Page 19 of Damaged & Deadly

Both men are already here. Dante with a cup of coffee in front of him while he sits at the breakfast bar talking to Enzo, who is cooking away. Both of them glance up when I walk in, and even though it’s the same reaction every time I enter a room, it still bowls me over. The sheer intensity is overwhelming, and I never know how to react. Individually, these two men suck all the oxygen out of a room. They immediately draw your eye, power and dominance oozing out of them. Although together, they leave me speechless, weak-kneed, and wholly at their mercy.

“Coffee?” Enzo asks casually, as if there isn’t a fire raging in his eyes.

“Sure.” I glance at Dante as I move to claim the stool beside him. Any softness I may have witnessed in the bedroom is gone and in its place is his usual intensity, but that’s okay.

“Thanks,” I murmur as Enzo places a cup of steaming hot coffee in front of me before going back to whatever he’s cooking. I watch him as he works, all the while feeling Dante’s searing gaze as it bores into the side of my face. When I finally turn to look at him, a slight frown mars his features, and I can’t work out what’s bothering him.

“Here you go.” Enzo hands over a plate with an omelet on it, holding out another one for Dante before he plates up his own breakfast, and the three of us move to the dining table.

We eat in silence, but it’s not awkward. If anything, there’s a familiar comfort to it. Like this is something we do every morning. It’s not, though. Sure, there has been the odd meal we’ve shared, but before the wedding, Dante was rarely around. And any time he was, awkwardness hung in the air like an unwanted second skin.

I can feel Dante’s eyes on me as soon as he finishes, nonetheless he waits until I swallow my last bite before speaking. “I need to ask you something… and I need you to be honest with me.”

Well, fuck.I hesitate for a second before nodding, even as my heart bangs dangerously against my ribs. Dante’s gaze holds mine and I know that whatever he has to say, there will be no bullshitting my way out of it.

“Why is your brother under the protection of the Reaper Rejects?”

Shit. I’m guessing that’s what his father wanted to talk to him about yesterday. I have been worried they would connect the dots back to the Rejects, but I’d been hoping on a wing and a prayer that the Bastards wouldn’t have said anything. Fat lot of luck that did.

I shrug like it’s no big deal. “Because he is.”

“What? There’s no way you’d leave him in their hands,” Enzo interjects, knowing damn well my hatred of gangs. It serves as a reminder of just how closely he’s been watching me these past eight years.

My eyes narrow on him. “I wasn’t left with much choice when I was kidnapped and held hostage here.”

He rolls his eyes. “Well, they did a piss poor job.”

Now he’s really starting to piss me off. “They did their best,” I snap. “How were they to know Grim was inyourpockets?!”

At my outburst, he cocks a brow, clearly surprised, and I blow out a breath knowing I need to calm down.

The entire time, Dante’s gaze stays superglued on me. “It doesn’t matter,” he eventually speaks up. My lips flatten.

“It does, actually.” I flick my gaze to his, knowing I’m about to demand the same thing from him that I asked of Cain. “I know you’re planning an attack against them… and I can’t let you go through with it.”

His voice is flat. “That’s none of your concern.”

I scoff at his audacity. “Don’t insult my fucking intelligence. If you wanted a wife who luxuriates around the house while leaving all the gritty work to the men, you married the wrong woman. I have a say, and I’m saying you can’t do this. I won’t let you.”

“Why?” Enzo questions, his eyes narrowed on me. “Why do you care?”

I press my lips into a flat line while I blow out a hard breath. How much do I tell them? All the secrets and lies are getting twisted, and I don’t know how much longer I can continue with this charade. Not to mention that this ludicrous thought has been growing in the back of my mind all morning, gaining traction… that the only way to save my brother and for Cain to get his vengeance, and possibly even for Dante to gain his freedom, is if we all unite. With the manpower of the Rejects combined with the knowledge of the inner workings of the Antonelli Empire by Dante and Enzo… we could be unstoppable.

Except, I have no idea how to make two opposing teams of alpha-male, dominant men who hate each other get along.

My foot bounces and I gnaw on my bottom lip while I try to figure out the best way to play this. The only thing I know for sure is that I can’t keep up with this dual life. The Rejects or the Antonellis. Grubby gang life or the high-class mafia lifestyle. I never wanted to be a part of either, and now I find myself torn between the two.

Dante’s fingers brush against my jaw, his thumb on my lower lip as he wrestles it free from my teeth. His voice is low and soft. “What secrets are you hiding,mia vita?”

Fuck. Can I trust them not to kill each other?

I return his intense stare, hoping like fuck I’m doing the right thing. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” No hesitation. No uncertainty. The poor man is clearly missing a few brain cells.

My gaze flicks to Enzo, needing an answer from him too. I find his gaze steady, even though his expression is tight. “The only way this works is if we all trust one another.”

Isn’t that the fucking truth.

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