Page 126 of Made for Sinners

I watched him for a moment, the way his jaw clenched, the way his fingers curled into fists when he thought no one was looking.

“You’re still thinking about Rocco,” I said.

He didn’t answer right away. Just nodded once, sharp and tight.

“I don’t understand how he could do this,” I said softly. “To you. To the family.”

Dante exhaled through his nose, the sound sharp. “He always wanted more. More power. More control. I just didn’t think he’d go this far.”

“Do you think it was always about the money?”

“No,” he said. “The money was just the beginning. The Russians want leverage. And Rocco gave it to them.”

I swallowed hard. “What are you going to do?”

He looked at me then, really looked at me. “I told you last night. I’m going to kill him.”

The words landed like a stone in my stomach.

Not because I didn’t believe him.

But because I did.

And because I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“Do you want me to say it’s okay?” I asked quietly.

“No,” he said. “I want you to understand why it has to happen.”

I nodded slowly. “I do.”

He stepped closer, his hands settling on my thighs, his touch grounding. “You’re not just my wife, Emilia. You’re part of this now. Whether you like it or not.”

“I know.”

He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine. “But I’ll protect you from as much of it as I can.”

I closed my eyes, breathing him in. “I don’t want you to protect me from the truth.”

He pulled back just enough to look at me. “Then here’s the truth: I’ve loved you since the first time you rolled your eyes at me in the backseat of my car.”

I laughed, the sound catching in my throat. “That was not my best moment.”

“It was mine,” he said, dead serious.

I blinked. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Hopelessly.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding.

And then I said it.

“I love you.”

His breath caught.

“I didn’t say it earlier,” I continued, my voice shaking. “Because I was scared. Because it felt too big. But I do. I love you, Dante.”

---