Chapter 4

**ALESSANDRO**

The first week living with Dante was a lesson in controlled hostility. He made rules for everything. When I could eat, where I could go, who I could speak to. He watched me constantly, looking for weakness.

Dinner every night at seven was mandatory. Marco joined us most evenings while Dante sat across from me radiating contempt. Tommy tried to lighten the mood with jokes that fell flat. I mostly pushed food around my plate.

"You're not eating again," Dante said on the fifth night. "That's going to be a problem."

"I'm not hungry."

"I don't care. You eat what's put in front of you. I'm not having people say I'm starving my fiancé."

"Since when do you care what people say?"

His eyes went cold. "Since it reflects on me. Eat."

I picked up my fork just to end the conversation.

"How are you settling in, Alessandro?" Marco asked.

"Fine, thank you."

"He barely leaves his room," Dante said. "Paint all day and night."

"I'll open a window."

"You'll paint less. You're here to integrate with this family, not hide from it."

I set down my fork. "What exactly do you want from me? You give me rules but no purpose."

"What I want is for you to start acting like this matters." Dante leaned forward. "Tomorrow, you're coming with me to meet our suppliers. You're going to watch, learn, and keep your mouth shut unless I tell you otherwise."

"I don't know anything about your business."

"Then you'll learn. That's the point." He stood up. "Six AM. Don't be late."

Marco stayed after Dante left. "He's hard on you."

"He hates me. That's different."

"Hate is just passion in another direction." Marco sipped his wine. "You both carry the same fire. He burns hot and angry. Yours burns quiet and guilty. But it's the same source."

"We're nothing alike."

"Keep telling yourself that." Marco stood. "Six AM tomorrow. Dante doesn't tolerate weakness well."

After he left, I tried to paint but my hands wouldn't cooperate. Dr. Elena's pills were running low, and I'd been too afraid to ask Dante for permission to contact her.

My phone buzzed. A text from Nico.

“How's married life? Is the Moretti treating you right or should I come remind him what happens to people who hurt family?*

Nico had beaten me unconscious five years ago. Now he was pretending to care.

I didn't respond. Dante had said no contact with family without approval.

Another text came through from my father.

“Report weekly on DeLuca operations. This is your job now. Don't forget where your loyalty lies.”

So I wasn't here to build peace. I was here to spy. And Dante probably expected the same from me. We were both tools for our families' agendas.

I deleted both messages and stared at the ceiling until sleep came.

******************

Dante pounded on my door at exactly six AM. "Get up. We're leaving in ten minutes."

I dressed quickly. When I opened the door, he looked me up and down.

"That's what you're wearing?"

I looked at my jeans and sweater. "What's wrong with it?"

"You look like you're going to paint, not conduct business."

"I don't have anything else. I packed light like you ordered."

He disappeared into his room and came back with a black button-down shirt and jacket. "Put these on. And hurry up. I don't wait for anyone."

We drove in silence to a warehouse district. Tommy met us there with two other men.

"This is a standard pickup," Dante explained. "We inspect the shipment, verify quality, and handle payment. You watch and you learn. You don't speak unless I tell you to."

"I understand."

"Do you? Because if you mess this up, embarrass me in front of these people, I'll make sure you regret it."

I followed him inside where three men waited by stacked crates. They looked at me with curiosity.

"Who's the new guy?" one asked.

"My problem," Dante said. "Open the crates."

Dante inspected everything with practiced ease. When he found a crate with diluted product, his whole demeanor changed.

"You think I'm stupid? You think I won't notice when you try to cheat me?"

"It's a mistake, we'll fix it….."

Dante grabbed the man by the throat. "You're the third supplier this month to make a mistake. That's not a coincidence. That's disrespect."

"Please, we can make this right……"

Dante released him and pulled his gun. Pointed it at the man's head.

I stopped breathing. Tommy shifted beside me but didn't intervene.

"Here's what's going to happen," Dante said calmly. "You're going to replace this entire shipment with quality product by tomorrow morning. And you're going to do it at half price. Consider it an apology f*e."

"That's not possible……"

Dante fired. The bullet hit the crate inches from the man's head. "Want to try that answer again?"

"Tomorrow morning. Half price. I'll have it ready."

"Good." Dante lowered the gun. "Spread the word. Anyone else who tries to cheat me will get more than a warning shot."

In the car, I finally spoke. "Was that necessary?"

"Excuse me?"

"Threatening to kill him over diluted product. There were other ways to handle that."

Dante laughed. "Other ways. You mean what, Alessandro? Asking nicely?"

"I mean not terrorizing people."

"This is the business. You don't like how I run things, you can walk back to the compound." He pulled over suddenly. "Actually, why don't you do that? Walk. It'll give you time to think about whether you want to survive in this world or keep playing victim."

"I'm not playing anything."

"Yes, you are. You're playing the soft, broken artist who's too good for the dirty work. But you're here because your family murders people. Because your father ordered my family burned alive. So don't lecture me about necessity." He reached across and opened my door. "Walk. I'll see you back at the compound. If you make it."

"You're serious."

"Completely. Get out of my car."

I got out because arguing was pointless. He drove off, leaving me standing in an industrial area I didn't recognize with no phone GPS.

It took me four hours to find my way back. By the time I walked through the compound gates, my feet were blistered and I was exhausted. Dante was sitting on the front steps with a satisfied smile.

"Took you long enough."

"You're insane."

"I'm teaching you a lesson. This world doesn't care about your feelings. You either adapt or you die." He stood up. "Did you learn anything?"

"That you're a sadistic bastard who enjoys hurting people."

"Besides that."

I walked past him. He grabbed my arm, spinning me around.

"I asked you a question."

"I learned that you'll do anything to prove you're in control. Even when it makes you look petty." I pulled free. "And I learned that I should've let you kill me that first night. It would've been faster than whatever this is."

His expression changed, something flickering behind the arrogance. For just a second, he looked almost uncertain.

Then it was gone. "Dinner at seven. Don't be late."

I went inside and texted Dr. Elena. Asked her to send more pills.

Her response came immediately.

“Those pills are for panic attacks, Alessandro. Not for surviving abusive relationships. You need to get out of there.”

I didn't answer. Getting out wasn't an option.

Another text came through from Dante.

“Tomorrow you meet Lucia. And she's going to be much harder on you than I ever could be. Be on your best behavior.”