34. Dante
THIRTY-FOUR
I couldn’t keep the sly grin from my face as I walked down the hallway of Alessandro’s building. This morning’s steamy rendezvous with Natalia in the shower was still fresh in my mind, leaving me with a spring in my step and a satisfied smirk stuck to my face.
That woman had a way of making my troubles melt away, at least for a little while.
A sharp whistle interrupted my train of thought, followed by Alessandro’s booming voice. “Hey there, Dante! Good to see you, my friend!”
I snapped out of my reverie, shaking hands with Alessandro as he greeted me with his usual exuberance. The man was like a bulldozer wrapped in a tailor-made Italian suit, his larger-than-life persona filling the room.
He ushered me towards the conference room, his hand resting on my shoulder in a familiar gesture. “You’re looking well. Life treating you good, eh?”
I flashed him a cocky grin, unable to contain my smug satisfaction. “Something like that,” I said.
As we entered the conference room, a sudden worry crept in at the sight that greeted me. There she was, Alessandro’s sexy-as-sin secretary, Vanessa, perched on the edge of the table like a cat ready to pounce. Her legs were crossed, the hem of her skirt riding high on her thigh, and her eyes sparkled with mischievous intent.
The last time we had a meeting, she had made it more than clear that she was interested in a little extracurricular activity with me. And from the looks of it, that offer was still very much on the table.
“Dante,” she purred, her red lips curving into a knowing smile as she took in my appearance with a predatory gaze. “It’s been too long.”
I took a seat across from her, letting my eyes roam appreciatively over her curves. I couldn’t deny that Vanessa was a damn fine woman, with her dark hair, sultry eyes, and body that could stop traffic. But lately, my heart—and other parts of me—only had eyes for one woman: Natalia.
“Vanessa,” I drawled, letting my gaze linger just a beat too long before meeting her eyes. “Looking as stunning as always.”
She leaned forward, her fingers caressing up my arm. I could feel the heat of her touch, and a tiny part of me wondered what it would be like to give in to her advances. After all, she was offering exactly what I usually wanted: no strings attached.
But then I thought of Natalia, and my resolve strengthened. I gently removed Vanessa’s hand, my fingers brushing against hers for just a moment before I withdrew.
She pouted, but there was a challenge in her gaze, a silent promise that she wasn’t giving up so easily.
I returned to the reason why I was there. “Great to see you again, Alessandro. I trust you’ve been well?”
He gave a hearty laugh, rubbing his hands together as he took a seat at the head of the table. “Never better, my friend. Business is booming.”
I settled back into my chair, a confident smile on my face. “That’s good to hear. I have some exciting updates to share about our potential partnership as well.”
Vanessa poured coffee for us, her movements smooth and deliberate.
I launched into my pitch, laying out the potential benefits of our business deal with a confidence that I knew would appeal to Alessandro. I outlined the financial gains, the expanded market reach, and the synergies between our organizations.
As I concluded my presentation, Alessandro leaned back, steepling his fingers as he regarded me with a calculating gaze. “Impressive, Dante. Very impressive.”
I allowed myself a satisfied smile, relishing the compliment coming from a man of Alessandro’s stature. “Thank you. I believe this deal could be mutually beneficial, and I’m confident we can make it a success.”
Alessandro nodded, his face turning somber. “Unfortunately, Dante, I’m going to have to decline your offer.”
My smile faltered, confusion washing over me as I tried to make sense of his words. “I don’t understand. What’s changed?”
Alessandro’s eyes flickered to Vanessa, who offered him an almost imperceptible shake of her head. “It’s not you, Dante. It’s... circumstances beyond my control.”
I felt a spark of annoyance igniting within me, a burning need to understand what had caused this sudden change of heart. “Circumstances? What circumstances?”
Alessandro shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his gaze dropping to the table. “It’s your father, Dante. He... paid me a visit.”
My blood ran cold at the mention of my father, a bitter taste rising in my mouth. So, even here, he found a way to sabotage my plans.
“What did he say?” I bit out.
Alessandro hesitated, his eyes flicking to Vanessa before returning to mine. “He made it very clear that he does not approve of our business venture, and he has... asked me to walk away.”
A snarl built in my throat, an animalistic growl that rattled the fragile fragments of my self-control. How dare my father try to interfere? Again. Always my fucking father, standing in the way of my dreams, casting his long, dark shadow over my life.
“I’ll handle my father,” I said, my hands clenched into fists on the tabletop. “You have my word, Alessandro. This deal will go through.”
Alessandro shook his head. “I’m sorry, Dante. I can’t risk it. My family – they’re my priority. I can’t afford to get caught up in your family’s... issues.”
I could feel Vanessa’s eyes on me, watching the scene unfold. But I barely registered her presence, anymore.
“I understand, Alessandro,” I said, my voice cold. “Family is everything, after all. Even when they’re the ones fucking you over.”
I pushed back from the table, my movements smooth and controlled despite the turmoil raging within me. “Thank you for your time. I’ll see myself out.”
I didn’t look back as I walked away, my mind already spinning with plans. My father thought he could control me, could dictate the terms of my life with threats and intimidation. Fuck that.
The elevator doors closed behind me, and I slammed my fist against the wall, the force of the impact reverberating through my body. I wanted to scream, to unleash the rage that was building inside me.
I stabbed at the buttons for the lobby, the elevator descending with excruciating slowness. I wanted to get the hell out of this building, breathe some fresh air and clear my fucking head.
As the doors slid open, I strode out into the opulent lobby. Fuck! I really wanted to see Natalia, to lose myself in her embrace and wash away the bitter taste of my father’s betrayal.
I needed her in a way I couldn’t ignore.
The rush of the street welcomed me as I emerged from the building, the afternoon sun warming my face. I pulled out my phone, my thumb hovering over Natalia’s contact for a moment before I pressed the call button.
It went to voicemail. “Natalia, it’s me. I need to hear your voice. Call me back when you get this.”
Next, I hit the speed dial for Marco, the phone to my ear as I strode towards my Maserati. This was the only way to re-center, get my head back in the game after the biggest potential business deal went down the drain because of my asshole father.
The phone rang twice before Marco’s voice cracked through the line. “Dante, what’s the word?”
“The deal with Alessandro is off,” I muttered, the disappointment bitter on my tongue. I filled Marco in on the details, my voice tight with frustration.
On the other end of the line, I could practically hear Marco’s scowl. “Fuck Ricardo. Don’t worry, Dante. We’ll find a way. We always do.”
His words did little to ease the knot in my stomach. My dreams of creating a life outside the cartel, of building something legitimate that my father couldn’t touch, seemed to be slipping further and further out of reach.
As I slid into the driver’s seat of my car, Marco’s next words stopped me cold. “Hey, Dante, I almost forgot. Remember that guy you asked me about? Allen Hawkes, your sister’s beau?”
“What about him?” I asked, my curiosity piqued despite my foul mood.
“Well, Pedro found something. Turns out he’s been spotted with none other than our favorite cartel scumbag, Javier Cruz.”
I swore under my breath, the mention of Javier’s name sending a surge of anger through me.
“It gets worse, hermano,” Marco continued. “Allen was spotted at one of Javier’s known stash houses. Looks like he owes Javier some serious cash, and our friend is making sure he pays up.”
My grip tightened on the steering wheel as I considered the information. “We need to pay this Allen asshole a visit. Find out once and for all what the deal is with him.”
Marco didn’t hesitate. “Say the word, Dante. I’ll meet you at his place in 20.”
Marco gave me Allen’s address and twenty minutes later, we were standing outside Allen’s posh apartment, the sun glinting off the glass and steel facade. The doorman gave us a wary glance but let us up without asking questions, probably scared shitless by our dark suits and stony expressions.
I knocked on the door, my fist poised to deliver a second, more insistent knock when the door swung open. Allen stood there, his eyes widening at the sight of us, his carefully constructed mask of arrogance slipping just a fraction.
Before he could even muster a greeting, I had him by the collar, hauling him into the apartment. Marco followed close behind, letting the door click shut with a finality that punctuated the seriousness of the situation.
“What the fuck, man,” Allen sputtered, his eyes flicking between us. “What do you want?”
I slammed him against the wall with a satisfying thud. “We want answers, you little weasel,” I growled, my voice cold and dangerous. “Why were you at Javier Cruz’s stash house? What does he have on you?”
Allen’s eyes went wide, the fear in them unmistakable. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about! Let me go!”
I tightened my grip, relishing the fear in his eyes. “Oh, I think you do, Allen. You owe Javier a shit ton of money, don’t you? What did you lose it all on, huh? Stocks? Crypto? Cocaine?”
Allen whimpered, a sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead. “I-... just made a bad investment, that’s all. I don’t know anything about Javier Cruz.”
I leaned in close, my lips inches from his ear. “Javier Cruz isn’t the kind of guy you want to owe money to, Allen. He’s the kind of guy who’ll make you wish you were never born.”
Marco stepped forward. “Start talking, asshole. Tell us what you know, or so help me God, I’ll make sure you regret ever crossing paths with Javier Cruz.”
Allen’s eyes darted between us, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to form a coherent sentence. “Okay, okay! I’ll tell you! I lost the money. It was bad timing, that’s all. I’m paying Javier back, I swear.”
“Oh, you’re paying him back all right,” I growled, slapping him hard across the face. “Giving him information about me and my family.”
“Wait!” Allen yelped, his voice cracking. “No, I swear. I haven’t told him shit!”
I was about to hit him harder when the sound of the door opening made me freeze. Suddenly, Sofia stood in the doorway, her eyes wide, her hand still on the doorknob as if she were prepared to flee.
She took in the scene before her: me with my hands on Allen, Marco looming behind me, Allen cowering against the wall. “Dante?” Her voice was small, quivering, as if the very foundations of her world were crumbling beneath her feet.
I dropped my hands from Allen, straightening up as I turned to face Sofia. “Sofia, I...” I began, struggling to find the words to explain.
But she didn’t give me a chance. “Get out,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Get out, Dante. Now.”
I took a step towards her, hoping to explain, to make her understand. But Sofia just backed away, shaking her head. “No, don’t. Just... don’t. I don’t ever want to see you again, Dante. Stay away from me.”
Her words hit me with the force of a wrecking ball. I opened my mouth to protest, to try and reason with her, but she was already gone, her footsteps retreating down the hallway.
I stood there, numb and hollow, as the weight of what I’d done settled over me. Marco put a hand on my shoulder. “I think it’s time to go, hermano. We got what we needed.”
I nodded, my thoughts swirling as the realization of what I’d done struck me. I had come here intending to help Sofia, to protect her from the scumbag who was dragging her into the cartel world. But instead, I had become the villain, the embodiment of the violence and brutality I had wanted to shield her from.
The ride back to my yacht was torture, every mile an agonizing journey into the depths of my own personal hell. Sofia’s words echoed in my mind, slicing through me with a sharp pain that no amount of liquor or women could dull.
As I stepped into the boat, the opulent surroundings felt like a mockery of the life I had built, the illusion of control and freedom crumbling around me. I went down into the cabin area and sank into the nearest chair, my head in my hands as I tried to make sense of the chaos whirling through my mind.
Natalia wasn’t here to greet me and she never returned my call. Maybe she finally wised up and saw me for who I really was. I pulled out my phone, my finger hovering over the call button for Natalia. But a dark laugh escaped me, harsh and humorless. “You’re no different, Dante. No different from your father.” The words felt sour as they left my mouth. I tried to get rid of the unpleasant aftertaste of self-loathing that lingered. Today, I had proven it to myself. I had resorted to violence and intimidation, letting my anger take control and cloud my judgment.
The voice of reason in my head, the one that had been whispering to me for weeks, grew louder, drowning out my attempts to justify my actions. You’re just like him, Dante. It’s in your blood, in your very genes. There’s no escaping it.
I dropped my phone and poured myself a drink, the liquid burning a path down my throat as I collapsed onto the couch.
It was no use. No use trying to escape, to fight against the darkness etched into my very DNA. I was my father’s son, after all.
Perhaps it was time to accept my fate, to stop fighting against the inexorable pull of the life I was born into, and to give up the dream of a better life, a life away from the cartel and its inescapable violence.
I poured another drink, numb to the burn as the liquor slipped down my throat. The darkness was calling to me, a familiar embrace that promised to smother the pain, to drown out the relentless whispers of my own inadequacies.