Page 61 of Skating Towards Danger

“Dante requested that I give you time and it's been two weeks, Paige. We need to talk, sweetheart. Your aunt and I miss you,” he continues, and I look his way.

His gray eyes are full of sadness, and I hate it, which is probably why my feet have decided to pull me towards him. He holds his arm out when I get near, and I grab it, using him as a crutch as I climb off the ice. He passes me my guards, and I quickly put them on, then make my way to the stands where my bag is and take a seat.

Uncle Rocco sits next to me as he passes me a water bottle. I mumble, “Thanks,” before taking a large swig.

“You’re going to blow everyone away with this tribute, Paige. You haven’t lost your touch at all,” Uncle Rocco says, breaking the ice.

I shrug slightly and admit, “I feel like I’m not good enough after I quit, that I’ll let Momma down.”

“Your mother, peanut, would be so proud of you,” he says, and I look his way with a raised brow because, really?

I lost my virginity to my teacher, for Christ's sake.

Uncle Rocco smiles and admits, “Anyone in your position would have lost themselves, Paige. You were struggling with survivors’ guilt and didn’t know how to handle it. Heck, your aunt and I didn’t know how to handle it.”

I look forward, pick up the water bottle, and reassure him, “You did the best you could, Uncle Rocco. I was lost and hurt, but you and Aunt Tyra never gave up. You were always there for me, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have you both in my life.”

“Even though I spent years lying to you?” he asks quietly.

I hum a little and admit, “Even though…You and Aunt Tyra kept me above water,” I look at him, “I was drowning Uncle Rocco. I skipped school, cut my hair off, tried slicing my wrists, and did drugs and things with a teacher that I regret every single day,” I look back at the ice, “You made sure I didn’t drown through all of that.”

Uncle Rocco sighs and admits, “I should have told you…”

I nod and agree, “Yeah, you should have. I had a bounty on my head, and I had no idea, and now I’m questioning everything about myself and my family.”

“Well, first of all, you, my dear niece, are Paige Marino, a badass who has overcome more than anyone should,” he says firmly, but I snort at the ‘Marino’ bit. He continues, “As for our family, ask me anything, and I swear I’ll tell you everything you want to know, I won’t keep anything from you.”

I swallow hard and lean back in the seat.

Do I want to know?

Well, if I want to try and move forward I think I need to know don’t I?

I chew my bottom lip and decide to start with the easy question: “Did Momma know?”

Uncle Rocco hums a “yes,” and I nod. He says, “She loved your father for who he was, not for what our family background was, and Peter promised to keep her and whatever children they may have out of family life.”

“So Royal never would have joined then?” I confirm, and he admits, “He would have been given the choice when he turned eighteen, unlike myself and your father, heck, even Dante and Roman. We didn’t get that choice. The famiglia was to come first, and we were to do what was expected of us, but your father wouldn’t do that to Royal.”

I swallow and ask, “And me?”

“Paige, look at me,” he demands gently, and I look at him. He gives me a reassuring smile and promises, “Your father would have never sold you for an alliance, ever. You wanted to skate, and that is what he had you focus on and he was adamant that you’d marry for love. This whole Dante thing, look, I knew you wouldn’t allow Rhett to watch over you, that you’d get suspicious, so I thought Dante would have been the easier option, especially since he was going to be at the rink anyhow.”

“He was reluctant,” I confirm, and my uncle agrees.

“He was,” he admits, “he just wanted to skate. Hockey was what he wanted to focus on, but he agreed to keep an eye on you for me.”

“He tried to mess with my skating times,” I whisper, and Uncle Rocco chuckles a little and replies, “Because he knew you were his one, and he wanted to punish you.”

I look at him with furrowed brows, and he smiles and explains, “The Marino men when they meet the woman they know they’re going to spend the rest of their life with, they try to fight it. Roman turned the whole college against Morgan to keep her away from him when they first met, only to then put her first to have her with their team,” I snort, “Dante, well, I didn’t expect him to fall for you, peanut, he was a player. I thought he’d keep you safe, that you’d be unaware of our lifestyle, and everything would be okay, but instead, he fell in love with you.”

I look down at his words, wanting to believe them but just can’t, and he sighs, “Paige, he does love you, he wouldn’t have signed the marriage license if he didn’t. All his life, he’s been fighting against what is to come of him while ensuring his brother gets to live his life before taking over from Lorenzo. If there were no feelings involved on his end, those papers wouldn’t have been signed, he wouldn’t have moved your belongings to his place, a place no woman except for family have been, and he most certainly wouldn’t have guards on you. Heloves you, sweetheart, so if you can take anything from all this, take that information but now you need to see if you can live with what he has to do every day.”

I chew my bottom lip, then retort, “What, skate?”

He chuckles, “You know that isn’t what I meant, Paige.”

I nod and admit, “I’m not scared of him, he admitted to killing Andrew, the manager at the Diner who I was seeing for a few months to see if I was ready to begin a relationship. He tried to attack me after he was fired, and I fought back before Dante showed up.”

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