Chapter 77 HE'S GONE SOFT

Chapter 77 HE'S GONE SOFT
“I am fine.” I say for the hundredth time today.
Dante is standing in front of the stove and he's hell bent on cooking for me. He doesn't want the chefs to do it. For some odd reason, he wants to do it himself.
“You should be in bed.” His reply comes easily.

I eye him, but my frustration slips as I observe the way the muscles in his back flex.

He stretches his arm and grabs a knife, he twists the blade so easily, like he's done this a million times.

I swallow and try to pry my gaze away from him, but it's difficult.

“You know, talking about going to bed….” he looks over his shoulder and shakes his head.

“No, no…”
“Dante, you can't be serious.” Since when does Dante say no to sex?
“You're unwell.”
“I am well. Why are you suddenly treating me like an infant.”
“I watched him…” he drops the knife so hard it bounces off the marble counter top and clatters on the floor. “I watched him try to cut you. I had to fire quickly and I would have killed you If I'd missed. I made a promise to protect you and I sent you into danger.”

“But I got the package, didn't I? I'm safe.”
“What if I couldn't track the car, what if I never knew where they took you.”
“But you did and I am safe. I trusted you, not once did I flinch. I was only waiting for time to pass because I was sure you'd show up, and you did.”

The words seem to give him relief but it only lasts a second. He takes another knife and goes back to slicing the vegetables.

“Never again.”
I sigh, “Your world is dangerous, I understand and I'm volunteering to stay in it with all the danger.”
“I can keep you safe, the danger shouldn't have to reach you.”

I open my mouth to say something but all words fail me.


Bright blue eyes, as unfamiliar and unfathomable as the ocean, stare at me from across the table.
“I never thought I'd see you again.” I say to Frederick.
His smile deepens, but there's something behind his eyes that tells me this smile is just a delicate mask.

He's charming, I can feel the charisma radiating from him. But there's something hovering deep inside him.
“I could have said the same thing…” he says and flashes me a smile I don't understand. “Dante's not fond of keeping one woman around for too long.”

I throw a glance at Dante, his hands are gripping his spoon hard. It is subtle but I know him enough that I see it.

I didn't think I'd last this long either.

“How was your trip?” Dante asks Frederick.
“Amazing.” Frederick says, his voice lacking joy.

I look between the two men and wonder what is happening.

“This is delicious, Anya, did you cook this?”
“No, it was Dante.”

Frederick brows lift, almost touching his hairline.
“Who would have thought?” Frederick says with a small genuine smile.

Time passes and the silence thickens. It's not a comfortable kind of silence, it's the one that makes your stomach grumble.

“I found the book you were looking for.” Frederick says to Dante
“What book?”
“The fish will eat and the sun will bear it witness. It's written by a polish author, it's an old script and it took a lot of digging but I found it. It's something the villain says to the protagonist before carving his heart out.”

The words strike a memory, I remember picking up the red note.

Dante exhales softly.
“I forgot you were looking.”
“You asked me to.” Frederick replies him
“Yeah, I did.”
“You don't look excited.”

Dante pushes his food around his plate. I watch him closely, I've never seen him so… Distraught.
“I'm glad you found it. I really am, I appreciate your help but I'm no longer interested in the blood syndicate.”
“What?” Frederick question comes soft and broken
“You heard me.”
“I can't believe this. You're joking, aren't you?”

For some reason, Frederick looks like his entire world just got flipped upside down. There's veins bulging on his forehead and his eyes are wide like saucers.

“You killed my uncle Franco for this. You killed him for information and now you're just going to drop it?!”

Dante looks at me and he looks like he doesn't want to discuss such things in front of me. How the hell did we go from my invitation to the Circle to hiding information like this? I've watched the man kill and yet here is he shying away from the admission of killing someone.

“Not here.” He says to Frederick, it's a warning.

Frederick stands, sending his chair crashing backwards. He looks like he's about to puke.

“You're just going to give up on Angelo?”
Dante turns to Frederick and he shakes his head slowly.
“No, but in the quest of giving Angelo justice, I won't lose the people I care about.”

My heart is beating so fast I fear it would combust.
Frederick whips his gaze to me.

Something crosses his eyes then he turns his gaze to Dante, who is sitting calmly like he's watching a weather forecast.
“You're not the Dante I know.” Frederick says.
“That's fine. You never knew me in the first place.”

Frederick storms out and I reach for a glass of water.
“Sorry about that.” Dante says apologetically and continues with his food as if nothing happened.