Chapter 17: Word travels

Rylee: I love you.

I say into his chest.

Dante: I love you.

He raises my chin with his fingers lifting me up for a kiss.

Dante: How did you get Theo into a horse stall?

Rylee: How did you know?

Dante: Word travels.

Of course.

Rylee: I told him I was looking to buy a horse and he had one to offer.

His grip tightens on my chin.

Dante: I told you I didn't want you going solo this was Grams mission.

I slide off of him and into the bathroom. After a quick pee I wash my self and stand looking in the mirror. There's no make up hiding the slight bruising on my cheek, thankfully the marks on my neck are barely visible. The images of Leo holding me down flashes through my mind followed by Theos hands lifting my dress. All of them suddenly flash before me. Every man and woman Gram and I have killed. The things I did and let them do to me in order to end them. I hear the bathroom door creak open. Dante's right arm curls around my waist as he dips his head over my shoulder looking in the mirror.

Rylee: I was never alone with him. Gram was there in the stall waiting.

Dante: How did you get the horse to do it?

Rylee: She was already agitated by him when we first went in. She didn't like him being close to her. When Gram shoved him off me he fell under the ropes into her stall and she kicked him.

Dante: Shoved him off of you.

Rylee: We got the job done. That's what matters. Why the hell didn't you call me back to let me know you were ok.

I turned on him. His eyes soften as he takes my lips. When I push him back wanting an answer I notice his bandage is bloody.

Rylee: Sit.

I shove him down on the edge of the tub and reach under the sink for medical supplies. Finally seeing the wound after taking off the bloody bandage. There's several stitches a few of them have torn. It's deep but thank god it's just a graze. I replace the torn stitches with a couple of butterfly bandaids and apply a new bandage. Dante runs his fingers over my scar on my belly before leaning in pressing his lips to it. Both arms wrap around my back as he just holds me for a minute in silence. Apart of me thought it was fate that I might not be able to have children, knowing that we will always be tied to the mafia life. But in this very moment the thought of not being able to hurts more when I know it's what we both want. With most of our biggest threats eliminated we have secured a safer future. Will I alone ever be enough for him. My thoughts turn to the horse.

Rylee: What will happen to the horse?

Dante: Depends on who owned it. Since the death won't be made public my father will probably have it put down. Eye for an eye.

Rylee: No. please don't let that happen Dante.

He stared into my eyes with great thought and consideration.

Dante: I won't baby.

With out even flinching he lifts me in his arms and carries me back into the room and lays me on the bed while he walks over to his jacket on the floor and pulls his phone from the ripped pocket I hadn't noticed before. He shows me his shattered phone before tossing it on the night stand.

Dante: I'm sorry baby, I couldn't call you.

He crawls in next to me covering us with the sheet resting his hurt arm over me as I turn into his side. Rubbing his chest. 2 inches over and Dante would not be here.

Rylee: Somebody was watching over you tonight.

Dante: Or it could be that the guy was too strung out on what they've been trying to sell he couldn't shoot worth shit.

I hear my phone buzzing in my jeans on the floor and roll over to grab it. It was Gram checking to make sure everything was ok.

Gram: All good?

Rylee: You two can be like arm brothers now. Lol.

Dante: Arm brothers

Dante's voice is questioning as he reads my text to Gram over my shoulder. It takes a second for either of them to get what I was trying to say.

Gram: Very funny. Call me tomorrow.

Dante chuckles as he finally gets it as well.

Rylee: It already is tomorrow.

Gram: Smart ass!

It felt like I had just fallen asleep when there's a knocking in the door. Dante jumps out of bed slipping on a pair of sweats from his dresser drawer and cracks open the bedroom door. I can't see who's there but I hear his muffled voice it's James.

James: It's done.

Dante comes back to the bed with a new phone in hand setting it next to mine while he slowly pressed his morning wood along my back side. He pushes down his sweats lifting my thigh just enough to slide his eager lubed cock through my entrance from behind. He rolls me on my belly and straddles my legs with his.

After our morning love making, we eat a quick breakfast and shower. Dante takes my phone and texts Gram to be ready at a specific location. Carlton drives us to a public parking structure where we find Gram waiting in a blacked out Ford raptor.

Rylee: This suits you much better than the viper.

We hop in the back and Dante gives Gram coordinates.

Gram: How's the arm.

Dante: Soar as shit but I've had worse.

Gram: At least it's not your trigger finger.

Dante: Nothing like having the right hand immobilized when you don't have a lady around to help out.

He laughs and I smack his right arm. Gram glares back at him through the review mirror and I am stunned at the slight smirk that plants on his face. It brings a smile to mine as I embrace this moment for all that it is. A moment with the two people I love more than anything. They are my life line my family. Dante takes my hand in his with a knowing smile and gleam in his eyes. It's dark by the time we pull into a Harbor down in Virginia.

Dante takes my hand leading us down a narrow doc with Gram following close behind. Near the end there's a large fishing boat and standing guard is Erik. He nods as we climb up the steps to the deck. There's a smaller stocky guy with a shaved head dressed in a black suite. He opens a door that leads to a cabin. We head down a set of stairs going below deck where through the living quarters another guard with thick black hair and piercing grey eyes stands outside a door. He opens the door glaring at me as I walk past. For some reason it sends a chill down my spine.

Dante feels my hand tense in his. He turns to look at me but takes notice of Gram. I look back to see Gram giving a death stare at the guy. Dante pulls me behind him as he steps back from the door way. He's a few inches taller than the guy as he stares down at him.

Dante: Is there a problem.

Guard: No sir.

The guard stands attention staring blankly past Gram. Then it hits me. I've seen him before. Oh god. I've given him a lap dance at the Lions den.

Dante looks back at me.

Dante: You ok.

I nod feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Causing Dante to scrunch his nose and brow.

Dante: You good?

He says to Gram. Gram nods and we walk in to the room. There's one more guard leaning against a wall, it's James. In the center of the room Anthony sits chained to a chair. His face is covered by a black pillow case. Dante leans down and whispers in my ear.

Dante: How do you know that guard?

Rylee: He was a customer at the Lions den.

His jaw ticks his hands curl Into a fist. He walks over whispering something to James. James nods and kicks off the wall leaving the room. Gram walks around behind Anthony standing in the shadows. I stand a foot behind Dante as he removed the pillow case. Anthony's face turns red with anger.

Anthony: What the fuck is the meaning of this Dante.

Dante: Ten years ago, you took something away from me.

He punched Anthony across the left side of his face so hard it looked like a tooth had launched out of his mouth. Anthony spit out blood, angry and even more confused.

Dante: For ten fucking years I've lived with out the only person that has ever mattered to me.

Dante punches his him again.

Anthony: What the fuck are you talking about.

I step around Dante holding the picture of my family.

Anthony: What the fuck is that suppose to mean to me?

Rylee: You killed my family and left us for dead.

He looks at the picture closer and up at me. He's not the brightest guy. Gram comes around from behind the chair as I step aside.

Anthony smirks as he recognizes him and looks back at me.

Anthony: What? you the little girl from the photo? I had orders. It was nothing personal. But you. That was personal. You killed my little cousin.

He says to a Gram.

Gram: Your cousin killed my daughter, and you. You almost killed Rylee you piece of fucking shit.

Gram starts wailing on Anthony till I put a hand on his shoulder pulling him back. Anthony's right side of his face is beat to shit. His eye swollen shut. His lip split wide open. His nose broken. He looks up at Dante through his good eye.

Anthony: What the fuck does this have to do with you.

Dante: Everything.

Anthony: It was your dads orders.

Dante: But you where the one to pull the trigger.

Anthony: Yeah well she's alive, so what's the fucking problem. You got your little scamp back.

Dante sticks a knife in Anthony gut and twists.

Dante: She is alive. But because of your bullet, she might not get the chance to have my kids. You took that away from us.

I feel Grams eyes on me at hearing Dante's confession to Anthony. Dante pulls the knife and whips it off on Anthony's pants and hands the knife to Gram. Gram plunges the knife into Anthony's side. Rips it out and hands it to me. I shake my head refusing the knife. He's barely breathing as it is. There's nothing more I could do to add insult to injury. Dante pulls out his gun and shoots Anthony in the head. He then pulls me into his chest, capturing my lips with his, before leading us back up top.