‘Why are you here?’ Those words hung in my mouth, but I bit it back. After all, it was his house. Who was I to tell him where he should or shouldn’t be? I was an idiot to think I was going to have the library all to myself. ”I had a little bit of… distraction on my way.” I said instead, and I almost winced at how high-pitched and cracked my voice was. Dante lifted his eyes from the document he was holding. ”You sound strange.” His lips twisted into a small frown and I drew in a sharp breath of air. ’He must definitely not find out I was crying.’ I pulled on the edges of the duvet, making sure it shadowed my face. ”I’m fine,” I cleared my throat. “Just a little bit parched.” ”There’s some juice and soda in the fridge. Help yourself out.” He nudged at the mini fridge in the corner, which I hadn’t even noticed. ”Oh, thank you.” I nodded and walked to it. His piercing gaze followed me and I held my pillow to my chest. ”What’s up with the duvet and pillow?” He asked as I squatte

“I’m missing Nonna already.” Leon sighed for the hundredth time in fifteen minutes. “Me too,” Michael mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “I wish she didn’t leave.” The three of them had the same somber expression from the moment we entered the limo and drove away from the airport. Pouted lips, downcast eyes, and a gloomy aura, like there was no more happiness in the world. Michael, of all people, not being interested in the treats at the snack bar was enough of a sign to know how down they were. “I’m sure your Nonna misses you too. When she arrives in Rome, you can call her any time you want. It would be like she never left.” Dante said. His voice was awkward, like he was trying to comfort them but wasn’t sure how. It was sweet that he was trying, though. I expected him to be completely aloof or snap at them for sulking. Then again, they had gotten close to him over the past few weeks. Closer than I had expected. “Not the same,” Nathan said, shaking his head. “Will meet

°°° MY NEXT TARGET IS YOUR KIDS. BUT UNLIKE YOU, THEY WON’T LIVE TO TELL THE STORY BECAUSE I WOULD USE A GUN INSTEAD OF A TASER. AND WHO KNOWS? MAYBE IT WILL BE TODAY. °°° ‘Sheep!’ I squeezed the paper into a ball, wishing it would go up in flames and turn to ashes. The air turned too heavy for my lungs, and breathing became hard and laboured. I knew I should have suspected when those messages stopped coming all of a sudden. I knew I should have suspected when all the hate comments on my social media suddenly disappeared. But I was too stupid. I got too relaxed with everything. And… My sons! They were threatening to hurt my sons. ‘I need to talk to them.’ I grabbed my purse and dug out my phone. In a flash, I went to my contact and dialled Dante’s personal number, which he had suddenly given me during one of our library talks. ‘Pick up. Pick up.’ I squeezed my purse and almost fainted when he didn’t answer my call. ‘Please let nothing bad happen to them. Please.’ I called

‘This is it, Olly.’ I stood before the large door leading to Dante’s office. It seemed more menacing than the last time I was here. ‘It’s time to face your fears and right your wrongs.’ I lifted my hand, took a long deep breath, and hit my knuckles against the hard wood. *Knock Knock* The only thing I heard in reply was the crazy beating of my heart. *Knock Knock* My knuckles hit the large white door again, and again, I was met with no reply. The silence was looking like a sign for me to wait until tomorrow morning when I was more mentally prepared. *Knock Knock* Silence. Pure, deadly, torturous silence. ‘Maybe I should just go to bed and try tomor– no, Olly,’ I shook my head, erasing the silly thoughts. ‘You’re doing this tonight, and you’re doing it now. The only thing that is going to stop you is if Dante is asleep or he doesn’t want to see you.’ I hoped he wasn’t going to do the latter. I needed to clear the air for the sake of my sons and, somehow, for myself. ‘One l

My face flared red, and if I thought my heart was beating like crazy before, it proved me wrong. It was banging and screaming frantically in my chest, like it wanted to jump out and run a thousand miles. “You’re joking, right?” I eyed him, trying to pretend I wasn’t flustered. “There’s only one way to find out.” Dante leaned closer, as if the almost nonexistent space between us wasn’t enough. I became more aware of the parts of his body touching mine. “Say one more thing bad about yourself. I dare you.” ‘There was no way he would actually kiss me. Would he?’ These past few weeks, he had kept his sexual flirting at bay but never failed to tease the heck out of me. I thought he was finally over the act, but… The dead serious look on his face told me he wasn’t playing around. “Y-you wouldn’t dare.” I stuttered, and I shifted back a little bit, creating enough space between us for me to breathe. “I would dare, and I would also enjoy it very much.” He laughed. “And I can assure you