Page 464 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

A smile lifts his lips, the first real one I’ve seen from him since we met. Well, the first one directed at me.

He’s actually pretty gorgeous when he’s not scowling.

“Anya,” he says. “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better now,” I say, squeezing Dante’s hand in mine. “Listen, I’m sorry for?—”

Matteo holds up a hand. “No. You don’t need to apologize to me again. You did it once and I rejected it. Yet you still put your life on the line to save me and my family. I’m the one who owesyou. You saved everything I love, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.”

“I’m sure you can come up with some things to show your gratitude,” Dante scoffs playfully. “Like maybe a couple of cars, a house, some jewelry…”

“Stop,” I say, giving his hand a gentle slap. I look up at Matteo. “I don’t need anything. I just want to make sure we’re cool. I understand if it’s going to take you some time to trust me and I can wait.” I smile.

“Trust definitely isn’t something I give up easily. I didn’t trust you when you came into our lives.” He smirks. “My instincts weren’t wrong, just saying.”

Dante snorts. “You had to get the last word, didn’t you?”

“Hey, it is what it is. Deal with it.” His eyes darken. “But after what you did on the roof…I mean, you took that bullet for me. Nobody except my brothers and my wife would have done that,” he says, shaking his head.

“Some of your brothers,” Dante mutters with a mischievous smirk on his face.

Matteo flips him off. “Look, what I’m trying to say is I knew in that second who you really were.”

Heaven pops her head into the room. “Can I come in now? Did you finish groveling?” she asks Matteo.

“He didn’t really grovel,” Dante says. “The undertone was pretty much ‘I was right, guys. Just remember that.’”

Heaven rolls her eyes. “Jeez, Matty. The girl saved us all. Would it kill you to show a little humility?”

“He’s fine,” I say with a chuckle. “And we’re good.”

“Okay,” Heaven says, giving Matteo a look as if to say ‘I don’t believe her at all but I’ll let it go until we get home.’ “Well, you rest up and when you get home, we’ll get you all set up?—"

“Ah, yeah, about that,” Dante interjects. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

Heaven furrows her brow. “Meaning?”

“Meaning I’m gonna take care of it and get her all set up atmyplace.”

Heaven’s face lights up like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. “Oh. Well, then, it sounds like that’s settled.” She can’t even help the huge smile plastered across her face as she rubs a hand down my arm. “Do you need anything at all, sweetie?”

I gaze at Dante, tiny flutters in my belly alerting me to the fact that the butterflies are back in force. “Nope, I finally have everything I need right here.”

EPILOGUE

PART 1: ANYA

Igrasp Dante’s hand and lead him down a darkened hallway. “Just listen to my voice and stay right against me.”

It’s dark for him because I just put a blindfold over his eyes.

But even without a blindfold, I feel like I’m navigating in pitch blackness. I take tentative steps, unfamiliar with this corridor. But I wanted to keep him away from anything that might give away the surprise. As far as he knows, we’ve driven somewhere.

Unless he realizes I drove his car in a convoluted circle, he won’t have any idea where I’m taking him.

I reach out my hand and grasp the brass doorknob, turning it slowly. I silence the gasp that’s about to escape my throat when I see the inside of the room.

Our room.

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