Page 102 of Shadows of Steel
Dante only chuckles, pulling me closer until I’m fully in his lap, his arms wrapping around me. We’re both still slick with sweat, but he doesn’t seem to care. He tucks a damp strand ofhair behind my ear, his touch almost gentle despite the rawness of the moment.
“That was the best workout.” He muses, his smirk deepening.
I arch a brow, lips twitching. “If that’s what you call it.”
Dante hums, fingers still lazily tracing along my spine. But eventually, I push off him, standing on unsteady legs. He follows, rising to his feet, his hands immediately reaching for me. Before I can do anything, he’s helping me dress, pulling my leggings up, smoothing my bra back into place.
I exhale, running a hand through my tangled hair. “I need a shower.”
Dante’s gaze sweeps over me. “Washing me off you sounds like a terrible idea.”
I huff a laugh, shaking my head. “You’re impossible.”
His smirk is pure arrogance as he steps away, reaching for his shorts. I watch as he pulls them on, muscles flexing with every movement.
Then his phone buzzes. Dante exhales sharply, pulling it from his pocket. The shift is immediate. When he answers, his voice is authoritative. “Talk.”
He pauses. His jaw tightening.
“I don’t give a fuck about excuses,” he says, tone lethal. “Handle it. If I have to clean up your mess, it won’t be pretty.”
Another pause follows, but then his expression alters. “I’ll be there soon.”
He ends the call without another word, slipping his phone back into his pocket before turning to me. The heat from before lingers in his eyes, but beneath it is something sharper.
I study him, brows knitting. “Trouble?”
“You don’t need to concern yourself with this.” He replies smoothly, offering nothing more.
My eyes narrow. “That doesn’t mean you have to keep me in the dark.”
His gaze sharpens, locking onto mine with unwavering intensity. “I will tell you what you need to know, all you have to do is ask.” He steps closer, fingers tipping my chin up. “But ensuring your safety? That is my responsibility. You don’t have to bear the weight of every burden, wife.”
I exhale, unimpressed. “So this has nothing to do with the stalker?”
His expression turns to stone. “No. But he is being hunted. And he will be found.
I chew the inside of my cheek. “How did he even get so close?”
Dante’s jaw clenches. “That’s what I intend to find out.” He pauses, watching me. “Tell me exactly how this started.”
I exhale, leaning against the weight rack. “There isn’t much I can tell you that you don’t already know. It began roughly a year before I moved to Italy, just notes at first. Subtle. Nothing that seemed significant. I hardly spared them a second thought.”
Dante’s stare is unforgiving. “And then?”
“They started showing up in places they shouldn’t. My purse. My car. Even my bedroom. But I assumed it was Troy.”
His entire body stiffens. “Who the fuck is Troy?”
I hesitate. “He’s dead.”
Dante’s eyes flash. “That still doesn’t answer my question.”
I inhale deeply. “Troy was my mother’s boyfriend.” I press my lips together, forcing down the memories. “Let’s just say he had a habit of… tormenting me.”
Dante’s fists clench hard enough to crack bone. A muscle ticks in his jaw. “If that bastard were still breathing, I’d carve the life from his body myself. He’d beg for death long before I granted him the mercy.”
I shrug, watching his barely contained rage. “I killed him.”
