Toxic Love: A Dark Enemies To Lovers Mafia Romance
Toxic Love: Chapter 28

“Have a seat.”

Vito looks tired as I sink into the couch facing the one he’s sitting in.

It’s funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same. When I was a kid, Vito used to bring Carmy, Nico, and I up here to visit him at work. Back then the office was above Lickety Splits, quite possibly the most fantastically named strip club ever.

These days, the first two floors are no longer all mirrored VIP champagne rooms and stripper poles. Now the ground floor is a two Michelin star French restaurant, and there’s a tech startup above it. But Vito’s office on the third floor still looks exactly the same.

Same desk. Same ancient leather Chesterfield sofas. Same tobacco-laced air from when he still smoked. And the same neon Lickety Splits sign up on the wall.

“Can I assume you’ve got an idea of why I called you in here today? You’re a smart kid, Dante.”

I doubt I’m going to be surprised. I’m almost definitely in here to talk with Vito about Silvio, and to be reminded that his mother’s uncle is Don Luciano Amato, who sits on the Commission alongside Vito.

“You put the kid in a fuckin’ coma, Dante.”

Yeah. Currently, Silvio’s in a hospital room hooked up to about a half dozen machines, including one that’s breathing for him.

He’s having a hard time doing that for himself.

My eyes narrow coldly. “He assaulted my wife, Vito. I’m not exactly sure how else I was expected to fucking react!”

Vito’s mouth twists. “Look, I can appreciate your passion, Dante. Of course I can. But Jesus fucking Christ, kid! You know things have been tense at the Commission table recently, especially with Massimo now running things.”

Christ, this daytime soap opera drama. The quick version is, while The Commission exists to keep the peace between the most powerful Italian families, not everything is rainbows and unicorns under the shiny surface. Don Amato has been wondering aloud why the Commission is even necessary for years. And since Massimo “relieved” his father as head of the Carveli family—allegedly relieved—he’s been singing the same tune.

In short, putting Silvio in the hospital is somewhat akin to walking up to the dividing line between two tense armies and pissing over that line onto their boots.

“Luciano is calling for blood, Dante. There’s even rumors he’s going to use this to push for a vote to remove you from Venom.”

“That little shit Silvio attacked my fucking wife!” I roar, lurching toward Vito and slamming my fists down onto the coffee table. “I won’t ever apologize for responding accordingly! Not to you, not to Don Amato, and sure as fuck not to Silvio!”

The office goes quiet. Vito strokes his jaw, leaning back as he eyes me cooly.

“The Commission pushed for this, Vito. They wanted me to marry⁠—”

“To keep your club!”

“Which I’m doing!” I snap. “And now I’m following through with the rest of it!”

Except that’s not all, and I fucking know it. Everything changed the second I fell for Tempest.

The second I knew I’d kill for her.

Yes, this whole marriage thing has gone further than I ever intended. And I fucking hate that I’m going to lose her, far too soon. So until then, there’s nothing “fake” about this to me. Not anymore.

I’m about to say as much to Vito when I see his mouth curl into a grin. His brow arches as he starts to chuckle quietly to himself.

“I suppose this means you won’t be needing that goomar after all, huh?”

Some of the steam rumbling under the surface of my skin lets up. I exhale slowly, shaking my head.

“No. I won’t.”

He leans over the coffee table to pat my knee before he leans back again.

“You and your in-laws,” Vito sighs. “Your relationship is…prickly, to say the least.”

I scowl. “Alistair and Gabriel aren’t exactly my biggest fans, no.”

“Well,” Vito sighs. “We both know why, and we also both know you could clear that up with a simple conversation⁠—”

Not him as well. “That isn’t happening,” I hiss quietly with finality.

“Tempest’s brothers are one thing,” he presses. “Her grandfather is another story.”

My brow furrows. “I don’t follow.”

He sighs. “Look, I don’t like Charles Black any more than you do. He’s no don, even though he acts like one. He’s just a glad-handing, self-serving prick. But the balance is shifting.”

Sometimes Vito forgets that I make knowing everyone else’s business my business.

“You mean that he’s getting very cozy doing business with Luciano and Massimo.”

Vito nods. “Exactly.”

I don’t usually pay much attention to the workings of the Commission. But even I can see that Massimo is a walking hand grenade that’s missing a pin. Luciano is far more level-headed—the guy’s been in this game for forty-plus years—but he’s power-hungry, and it’s never enough.

“Dante, you know I don’t like to push you to get involved with family politics…”

He really doesn’t. I’ve always appreciated that about Vito. He’s got every right to call in every favor he wants from me, given the life he set me up for. But he never goes there. So the fact that he’s asking right now speaks volumes.

“But I need Charles to stop working with Massimo and Luciano. Not just me. Michael Genovisi and Cesare Marchetti feel the same. Charles working with those guys is dangerous for all of us, and I need it shut down.”

I do owe this man almost everything I have, after all.

“Let me see what I can do.”

He smiles as he stands and shakes my hand. “Thank you.”

I nod. “Of course. But seriously, if Luciano or his fuckhead great-nephew say a goddamn thing about Tempest, or try and come after her again,” I snarl, “I’m done playing diplomat.”

Vito smirks as he walks around the table and claps me on the shoulder.

“I think the entire city is clear on the consequences of laying a hand on your wife, my friend.”

Tempest is asleep by the time I get home much later, after checking in at Venom.

…In my bed.

I grin as I close the bedroom door behind me and walk to the foot of the bed, watching her sleep. I don’t even remember the exact day when she switched from sleeping in “her” room to sleeping in mine.

It just happened.

I brush my teeth, shed my clothes quietly, and slip in behind her, wrapping her in my arms. Tempest murmurs quietly in her sleep, her lips curling into a lazy smile as she snuggles back into me.

Fuck.

This started as fake.

Now I’ve never felt anything more real.

The more things change…

The more I want them to stay the same.

The more I want this moment to last forever.