Marked by Crime Rivalry Book2 [✓]

P34

Teresa sighed as she applied her mascara to her eyelashes. Her father left half an hour ago and still, his insult was on her mind. Did he think she just followed Luciano around everywhere? That he tells her to go and she does? How dare he?

She shook the thought away. She wondered if Kane would be looser than he was at the ball. He felt as if he was being forced to behave correctly to impress her but she didn't want to be impressed, she only wanted him to be true to her and Georgia.

Once she heard the knock, she smiled as Dante walked in. She turned around to see him sit on her bed beside her. He chuckled as he saw all the makeup everywhere. She wasn't going to use it all anyway. Her father did imply one thing right? Natural was better than any makeup look she wore. "I wanted to apologize for not telling you I was-"

"What, Italian?" She grinned until she saw him wince in her mini mirror. She stopped what she was doing to turn around and face him. She sighed. "You don't like where you come from, do you?"

She loved Italian men. They had a sort of danger to them, at least her Italian man. Dante hadn't answered and she moved to sit beside him and slid her hand into his, threading their fingers together. "What's wrong?" His eyes slid to their entwined hands-on her bare thigh.

He moved her robe, covering her up, and grinned as he remembered her show back there of being Portuguese. Her Latin roots were deep into her but were disguised in all this Italian heritage. Adriano's and Luciano's doing of course.

He hated it.

"Teresa, I didn't exactly ask for this life you know?" She waited as he gathered his thoughts. "I am grateful for being adopted of course and I didn't exactly protest when I was lured into this but I was young. Bred young and I was proud that my father was proud of who I became...what I became"

A murderer, he thought.

He smirked as he remembered his first kill. He expected to be nervous, scared, or even felt the thoughts of all the nefarious deeds wouldn't be enough to take a life but it was down the drain once he was the prey and not the predator. Then it was survival and he fought till the man's death. Death by a brick smashed into his face.
"I love who I am, don't get me wrong but it's death after death where I come from. When I got out of the Mafia, I didn't want to continue to carry death with me like luggage. But I did. No matter how much I tried to pretend to be American..." He shook his head as he sighed.

He couldn't run from his past.

"You can take the man out of Italy, can even take him out of his position, give him a new title but I'll always be the executioner, and I-"He faced her. "I didn't want you to see me that way. I know how you feel about death Teresa and I do promise to try my damnedest to make sure you never have to see me take a life"

It made Teresa smile and squeeze his hand. Dante hadn't known her for long but he cared so much for their friendship he hid a part of himself, his true self in fear she would see him differently and she did. She saw him better. She grinned as it was her rising his chin to stare into his eyes as she said, "I'm happy you are the Executioner"

His head jerked back confused. The name was silly to her but whatever. "Makes me feel safer knowing most of Europe fears you." He laughed out and rose her hand to kiss. "And death does scare me..." She trailed. Her eyes lowered to his thumb encircling the back of her hand. "But I know I'm safe with you. With Luciano and Adriano too. I trust you all."

He grinned and she giggled as she stood up saying, "Besides..."

She stood in front of him, his hand still in hers as she swung them back and forth. "Italian accents are so much sexier than Americans. Do you realize how Georgia and Nina will be fighting for you once they hear your real accent?" His shoulders slumped in laughter.