Love, Evangeline

17.

I stood outside the training room, not sure knowing what I was going to say or even do when I walked in. I could hear Dante fighting inside, the smell of sweat slipped through the bottom of the door. Inhaling deeply, I turned the door before walked into the room. Dante had two knifes in his hand, fighting with a training dummy. Sweat dotted his face, I didn't know how long he'd been down here but I knew it was more than two hours. Softly closing the door, I folded my arms as I watched Dante. Whenever my brothers got angry, the result was always fighting or working out. It was far better than the second option, which ended with people getting injured or dead.

As I opened my mouth to say something, I realized I didn't actually have anything that I had to say. My mind was completely blank. I wanted to apologize, but did I do anything wrong? Shutting down my thoughts, I said aloud, " Dante." By the way he inhaled as he fought, I knew Dante heard me. I softly clenched my jaw before slowly making my way up to him. " I'm sorry," I said this time. Dante ducked right as the dummy swung its arm around, the knife in its hand swooping around Dante's head. Throwing his knife up in the air, Dante spun around before grabbing it and stabbing it right in the dummy's chest. Dante's chest heaved up and down, every muscle on his body tensed up. " I know our conversation didn't go the way we wanted it to," I began to say. " Get, out," Dante said sternly. I stared at Dante as he caught his breathe. Seconds later he walked up to the dummy, retrieving the knife from its chest.

" Can we please talk about this?" I asked with hope. " We both knew that this conversation was want going to go anywhere." Dante kept his eyes glued on the dummy's chest as I stared at him with desire in my eyes. " Dante, please," I said softly. " I don't wanna do this anymore." " Then stop," Dante spat out. As he turned to me, I saw nothing but anger and hatred in his eyes. " You know absolutely nothing about what anyone in this world does," Dante said. " And yet, you protect anyone who gives you the slightest bit of attention." My shoulders dropped slightly, an aching sensation warming up in my chest. " You don't know anything about Luca and Domenico, yet you defend them, not caring about what they do." " That's not true," I said defensively. Scoffing, Dante said, " you do realize that both of them kill innocent people everyday." " People in the mafia aren't innocent," I said. " Billions of them are," Dante said coolly as he grasped the knife in his hand.

Eyeing it, I averted my eyes back up at Dante, his eyes pearling mine. . Lifting his hand up, Dante pointed the tip of the blade towards me. An anxious feeling swept over me as I eyed the blade. " How would you feel if someone like me killed an innocent person like you?" Dante asked. " Dante stop," I said nervously. " Would you still defend me?" Dante asked as he began walking towards me. Unwanted tears immediately filled up in my eyes as I began to walk backwards. My stomach tightened as my hands began to shake. " Would you defend me because I'm your brother and you know me?" Dante asked calmly. Tears began trickling down my face as Dante slowly walked towards me.

" Stop," I said as my voice cracked. Dante frowned, " why should I?" Within a blink of an eye, Dante chucked the knife at me. I immediately ducked to, collapsing onto the ground as the sound of the blade of the knife splintering into the wall filled my ears. Suddenly, I couldn't move or breathe. Absolute terror took over my body, my eyes wide as they stared at the ground, realizing what just happened. " You still going to defend me after I tried to kill you?" Dante asked grasping onto the other knife in his hand. Slowly looking up at him, as I stood up as every nerve in my body trembled.

" Am I still a good person?" Dante asked sternly. I had never seen Dante like this, or act this way towards me. My bottom lip began to tremble, " Evangeline answer the damn question," Dante said as he glared at me. The light in the room gleamed in Dante's eyes as he stared at me. Right as Dante raised the knife in his other hand, the training room door flew open. All four of my brothers ran in, Dante glared at them before his eyes averted back at me. " What the hell is going on?" Alessandro asked. Diego looked at the knife in Dante's clenched hand before looking back at him and asking sternly, " what's the knife for Diego?"