Page 68 of Throne of Sin

“You girls are safe now,” Dante tells us as he approaches.

“Thank you, Dante!” Once again, this man has saved me.

“As a precaution, I’m having my doctor check you both.” He kneels to Oakleigh’s height. “I’m Dante, I didn’t have time to introduce myself to you earlier.” He extends his hand and she takes it. Oakleigh has never been very trusting. They shake hands and she gives him one of her megawatt smiles that always melts my heart.

“Do you mind if I talk to your mom for a second?”

She shakes her head no and he places his hand on my lower back to lead me a few feet away. “Are you okay? Physically, you look alright, but I don’t know how else to help you right now.”

Why the hell does he always have to be so damn sweet. “I’ll be okay. I’m still processing,” I answer truthfully.

“You have a great girl on your hands. I can see why you talk so passionately about her and children in general. I never understood it, until now, I think.”

He’s pulling on my heartstrings. I can’t stand the lie anymore. I can’t stand the way he thinks I’m this perfect person when I’m the villain and have been since the moment I walked into his club.

I swallow, knowing what has to be said. “I was pregnant with twins, but I didn’t know that at the time. After I left the hospital, I began to bleed and I miscarried one of them. It was so early in the pregnancy; I never questioned it, but then I found out I was still pregnant with one. She’s yours Dante, I swear I’ve never touched Jameson, but I had to tell him that Oakleigh was his so he wouldn’t hurt her.”

The memory of that day flashes before me like it was today.

I’m pushed up against a wall, my head bounces off the flat surface. Jameson grips my chin as hard as he can, while I’m disorientated. “What did you say?” he snarls before hitting my head against the wall again.

“I’m pregnant with your baby,” I cry.

His lips curl downwards. “You refuse to fuck me, Demi. You’ve only ever been Dante’s slut.”

“It’s never been like that.” The lie tastes like acid on my tongue. God, I wish I knew where Dante went. I miss him so much and I’m lost without him. My hand wants to rub at my small, protruding bump. I write letters to my unborn child each night and tell her all the good things in my life. It mostly consists of things about her and Dante.

“Don’t you remember? It was months ago, when you barged in here, and I took care of you.”

“That’s right, I remember now, I fucked you really good.”

I nod up and down, hoping he’ll release me.

“You owe me for my sperm.” He releases me and I run to my purse. It’s my last hundred-dollar bill. I pull it out, giving it to him.

“Now thank me.”

“Thank you, Jameson.”

My eyes blur and Dante is fuzzy when I look back at him.

He stands there staring at me as my tears fall over my lashes as the pain of finally telling the truth washes through me. The truth I couldn’t even repeat to myself because I was too scared. Scared of what Jameson would do. Scared that I would never see Dante again to tell him about his daughter.

Dante looks stumped. He glances over at Oakleigh, then to me. “I’m her father?” he questions, taking a step back from me. “Why would Jameson think she’s his? I knew I should have killed the bastard years ago.”

“While I was pregnant, I thought Jameson was going to kill me and our baby, the lie just…slipped out. I told him it happened on a night that he was too drunk to remember.”

He tilts his head, his posture stiff, and I can see the invisible walls he holds sliding into place. I watch as his jaw ticks back and forth.

“I looked for you, and tried to find where you went. I got so desperate I even asked your mother.”

Dante is silent. He tilts his chin up, and swallows hard. A harsh scoff leaves his throat as he gives me a slow, disbelieving head shake. I’m forced to watch his once-clear eyes turn slightly pink as he looks away from me. His expression burns into my memory, scalding deep within.

He nods to someone behind me and Max is suddenly there, grasping hold of my arm.

“I’m not going anywhere with Max or without my daughter.” I jerk my arm but it stays firmly in his brother’s grasp.

Dante steps into my space, grabbing me by both arms, and I go limp in his hold.

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