Dante
Nico, Marco, Bastian, and I have spent days trying to figure out who took those girls. In the time they have been here, another two girls have gone missing. I have increased patrols of my men, making sure there are more on the streets so they can effectively protect everyone. That hasn’t done anything to stop the bastards behind this.
I have had to put my other plans on hold in the meantime. As much as I wanted to strike at the Kings, I have more important matters to attend to. Zane, Ryker, and Axel will always be here, like the cockroaches they are. For now, my attention needs to be on the girls who are disappearing.
So far, we have had no luck. Michael had seen a blacked-out van, with no license plate, the other night, but lost track of it as it hit state lines. Since then, there have been no sightings of it.
To say I have been pissed off lately would be an understatement. I hate feeling like I am not in control, and this situation is proving that I am far from it. It’s not a feeling I am accustomed to, causing my skin to feel like it is crawling.
Nico, Marco, Bastian, and I are sitting around the oak table in the conference room at my home. I don’t spend much time here, normally conducting my business in the study, but I needed a bigger space for Marco and his equipment. I swear he packed every piece of technology he owns. The rows of laptops and tablets he has set out are crazy. Each one is searching for something different. I asked him to attempt to describe what he is doing, but I got lost five seconds into his explanation.
When Nico and Bastian left at lunchtime to cook, I pulled Marco to the side, asking him to do something for me that the others don’t know. I have that file on Serena, but there were a lot of gaps in the information that could be found, so I asked him to do a more comprehensive search into her background. He agreed without complaint. One of the many laptops is searching into her, but I couldn’t tell you which one.
I look over at my cousin. Nico is five years older than I am. His dark brown hair, which looks almost as black as mine, is in his usual swept-back look. His forest green eyes are staring down at the papers in front of him, reading over every piece of information we have on the missing girls. Even sitting down, you can see how tall he is. I have always been the shorter and smaller one of the two of us, but I caught up to him quickly. He still has an inch or two on me in height, and I may not look as muscular as he does, but we are just as strong.
I glance over at Marco sitting behind his computers. He and I are the same age. His father works for Lorenzo, my uncle and Nico’s guardian. Nico and Marco have been friends for as long as I can remember. Marco is the most muscular of the three of them. Being an underground cage fighter for a few years will do that. By looking at him, you would never guess that he is a tech genius. He is the best I have ever seen. His dark hair is shaved close to his head. His amber eyes are hidden behind his black rimmed glasses as he stares at the screens in front of him.
Lastly, there is Bastian, the youngest of the three. He is sitting in the corner of the room, tossing a tennis ball against the wall, waiting for something to happen. Though he may not be young, two years younger than I and the same age as Serena, he acts like a child. His blonde hair sticks out like a sore thumb in the room. His family isn’t Italian like the rest of us, but he grew up in the mafia. His dad is an advisor for Lorenzo.
My skin still feels like ants are crawling over it as I stare at a page in front of me. Not having the answers I need is becoming more frustrating than I want to admit. I am supposed to keep my city protected, so things like this never happen. I should know who is doing this and be able to put a stop to this. But… I don’t and I can’t.
Those aren’t words I often use in my vocabulary.
A frustrated growl rushes out of me as I throw the papers on the floor. I claw my hand through my hair, gripping tight and pulling. The pain against my scalp was taking away some of the frustration coursing through me. Though it’s only a minor distraction from the rush of emotions tumbling around my body.
I stand from my chair and pace back and forth. Hoping to burn the rage out, but it doesn’t help. Anger is too prevalent in me, and I lash out. Grabbing the back of a chair and throwing it across the room, watching as it shatters against the wall.
“You need to get laid, dude.” Bastian whistles from across the room. I turned to him, my teeth showing and a growl erupting from my lips.
“Bash, cut it off.” Nico scolds before turning back to me. “Why don’t you take a break. Go see that girl you were telling me about.”
At the mention of Serena, the rage simmers down. I never thought a girl would be able to distract me as much as she has. There is nothing I want more than to see her. She should still be in school, but it will be over soon. The only problem with that is driving into the heart of the King’s territory and running into them . I guess I could play nicely for her.
I run my fingers through my hair, and my decision is made. Nico is right, I have spent far too long cooped up in the house and focusing on this problem. I need to get out. I need to clear my head so I can come back with a new perspective.
Bastian gets up from his chair, walks to the table, grabs the keys for their rental, and tosses them to me. “This way, you might blend in a little more, and no one should recognize you.” He shrugs his shoulders.
I catch the keys in the air and give him an appreciative smile. Leave it to Bastian to think about sex more than work. I should stay, keep working, and find where those girls have gone. I should be responsible, but that is the only thing I have ever done. I haven’t been free from my responsibilities in years. But he is right. I need to get out, get laid (though I am not expecting that to happen), and relax. I am not good to anyone in my current condition.
As selfish as it may seem, I need this. A night of fun. A way to relax and regroup before jumping back into the task at hand. I trust Nico to keep working and find something. He will keep the other two in check.
I practically ran out of the house and into the white Audi A4 that Nico rented while he was here. I wonder how Bastian thought this would blend in more than any of my cars, but at least no one knows whose car this is.
I start the engine and take off down the driveway, through Richmond and towards the highway. I should make it to her school just before the day ends for her. Then I can whisk her away and spend some time with her.
Just knowing that I will see her soon enough is making the crawling disappear. I don’t know what it is about that girl, but I can’t get enough. She is unique. She is breathtaking. She is innocent, but I can see chaos in her that I have never seen before. I need to know more about her.
I need to have her.
Before I know it, I am pulling off the highway and making my way towards the school. I passed a few motorcycles on my drive, but thankfully, the windows are tinted enough that no one can see in. I pulled into the parking lot and searched for her car. It’s parked right in front of the lot, so I pull my car to the back and park it, with a perfect view of the front door.
It doesn’t take long for the bell to ring and students come rushing out of the school. I eagerly watched the crowd. Searching for the girl who has possessed my thoughts from the moment I saw her.
I am still trying to figure out what it is about her, but I don’t think I could put it into words. The day I met her at The Den, I knew I needed her. Finding out she also had the attraction of the King’s makes it a little more complicated, but that doesn’t matter to me. If I can get a little revenge at the same time, it makes it more entertaining for me.
Killing two birds with one stone.
Nerves start to get to me. What if she doesn’t want to see me? We haven’t spoken since I saw her at the Halloween party. I tried texting her that one night, but he never responded, or even opened the message I sent.
Am I being a whinny bitch? Yes. Do I care currently? No.
The crowd starts to thin out, most already in their cars and driving home or walking down the street. I step out of the car, lock the doors, and walk over to her car. I lean against it, my arms crossed over my chest, making my muscles pop against my shirt. Suddenly I wished I were wearing a t-shirt instead of this stupid linen long-sleeved shirt.
A few seconds later, Serena walks out. Her hand entwined with Odin and the others flocking around her. They are all smiling and laughing, making my blood boil. They shouldn’t be touching her like that. Only I should. The urge to pull my gun out and shoot them rises, but I push that feeling down. Need to make a good impression, and killing the Kings would do the opposite of that.
I take a deep breath, waiting for them to notice me. My eyes never leave her. She looks stunning even in a baggy sweatshirt and jeans. If anything, it makes her more beautiful. Her hair is down, and she isn’t wearing any makeup, not that she needs it. I noticed one of her arms isn’t in the sleeve of her shirt, and my hackles rise. What the fuck happened?
Odin is the first to notice me. His smile instantly falls, bringing a sense of pleasure through me. Serena notices the change in him and looks to see what caused it. Her stunning pale green eyes meet mine, and she beams at me. She tries to let go of Odin’s hand to come to me, but he holds her tighter. An animalistic growl tears through me as he holds her back from me.
Midas looks like he is thinking the same thing as I am, shoot first and damn the consequences. Zeus, on the other hand, looks worried. My guess is he is worried I will tell his friends our little secret. I wouldn’t say he and I are friends anymore, but we have a mutually beneficial arrangement. He gives me some information I need, and I do the same for him.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the big, bad wolf.” Midas remarks.
I give him a menacing smile as I stare back at him. “And the three little piggies he plans to devour.” I retort.
Midas sneers at me, readying himself to pounce if he feels obligated to. Serena looks between the four of us, confusion marring her beautiful face. I attempt to wipe the sneer off my face, but that is harder than it should be. Midas, on the other hand, doesn’t. He continues to stare me down like I am the anti-Christ that is here to take everything from him.
If only he knew.
I hold my hand out again, hoping she will take it.
Finally, Odin untangled his finger with hers, and she placed her hand in mine. I pull her close for a hug, squeezing her tight against me. Finally, the crawling feeling disappears and I feel like myself again.
She bristles in pain, and I immediately pull her arm’s length away to see what the problem is. Serena grabs the sore part of her arm, attempting to soothe the ache. Without thinking, I pulled the collar of her sweater down and examined her bandaged arm.
“Darling, what happened?” My voice is laced with worry. I look at the three assholes behind her, thinking they did this to her.
I swear I hear Odin mutter under his breath that I should already know what happened to her. How the fuck would I know when I haven’t seen or spoken to her since the party I crashed.
Serena sighs before stepping closer to me and resting her head against my chest. I held her closely, making sure not to squeeze her again, impatiently waiting for someone to tell me what the hell happened.
Her voice is quiet as she recalls what happened, not leaving out a detail, I hope . She tells me about someone breaking into her home and shooting her in the arm. The sudden urge to track that fucker down and put a bullet between his eyes is overbearing but the only thing keeping me present is her in my arms. This feels so right. I have never felt like this before.
I glare at the three of them, but my gaze stays on Zeus the longest. Why the fuck hadn’t he told me about this? Well, I can guess why, but still. I am livid.
I need to call Michael and have someone tail her, making sure she is safe. Someone to be her bodyguard when I can’t. So many turbulent thoughts run through my head, I can’t latch onto one.
“I’m alright, . Just need to keep it in a sling for a while so it can heal.” She tries to placate me. I smile at her, pretending that I don’t feel like going on a murder spree in her honor.
“Ti prometto che ucciderò l'uomo responsabile di tutto questo.” The words slip from my lips, but I mean every single one of them.
“Well, if you are done. We have plans.” Midas barks before grabbing Serena and pulling her away from me. He tucks her under his arm and smugly smiles at me. Before I could do anything, Serena got on her tiptoes and whispered something to him, making him sigh and nod his head.
Serena beams at Midas before kissing him on the cheek. Jealousy coursed through me, wishing it was me she was kissing. Even the most innocent kiss like that should only be for me. She quickly rushes over to Odin, giving him a small peck on the cheek as well. When she walks to his Zeus, he barely notices. His eyes are on me, examining me like I am a puzzle to figure out. Good luck with that. Without taking his eyes off me, he bends down and kisses her on the lips. A clear challenge in his eyes.
Not the time to rise to the bait, . Get your shit together.
Serena walks over to me, making her choice to go with me. I give the Kings a smug smile before I clasp her hand in mine. She looked up at me with such adoration, my broken heart seemed to start stitching itself back together. I leaned down and gently pressed my lips against her temple. My eyes are on Midas, watching as a vein starts to protrude from his forehead, and his jaw is taut.
“Why don’t you go wait in the car. I have some things to discuss with the others.” I whispered into Serena’s ear. She glances at the three men across from us, worry in her eyes. “Don’t worry, darling. I won’t hurt them.”
She looks deep into my eyes, seeing the truth in my words. She says goodbye to the Kings before I hand her the keys to my car and point out which one it is. We all watched her walk away. I am loving the way her ass shakes in those tight jeans.
When Serena gets into the car, we all face each other again. The tension is so thick in the air around us. You couldn’t even cut it with a knife. You would need a chainsaw at this point. Not that I would mind having one right now. It would be easy to cut them all into pieces and drive off into the sunset with Serena.
I just need to come up with a way to make her see I’m the right option.
“We will play nice for today, but I will never let you have her,” Midas says as if he could read my thoughts.
“I can play nice, Midas. But trust me when I say, she will be mine. Sooner or later, she will see I am the better choice.” I retort.
Midas scoffs before storming into the driver’s seat of her car.
“If you hurt her, I will kill you,” Odin says, deadly calm, before opening the back door and getting in the back of Serena’s car.
Zeus and I are the last two still outside. I smile at him, waiting to see what he will say. He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t. He shakes his head before getting into the passenger side of the car. I chuckle before turning and walking to my car.
I sit down in the car, turn it on, and turn to Serena. “Where should we go?”