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Chapter 61

I squeezed Dante's hand as the Vino safe house came into view. Tension and anticipation filled the car as the hum of the engine pierced the air. I looked over at Natalia, who was attempting to steady her breathing as the car began to slow down. 

Before the Cadillac was at a complete stop, Natalia opened the door and jumped out of the vehicle, slightly stumbling as she sprinted towards the building. Stephan followed behind her as I looked at Dante, who was staring at the seat in front of us with furrowed eyebrows. He looked as if he was in a daze, lost within the confines of his own mind.

"Dante?" I asked in a quiet voice. I examined his face, and noticed the distress that lined his creased brows. His jaw was clenched, and his breathing was unsteady. "Are you okay?" I asked as I lifted my hand to his cheek. 

He tenderly leaned into my palm before placing his hand over it and closing his eyes for a moment. He slightly rubbed his cheek on my palm, rubbing his stubble against my skin before looking up at me.

"It's just... deja vu..." He said before he exhaled sharply. "I've been in this situation so many times before. Not being fast enough, not being there to do anything as my own family got murdered over and over again." He said as he closed his eyes, anguish clearly displayed across his face. 

"I'm so sick of losing the people I love. I... I don't know how I'm going to cope if I walk in there and..." Dante said before his lips pursed. He looked at me with the most pained expression I have ever seen, making my heart break for this man who has suffered a lifetime of loss. 

"Dante." I breathed as I cupped his face between my hands. "I can't promise that they'll be alright. I can't promise that you won't feel the pain of loss again. But what I can promise, is that I'll be here for you. I'll be right here by your side, and I'll make sure that you'll never have to go through that alone again, okay?" I said before I leaned my forehead against his. I know my words were simply an attempt to comfort him, but I knew that in my heart, I meant every word. We stayed there for a moment before he inhaled deeply. 

"You're my everything, Rebel." He whispered before he pressed his lips against my forehead, making a small smile creep onto my lips. 

"Now come on. We'll go in there... together." I said as I grabbed his hand. He gave me a small nod before squeezing my hand reassuringly and opening the door. 

We quickly walked up the stairs, stepping over debris until we faced the broken and tattered door. Bullet holes lined the sad excuse of a door while pieces of brick were missing from the entryway. We carefully stepped over the piece of wood remaining on the hinges, and I looked around the room before gasping quietly. 

The once beautiful house was now a barren war zone. Feathers from the furniture covered the floor, tainted red as they surrounded the bodies of fallen Vino guards. Blood painted the walls and torn fabric. Empty shells and bullets clinked together as we walked further and further into the house. I quickly recognized this as the place where Angelo was last seen, the place where he was shot. I surveyed the room, trying to find him within the sea of corpses on the floor. 

Dante looked down at the ground before bending over and grabbing the shoulder of a motionless man on the floor. My heart raced as he gently flipped him around, so he was laying on his back. I exhaled as I didn't recognize the man, and felt the sting of pain and relief simultaneously. 

"In here!" Natalia cried, agony apparent in her high pitched scream. 

Dante and I stood up and sprinted through the house. I couldn't help but look around at the destruction that surrounded me. We ran over bodies, trying to find the source of Natalia's whimpers. The cries grew closer as we neared the back office. I wasn't surprised to see that the door was blown completely off the hinges, leaving only an arch in place of the massive wooden entry.