Obsessed with His Bride

This time though, he wasn’t ever coming back.

The thought should’ve made me sad. Instead, I felt a strange relief. Like that yoke around my neck was finally lifted. The anchor weighing me down was cut free. I could slip off that old, heavy, used, broken skin and become something new.

I couldn’t help but smile a little bit at the idea.

I was sad my father was dead. I was horrified that I had witnessed his death, even more horrified that I saw his body wrapped in plastic and shoved into the trunk of an SUV. But I knew, deep down on some primal gut level, that I was better off without him. That he would’ve traded my life for his own in a heartbeat if given the chance.

An hour or two passed, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t bother checking my phone. I sat on that bench and tried to act like I belonged there, like I had a future and a place to go instead of a huge hole and a question mark where my life should’ve been.

After a while, when my ass began to hurt from sitting on rough wooden slats, a familiar black SUV pulled up and parked in front of me. I sat there and waited patiently as the driver’s side door opened and shut.

Dante walked around the truck.

He wore a slim suit, white shirt, and no tie. He was muscular and fit, and the clothes covered him like a glove. His shoes were black and polished, though his hair was pushed back in a tousled wave, almost like he only had enough energy to put on nice clothes, but not enough to do anything else to his appearance. There was a thin covering of hair on his face, like he forgot to shave that morning. It made him look rugged and handsome, and I absently wondered how he’d look if he let it grow out more.

He sat down on the bench next to me and let out a sigh. He stretched his arms above his head then put one arm on the back of the bench, close to my shoulders.

“Nice day,” he remarked.

“Yeah.” I shifted uncomfortably. I wanted to get up and get some blood back in my behind, but I stayed put. “Look, I just—”

“You don’t have to explain,” he said, holding up a hand. He sighed and shut his eyes. “I get it. But poor Gino nearly shit himself.”

I frowned and looked away. “I didn’t think about that.”

“He thought you got kidnapped. He was running around looking for you. Called me in a panic.”

“Crap.” I sighed and looked at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak him out.”

“Like I said, it’s fine. I get it. You can apologize to Gino if you want.”

I nodded once. “I will.”

“Good. Gino’s a good soldier, a good guy. Maybe not the brightest or the quickest, but he’s vicious and loyal. I like him a lot.”

“I can’t say I’ve gotten to know him very well.”

Dante snorted. “Did you even try?”

“No,” I admitted. “He feels too much like a jailor.”

“Yeah,” Dante said. “I got that.”

I sat there for a moment and studied his face. He was looking out down the street with a little frown on his lips. I curled my feet up against me and hugged my knees. “Look, I don’t know if I can stay cooped up in that house forever.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment. I felt the silence wrap around me, heavy and oppressive. I wanted to break it and try to explain again, but I knew that wouldn’t be any use. He didn’t seem angry at all, even though I’m sure I pulled him from the city and from something important because of my little stunt. I felt stupid and selfish, and I knew I should’ve just told Gino I was going out for a walk and at least let him follow me around.

Instead, I screwed things up like an asshole.

“I still haven’t heard back from Vlas,” Dante said at last, almost as if we were picking up a conversation we’d left off just minutes before.

“Your Russian counterpart, right?”

“Right. I tried to reach out to him again, to check on the status of my little apology, but nothing. His men told mine to fuck off, and I haven’t heard a peep since.” He shook his head. “It’s disconcerting, Aida. Very disconcerting.”

“What can I do?” I asked and immediately felt stupid for saying it.

But he just looked at me. “Nothing,” he said. “I appreciate the offer, though.”

“I feel like this is somehow my fault. Like my father started this war, and I’m the one that should pay the price.”

He let out a sigh. “Truth is, I think your father was just a convenient excuse. I should’ve seen it sooner, but I think Vlas has been looking for any reason to war with me for months now.”