Page 55 of Pieces Into Place

Dante stands from the chair, his hands nervously clenching and unclenching as he paces in front of me.

“Before she died, she must have had a moment of clarity,” he says, his voice wavering slightly with emotion. “Because she wrote me a letter. It was filled with secrets that she’d learned over the years. Secrets about how to take Shaemus down. Secrets about how to get his men on my side. Secrets about how to take over his empire.” He stops pacing and looks up at me, meeting my eyes.

Confusion mars my face as I ask, “Why? Why would she think you would want that?”

A hint of bitterness creeps into his voice as he replies, “Because as Shaemus’s son, I am entitled to it.”

My hands fly to my mouth as the weight of what he’s saying sinks around us. The truth slowly dawns on me. “Shaemus is your father?!” I ask in disbelief.

“He was my father,“ Dante says with a shrug before continuing in a flat voice. “He’s dead now.”

I stare at him without feeling; I have wondered over the years how I would feel when Shaemus died; if I would feel relieved or even a little sad at the loss of a human life, but I feel nothing.

“Did he know?” I question softly.

“He did,” Dante replies sadly, staring off into the distance. “He knew all along and didn’t care. She was a lowly maid. Why would he ever commit to her and raise his son?”

A wave of sadness washes over me as empathy for Dante surges within me. He has lost so much due to circumstances outside of his control. It’s all too familiar.

“She tried to get him to accept me,” Dante continues quietly, still looking away from me. “He never would. So her last act was choosing me over him and trying to help me get what’s rightfully mine.”

“Did you kill him?” I ask.

He scoffs and shakes his head. “I wish,” he said emotionlessly. “I was working on it, but his own irresponsible lifestyle and his liver did him in first.”

“So you’re the one calling the shots now?” I ask.

He nods slowly. “It has been a long, difficult process getting to this point. I’ve done some backdoor dealing, handed out some bribes, and even resorted to more sinister methods to get here. You don’t need to know all the details”

A chill races up my spine as he speaks, his words making it clear that he has succumbed to the same life of crime we wanted to escape from, yet he looks almost unchanged, apart from the age in his eyes and a subtle air of authority, his olive skin is just as vibrant.

My mind whirls with questions until one manages its way out. “What do I have to do with this?”

His face contorts into a mask of contrition. “I had hoped you wouldn’t be involved at all. Shaemus was not a good person, but believe it or not, he didn’t want to see you hurt. Even after you left his home, he kept tabs on you. He kept Profaci in place.”

I scoff in disbelief at his words, but he continues. “But then he got sick. You became vulnerable before I could take over officially. Profaci saw it as an opportunity to finally try and get rid of you.”

My throat feels tight with regret as I ask, “So it was never about me possibly taking over the family at all?”

He slowly shakes his head. “No. It was always about the same thing with you. Revenge for what your uncle did.” His words shoot through the air like a bullet, piercing my chest with pain and sorrow. The consequences of my uncle’s actions continue to cost me more than ever. After today, they may even cost me the only man I’ve ever loved.

Dante looks me in the eyes as he speaks. “When I took over the family, I intended to issue an ultimatum to Profaci that if he ever tried anything with you, I’d burn him to the ground with my men on the inside, but I didn’t get the chance.”

The truth slams into me like a freight train. “You hired Henry and Kane?”

Dante nods slowly. “Yes, they were there for your protection until I assumed control after Shaemus passed away. I couldn’t issue the order to Profaci until then. I couldn’t play my cards too early. Everything had to be perfect.”

“And now?” I ask.

“And now, Shaemus is dead. I’m in charge and you will never have to worry about Profaci again.”

My heart leaps into my throat as I jump up from the chair, overwhelmed with this conversation. “Why did you grab me like that? I thought you were there to kill me!”

Dante offers a small smile, his face suddenly looking aged beyond his years. “There’s that fiery girl I remember,” he says. “Shaemus just died yesterday. Profaci’s men were coming, so we had to act fast in order to get you out of there before they arrived.”

Tears threaten to spill down my cheeks as I cry out, “What about Kane?! You left him there with Profaci’s men on the way!”

“Calm down,” he says, which does nothing but make me more angry.