"Tonight. And then it will truly be over. We can begin our life without their shadow hanging over us." He sets me down, his eyes scanning me. “You have my coat on.”
“I wanted to be close to you.”
“I’m here, now and forever. I just wanted to check on you, let you know it’s done. I still have more to do tonight, so you get some rest?—”
“I want to be there when you pass judgment.”
Alessandro's jaw tightens. "This isn’t retaliation. Your father and brother will die tonight by my hand."
"I know." I hold his gaze so he can see how serious I am. "And I want them to see me standing beside you when it happens."
"You think you want that now, but afterward..." He shakes his head. "I've seen how violence changes people. I don't want it to change how you look at me."
"I know exactly who you are, Alessandro Dante." I lift my chin. "Just as you now know who I am. I'm not some delicate flower who needs to be sheltered."
His lips twitch upward. “No, not a delicate flower, but still?—”
I push away from him and go to the closet, pulling out a simple black dress that seems suited for an execution. "I need them to see that I've chosen you. His men and your men will need to see it too. They need to know that I'm a Dante."
Alessandro watches as I begin to change. “You’re fucking amazing.”
I smile. “I know, right?” I turn my back to him. “Zip me, will you?”
He turns me, his hands cupping my cheeks. “I don’t like it. I don’t want the ugliness of this world around you or the baby.”
“Don’t coddle me, Alessandro. I’m made of stronger stuff.”
He's silent for a long moment, and I can see the conflict raging within him. “You’re my queen.”
“Yes, I am.” I press my lips against his. Then I think of one other person in this equation. “What about my mother?”
“We found her in her room, just sitting. Like she was waiting for death to descend on her. We’ve got her in another location than your father and brother, but still imprisoned.”
“Does she have to die?” I ask, my stomach twisting that my mother had a lifetime of misery, only to have her life taken. It doesn’t seem right.
“What do you think?”
“I think she’s no longer a person. She’s lost and doesn’t deserve being killed because of my father.”
His jaw tightens. “She’s a Vitale.”
“Well, her DNA is Scarletta. My father wiped out her family. Took everything from her. Maybe with our love, with a grandchild, she can find herself.”
He doesn’t look sure.
“I know this is a lot to ask.”
He laughs. “You should know, I’ve already vowed to give you whatever you want.”
I grin. “Oh, goodie.” Then I become more serious. “I want my mother to live. Unless she gives a reason, which I don’t think she will.”
He finally nods.
I slip on my shoes. "I'm ready.”
Alessandro takes my hand, his grip reassuring. "Remember, Isabella. After tonight, we look only forward. Never back."
I leave the room with him, walking downstairs. Part of me is terrified of what I'm about to witness. But I know without a doubt that I need to witness it. To know they can’t hurt me again. For them to see that their plans failed. That I’m a Dante.
