C12 What Offer?

After a long night of slipping and out of the delirium of fever, she woke up with the name Cathy in her mouth.

“He was not lying. You are not Cathy.” Dante said after she had grabbed his hands and begged him again to let her go.

She looked warily at him and released his hand like it was a hot iron.

Dante supposed there was no point in telling her that he had been with her throughout the night and could have easily harmed her if that was his intention.

“What did he tell you?” she asked carefully.

“That you stole from your parents. Led your sister astray and ran away from home,” he said simply.

“Liar! I did no such thing,” she said, her gaze wide and tortured as she looked from him to the door like she would run anyway.

“What exactly did you do?” he asked in a soft tone to put her at ease.

Her expression only grew more wary and she looked away. “I just want to leave, please. Let me leave,” she said as she raised her legs and wrapped her arms around them.

Dante was tired of all this shit. He knew he should just have them send her away and put her out of his mind.

But he couldn’t. He just couldn’t turn a blind eye now that he knew that she was in trouble.

It didn’t take him up to five minutes to know that the so-called father was rotten through and through.

The bastard would not be using his hands for much in a long while, but still, Dante knew that letting this vulnerable girl go now was just like sending a mouse to the cat.

The two of them were no threat to him, nor were they his business. He should have let her go deal with her troubles, but he couldn’t.

He could see Angelo giving him a look when he had taken her straight into his rooms and even stayed up with her all night.

His men didn’t know what to make of his actions and Dante was not sure if he knew what he was doing either.

One thing he knew for sure was that she needed his help. Even if she wouldn’t admit it yet.

“You want to leave? Fine by me.” he leaned forward and ignored the way she shrunk back. “You owe me something first.”

“Wh…what?” she asked, wide-eyed.

“The truth.”

“What truth?” she asked automatically.

“Why were you running that night? Why is your story not aligning with your father’s?”

“He is not my father!” she snapped. Then she lowered her voice before saying softly, “He is not my father. He is my stepfather.”

“Ahh,” Dante said as he leaned back in his chair. “What did he do to you?”

“Nothing! He did nothing. I have told you the truth, now let me go please.” she pleaded.

“You won’t last the day if you go out like that,” he said mildly. “You will probably fall on your ass again and break your pretty neck.”

She gave him a look before removing the blanket from her legs, “I can take care of myself.” she stood up from the bed and had to quickly reach for the wall to steady herself.

“Yeah, right,” Dante said in a mocking tone. “I am sure your body agrees.”

She ignored him and tried to walk forward.

“Sit your ass down,” he said in a soft yet commanding tone.

He saw fear on her face for a second, then she almost immediately raised her chin and said, “You said you would let me go.”

“I promised no such thing,” he said blandly.

She seemed to think of the matter for a moment before she realised he hadn’t actually said so. She looked back at him and held herself as she asked, “What are you going to do to me? What…what will you make me do?”

Dante raised his brow at the tremor in her voice as something occurred to him. “What did he make you do?”

Her eyes widened, and he could see that she knew who he was referring to. He saw her grow pale, and he was afraid she would keel over again. Instead, she looked away and said, “Please.”

Dante knew he should have roughened that bastard up more than he did, and he still might. For the moment, he focused on the confused girl before him. Her mixture of strength and vulnerability was doing something to him, and he had no idea how to categorise her.

And that was messing with his head. He was very good at reading, but that skill seemed to be failing him with this girl.

She is not Isabella.

He was beginning to understand that more and more as time went on. Isabella was light. She was everything bubbly, pure and refreshing in his life. But this girl? Though seemingly weak, she was much more. He had seen that fiery passion in her eyes from time to time, and he couldn’t believe how much he was looking forward to seeing her let it loose.

He had no time for this. No time for weak, distrustful women or distractions.

Yet his mind was made up even before he realised it. She crashed into his life, and she was here to stay.

Though he knew it was a ridiculous thought, the moment he saw that piece of shit wrap his hand around her neck, he knew she was his to protect. His second chance at redemption. He was not going to sit and let her waltz out of his home and life.

“You want to leave because you have something to do. I assume that something has to do with your sister, doesn’t it?” Dante said as he stood up.

She stood rigidly without moving, but the look on her face was enough to answer for him.

“Now I need you to cut the bullshit and tell me what exactly happened.”

“Why do you care? You don’t even know me,” she said, still in that strong voice with its underlying tremor.

Dante shrugged, “Let’s just say I am curious.”

Her chin went higher, “If you are bored, then get a hobby. I am not here to amuse you. I do not want to be here at all. You forced me to!”

“As opposed to leaving you out there to die, you mean,” he said in a thoughtful tone. “I see where I went wrong. Forgive me for not just shooting your ass off right there and then.”

Her face blanched as he stepped towards her. She pressed her back against the wall like she wanted to disappear into it. Dante ignored her teasing scent and held her chin.

He ignored the tug in his chest when her mesmerising eyes glanced straight into his. He said tersely, “You should take my offer when I am being nice.”

“Or would you still shoot me?” she asked in a wobbly tone.

Dante’s eyes trailed over her stubborn chin before he looked back into her eyes and shrugged, “I just might. After all, I am bored,” he said meaningfully.

She tried to look away, but he wouldn’t let her. He saw that damn resignation in her eyes again before she asked, “What offer?”

“Let me help you,” he said simply.

“Why?” she asked.

“Just…out of the goodness of my heart,” he said mildly.

She snorted delicately before saying, “A man like you wouldn’t do anything out of any goodness.”

“Oh? What else do you think could be the reason?” he asked in a low tone as his eyes were riveted on her chin.

“I…” she cleared her throat and firmed her wobbly voice again. “I think you want something from me, and it would cost me dearly.”

Dante shrugged while his finger started moving slowly against her chin. “I assume you are too weak to risk that, aren’t you?”

She shook her head slightly and said immediately, “Help me before it is too late.”

“Before what is too late?” his eyes reluctantly dragged up her chin, over her lips to her eyes.

The anguish he saw in them tugged at him uncomfortably. “My sister. I don’t know where she is.”