Chương 4 - The Sins of the Father
I pulled my chin away from Salvatore's cold grip.
I looked frantically at Dante, expecting him to intervene.
Dante's jaw was clenched so tightly I thought his teeth might shatter.
"Step away from my fiancée, Salvatore," Dante warned, his voice dropping to a lethal octave.
"Oh, she is your fiancée now?" Salvatore laughed, a dry, rasping sound.
"Tell me, Clarissa, does your future husband know where your father hid the master ledger?"
My mind was spinning completely out of control.
My father was a deadbeat who walked out on us to drink himself to death.
He was not a thief, and he certainly was not involved with the mafia.
"My father was a mechanic," I stated firmly, though my voice trembled.
Salvatore threw his head back and laughed loudly.
"A mechanic!" Salvatore wiped a tear from his eye.
"Your father was the greatest safecracker the Five Families ever employed."
"And before he ran, he stole the master ledger containing every dirty secret in this city."
Dante suddenly stepped between us, his massive frame shielding me entirely from Salvatore's view.
"This conversation is over," Dante growled, grabbing my hand.
He practically dragged me through the crowded ballroom toward the exit.
"Wait, Dante, what is he talking about?" I pleaded, struggling to keep up in my high heels.
"Not here," Dante snapped, pushing me through the heavy brass doors into the cool night air.
The valet rushed forward to bring the armored Mercedes around.
"Did you know about my father?" I demanded, planting my feet on the pavement.
Dante turned to face me, his expression completely unreadable.
"I knew who you were the moment you poured my coffee at the diner, Clare."
The betrayal hit me like a physical punch to the stomach.
He had not been captivated by my bravery.
He had simply found the daughter of the man who stole from him.
"You lied to me," I gasped, tears stinging the corners of my eyes.
"I protected you," Dante corrected harshly.
"If the Morettis had found you first, you would already be dead."
The Mercedes pulled up to the curb, tires screeching slightly.
"Get in the car," Dante ordered.
Before I could move, the deafening crack of a sniper rifle echoed through the street.
The valet's chest exploded in a spray of red, and he collapsed onto the pavement.
Dante lunged forward, tackling me violently to the ground.
A second bullet shattered the passenger window of the Mercedes.
"Stay down!" Dante roared, drawing a heavy pistol from his shoulder holster.
He fired three blind shots toward the rooftop across the street.
I pressed my face against the cold concrete, covering my head with my hands.
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Dante suddenly grunted in pain, his body jerking hard against mine.
I looked up and saw a massive bloom of dark blood spreading across the shoulder of his white shirt.
