Chapter 55: I CHOOSE…

MIA

I looked at Lin.

She was already shaking her head stiffly, eyes saying "don't you dare." I looked at her for a full minute then turned away and walked forward.

"Mia." She said in a low, sharp tone. "Don't."

I kept walking.

The men on both sides didn't lower their weapons but nobody fired either and that was good. We didn't need all that violence today and I wouldn't be able to bear it if someone died. I felt all their eyes burning into me and the hottest ones were the ones from Dante in front of me and Lin behind me. I didn't dare look back until I was standing in front of him, tilting my head back to look at him.

His eyes lit up in possession and triumph as he stared down at me.

"I'll come with you," I said quietly. "If you let them go. All of them, right now, and nobody gets hurt."

He didn't even hesitate. "Done."

"You can't trust him!" Lin yelled from behind me. "Mia, he's going to say whatever you need to hear right now, that's what he does, you of all people should know that by now."

I turned and looked at her, keeping my face neutral as I stared her down. Even if she didn't understand now, she would understand later. I held her gaze hoping she would see what I was doing but she didn't, all she saw was a traitor standing with Dante.

"I know what I'm doing," I said.

Please believe me, Lin.

"You absolutely do not." She took a step forward and two of her men moved with her automatically. "You are walking back into the exact thing I spent months planning to get you out of. You are handing him exactly what he came here for and telling me you know what you are doing. I can't believe I ever fucking trusted you."

"Lin—"

"No." Her voice cracked slightly. "Do you understand what it cost me to get to tonight? Do you have any idea? I lost my fucking mind to do all this in the midst of grief! I have invested so much into this plan just to see it work and now, you have thrown it all away because you do not have enough self worth to let him go."

I flinched. Her words hurt so bad but there was nothing I could do, she had every right to say those things and more.

"I need you to—" I started.

She cut me off again. "Just shut the fuck up! You are nothing but selfish and so fucking stupid. I should have never helped you."

She looked beyond angry now. All the grief she hadn't let out was coming out now. I felt so genuinely sorry but I couldn't tell her right now or it would make things worse and I didn't need anyone else to know my plan.

"Lin—"

"How—"

"Lin!" I snapped then took a deep breath to calm myself. "I know what I am doing. I just need you to trust me."

"I don't." She clenched her jaw. "I really don't."

Dante cleared his throat then extended his hand.

I looked at it for one second. Am I sure about this?

I looked back at the pain in her eyes and decided it was worth it. It was the only way. I placed my hand in his, feeling the familiar warmth and callouses that had held me through bad nights, hands I loved so much.

He smiled, believing I had chosen him and all I felt was anger in my heart.

He looked at Lin over my head.

"Leave," he said. "Now. Before I change my mind about the generous terms."

She looked at me one more time and what I saw in her eyes was a look that would haunt me forever. Then she turned, said something to her men then they retreated while Dante's arms tightened around me.

"Good girl," he said quietly. "I'll forgive you this time because you were scared."

I didn't say anything.

His men cleared the warehouse in under three minutes and then we were in his car. He was in the backseat with me, holding my hand in both of his while Marco drove. For a while, we sat in silence, watching the city move past.

Dante lifted my hand and pressed his mouth against my knuckles, closing his eyes for a second in relief. I felt both disgusted and warm by the familiar act. If I was going to win this, I needed to kill all the feelings I had for him.

"I knew you'd come back," he said. "You always will."

I didn't respond.

He didn't seem to need me to, just kept holding my hand and looking out the window. I could feel the satisfaction rolling off him in waves and it made my hate for him grow even more.

Let him think he had won and soon, that would be his downfall.

My other hand was calmly tucked in my pocket which had the knife Lin had given me when we were on the move. It was cold against my palm. I thought she had given it to me for self defense in case Dante's men attacked, but could it be that she suspected that I would go back with him and gave it to me in case I needed a weapon to escape again?

She was really smart so I wouldn't put it past her. I also hoped that Yuna would be fine, but I wouldn't blame her if she didn't help me again.

I was sorry.

I was going to make it worth it.

Dante was looking at me now and his expression was warm again as he reached up to tuck my hair behind my ear just the way he liked.

"We're going to be okay," he said. "I know you're angry and you have every right to be. But we're going to work through this, just the two of us, and when we're done you're going to understand everything."

"I already understand everything," I said.

"Not all of it."

"More than you think."

He smiled a little like I was saying something endearing, and that was fine because let him underestimate how much I knew and how clearly I was thinking right now because his certainty that he had won was the most useful thing in this car.

My fingers closed around the knife in my pocket.

I wasn't here because I had given up or because I was scared or because some part of me still wanted this. I was here because Lin needed Dante to be gone forever and I was the only person who could get close enough to make that happen.

I had looked at her face in that warehouse when she said she lost her brother and I had decided that was a debt that needed paying even if I was not the one who owed it.

I was sorry for how I'd left her standing there.

But I would make it right.

Dante squeezed my hand and I squeezed back.

I was ready to play the mind games now.