“I know, but I wanted to.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you. I can’t bear it that you’re in pain.”
She looked him in the eye. “Even when you cause it?”
“Especially when I’ve caused it. I never meant to hurt you. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t trust you, but that I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t trust my gut that was telling me you wouldn’t cheat and that I was enough for you.” He moved closer to her. “I had believed the same with respect to someone else, and it turned out to be false.”
“I’m not her.”
“I know you’re not, and I’m sorry for not realizing that sooner.” He moved closer to her.
“So where does that leave us?”
“Nothing has changed for me. I still want our marriage to be real and for you to come back home. If you can accept the fact that even though I left the mob, they are still my family.”
“I understand that now. We didn’t pick the families we were born into, and they will always be a part of you.”
“Can you accept that?” Dante held his breath. This was the make it or break it moment and would determine if they had a future together or not.
“I can. I love you so much, Dante, that it hurts and I’m scared. I don’t want to turn into my parents.”
“Oh, baby, come here.” He wrapped her in his arms, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “You could never be like them.” He cupped her face in his hands so he could look into her eyes. “You’re already so different. You were taking care of them, which is more than can be said for them.”
He wiped the tears from her eyes with the pads of his thumbs. “Look at your friendship with Zoe and the way you cared for Sabrina, even though after a while she didn’t deserve it.”
“Yeah, turns out she hated me.”
“Not everyone is going to like you. All that matters is that you like yourself.”
“I’m nervous to have kids.”
“We don’t have to have them right away. We can take our time, and you can decide down the road how you feel.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to resent me if I decide I don’t want them.”
“I won’t. I’d prefer to have you than someone else and kids.”
“Oh, Dante.” She kissed him.
Dante deepened the kiss and then pulled back. “Let’s get you something to eat. I know you have to be hungry.”
“I am, but for you.”
“Me too, but we have the rest of our lives for that. Let’s eat and talk. I missed our talks.” He reached for her hand, and she slipped hers in his and it was right.
****
Dante needed to call a meeting. One that he would invite Enzo to later. Would Enzo show up or just skip it and ignore him? He was using a meeting room in one of their office buildings where they kept offices for real estate and their financial firm.
The men filed in some one by one, others in groups until everyone was there except Enzo. The family lawyer was there as well. Dante waited for his tech guy to show up. When Hunter came in, Dante began the meeting.
“The reason I called everyone here is because Hunter found out who hacked the accounts and set me up.”
“Who?” said the Don.
“Hunter, if you want to go ahead and give your report again.”
