Page 77 of Mafia Boss's Surprise Baby

“Please,” I ask her quietly. “Just hear me out.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “What can you possibly say to make this better, Dante?”

I swallow hard. “I don’t know. I don’t know but I have to say it.”

I look at her and she looks at me, and it seems like there are a thousand miles between us.

30

MIA

Ihate the way I’m feeling. My heart aches just looking at Dante, at the bags under his eyes, how he smells like whiskey. He hasn’t taken care of himself and he’s favoring his injured shoulder. It’s stiff while the other is slumped.

So much of me just wants to go to him, wants to wrap my arms around him and just start sobbing into his chest, tell him how much he hurt me.

But my pride won’t let me.

“Well, you wanted to talk,” I say sharply. “Do it.”

“I should have chosen life over death. I should have chosen love over hate,” he says, and I blink at him.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

He runs a hand through his hair. “It’s something your father said to me,” he admits. “He said that when you were small, he was gone all the time. He didn’t know how to not choose the lifestyle.” Dante takes a step closer and I back toward the open door.

He sighs, holding his hands up as if in defense. “God, Mia, I just want to touch you,” he says hoarsely. “I want to take you in my arms and tell you how sorry I am. Will you let me?”

I’m trembling. I shake my head. “No,” I say, and I mean to say it firmly but my voice cracks. “No, Dante. Do you have any idea how much you hurt me?”

Dante winces. “I’m so sorry, Mia. I’m sorry, baby,” he says earnestly, and it’s hard to keep eye contact with him without bursting into tears.

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it, Dante.”

“I know,” he says. “I know that. It’s just that I was so determined to find my father’s killer. I was just so sure that it was Luca...but now that I’m thinking it through, I know that you were telling me the truth. The Gallos had beef with my father just before he died. I know that it makes more sense that it was Gallo.”

“So thenwhy?” I ask incredulously. “Why is it that you believed my father did it?”

“They’ve been rivals forever, and it seemed suspicious that they became friends,” he tries to explain, but then shakes his head. “I guess I pinned it on him without much evidence, just wanted to know who did it and settled on him.”

“Not only did you want to kill my father, but you married me under false pretenses,” I say shakily, anger rising in me. “You told me you wanted me, Dante.”

“I do want you, Mia,” he explains, putting his hands in his pockets. As he does, his face shows surprise, and he takes out an envelope.

"Here.” He holds it out to me, taking another step closer.

“What is this?” I take the envelope but don’t open it. It is still sealed.

“My dad’s autopsy report. It will tell us if the bullet was a match to other crimes, which would be proof enough of who actually did it… But I don’t care anymore. I don’t want to know. You know why?”

I can only shake my head.

“Because I decided to choose life. I decided to choose love.”

He reaches for me and I don’t back up this time, just standing my ground, but I’m still shaking all over.

“You still haven’t said it,” I whisper. “You’ve never said it.”

Dante searches my face, his own conflicted brows drawn together.

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