Rising From Ashes: The Don's Lost Queen

The hall was silent, save for the ticking of the grandfather clock. I slowly unbuttoned my coat and hung it in the closet.

Dante followed me in, grabbing my wrist before I could reach the stairs.

"Why are you acting like this?" His voice echoed through the empty room.

I wrenched my hand free. "Isn't this what you’ve always wanted?"

He frowned. "I told you, giving Tess a ride was a matter of convenience. It was business."

"You never mentioned there was another man there," I countered his hollow excuse. "If there had been another man, she would have sat in the back."

Realizing his slip of the tongue, he let out a heavy sigh. "She gets carsick in the back." He stepped closer. "I wasn't alone with her. My relationship with Tess is strictly that of a Don and his subordinate."

I didn't cross my arms in defense; I simply let his explanations scatter between us.

He rubbed the back of his neck—a rare sign of vulnerability. "What exactly do you want from me?"

"I want nothing from you," I said, lifting my eyes to his. "You don’t need to explain yourself to me anymore."

I turned and placed my hand on the banister. "But you’d better return that earring to her tonight. Lest your associates come looking for it in the dead of night."

Behind me, the silence was suffocating.

I glanced back. His jaw was tight, and his face was as pale as if he’d just been pulled from freezing water.