Page 20 of Dirty Behavior

Thinning his lips, Dante's eyes stayed glued to the counter. “No.” Scratching at his forehead, he shook his head. “I couldn't, I couldn't do it.” Blinking heavy, he scrubbed his hair with the tips of his fingers. “I ran, I took the box and bolted out the door like a fucking pussy. But I swore after that, I'd never let my father down again, that I'd do whatever it took to prove to him that I wasn't a failure. And I would never let fear taint me because fear made you weak. I didn't want to be weak, Ivy.”

“Dante, that doesn't make you weak, it makes you alive, it means you actually feel. That was something your dad didn't have, he didn't have feelings. You're nothing like your father, I've known that from the first time I met you.”

“That's where you're wrong, I'm exactly like him. I couldn't do what he asked me to that time, but by the time I was twenty, I'd done enough to make up for it.”

“I don't understand why you're telling me this. If you're trying to make me think you're a bad person, it won't work. You did something good, you saved me.”

“Did I really save you?” Gripping his waist, Dante's back snapped square. “Do you really think that this is saving you? Look at us, Ivy!” Throwing his arms out, he lunged forward. “Looks at us! Where still sitting in the same cage we started in, I didn't do shit! The only thing I did was get my father killed! I failed him, I ran again, and this time it cost him his life.”

“Is that really what you think?” My mouth dropped open, eyes lowering. “Do you really think that this is your fault? It's not! This has nothing to do with you, can't you see that?”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Of course it does, I stole you and it got my father killed.”

“No, you saved me, and your father got killed because Remo will do anything to get what he wants.”

I couldn't believe how hard he was being on himself. He did something right for once, he thought for himself and took charge. I didn't take that lightly.

If it wasn't for him standing up for what he wanted, I would be dead.

“I have to fix this, I need to make things right, Ivy,for you.I'm tired of running, I won't do it anymore. This is my city, I own it. And I won't stop till I get it all back.”

“We'll make things right, you're not in this alone, Dante. Stop thinking you need to do this all by yourself. I'm here, I'm on your side.”

“I can't risk losing you, I promised to keep you safe. I'm going to take care of this, but you need to stay out of sight.”

“What?No! I want him gone too, you can't stop me from helping you.”

“I can.” Pacing in a small circle, Dante threw his finger out. “You're staying here till this is all over. I'm going to go to the yard tomorrow and either he's going to listen, or he's going to die.”

“What are you going to do? Go in there with guns blazing? He has his guys, he has men he pays to keep him safe. After all of this, do you really think you'll just be able to storm through those doors and not get your head blown off?”

I didn't know what the hell he was thinking. He couldn't do this alone. Remo took precautions, he always took precautions.

If Dante thought for a second that he could waltz right into Remo's without being killed, he was fucking stupid.

That would never happen.

“Don't worry about me, Ivy. I know what I'm doing.”

Slamming my hands to my hips, I cocked my head up. “It sure as hell doesn't sound like you do. That's a death sentence, Dante, you're going to get yourself killed.”

“I might, but not before I kill him.”

Breaching the gap between us, I clutched his face. “Just so you know, as much as you want to save me, I want to save you too. None of this will matter if you're dead, all of it will be in vain if you don't come back to me.”

His eyes softened, a small smile tugged on the corner of his lips. “Do you remember when you asked me where I thought I'd go after I die?”

Holding his eyes on mine, I nodded. Brushing my thumb over his bottom lip, Dante dipped his head into his chest, kissing the back of my hand.

“There's nothing I could ever do to clear my name, nothing in the world is good enough to open those gates to a man like me. But maybe. . .” Holding his breath, he kissed my forehead. “Maybe saving you is all I need to die happy.”

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