16

"How did you spend the night?" asked Dante, as we ate breakfast together in the garden of the property. Or in theory, he was the only one who was able to consume food normally, while I had lost my appetite since I saw his dark eyes, "You haven't tasted your food, would you rather eat something different?" he asked.

I stared at him, with no expression on my face and he immediately realized what was happening. He took a deep breath and set his plate aside.

"Evie, I understand that you're surprised and scared, I wouldn't have....

"Why?" I interrupted him, not at all interested in listening to him.

"Why what?" he looked at me quizzically.

"Why won't you let me leave this place? I want to get back to my life," I objected distantly, feeling anger consume me. He sighed defeatedly.

"I thought that was clear to you.

"Clearly it's not and I don't care. I want you to take me to America and leave me there; I want to forget I ever knew you once and get on with my career," he tensed his jaw none too happily, "You can't keep me locked up here, I have a life.

"You can't go back, not now," he replied and I snorted in annoyance, "Understand, Evie. Understand what your presence means in my life, in this place and what I did to keep you safe.

"You know what I do understand," I said and got up from my chair, "I understand that you are a millionaire, who thinks he has control in his hands and now he is a dangerous mobster.

"Evie.

"I also understand now that you want me here why you are obsessed with me and took the opportunity that I was sold to the fucking black market to lust after me!" I shouted and his gaze suddenly darkened. He stood up angrily from the chair, to make himself in front of me.

"Make no mistake, Evie, even if you are aware of who I am, it doesn't mean I have the patience you think I do," he inquired gravely, burying his voice in my system like a drill.

I was very angry with him, however, that didn't take away how intimidating he could be and I had never seen him angry.

"I try my best to take care of you and give you a nice space, where you won't worry, even if I don't get what I want," I felt his eyes pierce my soul, "I haven't had the desire to let Mauro know you're with me, and even what happened with you, but for some strange reason, he doesn't seem concerned about your location and that intrigues me," I tensed my jaw knowing full well why, "Maybe I did take the opportunity, maybe I do have a plan, but that doesn't mean I can figure out what you want right now.

"What do you mean?

He sighed wearily, "Evie, my father has been a mercenary leader for years in Italy, after my grandfather. And being his eldest son, I was raised on this dark side of the world to toe the line and although I studied a career, the determination and power I was forced to have, was solely to be my father's successor," he confessed and I gasped, listening to his arguments.

"Wasn't the life you had enough?" I frowned.

"This business is not something that can simply be undone by wishful thinking, it's much more dangerous than you can imagine. Many people can end up hurt or even dead, power can become the bane of any human being who gets involved," I swallowed my saliva in fear, "I didn't grow up with a loving family, nor with a normal childhood, not like Mauro had and that's why he's a complete idiot.

"But what about Grace? She's so nice, there's no way she wouldn't.....

"Grace is not my mother, Evie," he declared and I opened my eyes in surprise.

That was the reason I had called her by her name and not Mom. Grace was not her mother.

"What about your mother, where is she?" I dared to ask, for my sympathetic heart could not handle something so delicate, even if I wished to beat him unconscious.

He averted his gaze and the sparkle in his eyes went out. At once I understood that his mother was a very delicate subject that I would not discuss with a woman who hated him for the situation.

"My mother is not the important thing in this conversation, what I am trying to tell you is that my position is at stake," he regained his posture as if nothing had happened and that impressed me at the same time it frightened me, "My father's bad decisions, condemned him to war. Mercenaries of great power have decided to fight for the leadership of the industry and I am in the obligation to impose my place.

"What do you mean by imposing your place?

"I'm not going to lie to you, because you're going to find out anyway. Words are superfluous in a world where power is the reward for all sacrifices and I'm willing to murder anyone who gets in my way," he pointed out self-assuredly and my breath caught in my lungs at the confession. The darkness with which he claimed to be capable of murder, chilled my blood, "And that's where you come in," it distracted me from the bubble I was starting to sink into because of his words and I looked at him scared.

"What are you talking about, what do I have to do with that?

"You can't go anywhere, why I risked too much having done everything I could to get you out of that auction. And if any of those mercenaries know of your existence and what I would be able to do for you, they could use you to bring down my power and I couldn't bear for them to hurt you," he raised his hand to my face and caressed my cheek, with a sublime look, one I had never seen before; so vulnerable that for a moment I believed what he was saying and didn't realize it the moment he joined his forehead with mine. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my lips and my pulse suddenly quickened. Memories of that dream swept over me like a storm, "I would destroy the world for you, Evie," he whispered and I felt as if he had caressed my heart with his voice.

"Dante.

"You are right about something," he said, "The moment I met you at the university, where I was only going with the intention of enrolling Mauro, your green gaze, like that of the leaves on the trees; so determined and innocent as far as my reality was concerned, clouded my senses to the point that seeing you again became my vitality," he confessed, while I didn't know what to think, "I cared for you, both near and far and when I knew that Mauro had met you, that you were friends, I felt I was losing something I didn't even have and some time later, when I returned to my parents and found you with him at my house, I was left with no doubt that I was only left with being the brother-in-law of the woman I wanted to have.

I swallowed, "I don't know what to tell you, you didn't tell me anything.

"My position is very complicated, my father was still the leader and you were innocent to all that. I wasn't capable of bringing you into my world, even if it cost me my life," he sighed and broke off. For some reason I felt bad, "I am fully aware of what I am doing by having you here, by not alerting Mauro of your location, why I know you love him.

"No," I replied without thinking and he gave me a sidelong glance. Even though the truth had been that I hated him for selling me out, he still didn't know that part of the story, "I don't love Mauro, Dante. We were just starting something, it's illogical for someone to love someone else so quickly," I said and immediately realized that Dante did, even if he didn't have me. We both looked at each other in silence for a second for the same reason, "The point is, I love him, but it doesn't seem to be reciprocated. He hasn't cared about me.

"Do you want me to warn him?

"No," I sighed stressed, trying to understand all the information I consumed, "I still can't process your situation and that mercenary thing very well, but if I understood anything it's that I am your weakness and in this war for power, they could use me against you to make you give up the leadership, am I right?

He smiled half-sideways, "That's right. In this place I protect you, and my place in line.

"What if someone finds out, could they kill me?

"Over my dead body," he objected firmly.