Chapter37: Dante

Dante's POV

The meeting had wrapped up, but Jax and I stayed behind, nursing our drinks while the others filtered out of the back room at The Devil's Forge. Matteo had just left, giving me one of those knowing looks he was so good at.

"You know, Dante loses his mind whenever Val is mentioned," Jax said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair. "I've never seen you this way over a woman before. Especially not your sister."

I shot him a warning glare. "You better keep your mouth shut if you don't want Raine finding out about your little adventure with those twins in Vegas last year."

"Low blow, man." Jax winced, but recovered quickly. "But Raine and I aren't officially together yet."

"That's not what she thinks," I countered. "I've seen the way she looks at you."

Jax swirled his drink, a flash of something genuine crossing his face before his usual carefree mask slipped back into place. "Do what you want. I think you should be more worried about yourself."

"Why's that?" I asked, taking another swig of whiskey.

He held up one finger. "First, have you looked around this club lately? Lot of sexy men around here." He grinned. "Can't guarantee your step-sis won't get interested in one of them."

"She's not like that," I said, but doubt crept in uninvited. I barely knew her, didn't I? What if she was exactly like that?

"No?" Jax raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Because I saw how Miguel was looking at her the other night, and she wasn't exactly running away."

"Miguel better watch himself," I growled. The thought of Miguel—our newest prospect, with his pretty-boy face and smooth-talking bullshit—anywhere near Val made my blood boil.

"See? That right there." Jax pointed at me, laughing. "Your face gets all murdery whenever anyone so much as breathes near her."

"Fuck off," I muttered, but there was no real heat behind it.

"And two," Jax continued, raising a second finger, "this place is crawling with your ex-lovers. If Val is the jealous type, she's gonna get pissed sooner or later when one of them comes around looking for a repeat performance."

"Like who?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Like Tasha, for one." Jax gave me a pointed look. "She was here last night, asking where you've been. Said you haven't returned her calls in weeks."

"I've been busy."

"Yeah, busy staring at your step-sister." Jax snorted. "Then there's Cassie, who practically lives at the bar these days. And let's not forget about Melissa."

"Melissa's married now," I said defensively.

"Doesn't stop her from asking about you every time she comes in." Jax leaned forward. "Face it, man. You've left a trail of women who aren't exactly over you yet."

"Fuck," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. He wasn't wrong. Before Val came into my life, I hadn't exactly been a monk. There were more than just three women in the club who I'd been with, not counting the regular hangouts who'd sometimes warm my bed.

"You're in deep shit, man," Jax laughed, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"It doesn't matter," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I've had relationships with women before, sure. But since meeting Val..." I trailed off, surprised by my own admission. "I'm not interested in anyone else."

"Wow," Jax's eyebrows shot up. "You've got it bad. Never thought I'd see the day Dante Marino would be whipped by a girl. Especially not his sister."

"Step-sister," I corrected automatically. "And I'm not whipped."

"Sure you're not." Jax's smile was insufferable. "That's why you threatened to break Miguel's fingers for offering her a drink."

I shrugged, not bothering to deny it. "He was being disrespectful."

"Right." Jax rolled his eyes. "As for her being interested in other men, what about the ex? Is that a real concern?"

I felt my jaw tighten. "Just the thought of her ex-boyfriend makes me want to put my fist through a wall."

"Speaking of exes," Jax leaned forward, suddenly more interested. "What's the deal with that?"

I ran my thumb along the rim of my glass, remembering the rage I'd felt earlier that night. "I saw her with her ex-boyfriend Leon. "

Jax chuckled. "So what's his story? This Leon guy?"

"Not much to tell. He's a cop, that's all I know." I took another sip of my drink, savoring the burn. "Val doesn't talk about him much."

"A cop?" Jax's amusement faded instantly. "Shit, Dante. You've got a cop with a grudge against you sniffing around? That's not just relationship drama, that's a liability."

"You think I don't know that?" I snapped.

Jax held up his hands. "Just saying. Maybe it's best if you keep your distance for a while. A cop with a broken heart and a vendetta against the guy who stole his girl? That's trouble we don't need right now."

"I'm not staying away from her." My voice came out harsher than I intended.

"Well, at least he could keep Val safe," Jax said, his tone casual but his eyes watchful. "Maybe you should let Leon be with her."

I shot him a glare so cold it could've frozen hell. "You think you're funny?"

Jax held up his hands in surrender, but couldn't hide his shit-eating grin. "Just saying. Being with a cop might be safer for her than being with the heir to a mafia empire who also runs a motorcycle club."

"Safer for who?" I challenged. "You think a cop can protect her from the likes of Vincent's brother? Or from what my father might do if he finds out about her uncle's connection to the Donovans?"

"Fair point," Jax conceded. "But you can't be with her 24/7."

"I can try," I muttered.

Jax's expression softened slightly. "Look, man, I get it. You care about her. But this whole situation is complicated as hell. Step-sister, ex-boyfriend who's a cop, family ties to our enemies... it's a mess."

I drained the rest of my whiskey in one gulp, welcoming the burn. "As a brother," I said, setting my glass down with more force than necessary, "no one understands better than me how to keep Val safe."

Brother. The word tasted like ash in my mouth. It was the lie we told the world, the thin veneer of respectability covering the truth of what I felt for her. But it didn't matter what label the world put on us. Val was mine to protect, mine to want, mine to have.

Jax watched me for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. But you better have a plan for dealing with this cop and your parade of ex-girlfriends before Val gets caught in the crossfire."

"I'll handle it," I said, though I had no idea how.

After Jax left, I sat alone at the table, turning my empty glass between my fingers. He was right—I did need a plan. Val would be here, in the clubhouse, surrounded by my past and my present. Women I'd been with, men who would want her, dangers from all sides.

Yes, I definitely needed to think about how to solve those two problems Jax had pointed out. And I needed to do it fast, before Val found herself in a situation I couldn't control.