He Died for His Lover, Then Returned to Win His Trust novel · Chapter 28 of 40
Chapter 28: The Whole Name
Dante put down the pen.
He had rehearsed this for six months, in the church, in the car, in the dark with Javier asleep against his arm.
None of the rehearsals had a locked door in them, or Javier's key held tight in his fist.
He stood up.
"Dante Rossi," he said. "I am a Rossi. Greco was my mother's name."
Javier did not move.
"You're a don."
"I was the head of it. My mother holds the seat while I study. I will take it back when I graduate, if you want me to, and if you don't I will give it up."
"Rodrick told me."
"I thought it was Rodrick."
"He says you knew about the convoy." Javier's voice was thin and level. "He says you were twenty minutes from the harbor road when four rifles hit an empty car."
"Yes."
"How?"
Dante had a hundred ways to lie, and he had sworn he would use none of them.
"I'm going to tell you something," he said. "You are going to think I'm insane. I would rather you thought that than that I lied."
"Say it."
"I have lived this year before."
Javier's mouth tightened.
"In that life, the convoy was hit. You were crossing the harbor road to the clinic. You pulled a wounded driver out of the line of fire, and you took the wheel of the car. I was in the back seat. I was twenty-six, and I had never been grateful to anyone."
"Dante."
"I took you home. I told myself it was thanks. It was not. I kept you in my house for a year."
The word house came out heavy.
Javier's face did not change, but the key in his hand went white at the knuckles.
"You had a room with a window. I put a guard outside your door. I called it protection. You did not say no, because I never gave you anywhere to say it from."
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