Chapter 11
Leo expected Dante to destroy Marcus.
Instead, Dante called him into the library.
“I owe you an apology.”
Leo looked suspicious.
“For what?”
“For letting Marcus train you behind my back.”
“You didn't know.”
“I knew he was encouraging you.”
Dante sat down.
“I liked that somebody else was keeping you busy.”
Leo looked away.
Since his father died, he had wanted adult men around him to treat him as capable.
Marcus understood that.
He gave Leo exactly what he wanted.
Responsibility.
Secrets.
Assignments.
Praise.
Then he built a trap from all of it.
Leo rubbed his hands together.
“I was stupid.”
“No.”
Dante’s answer was immediate.
“You were fifteen.”
Leo laughed bitterly.
“That’s what everybody says when they want me to feel better.”
“It’s what I’m saying because adults used your age against you.”
Dante paused.
“You don't get blamed for trusting people responsible for knowing better.”
Leo finally looked at him.
Then Dante added:
“But you do stop doing secret security work.”
Leo almost smiled.
“Fair.”
Lily recovered more quickly.
Her ankle irritation disappeared.
Her fear of the boots did not.
For several weeks she wore sneakers to the club.
Dante never pushed.
When she eventually asked whether Marcus put the “buzzing thing” inside, Dante told her the truth at a child’s level.
“People made a bad plan involving your things.”
“Why?”
“Because they wanted power.”
Lily frowned.
“What's power?”
Dante considered his answer.
“Getting to make choices for other people.”
Lily looked at him.
“You do that.”
The sentence stopped him.
“Yes.”
He sat beside her.
May you like
“I do.”
For the first time, Dante realized the story Marcus had built around him worked because it contained pieces of truth.
