EleniA few days after our night in the hotel, I roll over in bed to find the sheets empty. Instead of getting frustrated, I flip the other way and grab my phone. As expected, a text from Dante sits at the top of my notifications.Piacere all day today. Probably won’t be back until late. Dinner?I type out a quick affirmative and smile. Since I agreed to stay—and agreed to go to Tandon, though there was no way I was going to live on campus—he’s obviously been trying. He tells me where he’s going, or at least as much as he knows, and offers new plans every time work pulls him away. Butterflies riot in my stomach. I flop onto my back and stare at the ceiling.Christos made Dante kill him because he got so focused on the prize, he couldn’t see anything in his way. That sounded like my brother. As much as I loved—love him, Christos could be a bulldozer. So maybe, just maybe, letting Dante back into my heart isn’t a total betrayal of my family.I get out of bed and ignore the fact I haven’
DanteEarlier than expected, I walk in the front door of my house. Piacere actually ran smoothly for once, and I have high hopes they won’t even need me there for another day or two. El and I haven’t spent a ton of time together since our day of errands, and I miss her despite falling asleep next to her every night. Sometimes, I think it might be better if she was involved in high-level operations again, but that might just be a side effect of wanting to see her more often.No, some of the capos still look around for her when I give an order. I know a handful of them text her nearly everything. They’ll answer to me—especially because I suspect she told them to—but she’s won their loyalty forever. I can’t say I don’t understand.I wander through the house until I find Eleni in the living room at the back of the house, sprawled out on the leather couch with a laptop on her chest and a mostly empty pitcher next to her.“Hey—”Pitcher. With a little bit of something yellow at the bottom.
Eleni“What’s wrong with this?” I ask as I step out of the dressing room in the fourth outfit since I sent Gianna a few pictures of the clothes I was looking at and she dragged me out for actual shopping.She sighs. “Real answer?”I nod. “Clearly, I’m not getting this. It doesn’t make any goddamn sense. Why isn’t this something one of the wives can wear?”Gianna stands and walks over to me. “Well, first, you’re not one of the wives.”I snort. “Tell them that.”“Trust me, they know.” Gianna turns me to the mirror. “But the boss’ girlfriend ranks above any actual wife. If you were a mistress… Well, that’d be different. We wouldn’t be out in public shopping with Dante’s credit card, that’s for sure.”I roll my eyes to the ceiling and groan. “How did I go from boss to boss’ girlfriend in a week?” “Dante woke up.” Gianna shrugs. “It’s not fair, but that’s how everyone assumes it works. If you want something different, you’re going to have to talk to him, and he’s gonna have to convince a
EleniTwo hours later, bags fill the back of my car, my deep blue manicure is just dry enough that I’m able to drive myself home, and my hair feels so light that I keep shaking my head back and forth just to feel the curls bounce. Gianna’s hairdresser only took off a few inches, enough that it hits my shoulders instead of my mid back, but he added layers that “frame my face,” whatever that means, and I feel like a million bucks. I pull into the driveway wearing the first outfit Gianna picked out for me with just a few minutes before dinner at seven.I race inside and start hunting for Dante. Not in the kitchen. Not in his office. Eventually, the sounds of TV lure me to the living room, where he sits sprawled on the couch, looking bored.“Hi,” I say.He glances up, then sits fully upright. “Holy shit.”I flush. “Do you like it?”“Like it?” He leans over the back of the couch. “I think I’ve had wet dreams about it already.”I laugh. “What did you do while I was gone?”He groans. “Nothin
EleniBy the time I finally topple off Dante, sated, the sun is nowhere to be seen, and dinner is long forgotten. My skin clings to the sheets with sweat, and I spend a long time just catching my breath.After that long time passes, I look over at Dante. Tonight wasn’t our most intense session, but usually by this point, he’s up reminding me aftercare is an important part of the process and I’ll get a UTI if I don’t go to the bathroom. Instead, he just lays on the pillow, breathing heavily and staring at the ceiling with his gaze distant. Judging by the wrinkle between his eyebrows, business has him worried, not me.Maybe this is where I fit into the Saints now. Not boss in name, but boss in bed. The place he comes to unload the problems he can’t figure out on his own, and I help him unsnarl them. At least for now.“Thought for a thought?” I graze my fingers down the middle of his chest, avoiding the few remaining staples he says Dr. Domino is going to take out in a couple days. The s
DanteA few days later, I lean on my horn as the car in front of me completely ignores the green light overhead. “What the fuck do you mean, am I sure we have to do this?”Tony rolls his eyes. “Exactly what I goddamn said. I know ignoring Cal Duncan isn’t smart, but just because he called the meeting doesn’t mean we have to do it in his home fucking base.”“You’d prefer neutral territory.” I speed forward as the car finally moves and dodge around them to reach the open road ahead. “Like Chinatown?’“You’re in a rare mood,” he grumbles. “Thought I was supposed to be the fucking funny one.”“I thought so too.” I grin at my old friend. “And I’m just trying not to walk into an out-of-the-blue meeting with Cal Duncan looking like we’re crying over spilled milk. Didn’t you say he was minding his Ps and Qs?”“Technically.” Tony shakes his head. “As technically as a motherfucker could. He’s dancing right on the edge of our territory, just barely not starting something.”I pull up in front of
EleniI stare at the scene around me in something between surprise and horror. This is Dante’s backyard. I look up and see his house looming over the party. But instead of the yard being filled with gunfire or hushed conversation, classic rock blares from a pair of speakers. Dante himself stands at the grill, flipping burgers and nursing a light beer I’ve never seen him drink before. Tony and a couple other capos hold court by the grill. A few East Asian men Dante warned me when they walked in were representatives of the triads chat with some Saints soldiers. Cal Duncan stands alone by the pool, holding a bottle of dark beer he brought and surveying the scene. I turn away, toward the platter of watermelon salad—whatever the fuck that is—before his gaze can alight on me. Still, it looks like something out of a coming-of-age movie, not a tense meeting between some of the most dangerous men in New York City.The only concession to normalcy is the color palette of Dante’s outfit. Sure,
EleniSunset has come and gone by the time the last guests leave. After the grilling, everyone loitered, eating classic American food and listening to classic American music, until darkness finally fell. Then Dante, giggling like a kid, disappeared with Seb and Tony. They reappeared minutes later with an unlabeled box and proceeded to light off the least legitimate fireworks show I could have expected. Some didn’t light. Others fell off their little post. I laughed the whole time, and they handed out sparklers at the end. That, at least, felt like the summers I knew, waiting until the tiny fires threatened the top of my hand before dropping it on concrete and stamping it out. The only thing missing was Christos, trying to convince me to sword fight him. Luckily, it only took one mention before Seb was happy to accept the challenge. As always, our sparklers shattered instantly. It wouldn’t have been right if they didn’tAfter everything is cleaned up, Dante and I stumble upstairs. We
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