Eleni
I scroll down a page on my online textbook and glance at the clock on the dining room wall. Nearly one. When I woke up in bed alone, I was a little frustrated. Last night was nothing short of magical for me, but I’ve seen movies, so I know what sneaking out before the other person wakes up means. When I searched the whole house for Dante and didn’t find him—or any note—I was worried. I know he’s a boss, and that means he’s always going to work weird hours, but this much of a rush in the middle of a weekday seems strange.
But now, as I sit at his massive, luxurious dining room table trying and failing to do homework for night classes I haven’t been to in what feels like years, I’m downright scared. There’s no sign of Dante except an espresso cup with a thin film remaining at the bottom. I talked to a couple of the staff, and one of them said Tony rushed Dante out as soon as he woke up, so he
EleniI glance at Dante out of the corner of my eye. After he dropped the bomb about the situation changing, I expected him to explain or something, but he only took my half-packed bag and loaded it into his car. He drove me away from his house in Staten Island a few minutes later, and we haven’t exchanged a word since then.“Fuck, Philadelphia?” Dante says. “I was really hoping…no, no we can handle it.”That’s not to say Dante hasn’t been talking. He’s spent the whole drive with his phone cradled between his shoulder and his ear, taking increasingly intense phone calls. This is the first mention of Philadelphia, and I have no idea what to make of that. The Lombardis only operate in New York, or so I thought. It’s hard to think of anything beyond how absolutely furious I still am.He spins the wheel and pulls into a long, horseshoe-shaped drive. A house emerges out of the trees. Li
DanteA few days after dropping Eleni off upstate, I sit in the cheap, plastic chair of the Sing Sing Correctional private visitation room and eye the guard standing in the corner. He’s not our usual guy, but Hank promised this guy would be just as good.“I’m Dante,” I say to fill the silence before my prisoner arrives.He grunts. “You bring the shit?”Certainly not the conversationalist Hank is. I pull the plastic-wrapped Cubans out of my inside jacket pocket and slide them across the table. The new guy picks them up, sniffs them, and they disappear in a crease in his uniform, in the way every prison guard I’ve ever met seems to have mastered. I’ve never been inside myself, and I’m not looking forward to that day, if it ever comes. I knock surreptitiously on the engineered-wood table and hope that’s enough to scare away the bad luck.The door buzzes, then opens to admit Uncl
EleniAfter a few days of wheedling, I’ve finally convinced Seb to walk with me around the property. His car is locked up in the garage, and if Dante’s right about how far the nearest towns are, there’s no point in me running. So, I’m stomping through what I can only call woods in shorts I’ve never worn before and an oversized T-shirt, and somehow still sweating enough that I’m sure I must smell and Seb’s just not mentioning it. Spring came early to upstate New York, and a hot spring at that.I crunch a stick under a pair of steel-toed combat boots I found in the depths of the suitcase I packed. Yet another thing that just appeared in my closet. I’ve never worn anything like them in my life, but they’re incredible for stomping.“I’m surprised,” Seb says.I glance at him and have to suppress a snicker. He’s trying to do the same hike in a full suit, and he’s r
Eleni“Go to the driveway, Sebastian,” Dante says without even looking at me.“Of course,” he replies. “But my car—”“Tony is waiting there to drive you to your nonna’s. You’re both expected in the city for a family dinner.” Slowly, like the action pains him, Dante drags his gaze over to me.My smile dies on my lips.“Cool.” Seb starts jogging away, leaving me alone with the fire-breathing dragon, then stops. “Uh, is Eleni gonna be safe? Am I coming back?”Dante grits his teeth. “I’ll make sure she’s safe. Go.”Seb shoots me a quick, apologetic shrug and leaves. I cross my arms and stare up at Dante.“Safe how?” I ask.“I’ll be staying here tonight.” He turns away without another word.I gape at the space he left for a moment, then race after him, through the
EleniI watch Dante dart into the connected living room to grab a pillow from the couch.“For your knees.” He sets it on the floor.I swallow. Dante watches the movement with hungry eyes. Slowly, I kneel on the pillow instead of the tile floor. His suit pants bulge in front of my face, and I lick my lips. Time for my first blowjob.“What next?” I ask.He smiles and unfastens his pants, then shoves them down with his underwear to pool on the floor. His cock springs free. I’m pretty sure it’s bigger than last time. He wraps his hand around it and pumps a few times, until liquid beads on the tip.“You can go slow,” he says. “Trust me, it’s just as good slow.”I lick the bead of liquid before I can overthink it. His flavor bursts over my tongue, salty and musky and Dante. I hum.“Good.” His voice sounds tight. “Now put your hand where mine is. You don’t have to take it all.”I cup his length, firm but springy u
DanteI stare at El for a long moment, just watching her chest rise and fall under the blanket. As soon as she wakes up, I’m going to need to hop on aftercare. She’s been remarkably resilient to the power dynamics so far, but I won’t risk anything happening to her out of my laziness. I grab my phone and head upstairs, still naked, deciding to run a bath and then wake her.She picked the biggest room. Rebellious. I know she doesn’t care. Still, I head into the oversized bathroom and turn on the tub.As the water pounds against the surface, my thoughts drift. Tony isn’t taking Seb to their nonna’s, though I’m sure he’d love it if he was. No, Tony got a lead on some guys connected to the ones who jumped us, and I decided—for some fucking reason—that he should take Seb, and I should come up here. I pour myself a glass of scotch from the liquor cart in the bedroom and shake my head. I should be in the city, prowling the streets for Luca. We keep just catching his scent, then losing it agai
EleniOn Thursday, I lean back in the passenger’s seat and try to see the late-morning sun through the blacked-out windows. Dante’s hand rests possessively on my leg, and it feels like an anchor as we drive back into the chaos of the city. After days of his constant touch, I think I might lose my mind if he let me go.And it doesn’t hurt that his hand creeps a little higher at every red light, now that we’re off the highway. Desire coils in my gut like he didn’t make us late wringing one last orgasm out of me before we left. I don’t mind. It was his timetable anyway.I glance at him. On the ride up, he couldn’t stop talking, but never to me. This time, he’s been mostly quiet, but he looks at me every time the road doesn’t need him. Either way, I haven’t learned much.My stomach grumbles, and I cover it quickly.“I guess you didn’t eat much,” Dante says.We share a smile at the memory of his cock in my mouth before we left. A mi
EleniI unpack the suitcase I packed so hastily when I left Dante’s house into my closet, then pause. This is Dante’s house, still, in my mind. And yet this room, this closet, is mine. I shared this bed with Mama. I’ve cried here, and been furious, and smiled for so long my face hurt. I run my fingers over the pillowcase and look around. Maybe Dante will let me paint this something other than drab tan. Or at least get new sheets.For now, though, I need to study. I lost three days of study-time to learning everything I could about Dante. Sometime during my absence, someone installed a desk in the previously featureless guest room, which brings another smile to my face. Already, I’m making my mark on this place. I could even be happy here, a ferry ride away from the city. I put my laptop, now thankfully with the Wi-Fi back, on the desk and sit. Daydreaming later. Focusing… now.* * *“—do you mean yo
ChloeThe first few days after I learned that Mateo was no longer on this planet were a bit chaotic. Tony and his men had so much to do: cleaning up the mess, assigning the new positions each one of them would take when it came to protecting our family and the house, determining who would go back to dealing with the Saints’ businesses, and so on. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve managed to create a routine for myself and Ellie. It took me a while to process that I wouldn’t have to continue hiding or running away anymore, but eventually things just became… easier. It’s funny how easily and quickly humans get used to things. In the first few days, I was still scared to leave the house by myself, even with a couple of guards accompanying me, or Rocco taking me from place to place inside a bulletproof car. I would always watch over my shoulder, expecting someone to jump out of a bush or something and kidnap me–or worse–kill me.But Tony assured me he wouldn’t get rid of the security s
ChloeOur warm kiss turns into something more passionate as our hands begin to roam each other’s bodies. There are so many emotions bottled up inside us that it is hard to express them with words. Tony’s hands explore my body while he devours my mouth in a heated kiss, suffocating my moans. My head is still spinning from his confession that he loves me, and I can barely focus on what he’s doing. My distraction seems to catch his attention because he pulls away from me, his eyes studying my face carefully. “Is everything okay? We don’t need to do this if you don’t want to. I–”My lips are on his before he even finishes his sentence. Like hell I’d let him stop right now. I urge myself to be present, storing his confession for later, when I have time to dwell on it over and over without being interrupted. I wish I could’ve recorded it so I could listen to it whenever I need reassurance about how he feels about me.But this is Tony. I know he will shower me with affection and love whenev
ChloeAfter I welcome Tony home, I make sure to wake Ellie up so she can have dinner with us. She needs to eat something since she has been sleeping the whole afternoon, and she also needs to wake up now so she can get some sleep later. I’m not looking forward to staying up all night because she slept too much during the day.The three of us have dinner together as a family for the first time, and it just feels… right. Like how it’s always supposed to have been. Neither one of us brings up the elephant in the room. I’m sure we’ll have time to talk about it, but right now, I just want to enjoy this moment while I can. Watching Tony feed our daughter, playing with her, and getting her to laugh is just so adorable that my heart can barely take it.It’s a dream coming true right in front of my eyes.“Come on, baby. Let’s show Mommy how you’re a good girl who eats all her dinner,” he muses, making airplane sounds as he flies the spoon toward her gaping mouth.Ellie chuckles and opens wide
ChloeReuniting with Ellie and my mom felt overwhelming, although bittersweet. Even though I was beyond relieved and grateful to hold my daughter in my arms once more, my heart was shrinking by the minute, not knowing what Tony was up to.The Irish King’s bar I was brought to is surprisingly comfortable and welcoming. I was even more surprised when I found Cal playing with Ellie. The way she laughed at his exaggerated movements and jokes, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this enchanted with another man before.After I settled down from the flight and kissed and hugged my family, Cal asked one of his employees from the bar to bring me something to eat. Mom and Ellie already had dinner since they arrived here earlier, and when the waitress returns with a tray filled with burgers, fries, and a chocolate milkshake, I almost let out a moan of pleasure.Only now have I realized how starving I am. I can’t even remember the last time I ate. So much has happened in the past twenty-four hours t
TonyMy vision turns red, and I clench my phone in my hand so hard that I hear it crack. “Send it to me. I’ll be on my way,” I inform him.Armando clears his throat, and I know he’s about to contradict me. “Shouldn’t we have a plan first, Boss? We have no idea what he’s been up to,” he wisely reminds me. I’m glad I have someone to make me see clearly now because all I can think of is putting a bullet hole through Mateo’s forehead and making sure he doesn’t take another breath in this world. “What do we know?” I ask, already starting the car.“They are in an abandoned warehouse outside the city. It’s not our territory, but that shouldn’t be a problem. No one really rules that part of town,” he explains firmly and professionally. “I have all men on hold, waiting for instructions on how we can best approach without being noticed.”“Do you think the cartel is waiting for us?” I have no fucking clue what Mateo was thinking when he invaded the safehouse to go after Chloe like that. It wa
TonyI warned Chloe not to even try and convince me of doing anything else other than going after Mateo and his men. I’d been doing my best to act cautiously, to consider every single possible outcome from this war, but after he ambushed Chloe at the safehouse, making her fight for her life, it left me blind with rage.My guilt didn’t help, either.I was so relieved when I found her on that dark street, wearing nothing but a robe covered in blood, that I could have cried when I held her in my arms. She felt so small, so vulnerable within my embrace that the monster dormant inside me snapped to life, and I simply couldn’t put this aside any longer. Even if I die, even if I don’t get to see her one last time, I will make sure to take Mateo down with me, so he never has the chance to lay a hand on my wife again. Or my daughter, for that matter.“Do I really have to go with Cal?” Chloe’s sweet voice asks from the bed, making me take my eyes off the phone and look at her. I promised her
Chloe“Listen,” Tony continues, still focused on the road. The police sirens get more and more distant as we drive away from the city, but I still don’t ask him where he is taking me. “I know you don’t want to think about it now, but I need to know what happened,” he requests in a gentle voice. I hear a hint of pain in it as well, but mostly, I can hear the guilt behind his words.I want to tell him none of this is his fault, but we’ll have time for that later. Right now, we just need to make sure no one else gets hurt, or worse, killed.I inhale sharply, steadying myself enough to share the recent events with him. I am strong, and I can do this, I tell myself. I’ve always told Tony I could handle it all, and even though I was scared as hell back there, I still managed to save myself.I can do this.“After you left, I spent a few more minutes in the office before I headed up to take a shower. I don’t think I was in there too long, but as soon as I stepped out, I heard the alarm go off
ChloeI should be dead.I was certain I’d be killed the moment I saw Mateo by the front door.I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look as mad as he looked a couple of minutes ago.Somehow, by the grace of God perhaps, when I saw him approaching me with that gun pointed at my face, I managed to take it from his hand after sparring with him and shot him in the shoulder. I think.I didn’t stay there to confirm. I didn’t wait to see if he was injured or not. I simply ran out of the house, not daring to look back, not even once. It’s been a few minutes, and I’m still blindly running through the neighborhood, trying to think of what to do or where to go. There’s no one on the street that I can ask for help, and even if there were, I’d be so afraid that Mateo would kill them for helping me that I don’t think I would ask for help anyway.It’s cold outside, and I’m still only wearing my shower robe, and even though I don’t dare to look back, too afraid of what I’ll see, I know I’m being follow
TonyComing here was a fucking mistake.Seeing Chloe did everything to me that I was trying to avoid. It just left me even more confused than before. We haven’t spent more than an hour together, and I still managed to screw it up.Being with her felt natural as if this was the only place I could be. Whenever I’m with her, holding her in my arms and feeling her close to me, everything just seems to go away. Every concern, every fear, every bad thought I ever had… I finally feel at peace.That’s the sort of effect she has on me. But I was not expecting her confession. Hearing her say she loves me and not being able to say it back shattered my heart in ways I can't explain. The look on her face will haunt me forever. It seems to have become a pattern lately. I can't seem to be able to stop hurting and disappointing her. I know what she expects from me, but unfortunately, I can't give it to her.It's clear to me that I have fallen for her, harder than I could ever have expected. It's a f