Dante
I stand there staring off into space as Luna leaves, slamming the door behind her, leaving a hollow void in my chest.
I’ve fucked up beyond repair, and it’s all my fault.
I don’t know what I was thinking, surprising Luna like this.
I thought—hoped—that she would—I don’t know, accept me?
Love me for the fucked up person I am? But I see the errors in my misjudgment; seeing her so scared of me made me feel sick, but I couldn’t stop.
It wasn’t like in the woods; she was afraid then, but she knew I wouldn’t hurt her; she felt safe with me to explore that fear.
It wasn’t like that night when I was spying on her fingering herself; the Peeping Tom wasn’t a threat to her, so she felt safe to explore that fear.
Wolfy scared her; she thought I killed, well, me, and her first thought was to ask where I was so she could be with me if she was about to die.
Luna loves—loved me, and I threw it away because I’m an egotistical psychopath that thrives on toxic relationships.
I wanted her to be scared, I wanted to taste her fear, but I never wanted to break her.
I stand in the same spot for I don’t know how long. Long enough for the lights to run out and leave me in darkness.
That’s what I am anyway.
Darkness.
My face tingles with the imprint of her hand, the last thing my angel touched—but Luna is scared of me now, and nothing will be the same again.
I make it back to my condo, and a moving box is left in the living room as the last thing I need to take to my new home. I was going to surprise Luna with it once it was renovated and furnished, but that’s not going to happen now.
A deep sadness settles in my bones, and my body finally gives out.
I cry out, feeling torn in half by my greed and desires.
Tears stream down my face for the first time in a long time; the last time I cried like this was for my mother, her crumbled, bloody body on the floor.
I could have saved her if I had stayed home that day, like I tried to do.
If she had let me protect her, she would be here.
My phone rings, and my heart stills.
Luna.
I pull my phone out, but Alex’s name is on the screen. I almost let it go to voicemail, but something told me to pick it up. “Hello?”
“Dante, I need you in my office now. How fast can you get here?”Alex sounds panicked.
I sniff, wiping at the tears on my face. “Alex, listen, I’m not in the mood tonight for one of your lectures—”
“They have your girl, Dante.”
“What?” It felt like all the air in the room was sucked out at once. “No, I–I just left her. Luna should be at home.” I put Alex on speaker and pull up my cameras. I switch back and forth, and check every room in her apartment, and there’s no sign of her or a struggle.
No.
“My guy said they brought Luna in a few minutes ago. She’s unconscious, but alive. Get to my office now, and we will talk more.”
“Coming now,” I say, picking up my helmet and running out the door.
Alex rewinds the footage on the screen several times, and I try to keep myself from vomiting every time I see Luna’s face when she sees it’s Greg in her apartment on the security footage.
I should have killed him when I had the chance. He was right in front of me, and I let him get away.
I will not be merciful this time.
The darkness in me burns under my skin now, begging me to set fire to everything and everyone responsible for her kidnapping.
My phone dings with results from my database of the new information I learned about Luna, and it comes back with a hit.
- Elena Becur, 32, Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Romanian American, Female.
- Parents David Becur their grandfather was notorious for putting them on, so it seems they are keeping the family tradition alive after his death, or they are just desperate for money.
Greg made it sound like they had this planned, whether she would pay them or not.
This is why I told you to stay away, Dante.
” Alex says, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Where will the party be? If I can get to her before—”
“No, Dante, that’s not how this is going to work.
The little fantasy land in your head you live in most of the time doesn’t exist. They know you’ll come for her.
” Alex pauses, “Before you arrived, I talked to my informant…he said they sent someone to trail you after the trade off to find out where you lived, but you didn’t go home, did you? ” Alex drops his hand and turns to me.
It feels like all the air leaves the room. “No…I–I didn’t. I went back to Luna’s.”
Alex looks down at his desk and back up to meet my stare. His face is serious. “You made some significant missteps, and now they have your girl, someone they were looking for. You led Greg right to her, and now you’re going to let me buy her from this auction—”
“I will not let Luna get on a stage and be sold like livestock!” I roar, the darkness threatening to take over.
Alex slams his hands on his desk in a fit of rage.
“She has no choice; you took that away from her when you decided to choose for her! She didn’t ask to be a part of this, Dante.
You made that choice for her! Your inability to see that will get her killed.
” Alex shakes his head, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, and cracking his neck.
“As I was saying, you will let me buy her, and to pay me back, I’m going to need a return on my investment.
I’ll let you take out the Cosantazas one by one, however you see fit, as long as you do everything by the book tonight.
I will not let you go in guns blazing and put her and my men in more danger. ”
“But Alex, you don’t understand she–”
“I don’t care, Dante. This is your fault; let it be the wake-up call you need. My informant should be calling any minute with an update, and then I’m going to hand the phone to you, and you’re going to explain the plan to Luna so she complies, and doesn’t get herself killed while she waits for us.”
A feeling of grief hits me so hard it fills my soul, and everything feels like it's closing in on me. “Luna will hate me.” I try to swallow, but my mouth's gone dry.
“Maybe it’s what you deserve.”
Alex and I stare at each other as I let his words settle. He’s right. It’s what I deserve, I’ve said as much myself, but hearing it from someone else is like a dagger to the heart.
I don’t deserve, Luna. I need to fix this situation and get her to safety, but after that, I’ll—I’ll leave her alone. I’ll make everything right, and then I’ll stay away for good, because that’s what Luna deserves. She deserves a life in the light, not tainted by darkness.
I give Alex a slight nod, and I see his shoulders relax a bit. His phone starts to ring, and a bitter taste floods my mouth at the sound. “Talk…Mhmm. Got it. Put her on the phone.” Alex leans across the desk, handing his phone over to me, “Here’s your chance.”
I take the phone from his hand and put it to my ear. Luna’s soft crying is the first thing I hear, and I grit my teeth. “Luna? Can you hear me?”
“Dante?” Luna’s sniffling stops, and my eyes fill with tears at the sound of my name on her lips.
“It’s me, angel. Listen, I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?
We don’t have enough time to talk properly, but I’m so sorry about everything, and I’m going to get you out.
I have a friend who’s going to help you, but listen to me, angel, it’s going to look bad before it’s better.
I just need you to be strong, okay? You can do that for me.
I know you can.” I shudder, letting out a shaking breath.
I don’t want to tell her, but I have to; she needs to know.
“ Luna, you’re going to be sold at an event tonight, but my friend is going to buy you, and you’ll be safe after that, I promise, angel. ”
There’s silence on the other end. I feel like I can’t breathe, and there's no air left in the room to help me. “Was any of it real for you?” Luna says, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
Tears slip down the bridge of my nose. “Angel, it still is real for me. It will always be real for me, which is why, after everything is over, I’ll let you walk away from me forever. I’ll let you live out the rest of your life in peace because…Te iubesc, Elena.”
“Times up,” a male voice says, and the line goes dead. I swallow hard and hand Alex his phone back.
“We’ll leave soon. Get suited up downstairs in the armory; you’ll have to fit the part of my security.”