"Don't mention his name before the Don," Dante says.
I have no clue what that's supposed to mean, but I nod. My mind is whirling with a million thoughts as I follow Dante to the entrance.
Before stepping outside, I glance up at the mezzanine. Ivy and the men are watching us leave. Something tells me that it won’t be my last time seeing them.
When I look back outside, my eyes immediately catch on Don Savastano.
He's leaning against a Rolls-Royce like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
My breath halts in my lungs.
I know his face from photographs, but the man before me is something else entirely.
As we get closer to him, I hear whispers about the things he's done to his ex-wives. He emits a strange kind of aura, like a dying star that's about to go out in a supernova.
He's also much,muchlarger than the average man.
Dante stands over six feet, but this man is almost a whole head taller than Dante. If I were to guess, the Don must be closer to seven feet than six. Just being in his presence feels like standing too close to a flame.
"Don Savastano," Dante says, bowing his head respectfully. "I wasn't expecting to see you tonight."
“Try to contain all the excitement, Dante,” the Don says dryly.
“Had I known you were coming, I’d have arranged a proper welcome,” Dante says.
“And trouble the newlyweds? Never,” he says, glancing in my direction now.
I hold my breath.
His ice-blue eyes make everything inside me freeze.
"So you're the woman who captured Dante's attention," he says. "It's nice to meet you, Grace Thorne."
I feel like a puppet before him. He's so large that I have to tilt my head all the way back just to look him in the eye. And when he shakes my hand, I realize that he could crush every bone in my hand if he wanted to.
"Nice to meet you, Don Savastano," I say, fighting to keep my voice calm.
"You made such a beautiful bride," he says. "Dante couldn't take his eyes off you for even a second."
I glance up at Dante. If he’s caught off guard as well, he doesn’t show it.
"I didn't realize you were there," I say to the Don.
"Oh, I'm everywhere.” He turns to Dante. "I see everything."
I feel a shift in Dante's energy. His face remains the same, but he's uneasy.
"I have a dinner reservation," the Don says. "Will the two of you join me?"
Dante looks a little dazed, but he nods. "Of course."
The Don smiles abruptly and hands him the car keys.
I hold my breath once again. I've been focused on his rugged form and enormous height until now, but his smile is arresting. It changes everything about his face, making all the hard lines disappear.
The man who is rumored to have killed six of his ex-wives has a beautiful smile.
The Don sits in the back. Dante guides me into the passenger seat and shuts the door. For a handful of seconds, it’s just the Don and me inside the car.
