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Chapter 49

*DANTE VINO POV*

"Get in here. Now." I said to my brother, annoyance prevalent in my voice. 

"What is it, Dante?" He asked, knowing that I must have done something stupid again.

I wish I could say he was wrong about that assumption.  

"Just get your fucking ass in here, NOW." I yelled before hanging up. 

I looked down at Sofia, who was face down and naked in my bed before throwing my phone against the wall in frustration, shattering it completely. I sat down on the end of my bed, as I ran a hand through my hair. 

A month. An entire fucking month without her in my life. 

I feel miserable. Empty. Alone. Psychotic. Murderous. 

At first, confusion struck me when I realized that before she strolled into my life, I already felt these things, and was coping quite well actually. But once I looked into her hazel eyes, I knew I was a goner, and now all those emotions seemed to resurface in her absence. 

I don't even lie to myself anymore when it comes to how much I miss my little vixen.

I miss how she would light up any room she walked into. 

I miss her energetic charm. 

I miss her smile. 

I miss when I used to make her smile. 

I miss the way she looked up at me and raised an eyebrow whenever she'd give me a sassy remark or comeback. 

I miss the blissful look on her face as she worked on her car. 

I miss hearing her electronic keyboard click away as she concentrated on a task. 

I miss the way she inhaled sharply whenever I was near. 

I miss the stolen glances at the dinner table. 

I miss how perfectly she'd fit in my arms. 

I miss how she would nuzzle her face into my chin. 

I miss the way she'd rub small circles on my arm. 

I miss the small smile she'd give me when I stroked her hair. 

I miss how she would interlock our legs when I used to sneak into her room at night. 

I miss my girl. 

But I knew, that in order to keep her safe, in order to keep my family safe, I had to create the distance. I NEEDED to stay as far away from my little vixen as possible. The only solace I have is the fact that she's still alive and well, that's the only thing that's been able to get me out of bed each and every morning. 

"What the fuck is that?" Angelo asked as he quickly walked into my room. Angelo's eyes were glued to the naked woman in my bed with a mortified expression on his face. 

"Brother, I get you're under some stress right now, but fucking seriously dude?" Angelo said as he looked at me with disappointment in his eyes. If anyone was excited about Rebel and I getting together, it was this fucking guy. For weeks he tried convincing me to tell Rebel what actually happened, but after I beat his ass a few times, he finally stopped talking about the subject. 

"You really think that fucking this whore is going to help?" Angelo asked as he looked at me with disgust, making me sigh. 

"I didn't call you in here for your opinion," I growled as I stood up and walked towards Sofia. "I called you in here to clean this fucking shit up!" I exclaimed as I carelessly flipped her over, revealing the large bullet wound between her eyes. 

"Oh." Angelo said before he let out a low whistle. "Well, at least you didn't sleep with her... right?" He said before patting my back once, making me inhale deeply in an attempt to calm myself down. 

Of course I didn't sleep with her, she isn't my little vixen. She isn't my Rebel. I couldn't even look at another woman without being filled with the despair of knowing that I might not ever get to hold the woman I care about again. Even though I turned down Sofia's advances time and time again, this was the final straw. She was waiting for me, naked in my room. I shot her before she could even get a word out.

We both stood in awkward silence as Angelo stared at the body with his eyebrows raised, and I continued to calm myself down.  

"Dante, I think you should tell her what happened." Angelo said after a moment. He looked over at me with his eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes full of concern. 

"Fucking idiot." I said as I shoved his chest, making him step to regain his balance. 

"I'm serious man. Just fucking tell her." Angelo said as he raised his voice while I quickly walked out of the room, avoiding the topic yet again.

I walked aimlessly down the hallway, and stopped once I found myself unconsciously walking towards Rebels room.

"Going somewhere cousin?" Stephan's voice rang out from behind me before I felt a swift pat on my back. 

"Stephan." I said in a dry tone. After our little brawl, we have surprisingly been more civil, that is, after I beat the little pricks ass for getting in my way. 

"You gonna be attending dinner tonight?" Stephan asked awkwardly, attempting to make conversation. 

I stared at him for a moment with a bored expression on my face, mentally cursing at him for already knowing the answer to his own question. 

"I'll take that as a no." Stephan said as he looked down for a moment.

"...But you really should." He said after a moment, making me furrow my eyebrows at him. 

"And why's that?" I asked, my tone sounding more ominous than usual. 

"Because you gotta eat sometime. I'm worried about you man. We all are." Stephan said hesitantly. 

"I think it would do the family some good seeing you there. You know, calm them down a little bit." He said as he gave me a small smile. Stephan was working night and day preparing for the attack from Pavlovski. He took the threat to heart considering that his father was also killed via a death threat. I stood there, looking over his head and down the hallway towards Rebels room. 

I wonder what she's doing right now. 

I wonder if she's been eating well. 

She better fucking be eating well. 

I wonder if she's been sleeping well. 

I wonder if-

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw her jet black hair turning the corner and walking down the hallway, completely oblivious to us standing just a few feet away. She looked deep in thought, and more beautiful than I could remember. I watched as her hips swayed while she quickly turned the corner. He scent of lavender and vanilla made me inhale steadily, savoring her scent as if it was the last time I'd get the privilege of experiencing it. But just as quickly as she came, she went, and I watched with sadness as she turned the corner, and was gone. 

"You're right." I said to Stephan as I looked over at him, making him look back at me with a surprised expression on his face. 

"Let's go." I said as I walked towards the dining room, quickening my pace before I could change my mind.