Page 1 of Stolen Kisses
Chapter 1
Dante
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10 years ago …
“Dante, have you seen Christina? Did she come here?” Maria asked. Her voice was panic stricken and she walked straight in when I opened my door, looking around frantically.
I shook my head.
Four days ago, Christina and I had the worst argument ever. It was so bad I told her I was done with her.
It was an attempt to shake her up, because realistically she knew I would always be there for her. It was written in my DNA to look after my little sister, so even if she pissed me off and worried me sick, I would still be there for her.
“What happened?” I asked Maria.
It must have been something big for Maria to come seek me out. I wasn’t aware that she knew I existed.
“We had an argument and I really need to find her.”
“Well she wouldn’t be here, we had an argument too.”
Maria looked worried and I knew she wanted to tell me something, but was holding back.
How long had I known her?
It was a good twelve years give or take and her favorite thing to do was letting me know in her world I didn’t exist, or doing her best to show me what kind of men she was into.
This girl… nowoman—I kept forgetting we weren’t kids anymore— could be a real bitch when she wanted. Still it seemed to be coded in my fucking DNA too to entertain this soft spot I had for her. The soft spot that instantly wondered if she was okay and not thinking immediately that something might be up with Christina.
Somethingmore than what I saw and it definitely wasn’t something I was going to allow to slide.
My sister with Donny Manello at the Crowthorne Society.
To me it was the same as throwing her into the lion’s den. Except that den was an old gentleman’s club that belonged to the Antonella family. The worst crime family known to man.Fucking hell. When I saw some of the unsavory types Christina had been with I wanted to raise hell. Donny was of the unsavory variety, because the Manellos were just a little bit better in terms of being human than the Antonellas.
Danger—that was what it was.
Danger. It was the thing this woman who stood before me loved. Maria loved danger. She was the queen of it. She wore the face of an angel, but would be draped on the devil’s arm if he were offering it up.
Dangerous guys who had deep pockets were her thing.
If you didn’t have deep pockets then don’t bother to look in her direction. She’d told me that once, back in high school when she was eying up a guy twice her age.
Christina had always idolized her and followed Maria everywhere.
They had gotten a place together two summers ago and it was then my worries really took off.
Maria got my sister mixed up with people like the Manellos. If Christina was at Crowthorne’s, there was no doubt that the invitation was handed down from Barabbas Antonella, who may as well be old Lucifer himself.
“Dante,” Maria clasped her hands together and gave me a long, hard terrified stare. “I think she’s in trouble.” She blurted and shocked me to shit when she covered her mouth and started crying. The last time I’d seen her cry was back when we were kids. I didn’t even know she was capable of tears.
She had my attention now and focused it right back to Christina.
“What kind of trouble?” My breath hitched somewhere between my heart and sternum.
“The bad kind. Oh God Dante, she told me she’s pregnant.”
