Page 100 of His Son's Ex

I stand tall, fists clenched, heart pounding with adrenaline. Luca’s offer wasn’t salvation. It was a slap in the face.

I can’t count on anyone but myself to get out of here. My only hope is that Dante will find me.

CHAPTER 33

DANTE

“You said it was urgent. Talk.”

I slam the study door so hard it rattles the walls. My mother stands by the window, stiff as a statue, hands clenching the sill. She doesn’t even flinch. Something about Eva’s disappearance has hollowed her, and Isabella isn’t a woman who cracks easily.

Her shoulders are tense. When she turns around, I spot unshed tears in her eyes—a sight I haven’t seen since we buried my last surviving brother.

“Dante,” she says quietly, “Sit.”

I grit my teeth. “I have no time for dramatics.”

“Sit,” she snaps.

I drop into the closest armchair.

“I’ve been thinking about Yuri Petrov. About the war, the decisions we made.” She closes her eyes. “And I can’t help but think this is the universe making us atone for our sins.”

I snarl. “I don’t have time for superstitious beliefs, Mother. Luca’s missing. Linda’s circling. Eva’s vanished. The Russians just came by asking if I’ve stashed her somewhere. I need facts, not philosophy.”

She exhales a shaky breath. “There are skeletons in our closets, Dante,and I’m done pretending they don’t exist.”

My impatience flares. “What are you getting at?”

“You tried to spare Yuri Petrov. Remember? You called off the hit.”

I scowl. “Killing another man wasn’t going to bring back my brothers.”

She nods grimly, meeting my eyes for the first time. “No, it wasn’t. But I went behind your back. I gave the final order myself.”

A chill seizes my spine.“You didwhat?”

Her voice cracks. “I’d lost your father, my two youngest sons, all within months. I wanted revenge. An eye for an eye. I feared if we showed mercy, the Russians would butcher us. So I lied. I let them believe you’d demanded Petrov’s death.”

Rage coils in my gut. I surge to my feet, looming over her.“You pinned that on me? All this time, you’ve allowed everyone to believe I had Petrov killed.”

She swallows hard. “I saw no other way. We had to prove we still had teeth.”

“That’s why you recognized Eva.” I begin to pace, my mind reeling. “You saw Petrov in her face, knew who she really was.”

Her tears finally spill. “I’ve hated myself for it. But it’s too late.”

I grind my teeth to keep from shouting at her. “We’ll deal with your guilt later. Right now, Eva’s missing. I had a lead on her and where she was staying, but there hasn’t been any trace of her recently. She probably hates me and I need to find her, to correct all of this.”

My mother straightens her back. “We’ll fix it. I’ll help you.”

A bitter laugh escapes me. “Fix it? We’re here because you tried to play God. Now it’s come full circle.”

She looks away, guilt crossing her features. “Tell me what’s happened since Eva left.”

I give her the short version. When I’m done, she nods slowly, processing it all.

“Linda has always been a snake,” she says. “I knew that from the day you brought her home. But how can a mother hope to dissuade a son in love?”

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