Chapter 6
803 Words
Aria’s heart pounded as the armored SUV cut through the rainy New York night. Dante sat beside her, one hand resting possessively on her thigh. His touch was both comforting and terrifying.
“Are you ready?” Dante asked, his deep voice steady.
“No,” Aria whispered, gripping his hand tighter. Her emerald dress felt too tight, too elegant for the fear choking her. “What if Victor hurts Luca in front of me? I’m not strong enough for this.”
Dante turned her face toward him with firm fingers. “You don’t have to be strong alone tonight. You have me. Smile when I tell you. Stay quiet unless spoken to. And remember—you belong to me. Victor cannot touch what’s mine.”
The warehouse loomed ahead, dark and menacing. Dante’s men surrounded them as they stepped out. Aria’s heels clicked unsteadily on the wet concrete. She felt pitiful, small, and completely out of place.
Inside, Victor Lang waited with four armed guards. He was stocky, graying hair slicked back, eyes cold as he assessed her. Luca knelt beside him, bruised but alive.
“Aria Voss,” Victor drawled. “Or should I say Mrs. Moretti now? Such a pretty little sacrifice.”
Luca lifted his head. “Ari… I’m sorry.” His voice cracked.
Tears burned Aria’s eyes. “Luca…” She took a step forward, but Dante’s arm snapped around her waist, holding her back.
“Speak to my wife again without permission and I’ll remove your tongue,” Dante said calmly, his gray eyes lethal.
Victor laughed. “Protective already? Interesting. I have a proposition. Give me twenty percent of the East River territory and the girl’s mother’s old documents. In return, her brother lives.”
Aria stiffened. “My mother? What documents?”
Dante’s grip tightened warningly on her waist. “There are no documents worth your time, Lang. Release Luca now or this meeting ends in blood.”
Victor’s smile faded. “Your father ruined my family when he took that woman as his mistress. Aria is the living proof of that betrayal. Hand her over and we call it even.”
Aria’s knees nearly buckled. “Mistress?” she breathed, looking up at Dante. “You said it was just an affair…”
Dante ignored her for now, stepping forward while keeping her shielded behind him. “She stays with me. Luca is free tonight as goodwill. Push me further and I burn your entire operation.”
A tense silence stretched. Victor finally nodded to his men. They released Luca, who stumbled into Aria’s arms. She hugged him tightly, sobbing quietly.
“Thank you,” she whispered to Dante over her brother’s shoulder.
Dante’s eyes never left Victor. “We’re leaving. Touch my family again and you die screaming.”
Back in the SUV, Luca sat across from them, holding Aria’s hand. “Ari, you didn’t have to do this for me.”
“I did,” she replied, voice trembling. “You’re my brother.”
Dante watched them both, expression unreadable. When they reached a safe house, he spoke to Luca. “You stay here under my protection. One wrong move and the deal is off.”
Luca nodded gratefully. “I won’t mess up again.”
Alone in the moving car with Dante, Aria turned to him. “Tell me the truth about my mother. Please.”
Dante pulled her onto his lap, cradling her against his chest. “She was my father’s secretary. They fell in love. My mother found out and… things ended badly. That’s all you need tonight.”
Aria buried her face in his neck. “I feel like my whole life is a lie.” Fresh tears soaked his shirt. “Why did you really choose me, Dante?”
He stroked her hair. “Because the moment I saw you, something in me decided you were mine. Weak or not.” His lips brushed her temple. “And you’re already becoming more.”
Back at the penthouse, Dante led her straight to his bedroom. He helped her out of the dress with surprisingly gentle hands, leaving her in her slip.
“Sleep with me tonight,” he said. It wasn’t a question.
Aria nodded, too drained to argue. As they lay together, his strong arms around her, she whispered, “I’m still scared.”
“I know,” Dante murmured, kissing the top of her head. “But I’m here.”
His phone vibrated on the nightstand. He checked it and his body tensed.
“Victor just sent a message,” he said darkly. “He claims he has proof your mother was pregnant with my father’s child before she ran. And that child… might be you.”
Aria’s world spun. She clutched Dante tighter, heart hammering.
- Writer
