Dante reached out and gripped my hand in his, it was so unexpected I sucked in a sharp breath then squeezed back.
“Didn’t know we actually needed introductions.” Dante spoke with deceptive calm. “I kicked your friend’s ass, then sent him to Hell right along with—” he stopped himself. “Never mind, I’m sure it’s still a very sensitive subject.”
Andrei’s jaw flexed. “You think you can say such things to me?”
His accent came through, just enough for me to want to run in the other direction.
“How does it feel…” Dante smirked. “To have a target on your back?”
“Ask your father,” he spat. “Oh, wait.”
Dante squeezed the life out of my fingers.
“It seems…” Andrei tiled his head. “…that we both have reasons for wanting revenge, hmm?”
I mentally willed Dante to calm the hell down. His other tell was silence, and it was more terrifying than his words.
Silence meant he was thinking of all of the ways he could manipulate you — hurt you. I knew his silence well, not because it had ever been directed toward me, but because I watched him direct it toward Ike last night.
And that hadn’t ended well.
“Yes,” Dante hissed. “It looks like we both have the same reason to hate…”
“The only question is; are you my enemy or my friend?”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” He shrugged. “Or so it should appear, right?”
Andrei’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going to have to spell it out for me, Nicolasi. Where do you stand?”
“Right in front of you.” Dante finally grinned. “You think I’d be here? You think I’d kill someone in cold blood for you, then turn on you?”
Andrei seemed to relax at that, he held out his hand. Dante shook it with his free hand and released his grip on mine.
Andrei nodded to the other guys. “This is Klaus.” He had an almost completely shaved head and a tattoo peeking out of his shirt near his right ear. I shivered.
“Maksim,” Another guy nodded at us, he looked like he’d rather be shopping, his shirt was so tight it looked uncomfortable, and he was wearing sunglasses like he was a movie star in hiding.
“And finally, little Ivan.”
Ivan wasn’t little.
Ivan was… stocky.
Around five ten and packing enough muscle to probably disarm someone by sitting on their chest.
“Now you know our names.” Andrei shrugged. “That’s how friendship works, right?”
“Absolutely.”
Andrei turned his attention to me. I took a step toward Dante, he didn’t put a protective arm around me, instead he stood as still as a statue while Andrei took one step, then two until he was in my personal space.
“And your name?”
I assumed he already knew.
He’d seen my tattoo.
He saw who owned me.
But that was the thing about the Russian mafia. My husband was killed in cold blood, which meant I was nobody’s.
Because nobody had claimed me.
Yet.
I gulped.
“You know exactly who I am, Andrei Petrov.”
I said his full name on purpose.
I’d met him once.
My eyes had been swollen nearly shut from a beating.
And he’d laughed and told my husband at the time to do whatever he could to keep me silent. Loyal. Heartless.
Maybe that was why it had taken me a while to recognize him.
Because my brain refused to acknowledge that this man, this very dangerous man with even more dangerous connections was in the same city as me.
Same University.
“You do not belong to the Italians.” His voice was threatening.
Dante snorted out a laugh. “Yeah well neither do I, looks like we’re both trapped, why else would I be screwing her under their roof? The spoils of war, Andrei.” His eyes locked on me. “She’s mine.”
“Pity, I would have liked to take her back where she belongs.”
I tried not to puke.
To react.
Where I belonged in his mind was chained to a bed.
Ivan spoke up. “Andrei,” He pointed to his watch.
Andrei gave Dante one last once over before he put on his sunglasses. “You’ll eat with us.”
“We’ll see,” Dante said.
Klaus looked between them like he was waiting for Andrei to pull a gun or punch Dante, instead Andrei smiled and put an arm around Dante. “I like you.”
“Most people do,” Dante said in an amused voice.
“You don’t take shit,” Andrei added.
“I’m better at giving it.”
Andrei barked out a laugh one more time and slapped him on the back. “Eh, eat with us, don’t eat with us, just come back tonight.”
“Another fight?”
“Fighting. Food. Fucking.” Andrei shrugged. “It’s all the same to us—” His jerked his attention to me again. “You can bring your girl if you want, just remember, if another member wants her — you have to at least let them look — even if they can’t touch.”
“I’ll think about it.” Dante smiled blandly, while Andrei and the rest of the guys walked off.
I was still shaking from the exchange when Dante grabbed my hand again and led me toward my first class. When my legs wouldn’t cooperate, he pulled me behind a large oak tree and pressed me against it.
“Hold yourself together, El, you’re stronger than this shit.” His blue eyes searched mine. “All right?”
I sucked in a large breath and gave him a jerky nod. “He…he,” I could barely get the words out. “He saw me one night after Xavier beat me, he laughed.”
Dante slammed his hand into the tree, his jaw popped as he gritted his teeth together and then calm washed over him as he whispered near my ear, “Want me to kill him?”
A few people walked by and stared at us, it looked like he was kissing my neck, like we were normal college students sharing a moment.
Nope. Wrong story, kiddos.
He just offered to kill someone for offending me, run along, nothing to see here.
“After,” I said. “Kill him after he stops being useful to you, to the bosses.” I couldn’t believe what was coming out of my mouth, what I was agreeing to. “Yes.”
Dante pulled back, his face broke out into a smile. “How messed up is it that I’m actually looking forward to that moment?”
I gulped. “It’s in your blood.”
“I wish it wasn’t,” he said gruffly. “I wish I didn’t crave it — dream about it — almost as much as I wish I didn’t feel guilt every day because of it.”
I sighed and put my hands on his chest, then ran them up around his neck, he didn’t move, or flinch, so maybe we were having a moment as our mouths almost touched. “The only shame in life, is not being who you were truly born to be. If that means you kill the bad guys — kill the bad, guys Dante. Just don’t lose your soul in the process.”
“And if it’s already gone?” He croaked his eyes darkening as he slowly leaned in until his forehead touched mine.
Days ago I would have been terrified that his body was this close.
Days ago, I would have shoved him away and run.
Days ago, I would have shuddered that his bloodstained hands were running up and down my skin.
But today.
Today was different.
Today I closed my eyes and drank in the wicked scent of Dante Nicolasi, the cologne mixed with soap. I inhaled.
And opened my eyes again.
Yesterday I was angry. I was afraid.
Today. Against the tree.
Pinned by Dante’s arms.