I opened my eyes, glancing down at my bag. Luca and I had practiced self-defense over the years and against an inexperienced man I could have defended myself, but Dante was the Boss. He could kill without breaking a sweat.
And then Dante was leaning over me, tall and terrifying, and his arm brushed my thigh and I flinched away from him, my head colliding with the window. “No,” I gasped.
Dante’s blue eyes met mine, understanding reflecting on his face but he didn’t immediately pull away, still too close as if he was waiting for something. Then he straightened, holding my purse in his hand. He’d reached for it between my legs. I released a breath and quickly wiped a traitorous tear from my face, hoping my emotional reaction wasn’t because I was pregnant. What if I was risking this baby? God, what had I done?
Dante opened my bag, took out the knife and put it into the side compartment, then put the bag back down into the legroom.
I was still pressed against the window, my pulse racing.
“Aria,” Dante said firmly, drawing my gaze up to his eyes. They weren’t exactly soft, but at least they had lost some of the menace. “You are Luca’s wife; a war won’t change that. And even if you weren’t his wife, you wouldn’t have to fear that from me, or from anyone else in Chicago. I swear it.”
“Thank you, Dante,” I whispered. I straightened in my seat, embarrassed by my actions.
“There’s no need to thank me for respecting your body,” he said.
“What will you do with me then?”
He regarded me without a flicker of emotion. “That is the question, I suppose. I should use you to punish Luca and the Famiglia.”
I shivered.
“Or at the very least use you as leverage to blackmail him.”
That was what I feared. “Luca is Capo. He won’t risk the Famiglia.”
Dante smiled coldly. “But you are his wife, and I saw the way he looks at you. There’s only one thing Luca would risk his position as Capo over, and that’s you.”
Oh God, if Luca lost his territory or the trust of his men because of me, he’d never forgive me.
“I think you are overestimating my worth. Luca’s first choice will always be the Famiglia.”
Dante tilted his head, regarding me like an asset. “And I think you are underestimating your worth for good reason.”
“I’m not. Luca won’t risk his territory. You don’t know him as well as I do.”
“And that’s the problem,” he said. “If Luca didn’t comply with our requests, I’d have to try to convince him.”
“By hurting me,” I said.
He nodded. “By hurting you. I’m not very fond of inflicting pain on women.” But he would have to. “Yet, the Outfit is where my concern lies.” He said it like he had made his choice.
“There’s still Matteo, and the rest of the Famiglia. Luca has to consider their wishes.”
“Luca knows how to make people see things how he wants them to see them. Luca is the strongest Capo New York has seen in a long time. His men look up to him, but they don’t know his weakness.”
I was his weakness.
Tears burned my eyes. I had never meant to turn Luca weak, and I had to make sure he didn’t appear that way in front of his enemies, because that’s what Dante was. I took a deep breath. “Luca will do anything to stay Capo. It’s in his blood. Ultimately if he has to choose between me and power, he will choose power, believe me.” I met Dante’s cold gaze and hoped he couldn’t see that my words were a lie.
Dante didn’t say anything for a while, only stared at me. “Perhaps. But perhaps you are only trying to save yourself and Luca. Perhaps you realize that you being here could mean the end of the Famiglia.”
“No matter what you do to me, Luca won’t give up his territory. Luca won’t bow down to anyone.”
“But he won’t stand back and have you tortured.”
I jerked in my seat, shock widening my eyes before I could mask it, and Dante’s lips curled into a knowing smile.
Damn the mafia. Damn Dante and his manipulation. I forced down my panic and said firmly, “He won’t. He will attack Chicago and kill every man. He will show strength, not weakness. Luca is the most ruthless man I know, Dante, and I’ve grown up knowing you. Don’t mistake his possessiveness for anything else. I’m his possession, and he will tear down your city and your home to get it back.” I had to force out every word past the lump in my throat, through my fear. I had to be strong for Luca, couldn’t allow Dante to use me against him. I would do anything for Luca.
Dante leaned forward, his eyes hard. “And I will do the same with New York. You grew up seeing my civilized mask, Aria. Don’t mistake it for my true nature. Luca carries his monster on the outside; I keep mine buried until I need it.”