Page 102 of Now and Forever

The light within the wine cellar was brighter than what our eyes had become accustomed to within the secret room. The silhouette of a man filled the doorway. His broad shoulders, trim torso, and long legs were all I needed to see. Dropping my knife, I ran toward my husband and wrapped my arms around his neck. His arms encircled me, holding me tight against the hardness of his muscular body.

As I loosened my embrace, Dario’s lips met mine. It was as my fingers wove through his dark mane and the scent of bodywash registered that I realized he’d showered. I took a step back, scanning his handsome features. My palm came to his freshly shaved cheek. While his face was unscathed, his knuckles were raw with scrapes.

“Dante?” I asked.

“He’s safe.”

I sighed a breath of relief. “My family?” I wanted to know.

Dario exhaled. “In the penthouse.”

“You allowed my family in the penthouse? You said a capo wouldn’t…Is Vincent still capo?”

Dario reached out to Jasmine who was now leaning into him. Dario had one arm around her and one around me. He kissed the top of her head before answering. “My father is gone.”

We both looked up at him.

“I’m sorry,” Jasmine said.

Dario shook his head. “Don’t waste the emotion.”

“That means you’re capo,” I said.

Dario nodded.

“Are you safe?”

My husband’s cheeks rose. “Yes, Cat. We’re as safe as we can be.” He looked down at Jasmine. “All of us.” He inhaled. “Dante and I are working on learning who we can trust, who’s loyal to me. To those who aren’t, we’re cleaning house. It will take some time.”

There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but simply having Dario present and uninjured was enough for now.

“Let’s go upstairs.” He squeezed me to his side. “Do you want to see your family?”

I nodded.

As Jasmine and Contessa made their way up the steps toward the kitchen, Dario held me back. His dark stare shone with a new emotion. It wasn’t possessive or lustful. “What?” I asked.

“Before we get upstairs…Armando told me what you did to Rocco.”

Pride.

Dario was proud of me.

“Rocco.” My eyes opened wide. Yet before I could bask in my husband’s praise, I had to ask, “Is he…?”

“I killed him. Not before Dante and I extracted more information from him. My father had no plans to step down. He had arranged with Herrera to double-cross Roríguez.”

“Oh,” I said, trying to wrap my mind around everything. Em had said he didn’t trust the Italians. He’d been right and wrong. My husband was trustworthy. Not Vincent. Not Rocco. I looked up at Dario. “Poor Mia.”

Dario shook his head. “Dante and I gave her the news. She took it better than I anticipated.” He shrugged. “I’ll allow her to mourn, but since she’s without children, I’ll be the one to decide when she remarries.”

“Isn’t it too soon to think that way?”

“It’s business.”

I sighed, unsure that Mia’s freedom was worth my effort. Swallowing, I asked, “Did you kill Vincent?”

Dario stiffened beneath my touch. “Did I kill my father? No. The omertá wouldn’t allow that. That doesn’t mean that after what I learned I shouldn’t have. To add to his list of crimes, my father was behind Jasmine’s attack. He didn’t try to deny it.” Dario’s stare clouded over. “I confirmed through Rocco, Father was also behind Josie’s murder. It wasn’t the Russians.”

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