Mine Forever: A Dark Mafia Romance

Chapter 37 Sonia -Nothing

Dante and I have a long, lingering breakfast outside, looking over the ocean. Ludovica's gone out of her way to make us feel comfortable in our new location, picking up on the island's flavors by cooking with coconut, mango, and pineapple. But by the time we finish eating, I know that I have to confront my father. It's a task that I'm dreading.

"Well," I say to Dante. "I guess I better go make that phone call."

He looks at me intently. "You know, you don't have to do this. You could avoid it altogether."

I shrug. "I can't do that. If I don't do this, then my father will always come after you. I can't allow that to happen."

"I can handle your father, Sonia," Dante says to me. "What I can't handle is you being unhappy. It seems to me that speaking to him is not good for you. He was trying to marry you off, for god's sake."

I gulp. Daddy was indeed the source of my unhappiness for a long time. And I finally feel free being here with Dante. But I still don't want my family to worry about me. And I certainly don't want them trying to get me back.

"I can do this," I say. "I need to tell Daddy that I'm all right. Then he'll stop trying to find me, and all of this will be over."

Dante doesn't look so sure. "I think you need to leave things as they are," he says. "As I said, I can handle your father and whatever the Gavino family sends my way. What I can't handle is the idea of you being upset for any reason."

I reach across the table and squeeze his hand. "I got this. I promise."

He squeezes my hand back, but an unsure look is in his eyes. "I'm here if you need me. You can go into my office and use that phone."

Getting up from the breakfast table, I take one last lingering look at the ocean. It's beautiful here, like a paradise. But for as much as I want to remain outside with Dante, I have to face my demons. I need to talk some sense into my dad and let him know that I'm happy despite the situation.

Once I'm inside Dante's office, I hesitantly reach for the phone and dial the number for New York.

Daddy answers on the second ring. "Hello?"

I clear my throat. "Hi, um, Daddy? It's me, Sonia."

"Sonia? Where the hell are you? Are you okay?" He sounds angry and worried all at the same time.

"I'm fine," I hurry to assure him. "Everything's fine. I wanted to call you and tell you that."

"You're fine? Well, you better be fine. If that De Rose son-of-a-bitch touches one hair on your head, I'll kill him. Do you understand me? I'll fucking kill him. We have men out looking for you right now, covering every corner of New York. Tell me where you are, and I'll have someone pick you up right now, today."

"I—I can't do that, Daddy. I can't tell you where I am."

"Sonia, what the fuck are you saying? Tell me where you are," he demands.

Tears prick at the corner of my eyes. "No, Daddy. I wanted to call and tell you that I'm all right. In fact, I couldn't be happier. But I can't, under any circumstance, tell you where I am. To do so would mean betraying Dante."

Now the rage is thick on his voice. "Are you trying to tell me that you're going to protect that lying asshole who kidnapped you? Are you honestly telling me this?"

"It's not like that, Daddy...." I start to say.

"So, it's true then. Those pictures that your brothers took of you and Dante together are all true? You ran away to him?"

"No. I didn't run away. I would never do that," I defend myself.

"So then, what's the problem? Why can't you come home?" he asks.

"Because Daddy, I think I'm falling in love with Dante. I don't want to leave. I never expected this to happen. And while he did kidnap me, and I should hate him, I don't. I think I love him, and I don't want to come home."

The line goes silent. My father doesn't say a word.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, he replies, "You've got to be fucking kidding me, Sonia. Do you even know who he is? The guy is the fucking devil. He's using you to get to me. And once he's done with you, he'll spit you out like you're nothing."

There's a moment where I feel like the same old girl who lived in New York under my father's thumb, and his words make me feel sick. Is Dante using me? Does he think that I'm nothing? I realize that I could back to who I was, the person who hated herself and her life. But, Dante's words ring in my ears...

"Is that what you think, that you're nothing?... You should never think that there's not a way out."

I'm reminded of all the unhappy times I spent in the penthouse on Fifth Avenue, of all the times I felt caged like the walls were caving in on me. My father made me feel like that. He, and the entire Gavino crime syndicate, made me feel as though my life meant very little. But finally, I've found my freedom and my happiness with Dante. It's not something I expected to have, and I won't give up on it so quickly.

"He's not like that. He's not who you think he is," I say, though my voice is trembling.

"Whatever you think of him doesn't matter." Daddy's voice sounds full of malice. "Because you are going to come home whether you like it or not."

"No, Daddy. I'm not. I'm sorry." My hands shake as I hang up the phone.

There's nothing more to be said. I've told him the truth—that I'm safe and that I love Dante. Nothing else needs to be stated.

I might've just betrayed my family by choosing Dante De Rose over them, but I can't help it. My heart wants what it wants, and I've found a new strength in being with Dante. It's a strength that I won't let go of without a fight.