ChapterFour
AVA
After I took care of Angelo and Stefan, I went next door to check on Dante. He was sleeping with the monitors beeping at a steady rate. The nurse assured us his vitals looked good. We just had to wait for him to wake up.
Even if he didn't think anyone liked him—only feared him—that was so far from the truth. All of us loved and respected him. This family didn't work without him issuing orders, leading us the way only Dante knew how.
I sat on his bed and stroked my fingers through his black hair. He looked so handsome, so peaceful. Things had never been easy with Dante. But over the past month, we were growing closer. I was starting to understand why Dante was so close off and didn't let anyone into his life.
I bent down and whispered into his ear, "Please wake up, Dante. We need you." I kissed his cheek. "We love you."
I laid my hand on the bed, and our fingers brushed.
At least his heart was still beating. I hadn't noticed any strange dips in the monitor, staring at it like a hawk.
He was alive.
For now.
I hoped and prayed he would return to us.
I needed him.
We all did.
It sounded strange to me that I would ever say that about Dante. But as I twirled the poker chip and playing card charms on the bracelet he gave me for my birthday, I realized I meant something to him, too. He wouldn't have put this much thought into a present if he didn't care about me.
The day he taught me how to play poker must have stuck with him. It wasn't the greatest of days from the start. But by the night's end, he lowered his guard just enough for me to see what he loved.
Poker.
The casino.
That environment gave him life. It was the one thing that kept him going every day. He enjoyed being the casino boss more than the underboss of the Luciano crime family. At times, I would see the tiniest of smiles gracing his lips. Those stolen moments were few and fleeting, but they were always when we were on the casino floor together.
Dante's finger brushed mine.
I stared at our hands in shock. "Dante, if you can hear me, move your hand again."
"He's not awake," Nico said from the entryway, where he'd been watching me with Dante for the past ten minutes.
Nico had dark circles under his eyes, his usually styled blond hair messy. It looked as if he'd been tugging at the ends. But he was still handsome, his big blue eyes searing my skin.
"Dante moved." I tipped my head at the bed. "Look."
Of course, Dante had to be stubborn and prove me wrong. His hand stayed in the same spot.
Did I imagine him touching me?
I hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours and was running on fumes. My mind could have been playing tricks on me. But when I felt his skin touch mine once more, a smile stretched the corners of my mouth.
I looked at Nico. "Did you see that?"
He bobbed his head, a tiny smile on his face. Nico didn't attempt to move any farther into the room. Instead, he let me have this moment with Dante. One of the many things I loved about Nico was that he knew when to let me be.
Nico's phone rang, cutting through the silence. He spoke to someone in Italian, his voice low and controlled, and after a minute, he pocketed the phone.
"I have to help Paulie with something," he said. "But I shouldn't be long. If you need anything, Tony, Vinnie, and Pete are in the waiting room."
