Chapter 20 - The Horizon
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The gala ended, and we retreated to the private balcony overlooking the glittering Chicago skyline. The frigid night air was sharp, but Dante had draped his heavy tuxedo jacket over my shoulders, keeping me perfectly warm.
I rested my hands on the stone balustrade, looking out at the city we now ruled together in the shadows.
“It’s peaceful,” I murmured.
“Enjoy the quiet while it lasts,” Dante said, wrapping his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.
The heavy glass door behind us slid open. Silas stepped onto the balcony, his massive frame casting a long shadow in the moonlight. He looked grim.
“Forgive the interruption, Boss,” Silas rumbled, holding a small, intricately carved wooden box in his massive hands. “This was just delivered to the front gates of the estate. The courier said it required your immediate attention.”
Dante’s posture stiffened instantly. He let go of me and stepped forward, taking the box from Silas.
He opened the small brass latch and flipped the lid back.
Inside resting on black velvet, was a single, tarnished silver coin bearing the crest of a wolf.
I saw Dante’s jaw clench so hard a muscle jumped beneath his scar. The silver eyes that had looked at me with such warmth just moments ago turned to cold, lethal ice.
“What is it?” I asked, stepping closer to look at the coin.
“It is a token from the Capo dei Capi,” Dante whispered, his voice dark and heavy with an ancient, dangerous history. “The supreme boss in Italy. He is summoning me to Rome.”
“Why?” I asked, a new, unfamiliar fear prickling the back of my neck.
“Because Volkov had powerful friends overseas,” Dante said, closing the wooden box with a sharp snap. “And they are demanding an answer for his death.”
He turned to me, the weight of the coming storm evident in his expression. But as he looked at me standing there in the crimson dress, wearing his ring, the fear vanished, replaced by an unshakeable resolve.
“Silas,” Dante commanded without looking away from me. “Prep the jet. Tell the men to gear up.”
“Are we going to war, Boss?” Silas asked quietly.
May you like
Dante reached out, taking my hand and intertwining his fingers with mine. The diamond felt heavy, a promise binding us together against whatever darkness was waiting across the ocean.
“No,” Dante said, a terrifying, absolute confidence in his voice. “We are going to Italy. To introduce them to the new Queen.”
