Chapter 35 Dante
DANTE
Lorenzo called Remington and put him on speaker. Explaining the situation to him was no easier than explaining it to Lorenzo, though Remington remained silent, eerily so, until I was finished.
“Hello, Alex,” he said.
“Hello.”
I took Alex’s hand in mine and squeezed it. I didn’t want him to be scared. He’d done great with my brothers so far.
Remington continued. “Dante, at some point, we’re going to have a one-on-one conversation about how you’ve been keeping this from me. You do understand what you’re jeopardizing by continuing your relationship with Alex. I helped you get a position once. I won’t promise to help you again.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “I understand that.”
Alex glanced at me, frowning. “Don’t give up everything for me.”
“If that’s what I want, then that’s what I’ll do. You’re more important than any job.”
“I’m glad you understand that, Dante,” Remington said. “Our first step is gathering more information. Alex, I want you to think carefully and tell us any details you might have forgotten.”
Alex managed to keep his voice steady through his entire explanation of his last interactions with Mitch, his conversation with Randall and other guys at the Chi Rho house, and the experience of being followed.”
“I agree,” Remington said. “This doesn’t sound good. I’ll get my people to pull footage from campus and see if we can find anything. Alex, describe your symptoms when you thought you’d been drugged.”
“Do you really think Ivanov might have done that? I’d only seen Dante in class or in his office then.”
“It’s something unexplained, and we need to nail down everything. Ivanov seems to be playing with us. He likes doing that, so I will not rule it out.”
Alex looked even more unnerved than he already had, but he answered anyway.
“It was different than being drunk. I felt like the world was happening around me, but I wasn’t really part of it, like I was swimming through fog.
I was barely able to control my body. I don’t know how I made it all the way to Dante’s house. ”
“Is it possible someone took you there and left you? Do you remember any of the trip?”
Alex took a moment before answering. “I guess it’s possible. I don’t remember anything between being at the frat and then Dante bringing me inside.”
I should have paid more attention and worked harder to find out who could have drugged him. “Was it supposed to be a warning? One I didn’t take seriously?”
“But you hadn’t even kissed me then,” Alex said.
“We still need to consider it.”
We discussed theories and possibilities and went over the best ways to get more information.
Remington agreed that we needed to see what the circumstances were before sending Alex and Niko to our uncle’s house.
I didn’t want to be separated from him, but he sure as hell wasn’t going up against Ivanov.
I was certain my brothers thought I wasn’t either, but I didn’t care how bad it hurt.
I’d use my arm if I needed to, and I would bring that fucker down.
When there was a lull in our conversation, Alex said, “Ivanov’s after me, right?”
“He’s after revenge,” I said.
“Yes, but if he was following me, if he was the one who drugged me, then his plan is to use me to get to you.”
I nodded. “He knows the best thing to do is to go after people we care about, and Lorenzo has Nikolai under such tight guard Ivanov can’t get to him.”
“Fucking right,” Lorenzo said.
“So why don’t I go back to class tomorrow and see if I can lure him out?”
“Absolutely not.” Nausea curled in my stomach at the thought of him being in Ivanov’s line of sight again.
I looked at Lorenzo and Rafe, expecting them to take my side.
“It’s too much of a risk,” Lorenzo said, though he looked like he was thinking about it, as if he would even put Nikolai in that kind of danger.
“Yeah,” Rafe said, “but it would be a good plan. If Ivanov’s been following Alex himself, then he’s gotten reckless. That would make him easier to catch.”
“And he won’t be intending to kill him,” Lorenzo said. “He wants to take him.”
Rafe nodded. “Or he’s toying with us, wanting us to know he’s there.”
“You cannot possibly be considering this,” I yelled. I was close to hysteria. There was no way they were going to let Alex expose himself.
“He’s not going to hurt Alex in the middle of campus in broad daylight,” Remington said.
I had to be losing my mind. “We are not talking about this like it’s a real plan.”
“We’re theorizing,” Rafe said.
“Alex is under my protection.”
“And to protect them, we must eliminate Ivanov,” Lorenzo said.
“Listen to yourself. Would you let Nikolai do this?”
“Fuck no, but he’s already been through so much worse.”
How could they take Alex’s side? “So Alex should be hurt because he has—”
“Hey!” Alex yelled. “I don’t want to keep being scared. I want to get this over with, not draw it out. The fastest way to get rid of this guy is to let him follow me again.”
“Possibly,” Remington said. “But we can’t just shoot him in the middle of campus any more than he can shoot Alex.”
“No one is shooting Alex.” I sounded crazy, but no one was listening to me.
“Of course not. We would never let that happen,” Rafe said.
“If you put him out there in front of Ivanov, then it could happen.”
Alex squeezed my hand. “Dante, I want to do this. I want to help. I’ve never been anything but a pawn for my family. I want to be part of this.”
“Fuck. Alex. I can’t let you do this.”
Rafe put a hand on my shoulder. “If Lorenzo put Nikolai in danger, or Remington let Henri—”
“That would never happen.” Remington’s voice was chilling.
“If,” Rafe said again. “You would do anything to protect them, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“We will do the same. We could end this. We could capture Ivanov, and you can do whatever you want to him.”
“After me,” Lorenzo said.
Rafe glared at him.
He huffed. “Fine, but I get a turn.”
“So do I,” Rafe said.
Alex shook his head. “You’re all scary.”
“Hadn’t you figured that out already?” Rafe asked.
“Yes, but…”
I couldn’t let them railroad me into this. “Alex, you’re not used to this. Please think about what you’re offering.”
“I need to do this. I need to show—”
“No, you do not need to show me anything. There is nothing for you to prove.”
“I need to prove it to myself.”
I needed an ally. “Remington, you’re very quiet.”
He sighed. “I don’t like this.”
“Do you think it will work?”
“Yes, I think it’s the best plan we’ve come up with, but I don’t want to put Alex in danger.”
“I’m asking to do this,” Alex said.
“That’s the only reason I would even consider it, but I need Dante on board to move forward.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and ran a hand through my hair.
I’d sworn I’d protect Alex, but I’d already fucked that up.
Ivanov had been right there following him.
He could have been taken, and… I couldn’t even let myself think about what Ivanov would do to him.
We had to end this. “He has to wear Kevlar.”
“Of course,” Rafe said.
I looked at Alex. “Are you sure?”
He held my gaze as he nodded.
“All right. We’re going to do this, but I want to know Alex is as protected as he can be.”
“We won’t let anyone hurt him,” Lorenzo said. I knew he would put his own life on the line, all of them would, just because Alex mattered to me.
We finished working through our plan, and Remington promised to let us know as soon as he learned anything about Mitch’s whereabouts.
When the door closed behind Rafe and Lorenzo, I turned to face Alex. I didn’t know whether to pull him to me and hold on tight, to yell at him, or to bend him over the closest object and fuck the hell out of him.
“I don’t like this.”
“I know. Let me see if I can make it better.” He sank to his knees in front of me and reached for the fastenings of my pants. “You’re angry. I’ve been bad. You can use me as hard as you want.”
Holy fuck, had anything ever been as hot as him looking up at me, offering me anything I wanted? “You’re putting yourself in danger. You know how I feel about that.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“I need to remind you how important it is for you to be my good boy.” He undid my pants and pulled my cock out. “Hands behind your back.”
Alex sucked in his breath.
“Do it.”