While nothing about him showed his anger, I noticed the way his voice dropped an octave, the bright sheen in his wild blue eyes, and the way his entire body was telegraphing violence.
Not one of them saw the truth.
How close they were to danger.
“You survived for five decades,” Rocco put in, sounding almost approving at Dante’s suffering. “I’ve heard the stories. Il Lupo Solitario, the Lone Wolf, they called you. The one who wouldn’t die. My spies are the best.” He looked up and down the table with a satisfied smile.
I shivered. Approval from Rocco was never a good thing, and to treat Dante’s pain—his scars—like some sort of victory made me detest the old bastard even more than I already did.
“Flattering stories.” Dante dipped his head. “But thank you for the vote of confidence, Signore Demente.”
Emilia arched her brow. “These are serious accusations, Signore Dominico. But let us discuss last night, when you broke a truce forged between Marcello and Giovanni.” She tapped a pointed red nail on the table. “You invoked an unsanctioned ward, imprisoned one of my priests and forced him to perform a ceremony without his consent, then bonded yourself to the DiRavello female heir.”
My fingers tightened at my sides.I have a fucking name. Use it.
Luca’s mouth twitched, his eyes sliding to mine.Keep your temper in check, sister, this is only the beginning.
Several pairs of eyes were already on me, curious, as if wondering why I was here at all. I kept my expression carefully blank, my head held high, mulling over Rocco’s words.
Il Lupo Solitario.
The Lone Wolf. Not a common nickname for a pit fighter. Which meant whoever ran The Fossa knew Dante was Marcello’s son.
I filed that information away for later.
“You risked destabilizing the entire Dynasty with your antics,” Severin added. “We cannot allow such… disruptions to occur without consequences. You must be made an example.”
Dante’s mouth curved. “An example of what, exactly?” he asked, “No guards werepermanentlyharmed. Here you all are. Very much still in power. Very much still breathing and sitting in your golden thrones. Nothing in your plush, privileged world has changed.”
“Explain your actions, then,” Emilia instructed.
He rubbed his jaw, completely at ease in the face of five people who could order his death.
“The DiRavello-Dominico alliance was sealed a century ago. As the Dominico heir, I had just come of age when Marcello and Enzo had me swear a blood oath, exchanging Dominico protection for my future marriage to the eldest DiRavello daughter.”
Emilia turned the full force of her gaze on me, and that ancient compulsion hit me full force, my knees weakening, spine softening. A weaker female might have knelt, but I was not weak. I raised my chin and met her glare with a smile cold enough to freeze every fucking canal in Venice.
Our stares locked, and she looked away first.
That’s right. I might be a DiRavello, but I’m no pushover.
36
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Marcello’s lips thinned as he glared at Dante, his veined hands trembling where he gripped the edge of the table. “Dominico heir? You were stripped of that honor when I declared you?—”
“Stripping me of my title doesn’t negate a sworn blood oath.” Dante spoke so patiently, a dark red flush crept up Marcello’s neck. “I was still bound by the oath, as were you. I am simply fulfilling my part of the bargain. If Enzo was alive, he would agree that the terms of the oath were fulfilled. But he’s not alive, is he?”
Nico leaned down and whispered something into Severin’s ear, his mouth twitching.
What’s his game?If he’s not careful, you’ll end up a widow. Luca shifted in his chair.Not that I don’t enjoy watching Marcello squirm, mind you.
I don’t know, but Dante has a plan, Luca.
At least, I hoped he had a plan. Marcello’s color didn’t look good at all. Maybe this trial would be the death of him instead of Dante, and I could consider my mission accomplished.
You can only hope, sister. Luca’s chuckle echoed inside my head.
