Sweetest Sorrow (Forbidden Book 2) (47 page)

Gabriella's expression softened. "Something like… Enzo?"

Dante nodded.

"I heard rumors," she said. "Matty confirmed it."

Matteo
. Dante's lips twitched as he tried not to sneer at the mention of that guy. "I just figured, in the name of full disclosure, you should know in case that changes things."

"Pfft, please, you're
stuck
with me."

"Sounds nice." Dante leaned over to kiss her. "Stuck with you. Sticking it
in
you. Same thing, right?"

"Pretty much."

"You want to go do that now?"

"I want you to go shower, honestly."

Dante laughed, about to suggest they multi-task, when an excited voice cut through their conversation. "Holy shit!"

Genna burst out of the building, eyes wide, her expression lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. She barged over, pushing past him, purposely knocking him out of the way on her quest to reach his car.

"A McLaren?" she asked, hand glossing over the slick blue paint. "You bought a supercar and didn't even tell me? What kind of shit is
that
?"

Dante shrugged as she spread out across the hood, hugging the damn thing, squishing her stomach against it. "You didn't ask."

"
He's driving that sport's car
," Genna said, making a face as her voice dropped into a low, mocking tone. "
Flashy fucker. How stupid can he get
?"

Dante's brow furrowed. "What?"

"That's what you said about Matty," Genna said. "Those were pretty much your exact words. So excuse me for never in a million years imagining when you bought a new car, it would be
this
."

"My father's a good salesman," Gabriella chimed in, slipping around in front of Dante, her back pressed to his chest as she leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her from behind. "He can talk anyone into anything."

"He can sell
me
one of these babies," Genna said, standing up straight as someone exited the building, a smile lighting up her face. Dante didn't have to look to know it would be Matteo. Hell, he didn't
want
to look, so he didn't. He stared straight ahead at his sister, trying damn hard to ignore the guy's presence. "Matty, how much money do we have?"

"Not enough for one of those," Matteo said, his voice quiet, marked with a light laugh. "Besides, no place in there for a car seat."

"Uh, yeah there is." Genna motioned toward the passenger side. "You can take the subway. Me and little sugar cube here are riding in
style
."

"Anything for you," Matteo mumbled as a phone rang, the generic brand of chirping causing Dante's eyes to unwittingly drift right to it. Matteo pulled out a phone. A
burner
phone, Dante knew right away. Matteo answered the call, turning so his back faced Dante. "Hey, we're over by Gabby's apartment. You know where she's living? See you in a second."

Dante's back stiffened, his grip on Gabriella tightening enough for her to take notice. Brow furrowing, she glanced back at him but said nothing. Dante was grateful for it, considering he had no explanation. Despite everything he knew
logically
, the Barsanti skepticism still rooted deep within him.

Matteo's gaze swept around them before settling across the street. Dante cautiously looked that way, groaning.
Gavin
.

Gavin jogged over, flashing a smile at Matteo before looking at Dante. He approached, staring at him like he had something to say, but he averted his gaze at the last second, his attention going to Genna instead. "Well, if it isn't Genna with a G, my favorite person."

Genna tensed as she grumbled, "Son of a bitch."

"My mother isn't a bitch," Gavin said, standing beside her. "She's the nicest of the Brazzi sisters."

"I like to think that title went to
my
mom," Matteo chimed in. "Aunt Lena is nice, but come on..."

Gavin scowled, his gaze going to Gabriella. "Gabby, back me up here."

"Uh-uh, don't even drag me into that," Gabriella said. "All I know is it's not
my
mom."

"I have to give it to Savina," Genna said. "She's probably the nicest person I've ever met."

"Only because you don't know my mom," Gavin said.

"I've met her."

"So? You don't
know
her."

"That's because she never talked to me," Genna pointed out. "She didn't look at me, either. She wasn't even very
nice
to me, now that I think about it."

Gavin waved that off. "You're a Galante. You guys are like the Mets around here… nobody cheers for them, but you've gotta assume, since they're here, someone out there gives a shit, right?"

"Hey!" Gabriella said. "I like the Mets."

"Yeah, and you like Galante there, too, which
seriously
calls into question your judgment." Gavin looked around at all of them. "Actually, you know, I'm not sure about any of you. You're all crazy, driving flashy ass cars around like you're invincible."

"Hey now," Genna said, leaning against the McLaren again. "You talk all the shit you want about us but leave the cars out of it. They're
innocent
."

Matteo strolled over to her, pressing his hand to her back as his gaze traveled the length of the car. "It's a beauty. Zero to sixty in what, four seconds?"

"Two-point-eight," Genna chimed in.

"And I'm guessing top speed is about 200."

"More like 218." Genna glowered at him. "Jesus Christ, Matty, you graduated from
Princeton
. You should know things."

Matteo laughed. "I must've slept through that class."

"Well, wake up and smell the motor oil," she said, "because this pretty blue baby is coming home with us, whether my brother knows it or not."

Matteo shook his head. "I'm not so sure he's going to hand over the key."

"Whatever, I can hotwire it," she said, glancing in the driver's side window. "Go get me a screwdriver and some bubble gum. I'll MacGyver this shit in about five minutes."

"Please don't." Dante reached into his pocket and pulled out the key. "Take it for a drive, if you want, but don't defile it."

Genna swung his way so fast she nearly knocked herself off balance. "Seriously?"

"Take it," he said, dangling the key. "Just bring yourself back in one piece."

Genna squealed, snatching the key from him. "You're still not driving my Lincoln."

"I'm not surprised."

She skipped over to the McLaren. "Come on, Matty, let's go for a joyride."

Dante scowled. "I didn't say
he
—"

Before he could finish, Gabriella swung around in his arms and clamped her hand down over his mouth. Her expression was stern, that 'say another word and I'll cut you' kind of glare that silenced him.

Matteo walked around to the passenger side of the car as Genna unlocked the doors. Dante glanced over at them, still scowling, not saying a word about it, before he looked back at Gabriella.

"Good boy," she whispered, removing her hand from his mouth to kiss him.

"You're lucky I love you," he said, "because I would've bit your hand off if I didn't."

Gabriella laughed, her gaze flickering past him, over his shoulder. There was a glint in her eye as her expression slowly fell. It happened in slow motion, the melting of ice, washing away the elation, the drip-drop of fear settling in, trickling through her. Mere seconds passed, but to Dante, the moment was a lifetime. A lifetime, because he'd seen that look before. He'd seen that look before
many
times, but he'd only caused it once. The spinning of a film reel, a lifetime of memories playing through someone's mind, a life that could be gone in the blink of an eye.

Terror took over every bit of Gabriella, her mouth dropping open and a lone word slipping out. "Fuck."

Fuck
.

Heart hammering hard against his rib cage, Dante turned, every inch of him rigid as fear coated his insides, the blood in his veins ice cold. Ten feet separated him from a gun. It aimed right at his chest, clutched in the unsteady hand of a livid man.
Civello
. A finger touched the trigger, eager to shoot, as a set of unnerved eyes darted around at the group, like maybe he was thinking twice about doing it, second-guessing this decision. The guy was alone and severely outnumbered. Dante was unarmed, but the guy had to know he wouldn't get far.
Tweedle-Whatever
wasn't a genius, but he couldn't be that stupid.

Could he?

Don't do it
. Dante stared at him.
Don't fucking do it
.

Seconds passed, strained seconds. Nobody else seemed to notice, and Dante couldn't get his goddamn voice to work to warn anyone. He was a deer frozen in a blinding beam of light until Civello shifted, making his decision.
Shit
.

The guy frantically bounced from person to person before his gaze settled on Dante's car. Genna opened the driver's side door, oblivious, still laughing.
Ding ding
. Anger turned to shock before succumbing to intense rage. The man's nostril's flared, the gun aiming past Dante at the noticeably pregnant Genevieve Galante.

Grabbing Gabriella, Dante yanked her out of the line of fire, dragging her away from the curb, hoping she was smart enough to get out of there. "Go!"

Gabriella
ran
.

"Gun!" someone screamed, chaos ensuing, the neighborhood erupting in mayhem. Dante sprinted for the car, grabbing Genna just as gunfire cut through the air, a stream of bullets raining down on them. Pain and panic; fear and fury. It swarmed him, burning him from the inside, as he dragged his sister to the sidewalk, shielding her body with his own.

Dante watched, his vision blurry, as Gavin pulled out a gun and started unloading on the son of a bitch.

"It's okay," Dante said. "Just stay down."

"Matty," Genna cried, trying to wiggle free. "Where's Matty?"

"Jesus Christ, Genna,
stop
," Dante growled. "Wait a goddamn second."

A second was all she gave him. The gunfire came to an abrupt stop and Genna shoved against him. Dante loosened his hold, giving her enough room to slip away, hauling herself to her feet. "Matty?"

"I'm fine," Matteo said, standing up from beside the car. Genna threw herself at him, crying, knocking him back down.

Dante climbed to his feet, dazed, trying to assess the situation but everything was a blur. Adrenaline rushed through him, so furious his stomach churned, his chest burning with every breath forced into his lungs. People still ran. Others still screamed. His head grew fuzzy. He couldn't think.

He needed to
think
.

Civello lay on the sidewalk in a pool of blood. Gavin paced around, fidgeting, his gun tucked back away, his skin ashen.

"Genna?" Matteo's voice was frantic. "Genna, baby, there's blood on you."

"What?" Genna asked. "I'm not, I mean…"

Dante blinked rapidly, bile burning his throat, engulfing his chest. He saw it, the smear of blood on her arm, transferred from her black shirt. Matteo tugged at her clothes, searching for injuries.

"I'm fine," Genna insisted, looking down. "I, uh… oh shit, I think my water might've broke."

"The
blood
," Matteo said, stressing the word. "Where's the blood coming from?"

"I don't know." She raised her hands. "I don't think it's
mine
."

"Dante…" Gabriella's calm voice cut through as she carefully approached, grasping his arm. "Dante, I need you to sit down."

Dante turned, holding her gaze for a moment, seeing a familiar concern that greeted him every day for weeks.
Nurse Russo
. He blinked a few times before looking down, noticing the dark spot spreading over the blue shirt along the side of his chest. He didn't feel it so much yet, the flood of adrenaline diluting the pain, but knowledge clicked in a hell of a lot quicker. Reaching up, he pressed his hand to the spot, grimacing, blood streaking his fingertips. "I think it's mine."

Gabriella tugged on him, trying to lead him to the building, but the first step he took made his head swim.
Woozy
. He swayed, vision fading, and grabbed ahold of the car to steady himself.

"I…" Dante hesitated. "I need to sit down."

He leaned back against the car and slid down to the sidewalk, blood gushing from the wound when he moved, stabbing pain raiding from it.

He grasped the spot, wincing.

"I need something!" Gabriella shouted. "A towel or a rag or a shirt,
something
."

Gavin stepped over, still sickeningly pale, pulling off his suit coat. Gabriella snatched it from him, tearing Dante's hands away from the wound to press the fabric against it.

"Hold this right here," Gabriella ordered, looking at Gavin. "Press
hard
. I need to run up to the apartment and grab some stuff."

Gavin obliged, and Gabriella started to leave, but Dante grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Wait…"

"We don't have time to wait," she said. "The quicker we get your bleeding stopped, the better."

"His gun." Dante motioned to the pistol tucked in Gavin's waistband. "Get rid of it."

"That's not important right now," Gavin muttered.

"The hell it isn't," Dante said. "It needs gone before the police come."

Gavin started to argue when Gabriella snatched it out of his waistband, concealing it in her coat as she ran inside. Once she was gone, Gavin shook his head. "Your dumb ass is sitting here bleeding and you're more worried about me going to jail? Who's the sentimental bitch now?"

Dante laughed, wincing as it caused pain to tear through him. "Mandatory minimums. Having that gun when they show up will get you an automatic three and a half years at Rikers."

"Ouch."

"Tell me about it," Dante muttered, looking down at his chest. "I can't believe this happened. Someone
shot
me."

"Yeah, well, we knew it was inevitable."

"You aren't laughing, though."

"Of course I'm not laughing."

"You said you would. You said you'd stand back and laugh when it finally happened."

"You know I didn't mean that."

Gabriella ran back out of the building, carrying an armful of supplies, and dropped them on the sidewalk beside Dante, shoving Gavin away so she could get to work.