“You survived,” she whispers, pride in her voice, in her gaze. “And you’re more than what he made you.”
If only she knew. If only she understood the monster she’s entwined with.
I close my hand over hers, trapping it against my throat. “No, cara mia. You don’t understand. I am exactly his creation. This scar is my crown; blood is my throne.” I lean closer, letting her glimpse the darkness behind my eyes. “And now you’re mine, my queen.”
Her eyes glisten with fear and longing, tangled together. She will never escape because I will never let her.
Chapter Seventeen
Evangeline
Sevendays.
It’s been seven days since our passionate penthouse “date” and Dante’s confession that tore my heart out. His rasped tale of his father’s betrayal proved he believes in me, trusts me. That night was a turning point for us.
Now, I feel we have something, a connection that was strengthened because he confided in me with his story. Dante doesn’t trust easily, but he let me in, allowed me a glimpse into his head, his heart. Something thepowerful mobster has likely never done with another human being.
It’s also been seven days of raw, desperate waiting and wanting to see him again. Wanting to touch him again, have him hold me in his protective embrace, making me feel safe from the threats outside my door.
Every day, I can feel Dante’s obsession for my safety. It’s a lot, but I’m not complaining because I know we physically cannot see each other. He feels I’m too much of a target for Scarletta if he were to be seen with me. So, his overbearing concern for my safety when he cannot personally be here is okay with me.
But he’s constantly texting me throughout the day, making sure I’m safe and asking if I need anything. Wanting to know if I’m eating well or if I’m locking my doors at night.
It’s his midnight calls that make me yearn for him. My pussy grows wet and needy when I take those calls because he’s taught me what it’s like to feel wanted and desired. Dante’s filthy commands, combined with his raspy growl, send shivers up my spine, making me more than willing to fulfill every dirty fantasy we can createover the phone without seeing one another. His phone sex is next level.
But obviously, prior to Dante, mine was nonexistent. Now it’s improving every day, and I could give him a run for his money thanks to him. He’s an excellent teacher.
Dante has begged me to vanish, to let him spirit me away until he’s crushed the threat that’s my uncle and Scarletta. But vanish how? This pharmacy isn’t just bricks and mortar. It’s my family’s legacy. It’s a lifeline for people who need medicine to get well and even provides pain relief for those who need it. I can’t just desert them.
Even with Silas’s illegal shipments happening in the back of the store, there are mothers who want to provide comfort for their sick children, and people with illnesses that require the medicine only I can provide from the pharmacy. They need the services and medicine.
Every morning, I slip on my lab coat and perform the same rituals to keep myself busy and my mind off of what is happening. I take Silas his coffee, fill the waiting prescriptions, take care of our customers, and mix the pharmaceutical compounds.
Normalcy is my armor right now. If I didn’t follow my routines, I’m pretty sure I would lose my mind. The fear of the unknown, on top of trying to second guess Dante or Silas, will drive me over the edge if I allow it to happen.
Seven days without him, worried about what will happen next because Dante had promised he’d draw Scarletta out, exposing both my uncle and his partner. I know he’s weaving a trap that only he’s capable of spinning, and I’m sure he’ll win because, apparently, he always does.
He has also assured me he will administer his own justice, not just leave it to law enforcement, and I feel as if his sentence will be more just than anything the system could provide in the end.
But God, the waiting is tearing me apart. I hate that my heart jumps at every strange noise or bump in the night. Being on the sidelines while he plots and plans is not something I enjoy. After I realized the truth about Silas, it was clear I was going to have to be more proactive. Figuring out how to do that has been difficult.
Tonight, though, is one of my favorite nights of the year. Halloween reminds me so much of my mother and father. They had always made the most of the haunted season, decorating both the store and our home, making them extra spooky. I carried on the tradition of dressing up for our parade of neighborhood trick or treaters who visit all the local shops up and down the street, handing out buckets of candy until dark.
By the time I turned the closed sign and encouraged the others to go home, my witch’s wig and costume had become itchy, so I changed into my normal leggings and sweatshirt.
Instead of sitting at home alone, I decided to continue working in my lab, finding refuge in my formulas. I know there won’t be any trick or treaters at my small apartment above the store, so I’m working on a holiday bath line, hoping that will get me in the season’s spirit.
The scented pumpkin and spice scrubs and bath bombs are sure to be a hit this year. This is the part of my job I love. It’s great having the freedom and creativity to develop new products and scents, and it’s also rewarding because I know people will find joy in my creations. Mylab really is my happy place as I try to distract myself from the actual danger lurking outside my door.
The store is quiet tonight with the employees gone and the aisles deserted. Normally, it wouldn’t bother me. Tonight, however, with all I know about Silas, and when I know we’re in a partnership with criminals, I’m on edge.
There are multiple partnerships to worry about. Those include not only Silas and his associate, Scarletta, but mine as well. I’m just as culpable as Silas now, right? After all, I’m literally and figuratively in bed with the infamous Dante Vescari.
Just as I’m dwelling on this, I hear the rusty hinges on the back door leading into the lab screech.
“Hello?” I call out, my voice cracking, and my hand flying to my chest, as if I could still the fluttering of my heart. “Who’s there?”
The dim light from the hall falls on my uncle as he steps through the open door. Silas’s jaw is tense, and his eyes are icy. Definitely not like the uncle I grew up with, I don’t even know this man.
