Skating Towards Danger: A Mafia Hockey Romance – Dante’s Book (Mafia Hockey Series 2)

“She find it difficult to fall asleep?” Rocco asks with worry as I go into my dad’s office an hour later, causing Dad and Roman to look at me with concern.

I lean up against the wall as I sigh and admit, “She was asleep by the time I got to my room wearing my old jersey, but the nightmares started, so I didn’t want to leave her until she was settled. I’m sorry to tell you this, Rocco, but the only way for that to happen was for her to lay on top of me, which is why I took so long.”

Rocco looks away but nods, and I look at Roman, who states, “Houlis, Rafael, and Jose are meeting us at the warehouse in forty minutes. Mama promised to keep an eye on Paige until we return.”

I swallow hard and look at the door.

“I don’t know if I can leave her. What if she has another nightmare?” I grunt with concern, not giving a shit if I sound like a pussy.

My wife has had information overload. She hasn’t spoken to Rocco yet, but I’ve told her the most important things she needed to know, and she’s struggling with them. It’s why I didn’t call her out when she started asking me what I knew of her likes and dislikes, testing my feelings for her.

She needed an escape, and I gave her it until she was ready to ask the harder questions.

I just fucking hope what we did an hour ago was her way of telling me she was still mine, that she wasn’t afraid of me, but honestly, having the woman who holds a massive part of you being afraid of you is fucking terrifying.

“I promise your mother will take care of her, son,” Dad confirms, then states, “You have to be there because she’s your wife just… I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but don’t let that demon out.”

I look at Dad with a raised brow and ask, “So you don’t want me to start shooting people?” knowing I’m going to be shooting people.

The fuckers went after my wife after we confirmed she was indeed my fucking wife meaning my tally of killing people is about to increase.

Dad groans, seeing it’s a lost cause, and shakes his head before walking out of his office. I look at Roman, who’s biting his fist, trying to stop his laughter because even he knows there’s no stopping my demon. Dad should know that, especially when it comes to Paige.

Chuckling, we follow Dad out of his office with Rocco behind us, muttering, “We’re all fucking doomed if his demon comes out,” only making us laugh louder.

Maybe the fuckers shouldn’t have gone after my girl…

“Now, what is our little brother doing here?” I ask as I climb out of the SUV. Gio, who is basically a mini-me, and Roman roll his eyes and states, “Dad.”

Ah…

I nod. “You’ve started your training already, huh?” I confirm, not happy especially when I demanded he joins after he turns twenty-five and only if it’s what he wanted as he gives me a quick hug.

“Last week if it helps Dante,” he says. I look at him and see he’s telling the truth, and everything in me relaxes knowing it wasn’t years ago.

Gio is six years younger than me, making him twenty, meaning he’s had nine years free of this world, and I have to admit, that makes me feel fucking better.

“Combat, guns?” I confirm, and he nods once and admits, “I’ve been training in the gym and at the range since I was fourteen, but my first kill wasn’t until last week. Dad asked when I’d like to begin, and my condition was no killing until I was ready.”

I eye Dad as he speaks to Roman before I look at my little brother and ask, “And you were ready last week?”

His eyes burn with anger as he admits, “A professor was trying to rape Callie.”

I nod because, yeah, that would do it.

Callie is his best friend, and they have been since 7th grade. There’re no romantic feelings between them, he sees her as a little sister, and I’m pretty sure she’s into women, but catching someone trying to rape her, yeah, I don’t blame him.

“I’m proud of you,” I say, and my little brother blushes, making me chuckle, “Come on, little brother, let’s unleash the demon so I can get back to my wife.”

He nods and walks towards the warehouse, mumbling, “Fuck, it sounds weird hearing wife come outta your mouth.”

I grin wide and follow, but as soon as we walk through the door, my face goes hard. I see Houlis standing in the middle of the warehouse in a three-piece suit, his white hair combed back.

I narrow my eyes at the fucker while my brother walks ahead of me.

“Houlis, Jose,” he says, then looks at Rafael and demands, “Where is my sister?”noveldrama

I stop next to Gio, cross my arms over my chest, and watch as Raf sighs and runs his hand through his dark blonde short hair.

“She’s at home asleep,” he admits, and I chew the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing that he believes that.

She wanted to be here for this, the phone call Dad got twenty minutes ago on the way here is proof of that, and well, Roman decided to blame Raf for why she couldn’t be.

In her world, mafia is for all sexes, and we should stop being alpha-holes, but unfortunately for her, it doesn’t work that way.

Dad clears his throat to stop his chuckle, knowing full well his daughter will be spending shit loads on Rafael’s bank card in revenge.

He asked for her hand a few months ago, so it’s his own fault, really.

I love my sister, but she is hard work, which is why we never complained when she admitted to falling in love with a Cartel member after bumping into each other at a bar. If anyone can handle her, it’ll be him though I do feel sorry for the fucker.

He’s going to turn gray before he hits thirty-five.

“Can we get on with this?” Houlis growls, and his son tenses next to him before locking eyes with me, and his tension heightens seeing my demon at the surface.

“Houlis, the reason we’ve asked for this meeting,” my brother begins, but Houlis cuts him off and snaps, “Is to apologize and hand the girl over personally! She’ll go for a lot in my auction next week.”

Gio quickly grabs my arm when I take a step forward while Raf turns his body slightly, ready for my demon to come out so he doesn’t get shot.

“Actually,” Roman growls, “we’re here because you have started a war.”

Houlis’s eyes widen and he denies, “I have done no such thing!”

Roman tilts his head and asks, “So you didn’t have a sniper at the ice rink where my sister-in-law was training? You didn’t have my second’s, my blood brother’s, car shot at?”

I slowly grab my gun from the back of my pants without anyone noticing, including Houlis’ bodyguards, who do not agree with Jose or Rafael taking over as Houlis sneers, “She’s only his wife because Rocco begged for protection for the little bitch.”

I grit my teeth, and Dad moves next to me as Rocco growls, but Roman speaks over him, “Paige Marino is family, even before she married my brother. Peter declined your offer of an arranged marriage, and because you thought you could get away with it, you forced Peter’s car to crash after watching his eight-year-old little girl skate. Your men raped his dead wife and then tortured him before killing him – my father’s consigliere.”

Houlis looks around and then admits, “I was angry, and that was fifteen years ago, your father let it go.”

Dad speaks up from beside me and snaps, “So angry that you killed a family that was not a part of our world, breaking the oath that you took before taking over from your father.”

Houlis sniffs and reminds my father, “I killed him and his wife. His daughter is very much alive.”

I speak up this time and boom, “You also killed a four-month-old baby boy!” and he looks at me in shock. “My wife tried to cover her baby brother with her body while watching her mother try to jump in the back to protect them,” I sneer at him, “You disrespected my father by trying to force an arranged marriage and then killed a family that had no part of our world. You then tried to kill my wife out of some sick game to punish a dead man after my father and our alliances let you off to keep peace, and for that, I condemn you, Houlis!”

“Ah fuck,” Roman mutters as both Rafael and Jose step away from Houlis, who chuckles and states, “You can’t condemn me, you’re not even full-time second yet, putting your precious skating first.”

I give him a cold grin and remind him, “Ah, but I’m still second, and you still went after my wife,” before I lift my arm and pull the trigger, not once, not twice, but three times.

Houlis’ bodyguards all drop, a bullet to their heads as Houlis quickly presses his hand to his throat, his eyes wide.

“Dante, are you losing your touch with all the skating?” Rocco asks, and I look at him to see his head tilted as he eyes a choking Houlis who have dropped to his knees.

I look back at the fucker, and I state, “He deserves to suffer, just like my wife does every single day since losing her family.”

Houlis coughs up blood, and choking sounds echo in the room before he falls to the floor, his face smacking the concrete. It’s only then that I shoot him five times just to make sure he’s dead. Then I look at Rafael and state, “Congratulations, the Cartel is yours but know this, fuck with my family, and you’ll regret it, and not by me either, my sister has a mean streak.”

“Yeah, she fucking does,” Gio mutters as he rubs his side where she cut him a few years back when he took her credit card as a job and Rafael smirks.

“I can handle your sister,” he says, then adds, “I think,” and I grin wide as I shake my head at the poor fool.

Saluting a relieved-looking Jose, I turn and walk towards the exit, my mind solely on getting back to my parent’s house to my girl when I hear the Roman threat, “Hurt my sister, and I’ll fucking kill you after starting a war.”

“I’ll treat your sister like the queen she is,” Rafael promises, and just before I exit through the door, I shout, “She has a shoe addiction, so good luck.”

I hear his groaning as I walk out of the warehouse, and Roman and I chuckle.

“He wanted her,” Roman says as Dad joins us, and I state, “Now he can deal with her.” We all laugh and walk over to the SUV.

As much as we love Bianca, the woman is a shopaholic, and if Dad had a normal job with a salary, we would have been fucking bankrupt within days.

The little shit stole my credit card last year and maxed the fucker out, so good luck to Raf.

“He better not hurt her, Dad,” Gio snaps as he walks over. I grin at my little brother, wrap my arm around his neck, and rub his head with my fist, making him chuckle and shove me away.

“He’s not stupid, Gio, besides, have you seen the look he gets when she’s mentioned?” Roman answers him, and Gio grins and says, “Yeah, it’s the same dopey look you get when Morgan is mentioned and what Dante gets when Paige is in sight, although, normally, with Dante, his demon appears to avenge her. Case in point, in there, though I expected it to be a little bit messier.”

I shake my head and mutter, “Just wait until you fall.”

He shrugs, “When I do, I’ll cherish it, but until then, I’ll enjoy all the ass I can get.”

“You mean pussy, son,” Dad says, and Gio grins and admits, “No, Dad, ass,” and Dad’s face pales, and I laugh as I walk to the SUV.

I guess Gio never came out to Dad.

“Come on fuckers, I have a girl to get home to, preferably before she has nightmares,” I say loudly and climb into the SUV.

“Dante,” Rocco begins as he climbs in next to me and I say, “Just give her a little time. She’s had information overload, Rocco, and right now, the only thing she wants to focus on is me, my life, and that I actually do love her and we have to allow that for her. Just give her time.”

He sighs but nods, then looks out the window, and I sigh.

Paige will forgive him, as much as it feels like she won’t, she loves him like a father she just has a lot to overcome.

My wife is strong, and with my help, she’ll finally be happy with her family around her, I’ll make sure of it.