In Love With The Mafia Kings Son

Chapter 21

The bubbles of the hot tub shimmered, reflecting the low lights of the compound. The five figures were tense, the game of Truth or Dare now an undeniable tool of manipulation.

Isabella, the architect of the chaos, leaned forward. "Nicolette, darling. Truth or Dare?"

Letty hesitated, feeling the combined weight of their alcohol-fueled stares and Dante's intense presence right beside her. The only option was the controlled risk. She whispered, "Truth."

Isabella smirked, her eyes gleaming. "Easy one, then. Did you really never kiss a boy before?"

Letty felt her face turn deep red. She grabbed her Margarita, taking a large sip to hide her shame. All she could manage was a tight, silent nod.

Lisa looked at her with genuine, albeit intoxicated, curiosity. "But why? Like, you're pretty f*****g hot when you want to be. And even when you’re... well, normal, you’re still f*****g beautiful."

Letty shrugged, looking down at the water. "I just never... tried, I guess." She paused, her voice catching as she nearly breached her core secret. "Ever since my mother..." She stopped abruptly, realizing she had said too much.

Lisa's eyes narrowed, sensing the block. "What happened to your mom?"

Letty avoided eye contact, settling on the necessary evasion. "She died, when I was young." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth of the trauma.

Dante noticed the sudden tension, the flinch in her voice. He didn't press, merely shifting closer to her, his silence a wall of proprietary protection.

"Okay, enough of this depressing s**t," Isabella said, rolling her eyes. "Lisa, Truth or Dare."

Lisa smirked, lifting her glass. "Dare, baby."

Isabella smiled slowly, the mischief turning predatory. "I dare you to... kiss Nicolette."

Letty froze, her heart hammering wildly. The immediate command was terrifying.

Dante narrowed his eyes at his sister. His hand instantly tightened on the edge of the tub. "Stop," he ordered, his voice low and firm.

Isabella scoffed, defying his tone with a look of pure mischief. "What? She's never had a first kiss before! What better way to experience it than with another woman who knows what to do?"

Letty’s mind raced. The chance for deflection, for a final shred of control. She cleared her throat, her voice surprisingly steady. "I've kissed a girl before."

Dante, Isabella, and Lisa all looked at her with furrowed brows. Isabella's disbelief was immediate.

"You said you never had your first kiss before!"

Letty shifted slightly, correcting the technicality. "You asked if I've ever kissed a 'boy' before. You never asked if I've ever kissed a girl."

Isabella’s predatory smirk returned, fascinated by the legal loophole. "Oh, I need to hear this one. Come on, spill."

Letty bit her lip, committing to the story. "It was my best friend when I was living in Detroit. I was about thirteen, and she was spending the night. She was... curious about her sexuality and asked if she could... kiss me, to see if she was a lesbian."

Lisa took a slow sip of her drink. "And? That was it? Just a kiss... Anything else?"

Letty shook her head, taking a stabilizing sip of her Margarita. "That was it. We kissed, and that was that. After that, she... avoided me. I didn't know why. But a few weeks later, I found out she had a crush on me."

Isabella and Lisa laughed, finding the story hilariously innocent. Dante just looked at Letty, taking in her honesty and the painful awkwardness of her teenage life.

Isabella clapped her hands, ending the story. "Well, go on, Lisa. Kiss her then."

Lisa took a deep, amused breath and moved closer to Letty. Letty felt her heart race nervously. She pulled her knees down from her chest and leaned slightly toward Lisa, her compliance absolute.

Lisa chuckled, her eyes reassuring. "Don't worry, I'm not going to fall in love with you. I love d**k way too much."

Lisa gently touched Letty’s face, her hand warm and smooth, pulling Letty slightly toward her. Their lips touched—a soft, hesitant press. Letty was okay with the chaste contact, expecting the brief, sweet peck of her past. But Lisa was a product of this environment.

Lisa slipped her tongue into Letty's mouth for a brief moment, a shocking, unexpected intrusion of intimacy.

Letty stiffened, utterly stunned by the sensation of the French kiss she had never experienced. Lisa pulled back, her eyes sparkling.

Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Lisa licked her lips, looking straight at Dante. "Not bad. She tastes sweet for a nerdy girl."

The tension from the kiss lingered, sharp and potent.

Lisa gave Dante a final, challenging wink, having confirmed the new girl's allure.

Isabella smirked, turning her focus entirely to her brother. "Okay, brother, Truth or Dare?"

Dante narrowed his eyes at his twin, recognizing the trap instantly. He took a deep, steadying breath. "I'm not playing your childish games, Isa."

Isabella pouted, a theatrical gesture that didn't hide the steel in her eyes. "Aw, come on, brother. Even Nicolette played along."

Dante took a slow sip of his whiskey, shaking his head.

Isabella pressed him, her voice low and mocking.

"When did my big, bad brother become shy? What, afraid of a little truth... or dare?"

Dante held her gaze, unfazed by her intimidation. He knew there was no avoiding the dare without confirming her immediate suspicions. He took one final, decisive breath.

"Fine," he said, his voice low and firm. "Truth."

Isabella's smirk widened, victorious. She raised an eyebrow, delivering the blow with casual cruelty. "Do you want Nicolette to sleep in your bed tonight?"

Letty's breath caught in her throat at the question. The air seemed to hiss out of the bubbles, and the comfortable heat of the water instantly felt like boiling oil.

Dante chuckled softly, completely unashamed. He looked down at Letty, taking in her small, timid form, her exposed curves, and the deep crimson blush painting her cheeks.

"Only if she wants to," he said, his voice dropping to a seductive, possessive murmur.

Letty's core throbbed at his words. The knowledge that the choice was hers—that the Mafia Prince was ceding control to her, the outsider—was an agonizing weight. The thought of sharing a bed with him made the pleasure and the fear in her body war with devastating force.

She noticed that Lisa and Isabella were staring at her, waiting, their smiles suspended.

Letty hesitated, the answer locked behind her trembling lips.

Before Letty could make the definitive, life-altering choice, the peaceful hum of the backyard was brutally shattered.

A frantic sound of stumbling feet and slurred screams erupted from the direction of the glass doors. Chloe stormed onto the patio, tears and smeared makeup turning her face into a tragic, vengeful mask. Her dress was ripped, and she was clearly blind drunk.

She was being restrained, but barely, by Dylan and Marcus, who were struggling to hold her arms.

"No! Get off me!" Chloe shrieked, pointing a shaking finger directly at Letty. "It's her! She's ruining everything!"

The intimate tension of the hot tub dissolved instantly, replaced by a raw, immediate threat of violence.

Chloe stumbled onto the patio, her eyes, glazed with alcohol and hatred, narrowing on Letty. She saw the new girl, not only sitting next to Dante but also half-naked and exposed in the water. The sight of Letty's bare chest, confirming the intimacy of the moment, snapped the last thread of Chloe's restraint.

"You little slut!" Chloe shrieked, her voice slurring but laced with pure venom. Her furious gaze fixed on Letty. "You think you're so sweet and innocent, but deep down you're a dirty skank that just likes to steal other people's men, you f*****g cunt!"

That was the last straw. The vicious, unfounded insult aimed at Letty's core identity—her purity and vulnerability—ignited the explosive rage Dante had held back all night.

Dante stood abruptly, his massive, wet body surging out of the hot tub. Water cascaded down his muscular frame. He looked less like a man and more like a mythological force as he stormed toward Chloe.

Chloe’s face instantly shifted from drunken fury to raw, blinding fear. She stumbled backward, yelling desperately, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, Dante!"

Dante ignored her pathetic apologies. He reached Chloe in two long strides, his movements decisive and ruthless. He picked her up without effort, throwing her small, struggling body over his shoulder like a sack of garbage.

He carried her directly toward the sliding glass doors, his cold eyes set on the long hallway inside.

Isabella scoffed, stirring the water with her hand, completely unconcerned by the screaming girl now disappearing into the mansion. "What a f*****g mess she is."

Lisa watched them vanish, then looked at Letty, who was shivering despite the hot water, her eyes wide with shock.

"He's not going to... hurt her, is he?" Letty asked nervously, the trauma of her past lending a terrifying reality to the sudden violence.

Isabella turned her sharp gaze on Letty. "The b***h just stormed in here and insulted the s**t out of you, and you're worried about her?"

Lisa chuckled, swirling her Margarita. "He won't hurt her physically. Not a hair on her head." She gave a knowing, chilling smile. "Emotionally, now, that's a different story. He's going to carve her heart out with words. He's removing her from his life, and she's going to feel it."

The cold, surgical cruelty of their world settled over Letty. Dante wasn't just a protector; he was a master of psychological warfare.