5

DANTE

“Send me everything you can find out on what Angelo has been up to lately. I want to know what that fucker plans to do next before he does it.” I whispered to Enzo as he took a seat next to me.

He nodded, pouring himself a drink and I lifted a brow.

“Are you…”

“Listening? Of course, I am boss. You know I always listen.” He smirked then took a big gulp of the same drink I had.

If he didn't act like a damn child half the time, I wouldn't be bothered to ask if he had heard me.

And right now, he was indeed acting like a damn college kid.

It didn't take long for a waiter to come to our booth with more drinks. And in tow behind him were some girls I knew were here to catch their client for the night.

And Enzo was more than happy to welcome both the drinks and the ladies, making room for them to sit close to him.

He knew better than to make any of them try to touch.

I'd made a reputation for myself here by now. Every woman, except she was a newbie around here, knew not to touch me.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, so I set my drink down and pulled the device out.

“Your brother is on the move again…on his way to your location…” the message read. I typed a quick reply and hit the send button and resumed sipping my drink again.

Never mind sending Enzo.

Angelo didn't know when to quit. And I hated how our father aided him.

He'd been after me for some time now, trying to ruin my business and company just to make himself feel better about how useless he was.

He hated that I was my father's legitimate son and he wasn't. Whereas, I hated how much our father favored him.

For years I worked my ass off just to get his approval but was handed nothing but a disdained look and a mocking expression.

Again and again I tried but I said fuck it and fuck them.

I left then and started my own business, built it to the empire it was today and finally got his approval. Something I didn't give two shits about anymore.

I knew the old geezer didn't love me. He respected me because I'd earned it but the love he was supposed to give? I never got.

And I don't fucking want it anymore.

And that was the fucking problem. Father thought that I could now be controlled if he gave me crumbs of his affection.

I bit down the inside of my mouth to stop my anger from spilling over. When that didn't work, I forced my mind to think about a particular set of baby blue eyes.

The only ones that could cool down the raging monster in me.

Then as if on cue, I spotted them. The same blue eyes seated at the bar with a few other heads.

The cup in my hand almost fell at the sight of her. I did a double take to make sure my mind wasn't playing another trick on me like it had been since the accident.

She looked radiant, her skin smoother than I remembered. Yes, I could see all the way from where I was seated okay? And I knew because the last time at the hospital, I was by her side, determined to wait until she was awake before I left but something had to come up and I had to leave. It was a tough choice.

It still fucking was.

I stared at the woman who saved me years ago, downing shot after shot without a single fucking care.

I cursed under my breath when the cup finally clattered on the floor, splashing what was left inside on me.

Thanks to the padded floor, the glass didn't break.

Enzo paused what he was doing and looked at me with a raised brow. I could already see the question forming in his head about how the fuck a cup slipped from my fucking hand.

Because it's her.

I wanted to say to him but I forced my composure back in place. I couldn't show any weakness.

I'd shown it once when we returned to the hospital that day only to find her gone. And Enzo wouldn't shut up about it.

If he so much as suspected a thing or even saw her, he would piece the fucking shit together and I didn't want that.

No one could know about her.

Not yet.

Blood rushed to my groin when she flipped her hair and I cursed at myself again.

How the fuck was I supposed to keep my shit together if my cock couldn't understand the situation?

“June Thorne, or Cross, I'm not sure which she goes by now…” Enzo finally broke the silence between us. My head whipped in his direction. He knows. He fucking knew.

He smiled when I didn't speak. “Boss, I know you, I don't just listen, I watch too.”

Of course he fucking knew. I was going to have to do better at hiding things from this asshole.

“I did a little digging on her and I was going to tell you…” He rushed the second part of the sentence like he was defending himself. “...tonight. Thorne is her husband's name, Cross is her father's. She has a eight year old kid…”

I clenched my jaw tight, stopping the cursed words and whatever the fuck wanted to escape my lips from coming out.

Someone else touched what was mine. I didn't want to be a step father to no fucking child.

“Her husband, Rick Thorne, you should know him…” My brows furrowed before the name clicked.

He was the same man who came to my company weeks ago about an investment deal.

Now, I feel even angrier.

That man was a prick, a fucking weakling, what could she have possibly seen in him to have stayed married to him for that long?

Enzo wasn't finished though, “And worst of all, he has a mistress. I checked where his money goes and he's definitely living it up.”

That alone should have been enough to keep me away. But the thing was my cock didn't seem to get the memo that our savior was not only married but also a mother. She wasn't ours. Never would be.

I also didn't want her to get involved with my drama with Angelo however much I wanted her.

In a matter of sixty seconds, I'd drawn plans in my head, thoughts of possibilities. And each one didn't favor me.

My heart raced as my gaze returned to her. I was somewhat okay watching her from afar before noticing some guy approaching my woman and her girls.

He wasn't alone either, fucker had his boys with him and that was when something inside me snapped.

I didn't care about the alcohol stains from earlier, I was even willing to let her marital status go but this? Watching someone harass her was a big no.

I was on my feet before I knew it, taking long strides in their direction.

She declined his advances as politely as a tipsy woman could. But he didn't like that answer. So I made him like my fist instead.

“Who the fuck are you to punch me…?” He was drunk and clearly didn't see who he was talking to. When he did, he almost peed his pants. His friends disappeared long before he recognized who I was.

I turned to June who had her face almost buried in another drink. I reached for the drink before she could gulp it down and glared at the bartender.

“That's enough drinks for them.” He nodded and I turned my attention to her. June was already looking at me when my eyes landed on her. She held confusion in hers. “We meet again stranger.” I said to her.

“Why do you say that like we have history…”

“Because we do and this time, I don't intend to let you go, stranger.”

She reached for her drink again and I chuckled, taking it out of her hand and gulping it down for her.

She wasn't just tipsy. She was downright drunk and so were the girls with her.

“He's here,” Enzo said from behind me and I stiffened.  “And I think he's looking for you.” he didn't have to say who it was. And I didn't have time to ask.

I absolutely can't have him see June.

“You take them, I'll take her with me. Go.”

I scooped June into my arms and headed for the club's back door before Angelo could spot me.

I wasn't sure how he knew where I was and I was going to have to do a deep clean of my own crew to make sure he didn't have an inside man.

June was asleep in my car by the time we arrived at my place. I placed her carefully in my bed so as not to wake her but she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down until my lips fell on hers.

I froze. Was she dreaming? Did she think I was him?

Fuck who she think this is, Dante.

My mind said to me, and I melted into her, taking her lips into mine like she was mine.

Because she was, she just didn't know it yet.

Our lips moved in perfect harmony, it felt like we'd practiced this before.

She let out a quiet moan, and the sound stirred something beastly in me.

I let myself taste her, just enough not to get carried away.

I pulled away, the both of us breathing hard. “That's enough, June. Don't get both of us in trouble.”

She pouted then pushed against my chest. “I don't care, stranger. It's not like I'm married.”

My fingers grabbed her chin and I forced her to look at me. “What do you mean not married, June?”

“I mean I was never married, okay. That jerk lied to me for years…” her voice broke and my heart broke for her.

I didn't understand a word she was saying. How could she not be married, Enzo told me himself. He had looked into her.

While my brain tried to make sense of what I'd just heard, June had left her position and straddled me. My nostrils flared, her actions taking me by surprise.

“I don't want to talk about him, stranger.”

She whispered seductively, her lips parting as she slid her tongue over the bottom lip.

“Then what do you want?”

I asked, my hands gripping her waist tightly, my control slipping faster than I anticipated.

“I want you to fuck me. I want to forget all about him…”