Page 89 of Ruthless

He flinches. “No. How could I be when I also fell into their trap? They told me that you gave them your key to the Land Rover and information on my whereabouts in exchange for money.”

My eyes widen. “What? That key went missing from my locker at the hospital. I swear I never?—”

Dante shushes me again. “I know you didn’t. I figured that out on my own. But for five years, I believed them. I plotted my revenge for five fucking years, and then imprisoned and humiliated you, and you never did anything wrong.” Shock seizes me when he falls to his knees. “I’m the one who should feel guilty. I’m the one who should spend the rest of my life apologizing. The only thing I can say in my defense is that the torture messed me up, changed me. I left that cell a different man than I was when I went in. But even in the midst all my hate and rage, part of me must have believed that you didn’t do it. I had all these elaborate revenge fantasies that I never enacted because the thought of hurting you like that ripped at my soul.”

The bottomless devastation on his face steals the air from my lungs. The sight of him groveling before me, pleading for forgiveness without shame, unravels another knot in my heart. I tug on his hand. “Please, stand up. Not here. Dante Argento doesn’t get on his knees in public for anyone. In private, however…”

He rises with awed hope gleaming in his eyes. His throat works as he attempts to speak and only manages a raspy whisper. “Does that mean…do you think you could still be with a man like me, even after…?”

I stroke his jaw. “You’re the only man I’ve ever wanted to share my life with, and if the past five years are any indication, that will never change.”

Dante’s lips crash onto mine, and he kisses me until I grow lightheaded. Too many emotions to name flood me as I mold my body to his, both of us desperate for the close contact.

After pausing for a breath, Dante drinks in my face like he’s a dying man and then jabs a button on the panel. The elevator immediately jolts into motion, and I realize he must have stopped it at some point during our discussion.

The doors open, and I stride out. Wait, why are we in the basement? My cell, the one I occupied for weeks, looms ahead, and uneasiness crawls over my skin right as he snatches my arm in an uncompromising hold. “What are you doing?”

My dread multiplies as he marches us toward the cell block, but I don’t start struggling until we’re only a few feet away from my previous home.

No matter how much I writhe, I can’t escape his hold.

“Stop. This is for your own good.”

I plant my feet as he drags me across the floor, to no avail. His grip may as well be iron. “You don’t prioritize yourself enough to make a good decision, so I’m doing it for you.”

He swings the cell door open and uses a gentle shove to propel me inside. I stumble, and by the time I right myself and rush to the door, Dante’s already locking me in, the familiar beeping of the keypad a nightmare come true.

How? How could he do this, after the discussion we just shared? “I thought you were sorry! I hate you!”

“Hate me if you must, but your safety comes first, above all else. I’m the one who got you tangled up in this world, and if anything happened to you, I don’t think I’d survive. I need to know you’re protected, even if that means you hate me.” He pauses, licking his lips. “That would be a shame though, because I love you.”

On that note, Dante retreats down the hallway. I stare after him in stunned silence, struggling to process the events that transpired over the past few minutes.

That bastard. Only Dante would lock me in a cage and then confess his love in the next breath.

Once I escape and we rescue Jeremy, I am so kicking his ass for this.

Chapter 36

Dante

It only takes a few minutes to organize the men. As much as I’d rather instruct them all to stay behind to protect Sara, she’ll be safe with the skeleton crew on duty so long as she remains in her cell.

I order Pistol to stay by the front door and promise her extra treats if she bites the shit out of anyone who shows up. She licks my chin with her warm tongue, and I sigh, already resigned to her failure. “Good girl.”

During my discussion with Sara, the pieces started falling into place. The men who ripped us apart crafted an elaborate plan to do so. At first, I believed a rival family invaded my townhouse for power or revenge, but what if they were after Sara all along? What if they wanted to split us up again, albeit in a much more dramatic fashion than the first time?

Sara could be the common denominator, and if she is, then only one culprit fits.

The Council. And if I’m correct, we’re all in danger. That’s why I locked Sara up, to keep her out of harm’s way. I don’t care what those masked assholes think…she’s mine. And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her.

Of course, I have no proof yet, just a screaming gut and years of witnessing their brand of machinations. If nothing else, they might have targeted Jeremy as punishment for disregarding their orders about Sara or my failure to deal with Enzo. Marco offers to go feel the Council while I handle Enzo, and I agree. Now that Jeremy knows too much, we need to convince them that allowing him to live won’t endanger the organization. If Sara’s brother doesn’t realize he’s being held hostage by themob, then Marco can rescue him with a few words to the Council and Jeremy being the wiser. Wins all around.

My brother’s charm trumps mine by a landslide, and we’ll need all the help we can get to slip the Council’s collar. Such a public display breaks the Code, and Enzo has always been my mess to clean up. The fact that I’ve let things get so far out of hand won’t be easily forgiven or forgotten.

Gregor, Luca, and several of Marco’s men will provide backup in case the Council decides to get rid of meandEnzo, while Angela has strict instructions to flee with Sara if we don’t return. Gregor calls in soldiers, and after ordering him to meet us at SilverTech, Luca and I jump in my car and speed across the bridge to Staten Island.

I hate dragging them into a potential firefight, but if the Council turns on me, they’ll go after the people I care about most. If we still have Marco to continue the Argento name, my men will be written off as an acceptable loss. That’s just the name of the game.