In Enemy Hands (32 page)

Dante laughed when Nadia’s stomach rumbled.

“What, you’re not hungry?” she asked defensively. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since you tried to poison me with that stuff in the desert.”

Dante kissed her palm. “Your mother cooked an omlet for me. That’s when she gave me the ring.”

“Does my father know?”

Dante’s smile faded. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since I’ve been up.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to tell him!” Nadia started to climb from his lap, but Dante caught her hips.

“Stay for just one more minute,” he said, and nuzzled her neck.

“Umm.” She leaned toward him. “Who needs food anyway? “

“You do. I know how irritable and mean you get, and I’m too beat up to defend myself right now.”

“Speaking of defending yourself, just wait until you see what I have planned for you tonight. A real bed …” She undid the first two buttons of his shirt and slipped her hand inside. “Maybe a nice, hot bath together.”

Dante smiled. “Are you sure your father won’t shoot me?”

“Nah, we’ll just gang up on him again.” Nadia leaned down to kiss him, but Dante pulled back.

“Again?” he asked.

Nadia hesitated. She took his hand in hers and rubbed his fingers. “Nick and I had this huge fight after he found me in the desert. He didn’t want to us to come after you at first.”

Even though Dante had expected as much, had even hoped for that reaction from Branson while he was being held captive, it still stung.

You’re disposable to him
, Vandergriff had said.

It looked like he’d been right.

Nadia started talking faster, a sign of her discomfort that Dante had learned to recognize. “It was nothing to do with you personally. He was afraid we would all get killed. Ronnie tried to take up for me, but Nick had me trapped in my room.” She gave him a nervous laugh. “I escaped through the laundry chute.”

When Dante didn’t say anything, she sighed. “Of course, they caught me trying to get out the gate. Ronnie took up for me, my mother took up for me, even Waynie threw in his two cents … but I think the clincher was that Nick finally realized how much you meant to me. I told him I loved you, and that I would never forgive him if he didn’t let me try to get you back.”

Dante shifted. “So, you blackmailed him into helping.”

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Dante’s stomach. He had the feeling that Branson wouldn’t be too thrilled about their engagement.

Nadia shrugged. “Well, yeah. But none of that matters now, does it?” Nadia touched his chin, forcing him to look at her. “He did help, and now we’re here together, safe and basically sound, right?”

He gave her a grudging nod, and she smiled. Leaning to brush a kiss by his ear, she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She kissed him again. “I’m going to find Nick and get something to eat. Want to come with me?”

“Maybe in a minute. You go ahead.”

Nadia wandered up the path in her bare feet, her silver gown shining in the moonlight. She blew him a kiss, then disappeared behind the rosebushes.

Dante closed his eyes, suddenly feeling cold despite the warm night air.

It wasn’t the same.

Nadia wasn’t Sharon, and he wasn’t some scared kid anymore.

Things would be different this time. They would have to be, because he couldn’t stand to lose Nadia.

Taking a deep breath, Dante stood, wincing when his sore muscles protested. Reluctantly, he limped to the house to see what kind of scene awaited him.

He slid open the doors and walked into an empty living room. Muffled voices came from the dining room, and Dante slowly made his way toward them.

When he reached the doorway, he heard Nick Branson’s voice. “You’re what? Getting married?”

He laughed and Dante froze.

“Do you seriously expect me to let my daughter marry some damn
bounty hunter
?”

Nick’s words seared him. Dante turned away and hobbled up the stairs.

He was hurt, and angry that he’d let a man like Nick have the power to hurt him in the first place.

It wasn’t fair. No matter what he did, or how much he loved her, he would never be good enough.

Frustrated, he crawled into Nadia’s bed and pulled her pillow to his face. Whatever happened next would depend on her.

She opened the door nearly twenty minutes later and slipped inside. She looked like she’d been crying. The sight of her red-rimmed eyes filled him with dread.

“What’s wrong?” he asked tersely, and sat up in the bed.

“Nothing.” She turned away from him and picked up her brush. Pulling it through her hair, she said, “I thought you were going to join us.”

“I didn’t think your father would want to eat with the hired help.”

Her hand stilled in mid-stroke and she turned to face him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What did Nick say when you told him we were getting married? Did he tell you that princesses don’t marry losers like me?”

Temper flashed in her green eyes, but Dante had managed to work up a pretty volatile mood himself. “What’s the matter, Nadia? Did you come up here to tell me you’ve changed your mind?”

Nadia set her hairbrush back on the dresser and rubbed her forehead. “I’m trying real hard not to be pissed by that comment, but you know what … it’s not working. I am not your ex-wife, Dante.”

“So, what did Daddy say, after the ‘I’m not going to let my daughter marry some damn bounty hunter’ part?”

Nadia drew back like she’d been slapped. A strange look passed over her face, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “You want to know what he said? Why don’t you go ask him yourself?”

Dante stared at her, but she simply lifted her chin in that stubborn way of hers.

“Fine.” He stalked out of the bedroom with Nadia on his heels.

His overnight bag awaited him at the foot of the stairs.

Nick sat in the living room, sipping a glass of tea. He glanced up at Dante, and said, “There you are. I’d like to have a word with you.”

Dante grimaced. “Yeah, I can guess what that word is.”

“So, Nadia told you what we discussed?”

“She didn’t tell me anything, but I want to tell you something … I love her. We’re meant to be together, and I’m not walking away.”

Nick lifted his eyebrows, and shot Nadia a puzzled look over Dante’s shoulder. “Yes,” he said slowly. “I gathered that from the engagement.”

“I may not be some rich lawyer or doctor, but I can make her happy.”

“I’m sure you can.” Nick’s frown deepened and he steepled his hands in front of his face. “I have a feeling … am I missing something here?”

Nadia laughed.

Confused, Dante turned to look at her. She walked up beside him and slipped her arm through his. Laying her head against his shoulder, she said, “He heard what you said, about not letting your daughter marry some damn bounty hunter, but apparently that’s all he heard.”

“Oh!” Nick’s face turned red, then he laughed. “I see.”

He motioned for Dante to sit on the couch beside him. Reluctantly, Dante did. Branson set his glass on a coaster and said, “Sorry about that. I was teasing Nadia. She’s so excitable these days.”

“You mean …” Dante glanced at Nadia. She winked at him.”

… you aren’t going to stop the wedding?”

“Stop the wedding!” Nick laughed so hard he had to wipe his eyes. “Son, I’m not even sure
you
could stop the wedding, now that Nadia has her mind set on it.”

“Damn straight,” she said, and perched on the couch arm beside him. “So, don’t get any ideas.”

“But my clothes—” Dante gestured toward duffle bag at the foot of the stairs.

“If you’ll remember, Waynie took them out to the barracks after you accepted my offer of employment. Now that you’re family, I thought we should move you back into the main house. I’d hate for Nadia to have to slip out of the house again. It’s a wonder she didn’t get wedged in that laundry chute. We’d still be looking for her.”

Now that you’re family …

Dante’s face flushed hot, and he shot Nadia an embarrassed grin. “You just had to let me flounder around here and make an ass out of myself, didn’t you?”

She shrugged. “Well, you needed to hear it from him, not me.”

Nick patted his shoulder. “That’s women for you, son. Her mother does me the same way.”

Nadia snorted and shook her head. “I can’t believe you thought I wasn’t going to marry you because Daddy said so.”

Nick sighed. “She’s never listened to me before, and I’m not expecting her to start anytime soon. Besides, I’m not complaining. I think you two are a perfect match if I can keep you out of trouble, which brings me to my next point. I’d like to offer the both of you jobs at Branson Industries—well, Andreakos Industries now. Perhaps I can keep the two you so busy you won’t have time to get into mischief. And it’s only right that you assume some of the duties at the firm. After all, you and your children will own it one day. What do you say?”

Nadia looked at Dante and Dante laughed, staring at his future father-in-law. “Hey, I don’t even know what it is you do. Remember, I was thinking until recently that you were a drug dealer.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Security. My firm provides personal security for people in the form of electronic systems, guards, and whatever other devices we deem necessary. We do some government contracts. Work against hackers, that sort of thing. I assure you, I’m no drug dealer. If you accept my offer, I’ll pay for a month long honeymoon anywhere you want to go.”

Dante grinned at Nadia. “I hear the desert’s nice this time of year. It’s the rainy season.”

“Hey in there!” Ronnie called, and rapped on the door. “Is everybody decent?”

“Come in,” Nadia yelled as her mother struggled with the tiny row of pearl buttons up the back of her gown.

Ronnie cracked open the door and stuck his head inside, his hand covering his eyes.

“I’m dressed, you goof,” Nadia said.

Ronnie peeked through his fingers. “Whoa—oh, my God, she’s wearing white!”

Nadia tossed a box of tissues at him. It missed, bouncing off the door frame, and Ronnie cackled.

“Kidding. I’m only kidding. You look beautiful.” He slipped inside and closed the door behind him. “Dante’s a lucky guy. And he’s ready. He sent me in here to make sure you hadn’t changed your mind or anything. I told him you’d better not have. I don’t wear one of these monkey suits for just anybody.”

Nadia smiled and shook her head. “Nope, he won’t get off the hook that easy. And you look very handsome. Thank you for being my maid of honor.”

Ronnie winced. “Don’t call it that. I’ve already taken enough ribbing from Dante’s little brother about walking down the aisle with him. I don’t need any more from you. It’s not my fault you don’t have any girlfriends. And it
will
be your fault if I don’t have any girlfriends, after they hear about this.”

“Quit your yapping.”

Nadia motioned him over so she could straighten his tie. “The thing is, you want your best friend standing up there beside you. Other than Dante, you’re it. I can’t help it that I like hanging out with losers.”

“Back atcha, loser,” Ronnie said, and nudged her shoulder with his.

Nadia smiled and kissed his cheek. “Ooh, you smell good too. Hand me that bouquet, loser.”

She brought the flowers to her face for a quick sniff, then lifted her eyebrow. “How does Dante look in his tux? Sexy, I bet.”

Ronnie threw up his hands. “Yeah, he’s adorable. Look, I’m out of here. Are we going to get this show on the road some time today? This collar itches.”

“We’re done.” Maria stood and smoothed out her dress. “Ronnie, will you please tell Waynie I’m ready for my escort?”

“Sure thing, Mrs. B,” he said, and headed for the door. Nadia followed. She peeked through the crack and watched as Ronnie whispered something to Waynie. They both laughed.

Men.

She didn’t have time to worry about them. Dante was waiting.

The garden was beautiful. Nadia had decided she wanted the ceremony to be held there, and that was fine with Dante. The place held some good memories. Red roses were everywhere, bathing the area with their sweet, heavy scent.