Free Taking the Bait by C. M. Steele Page B

Do you know who exactly handed them to you?”
    “No, I don’t know. They gave them to my mother, and she put them in her bag.”
    There was a knock at the door, and Dante answered it. I didn’t see who was there because he didn’t open it all the way, but he had a little suitcase and a bottle of pills. I saw that bottle all the time. It’s what we took when we had a headache, which for me wasn’t often. I looked at the tablets he handed me, and I was certain now that I was taking the wrong thing the last couple of days.
    “Take these. I promise they are what their supposed to be.”
    I could see the anger in his eyes and his jaw as it tightened. I feel like an idiot because I hadn’t noticed the pills were very different. I took the pills with the glass of water he’d gotten for me. He waited until I was done before taking the glass and setting down back in the bathroom. Dante sat down on the edge of the bed with his head hung low and ran his hands through his hair before covering his handsome face. I climbed up behind him on my knees and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.
    “Regan, you don’t know how upset I am that I didn’t know what Marco was going to do.”
    “I’m really glad I found the hidden gun in your drawer.”
    “Me too. Have you ever fired a gun before or was it luck?”
    “A little of both. My dad took me a couple of times out to hunt animals and to get practice just in case someone ever tried to attack me. It’s funny, but it wasn’t until I knew what my uncle did for a living that I understood why my father was teaching me. He feared my uncle’s enemies would come looking to seek revenge on my uncle. I guess he was kind of right.”
    “No he wasn’t. I wasn’t seeking revenge on your family, just your uncle’s family.”
    “Yeah, but if it wasn’t you, who knows would be next.”
    “Don’t think like that. It wasn’t that serious until your uncle came into our area.”
    “Dante,” I said as rested my head on his shoulder.
    “Regan, my princess. So did your parents name you after the daughter in King Lear?”
    “Yes, they did. They thought it was a very beautiful name.”
    “Your character matches hers. You’re sweet and honest.”
    “Thanks. Is it bad that I just want to stay like this?”
    “No, but we’ll have more time for this, tomorrow. Let me get dressed, and we’ll go downstairs.”
    “I don’t like the sound of that.”
    “Me either, but if you’re going to marry me tomorrow, we have to get the ball rolling.”
    “Okay,” I grumbled.
    “Don’t say it like it’s a bad thing. Okay,” he said in annoyed and miserable tone, mocking me.
    I let him get dressed only because I was looking forward to tomorrow. I knew it was crazy to marry a man I just met, but hell I gave him my most valuable gift to date—my virtue.
    We came downstairs and there were two women down there that I didn’t know, but the resemblance was noticeably there. They had to be Dante’s mother and sister.
    “Mama, Papa, Silvia, let me introduce you to my beautiful fiancée Regan Daley. Regan, amore, this is my father Stefano, my mother Francesca, and my little sister Silvia.”
    “Hello…” I said shyly. I wasn’t aware they were all here. I look a mess, and his sister looks like a beautiful dark beauty.
    “So you’re the poor girl that’s been unfortunate to be my brother’s wife. I suppose it’s better than that other one. He’s got an attitude problem.”
    “You mean Declan?” I asked curiously. Declan was always nice to strangers.
    “Yes, she means me,” Declan said as he came from the kitchen with a forkful of pie.
    “You couldn’t wait boy?”
    “No, sir. They were taking too long to come down. I got hungry. Unlike some, I work instead of living off my parents.”
    “See what I mean? A total prick.”
    “Watch your mouth, Silvia Franchetti!” Mr. Franchetti shouted at her.
    “Sorry, papa.”
    “I need to learn that trick. That got her quiet fast.” Man