Page 141 of Ruthless Sinner

I turn my face so we’re eye to eye. “Tell what you said.”

We stare at each other. I it’s obvious when he speaks Russian when he’s with me he doesn’t want me to know what he’s saying, but I want to know.

He brings his hand back to my neck, but he’s not gripping like before. This touch is caressing.

“I said I want to keep you forever,” he finally speaks.

I touch him too. Touch his chest. Touch his heart. It’s beating so fast against my palm I feel like I could reach past his skin and take it.

I stand on my toes and kiss him again.

“Take me, Dante.” I kiss over his lips. “Take me again.”

“With pleasure.”

ChapterForty

Dante

Whoever said ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’, has definitely made a believer out of me.

All it took for me to learn the wisdom was three days of not being inside Serenity Bell. When I had her again I was a like a madman on crack.

I’ve been going to her place and doing my fair share of taking for the last few nights.

She’s taken me deeper down this path that’s going to burn me out. At the same time she’s provided a much needed distraction.

I’m no closer to finding Roland than I was when I first found out about him.

And I haven’t spoken to Virgo since that morning when we argued. His people have continued to help me in my search and with everything I’ve needed but it’s clear I’ve pissed him off in a way that might end our friendship.

It reminds me of our fallout with Cillian, Olivia’s brother. That shit originated with Virgo’s father too.

While I still speak to Cillian from time to time, Virgo doesn’t, and neither of us talk about him to each other either, because then we have to talk about Olivia.

Olivia who at the time was the little sister

I would have reached out to Virgo before now to talk it all out and apologize, but I’m not sorry.

I’m not sorry for anything I’ve said or done.

I won’t be an asshole and lie to him to make him feel better just because he’s my friend. If we can’t be truthful to each other then we’re not really the friends we thought we were.

If I’d turned down Serenity’s offer then I would have been in more trouble. Obviously if I’d listened to him in the first place I wouldn’t have landed myself in any trouble.

What I said to him about Olivia was true too. He didn’t choose her.

As the days have gone by I’ve worried even more about the future holds for all of us.

He and I are not in a good place. And neither are Serenity and me. We’re good together, but all we’ve done is just entered into another forbidden path. As if the gods of destiny that want us together have just reconfigured another way for us to keep our secret.

Now as I have approach Igor’s office I have to keep up the charade one more time.

I haven’t spoken to him either since the blowout last week when I nearly strangled Jason.

I’m at Levitsky Corp because I felt it was time to see him. I didn’t want to go to his house because it felt wrong to have this angst against my uncle with Jenifer there.

He’s expecting me so when I approach his office door and he sees me , he doesn’t look surprised. But the look he gives me is one of a disappointed parent.