When Villains Rise (Anti-Heroes in Love, #2)

by Giana Darling

“I could lose my licence for marrying Dante.” He knew how much being a lawyer meant to me so he frowned. “Worth it?” My hand went to Dante’s cross beneath my bulky knit sweater. “Worth it.”

He’d be proud of you.” I sighed. “Let’s hope he can tell me that in person sooner rather than later.”

“Proud of you too,” he said, shooting me a sidelong look. “All of us are. It’s been damn interesting to watch you come into your own the past few months. You should know, the men love you because of you, not because you’re D’s wife. They started to fall when you hated him.” He laughed. “I think for Addie and Marco, it happened the moment you refused to move into the apartment. They’d never seen anyone but Tore or me stand up to him before.”

“You know, you’ve never looked more beautiful than you do sitting there talking about Dante with that pretty child in your lap loving you like she’ll never stop. You can deny it all you want, but I know this is all you’ve ever wanted. Not the high-powered job or the closet full of Chanel––though admittedly, that’s amazing too. Dante gave you what Daniel never did.”

I swallowed thickly as I lifted the lid from the first one and discovered a framed copy of the only photo we had from our wedding day. Cosima had taken it with my phone, her model’s eyes capturing a truly beautiful moment where Dante had one palm at my throat and the other around my hips, both my hands in the back of his short hair holding him to me as we smiled against each other’s lips.

Next was a long, slim box that I opened only to close immediately again. “Oh my God!” I cried, but I was laughing. Beau, who was next to me and had caught a glimpse, asked, “Is that what I think it is?” It was. A black dildo still in its package.

Play with tua bella figa for me while I’m gone. I want to be able to picture you spread wide and wet, pleasuring yourself while you moan my name. Xoxo, Your capo

After that was a gorgeous pair of La Perla lingerie with instructions to wear it for him when he finally got home to me.

And the fourth was a box embossed in black that read Gatto’s. Inside, nestled in a bed of tissue paper so fine it seemed to disintegrate against my fingers, was a black and white diamond necklace. Three huge diamonds were ringed in a halo of smaller black gems that glinted like the night sky around the stars. I lost my breath to its beauty then again when I read Dante’s card.

Black and white and red, lottatrice mia. The colors of our...

My fingers trembled as I lifted my glass of Montepulciano wine in a toast that everyone echoed robustly. “To Dante.” “To Dante!”

There was only one reason I went to jail. Elena was right when she assumed those friends in high places could get me off with a hefty fine for bail jumping instead of having to pay with incarceration. But it was too good of an opportunity to waste. Oh, I could have done it another way. Hired someone or asked a favor. But this required a personal touch. My touch. After all, it was my wife he’d abused and turned against herself.

The last was a slim, pale-skinned brunette man who looked as green as the jumpsuit we had to wear in here. I tried to see him as Elena had as a girl, if he was handsome or worthy of her in any way. He was not. A brutto figio di puttana inside and out. “Ugly little guy,” the inmate beside me grunted as he took stock of the new arrivals. “He’ll be someone’s bitch boy within the week.” I didn’t argue even though I knew he wouldn’t live that long.

He’d almost ruined Elena’s life. He deserved more than a quick death. But it was all I had to offer, so I’d make sure it was a brutal one.

“She should have the pleasure of killing you, but you also don’t deserve to look at her ever again. So, I’m the lucky bastardo that will send you straight to hell.”

the warden declared prisoner Christopher Sallow dead by suicide, and no one ever knew any different.

The worst of it was missing Elena.

Our future kept me company at night while I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore my tongue-less cellmate’s incessant snoring. How I would marry her again in front of her entire family, get it photographed for Page Six if she wanted. How I would give her babies any way I could. If we couldn’t conceive naturally, we could adopt. Elena would be an incredible mother, and I couldn’t wait to have the privilege of watching that dream come true for her.

Secretly, even though I hadn’t in years, I prayed to God that we would be able to make a baby together. That I would be able to see Elena’s smoky gray eyes in a beautiful face I could hold in my arms and call my daughter or son.

She was my ice queen and my fiery donna.

A fool in love with a woman I wouldn’t let go of again.

He didn’t know that I would go to hell and back for Dante Salvatore.

I kissed her like I was drowning because after a month without her lips on mine, her scent in my nose, and that long body pressed to mine, I felt like I was dying.

“Ti amo, lottatrice mia,” I said, each word like a vow. “Ti amo,” she responded instantly, before pulling my head down by my ears so she could kiss me herself. “Chi vuole male a questo amore prima soffre e dopo muore.” Whoever is against this love, suffers and then dies.

We weren’t perfect, far from it, but that was why I thought we were meant to be. Our jagged edges met beautifully.

“Yeah, I’m a monster, Dennis. Yet you fucked with me and mine. You knew who I was, what I was, and you still thought you could get away with trying to ruin my life? Ruin Elena’s life?” I clucked my tongue against my teeth. “No, no one gets away with that.”

“Your gun,” I pointed out. “The one Frankie and Elena stole when they were with you at the gun range. I brought it back to its rightful owner. I recommend using it to end your misery before it begins, O’Malley. Because if I don’t hear about your obituary in the news tomorrow, I’m going to come for you and your entire family until they even beg you to end yourself, capisci?”

A little resentment and bitterness didn’t make me a bitch. It just made me human.

One look at her angelic face lost to repose, and I knew she was dead. Jacopo burst into tears, hauling her onto his lap.

“Call me your brother before I go,” he whispered, hardly any sound. “Forgive me.” “Fratello,” Dante murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Ti amo sempre, fratello mio.” I will love you always, my brother.

There was no ice left in me. No walls. Because I had a mafioso to protect my heart better than I ever could.

Watching Elena Lombardi give birth to the children we created together after years of trying and failing was the single most incredible experience of my life.

the greatest thing I’d ever done was love Elena Lombardi.