still afraid but somehow filled with dark elation. Because even in the midst of this swelling chaos, this spiral into the belly of the underworld beast, one truth remains inescapable.

And maybe I should accept that I am his. Wholly, irrevocably. And in the end, that dark belonging might be the only thing that saves me from the coming storm.

Chapter 24 Dante

The deck beneath my feet is solid, yet my mind wavers with each breath I take. The Mediterranean stretches out, a black void, vast and merciless, reflects my nature—unyielding, dominant, and unforgiving.

I gaze into the night, the waves whispering of vengeance and the lives I’ve taken to get where I am. Luca Corsini’s face flashes before me, his arrogance infuriating.

He thought he could take my throne. But he’s mistaken. This world—my world—belongs to me, and I’m about to remind him of that cold, hard fact.

My crew moves silently around me, each one a shadow in the darkness, understanding that this is a moment for silence. They’ve witnessed what I can do; they know better than to disturb me when I’m on the brink of violence. They know that when I make a promise, I deliver.

And I promised Luca he would regret ever crossing my path.

I grip the railing, the cool metal grounding me as I breathe in the familiar, briney air. Control is everything. I can’t afford to lose it, not when so much is at stake. But even as I focus on the coming storm, my thoughts drift to her.

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