Page 38 of Ivory Legacy

Dante took a step towards me, his presence both comforting and terrifying in its intensity. “There was an incident,” he started, his voice dropping as if the memory itself weighed down his words. “Two years ago, we had intel on a shipment coming in—“

“Intel?” I interrupted, aghast. “You mean you were spying on them?”

“Of course. It’s how this world works.” His eyes darkened. “We intercepted a container at the docks—one that was supposed to be filled with machine parts. Instead, it was Caruso guns, enough firepower to start a small war.”

“Jesus,” I muttered under my breath.

“Enzo wanted to send a message: Don’t mess with Moretti territory. We torched the whole shipment, let it light up the sky like a bonfire.” Dante’s hands clenched into fists, the memory igniting a fire in his eyes. “That night, the Carusos hit back. They came after one of our places—a club downtown. It turned into a bloodbath.”

“Did anyone...?” I couldn’t finish the sentence, the question too morbid to voice.

“Three of our guys didn’t make it out.”

“I’m so sorry. Friends of yours?”

He shook his head. “No, just kids who were in over their heads.”

“Is that what happened? When you came back to the penthouse that night and your clothes were all bloody? You said your brother was hurt.”

“My brother isn’t some kid, but he doesn’t deserve any of this.”

Dante stopped pacing and faced me, his dark eyes a testament to the night’s torments. “It’s not just Marco. It’s you, Jade. And our kid.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I can’t let my world touch either of you.”

“Why are you telling me all this now?” I asked, my voice steady despite the storm raging in my mind. “After everything, why?”

He stopped mid-pace, turned toward me, and I could see the weight of unspoken truths in his dark eyes. “Jade,” he began, the timbre of his voice betraying an undercurrent of urgency, “I can’tkeep lying to you—about the RICO case, about the Carusos... You need to know the dangers we face.”

“Is it because of...us?” My heart hammered. “I mean, I assume you were breaking the law long before you got me pregnant, so why is the FBI interested all of a sudden?”

“It’s not sudden,” Dante replied, stilling. “It comes after I made mistakes. Marco getting shot. You getting pregnant. Me getting shot. But no, I’m thinking…things like paper trails. The money needed to legitimize the business. The Moretti-owned clinics popping up everywhere. There’s a chance they found out about the drug routes plan between clinics, but they’d have to have spoken to a Caruso for that, and I don’t see that happening.”

I glared at him, mouth agape. “The drug routes?”

“Don’t do that. Don’t pretend to be naïve. You’re not stupid,” he said. “You probably knew what I did from the beginning.”

“I didn’t,” I defended, my voice rising with indignation. “I may be a scientist, Dante, but I’m not privy to the inner workings of your world. I didn’t know about your plans, your...your drug routes.”

His gaze softened as he moved towards me. “Jade, I’ve always tried to keep you out of this, even if it meant lying about certain things. But with the RICO case threatening us and the Carusos circling like sharks... I can’t afford to keep you in the dark anymore.”

“But why now?” The questions tumbled out in a rush. “Why tell me all this when it’s already so messed up?”

“Because no matter what, you’re in this with me,” he said, taking my hands firmly in his. “Because we created a life together. And I need you to understand that every decision I’ve made and will make is to protect you... and our child.” His words hung heavy in the air between us.

His words seeped into the cracks of my resolve, and I felt the dam holding back my emotions begin to crumble. Fear mingled with the fierce protectiveness I felt for our unborn child, leaving my thoughts adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

“God, Dante,” I breathed out, my composure splintering as I grappled with the enormity of the revelation. “This is so much bigger than us.” My analytical mind raced, desperately trying to piece together a future from the chaos he’d laid bare.

Dante reached out, his fingers tracing the line of my jaw with a gentleness that belied the strength in his touch. “I know, Jade. And I’m sorry for pulling you into my world, but I couldn’t stay away from you. Not then, not now. And now…fuck, now I don’t know. Do you want me to get away from you? We can only talk about our baby if you want. We can just talk about our son if that would make you happier, and…”

“I don’t know,” I said. He looked into my eyes, as if he was searching for a different answer, but I couldn’t give him one. “I’m sorry. I don’t know.”

He looked so hurt for a second. But then he just nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Okay. I can work with that.”

Chapter Nineteen: Dante

Iwatched Jade from the corner of my eye as she sat at the dining room table, her slender fingers tracing the grain of the wood in a rhythm that seemed to echo the steady beat of uncertainty. The Harbor Cove apartment was quiet. I didn’t know what she was doing and I didn’t want to know.

I couldn’t stop pacing, each step a silent plea for her to see past the revelations of my past.

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