Page 24 of Brutal Don

“Cara, get down!” yelled her bodyguard.

Confusion appeared on Cara’s features. The bodyguard tackled her to the ground. Ted rounded the car and fired, not bothering to take aim. Both Cara and the guard rolled away. Ted had four more bullets to waste. He’d use one to take out the guard then three to hurt Cara. Ted didn’t plan on giving her a clean shot. He wanted her to suffer before she died.

“Ted Gambino,” a voice suddenly whispered in his ear. Ted spun, then felt something cold pressed between his eyes. He found himself staring at the barrel of a gun. The last image Ted had of this world was Dante smiling down at him like the very Devil himself.

****

A gun went off. Cara tried to push Jack off her, but he didn’t budge.

“Stay down,” Jack warned her.

“Dante, I think I saw Dante. He might be hurt. Ted might’ve shot him,” Cara said.

Jack worked for Dante, didn’t he? Why was Jack intent on protecting her and not his employer? Did Dante order Jack to prioritize her first?

Another shove finally made Jack move away from her. Cara scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping on her long dress in the process. Damn it.

Why couldn’t she have worn something more practical? Oh, right, Dante was supposed to take her out to an expensive restaurant tonight. The dress didn’t matter. Checking out if Dante was hurt did.

Strong fingers clasped her wrist before Cara could taste the ground again. Seeing Dante’s smiling face filled her with relief. Dante pulled her into his warm embrace.

Safe. Her man was safe. In fact, neither of them were harmed, although that had been a frighteningly close call. Why had Ted suddenly gone after her with a gun? Had he been watching Dante’s offices for a long time? Perhaps it was Dante he was after but not her initially?

Those questions no longer mattered. Cara relaxed and wrapped her arms around his comforting, solid body. She inhaled the familiar scent of his cologne, of the cigarettes he liked to smoke, and the whisky he sometimes drank once the workday was over.

Her man. Hers and no one else. Whenever they were together, it felt like the rest of the world had ceased to matter. That was the kind of effect he had on her. Cara used to worry how hard and fast she’d taken to him but not anymore. Meeting Dante was her destiny.

“Ted’s gone. He won’t bother you ever again. Neither will the Gambinos,” Dante whispered in her ear.

Cara closed her eyes for a few moments, processing his words. She basked in his cocoon of warmth a little longer, before parting from him.

Although she knew the sight would distress her, Cara needed to see Ted’s body with her own eyes. Taking deep breaths, she finally looked. Seeing Ted’s skull cracked open on the pavement, she sucked in a breath.

She thought she would enter panic mode, the way she did when that drug addict tried to kidnap her. A strange calm filled her body instead, along with other powerful emotions—relief and petty satisfaction.

Yes, Cara was glad to see Ted dead. Dante told her the Gambinos wouldn’t bother her anymore. She would ask him for more details later, but for now she believed him.

Dante would never lie to her. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Finally, she no longer had to constantly worry.

She was finally free. Free to do whatever she wanted, to live life and enjoy every second she had on this earth with Dante.

“It is wrong to feel this way?” Cara asked him.

“Feel what way?” Dante asked, reaching for her hand. She clasped his fingers tightly.

“Savage joy that he’s dead,” Cara whispered.

Guilt filled her but it didn’t last long. The world was a much better place without Ted in it. Cara was certain she wasn’t the first woman Ted had hurt.

If Dante hadn’t outbid Ted at the auction, Cara wouldn’t be alive right now. She would be rotting in the ground, with no future, no chance to fall in love.

Was she in love with Dante? If she had to be honest with herself, the answer was yes. True, they started out on a rocky path, but he’d been nothing but true and honest with her.

Cara could not deny that sex with Dante was amazing. The chemistry between them was off the charts even now, but that wasn’t the only thing she liked about him. Cara hadn’t been in Dante’s world long but she wanted to stay forever.

For the first time in her life, a man treated her right, like a queen. No doubt most people wouldn’t consider Dante a good man. Some would even call Dante a monster, but he was Cara’s monster.

“Dante, do you really intend to make me your wife?” she asked him once they were back in their apartment.

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