Page 34 of Dante Beretta
“I’ll come back with a warrant!” he shouted, showing his final card.
“You do that,” Romeo laughed. “Ain’t nothing you’re gonna find here.”
I grunted, not moving until someone else grabbed my other arm and literally dragged me back to the SUV.
“You better get your motherfuckin’ hands off of me right now,” I warned. I didn’t want to be touched, didn’t want to be talked at. I wanted…I wanted to kill something—or someone.
They did as I demanded, but in the process they threw me into the back of the SUV with Mateo who then proceeded to do a U-turn and head back up the driveway. They knew I was on edge, a ticking time bomb ready to explode.
I could have gotten out if I really wanted to. I could have run back down there and climbed over the gate. And any other time, I would have. But Navy…she was waiting for me. If I hurt her father now, I’d be showing her that I was no better than him. And I refused to put that stress on her, not when she was pregnant.
I had to wait—bide my time—because the one thing that I was sure of as Mateo pulled up outside the mansion doors, was that I wouldn’t let him get away with what he’d done. He’d pay for his sins, just like the rest of us had to.
CHAPTER 8
NAVY
I hummed a nursery rhyme over and over again as I lay like a starfish on Dante’s bed. The mattress spanned so wide that neither my feet nor hands touched the edge of it. And the softness…it was like I was lying on a cloud.
It was heaven. Pure heaven. And for once, I was in a position that didn’t make my back ache or my stomach hurt. Which was a miracle in itself.
I only had a towel wrapped around me, cooling off from the too hot shower that I’d taken. If I was honest, I could have stayed here all day, not moving a muscle, I was that relaxed. My eyes started to flutter closed, sleep threatening to take me away.
“Navy?” I tried to jerk up at the sound of Rosa’s voice, but by the time she’d opened the door, I was only halfway to sitting. No one ever spoke about how hard it was to simply justmovewhen you were pregnant. They should have told us this in health class years ago.
“Hi,” I squeaked out, finally making it into a fully upright position. My hand gripped the towel at my chest, keeping it secure. “Is everything okay?”
She grinned, her face looking completely different at the move. “I should be asking you that, gioia.” She didn’t bother asking if she could come in, instead she just strolled toward the bed and sat on the edge. I didn’t mind it though. There was something about her that reminded me of my own mom.
God, I missed her so much.
If I breathed deep enough, I swore I could smell the lavender and vanilla–scented perfume she wore each day. It felt like only moments ago that she taught me to always put it on your wrists, your neck, and a little behind your ears. Andalwaysbefore you got dressed. She said it lasted longer that way.
“Me and the girls were talking,” Rosa said, twirling her fingers in her lap.
“The girls?” I asked, feeling like I already knew what she was going to say.
“Sofia and Aida.” She pulled in a deep breath. “Now I know we don’t know you yet, and you have a lot going on.” She paused, her gaze meeting mine, sympathy shining inside her irises. “But we wanted to do something special for you.” My stomach dipped at her words, my anxiety rising but mixed in with that was excitement. “We want to take you out for lunch and go shopping for baby supplies.”
“Really?” I could already feel the tears pricking at my eyes. I had an idea of everything I needed, but in reality, it was like I was walking into a giant candy store not knowing which ones tasted the best.
“Really.” She stood, patting the bed. “Meet us downstairs in ten minutes. We’re just waiting for the men to get here.”
I nodded, not really understanding what she was saying about the men, but it didn’t matter because I was finally getting out of the house. I’d been locked inside these walls for days—no school, no driving my own car.
I missed it. I missed my freedom. But I also knew that I had to keep my baby safe. I had to wait it out until I’d given birth, at least then there was nothing my dad could do. It would be too late then.
Rosa turned as she got to the door. “And we’ll get you some clothes while we’re at it too. You can’t keep wearing Dante’s T-shirts all of the time.”
I smiled. “I don’t mind the T-shirts.” It was the truth, I didn’t. They covered me and were super soft, plus, they smelled like him. “But maybe I could get some leggings?”
Rosa nodded, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.
I didn’t think I’d ever gotten dressed so quickly. The prospect of breathing some fresh air and eating lunch fueled me to be down the stairs in record time.
“Ah, there she is,” Sofia called, running up the stairs and meeting me halfway. “Are you excited?” I was about to tell her I was, but she got there before me. “I’m so excited. I’m going to spoil my niece or nephew rotten.” She squealed, hooking her arm through mine as we got to the bottom. “This is the best thing that’s happened to me since…” She trailed off, her eyes glazing over, but as quickly as the look was there, it was gone again. I felt her arm stiffen in mine, her breaths coming faster. I had to bite my tongue, not wanting to pry and ask her what was wrong.
“Are you ready, Rosa?” a deep voice asked, ripping my attention away from Sofia. If it was a tactic, then it worked.