Page 9 of Dirty Behavior

Ivy

The tires crunchedover the gravel like teeth grinding inside my head. Dante let out a quiet breath as he pushed the shifter into park. “Welcome home, Ivy.” His voice was flat and filled with defeat, as if he had failed.

As if he had broken a pact between us and the hurt he swore I would never feel again was still living and breathing, hidden behind those walls.

But to me thiswasa homecoming. The house winked down on me as I looked up at the window I had tried so hard to destroy. The silent wink sparked in my veins, making my heart thud harder.

To Dante, being back here meant he had lost a battle. But to me, it was like seeing the open arms of the one person who could hug you and make you feel safe.

I didn't like being on the run; in fact, Ihated it.Gathering what little we had and fleeing into the darkness at an hour the rest of the world was tucked away snugly in bed—It sucked.

I knew it was keeping us alive, I knew it was a voiceless guide to keep our heads above water. But it never got any easier. All I wanted was a place to call our own.

And right now, the house standing at the head of the driveway, it wasn't the hell I had taken it for the first time. Today it was our home.

It sounds strange, I know, but everything I had was gone; my house, my life, none of it existed. There was only one ounce of peace I was able to find while we were hiding, and that was knowing my family was alright.

I had called my father once, only to find his phone had been disconnected.

But Dante took a gamble and was able to use his connections to track down my family. They were alive, but that was all I knew. Knowing they were still breathing had set me at ease, but not knowing if Remo would go for them next was killing me.

He had no problem taking out Bane, why would my family be any different?

Especially because I was the one he wanted.

I wanted Remo dead just as much as Dante. . .If not more.

And now Dante was forced to come back. Forced by the hand of our enemy to return to the one place where safety ran thin and death was imminent.

None of this was new to me, death had been calling my name and reaching its sharp claws into my back for way too long.

But for Dante, this was entirely different. He was the monster people feared, he was the sound of your last breath, the voice that released your soul.

He wasn't used to actually feeling fear. Despite the danger he faced every day with his job and position in his family, the world around him painted him as the grim reaper.

The only thing for him to fear was himself.

Wrapping my fingers over his tensed arm, I squeezed. “We don't have to stay here, we can stay at a hotel or something.”

“No.” Dropping his head, his eyes shut tight. “We're wearing X's on our backs, Ivy, we need safety, not flashing lights raining down on us. This place is safe, it's always been our protection when shit went bad. I can't risk bringing you someplace Remo could get to you so easily.”

Biting my lip, I stroked his jaw. “I love how you want to protect me, Dante, but I don't need protection, I need vengeance. You want Remo dead as much as I do, isn't that why we're here?”

His shoulders shook slightly as he let out a weak laugh. “It's weird, huh?” Tapping his thumb on the steering wheel, he lifted his face to mine. “I stole you away, promised you safety, and now I drove you right back into the thick of it.”

“He killed your father, I wouldn't call it anything other than need. You need this. . .” Running my fingers up and through his hair, I leaned in close. “And so do I.”

Wishing death on someone wasn't an easy choice for me, but Remo deserved everything he had coming to him. If we didn't do this he would continue his wrath, his heavy hand, and we'd never be free.

Pinching my chin between his thumb and forefinger, Dante's eyes flicked between mine. “I'm not doing this for him, Princess.” His deep brown stare sent shivers up my spine. “But, the first thing I need to do is tend to my father's funeral. Once he's laid to rest, everything else will fall into place.”

Nodding, I pressed my lips against his. They were soft and warm, filling my stomach with a torrent of butterflies and flurrying fish. Every kiss sent my body into electric overload, pushing me to the limits of what I thought love was.

But to be loved, to feel love. . .

It was so much more.

To love meant to hurt, to hurt meant you were feeling true emotions. And for the first time in ages, I hurt because of something other than pure pain. My heart was always hot, my lungs would suffocate as Dante would push himself closer or pull me in tighter.

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