Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 199143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 996(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 996(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
His brother had done things exactly like that growing up, too. They all had. Gio didn’t think he needed to bring all those events and times to the conversation, though. He was sure Dante remembered them without Gio pointing them out.
“I know what I would have done,” Dante uttered, “so don’t bother.”
“Then, what—”
“I think I want to move Andino to mentor under Lucian, if you wouldn’t mind.”
Gio’s brow furrowed. “He’s mentored under me since he could walk, Dante.”
“I think he would be a better fit for Lucian.”
“Because why ex—”
“And then under me, by-proxy, and without directly saying so,” Dante added quieter.
Gio’s eyes widened, and he made a noise under his breath. “Mentor to ... take over?”
Dante passed him a look. “It took me an hour, Gio, to get that kid to even admit he’d beat the shit out of that enforcer. A whole fucking hour of him standing there looking like he needed to go to the emergency room. I think the only reason he did decide to talk was because he was fucking bored of ignoring me.”
That was ... fair.
“I don’t know what that had anything to do with changing mentors for him, though.”
“Don’t you?”
Well, maybe he did. But maybe he also wanted Dante to say it.
“I mean, if you’re going to change his whole life,” Gio said, “and be the man who does that to him, then at least be the man who can look at his father and tell him that same thing, Dante. Look at me and tell me it.”
“I don’t want to change his life, or what he’s doing,” Dante countered fast. “I know what it feels like to grow up knowing every single day this is the seat waiting for me, and what that does to someone, Gio. I know it’s not easy. But he is the best fit—in the end, he’s going to be the one making the right choices when it comes to this family’s legacy. This was John today. Imagine when it is our name he’s standing in front of like a brick wall that won’t be moved.”
“Then, what are you planning on doing?”
“When it’s time for him to know he’ll take over after me, then it’s time. And I will tell him.”
That ... sounded messy as hell.
Gio wasn’t the boss, though.
He was just Andino’s fucking father.
Gio had never been a king in waiting.
Apparently, he was going to raise one.
Dante Outtakes
The Impossible
Dante hung back in the office, his gaze locked on where the doctor’s hand was a little too low on his wife’s body than he was comfortable with, but he kept his mouth shut. The man kind of had to be checking lower on her pelvis, anyway. The little wand moved the gel on Catrina’s stomach around, and a whoosing noise filled the room. It reminded Dante of the white noise on a television channel that had gone out late at night.
The longer that sound filled the room, the worse Dante’s nerves became. His fingers twitched, and he couldn’t seem to stand entirely still. He wasn’t the type for anxiety—that wasn’t his thing. Always calm and in control, he felt like the exact opposite in those moments.
It didn’t escape his wife’s notice, either. She wasn’t like him—nervous, sure, but she kept it to herself. Her gaze locked on his, and he heard her silent, It’s okay.
Loud and clear.
It still didn’t feel okay to him.
What if they couldn’t find it?
What if it wasn’t there?
What if—
All at once, that white noise became quieter as it faded into the background of the sounds coming out of the speaker. It was still there, yes, but faint. What came to the forefront was a galloping beat—that was the best way Dante could describe what he was hearing. It sounded like a hundred horses’ hooves beating against the group.
Constant.
Steady.
Strong.
Catrina relaxed on the bed a bit, and Dante finally stopped his fidgeting. All his nerves—for this moment, anyway—were gone just like that. They had heard the heartbeat before. Several times, actually, but that didn’t this moment any less important or nerve-wracking to Dante. Each time he knew they were going to be looking for it ... it was like his mind went to the worst thing possible first as he waited for them to find those galloping hooves again.
He had other things to worry about, of course. Getting through his pregnancy. Having his only biological child born. Those were things that hadn’t yet come, and he still felt more anxiety over than he really wanted to admit, but it would come. And he had no doubt that he would panic the entire time.
Just like he had done for this moment.
The doctor smiled. “And there it is, everyone. One heartbeat. One-fifty-three beats a minute, if I’m hearing it correctly.”
“Can I record that?” Dante asked.
“Sound, not video, if you wouldn’t mind,” the doctor replied.