“And how am I supposed to do that?” He takes a step closer. “You knew I was coming, Layla. I show up, and you’re not there. What the fuck did you expect me to do? Go home?! You should’ve called!”
Spades joins us, glaring at his boss. “Stop scaring her.”
They step aside, talking in hushed voices, or rather Spades talks while Dante pumps his fists and grinds his teeth, clearly unappeased with whatever Spades says. After a minute, he turns around, getting into the Charger without a backward glance my way.
“You think he scared me?” I fold my hands over my chest. “Do you know me, Spades? I’m not scared of Dante. It takes more than shouting to scare me.”
“Yeah, figures. C’mon, I’ll take you home.” He points to the parking lot across the street. “And don’t argue. The only reason he left without a fight is that I promised I’d get you home safe.”
I don’t feel safe in taxis, so objecting is out of the question. Especially since it’s freezing outside.
“That’s what I meant about the hay brain,” he says when we speed across the city. “He needs to calm down.”
“I don’t need a controlling, breathing-down-my-neck man in my life. I’ve got enough of those. I won’t be reporting back to Dante every five minutes. You can tell him I said that.”
Spades chuckles under his breath. “He wasn’t pissed off that he couldn’t reach you, Layla. Not by a long shot. He was scared something happened to you.”
Oh.My mouth parts, and warmth engulfs me like a soothing balm. I might be selfish, but I love how much he cares; how protective and worried he is.
Spades slows down as the lights change at the junction a few hundred yards away, but we never reach it. A Charger jumps out from a side street, and Dante stops in the middle of the road, forcing Spades to emergency brake. The seatbelt prevents me from breaking my nose on the dashboard. Dante jumps out of the car, jaw set, eyes focused as he marches straight at us.
Spades gets out, leaving the door open. “Are you fucking insane? You were supposed to go home!”
“Shut up.” Dante pulls the passenger door open. “Are you scared of me?”
“No.”
“Then get out.”
“I don’t take orders. Get a dog.”
Tension leaves his face, and a small smile tugs at his lips. “Get out of the car.” He takes my hand. “Please.”
I can’t saynowhen he saysplease.I follow him back to the Charger, expecting an argument or a heated discussion at least, but he’s silent all the way home.
Once in the living room, he drinks half a glass of whiskey in one go before he even looks at me. “Is there anything I can do so you’ll stop thinking I want to use you?”
“Treat me like your girlfriend, not like your pawn.”
He lights a cigarette, sitting beside me on the couch. “When have I ever treated you like one of my people?”
“Do you hear yourself when you talk to me sometimes? You can’t boss me around, Dante. I’m yours, but I’m not your property. You don’t pay me to follow your orders, and I won’t let you dictate what I’m allowed to do.”
“Layla, I’m not acting this way to annoy you. It’s a habit.”
“A habit? I care about you, you know?” I look at him to make sure he’s listening. “It’s been a month, but I can’t imagine being without you.” Which is something I feared from the beginning. Something I swore not to let happen. “You know how to manipulate me. You know what I need and how much I lack attention, but I won’t let my man treat me the way my father and his people do. Either stop ordering me around, or if you can’t tone it down, then—”
“I can.”
Neither of us wants to hear the end of that sentence. He puts out the cigarette, pouring himself another neat whiskey. I don’t expect him to say that he cares. It’ll take time before he admits it aloud. Dante’s careful with words.
“I won’t control you. I don’t have to know where you are at all times, but when you’re supposed to meet me, and you don’t show up, don’t pick up the phone, and no one knows where you are, I will look for you.” He moves closer, kissing my lips. “Always.” He kisses again. “Until I find you.”
I sit astride his lap and drape my arms over his shoulders, turning the innocent kiss into a battle of lustful passion.
He lays me down, covering my body with his broad, heavy frame. “Stay the night, Star.”
I shake my head, despite wanting nothing more than to have his arms around me all night.