C23 Nothing Else Matters

Dante's scowl deepened as the person on the phone continued talking.

“You think?” He asked in a curt tone.

The man quickly explained what he meant.

Dante's driver gave him a wary look before facing away again.

“I don't care what you have to do. Get me that girl as soon as possible. Do you need me to tell you that this is a top priority? She is…family. Take more men if you have to. I don't care who you offend, make sure you turn over every possible corner and get her. Anyone tries to stop you; tell them who sent you.”

He disconnected the call seconds later and his gaze went towards the direction of his suite. He couldn't believe he had vacated his suite just for her.

Not that she gave any damn either way.

The look she gave him as she shrank away showed him what she thought of him—a monster.

If her expression and words were not enough, the fact that she had blacked out immediately he touched her was enough to tell.

Dante had no idea why her reaction mattered. She was not supposed to see what happened last night.

If he was not all twisted up in his head with thoughts of her, finding out that one of his men was a traitor might not have provided such great distraction that he had gone to the length of making sure all his men saw just how a traitor ended.

That was how she had gotten as far to the door without a single guard to stop her.

“Fuck,” he thought as his hands clenched into a fist.

He had gotten sloppy because of his reaction to how she affected him.

If the enemy had infiltrated his property that night, they would have been easy pickings for them. All because he couldn't control his reaction to that slip of a girl.

A slight movement from his driver jerked Dante out of his thoughts. He ignored the driver's inquiring look and stepped out of the car.

He was thoroughly disgusted with himself as he strode towards the front door.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been like this. Yes, at first he had not really liked the nature of what he was born into.

He had even fantasised about going off with Naville on his intended world tour.

As stupid as that thought had been; for a while, he had thought he could actually talk to his father about it.

Then Naville had died, and all bets had been off.

He had never cared about the moral part of his duty since then.

Whatever he did, he did it for family and duty.

Nothing else mattered.

Then she had to poke her nose where it didn't belong.

“Who the fuck is she to give me that look?” He muttered unconsciously.

One would think he had killed her sister and not a betraying bastard who had cost him some men and a worthy cargo.

“I should just get rid of her judging ass.” He thought to himself.

He stopped suddenly and swore as he took in his environment.

He had done it again.

Forgot himself for a moment because of that damn girl.

He had unconsciously turned away from the house, and he was very close to the shooting range already.

“Might as well get it over with,” he thought as he brought out his Berreta.

He shot off five rounds at the targets, then swung around with the gun raised.

The slight movement he had heard was from Angelo, who stood stoically like the barrel of the sleek gun was not pointing directly at his head.

Dante cocked his eyebrows at him before he lowered the gun.

“You are getting sloppy,” Dante said icily.

“I wanted you to notice me, boss,” Angelo said matter-of-factly.

“What?” Dante asked tersely.

Angelo wouldn't dare to interrupt him just for the fun of it.

“Miss Antonia is here, boss.”

A slight frown marred Dante’s expression. “Why?”

“I met her when I got back from meeting the Texas ambassador, boss. She was very distraught. Still is.”

Dante rubbed his brows in a quick motion before sending Angelo a steely glare. “When did you become a fishwife that goes on and on? What the fuck is wrong with her?”

“I think it's best if she explained it to you, sir. She is not making much sense to me. I think she is scared shitless.”

Antonia, scared?

Dante had never heard a more ridiculous statement.

Antonia was not a weak girl that easily got scared.

She learned how to shoot before she was fifteen and could best her brother in a one-on-one. Just like Isabella, she had chosen not to be involved with the family business, but she had enough confidence and skill to protect herself from its many repercussions.

“The girl is gone, boss,” Angelo said in a grave tone, just before they got to the front door.

Gone. That single word was like a gunshot exploding within Dante's body.

“Gone?” He echoed as he turned to Angelo.

Angelo nodded, before he continued with something akin to admiration in his voice, “I don't know how she pulled it off, boss. It's why Miss Antonia is so distraught. I just got her to come downstairs from the room. She was all tied up, well and good. The girl knew what she was doing.” He added with a shrug.

“She tied her…”

The front door burst open and Antonia came rushing outside.

Angelo was right. Dante had never seen Antonia that…messy before. Strands of her hair were plastered to her face with sweat.

Her clothes…no, the clothes he had last seen on Annabelle were all rumpled and she was barefooted.

“Tay, that bitch did this to me!” She shrieked as she held up her hands. Even in the glow of the porch light, Dante could see how chafed her wrists were.

Definitely from pulling at the ropes.

She launched herself at Dante, her body shaking visibly as she sobbed, “I thought I was going to die.”

“Die?” Dante echoed his thoughts in disbelief.

“Yes, she pulled my own gun on me. She was going to kill me. I swear I could see it in her eyes. She is crazy! Where did you get such a crazy person, Tay? All I wanted to do was to offer her a hand of friendship, you know. I thought she might be lonely and all. Then she turned on me. With my own gun! I had to do what she wanted.”

“And?” Dante prompted.

"She wanted me to give her my clothes. Can you believe that? I told her how ridiculous that was. I thought she was joking or something, but then that bitch pulled my gun out of my purse and turned it on me!”

Her shrill attitude was annoying Dante, and he wanted to step back from her tightening old and cloying citrus perfume, but she suddenly shuddered and laid her head against his shoulder as she said with a sob, “She stole my car, Tay. Dad will be so mad, you know? He got me that car on my last birthday. It will be hard for him to believe that one of your people stole the car. I can't even think straight right now. I need to lie down. Will you take me upstairs, Tay? Can I sleep in your room tonight? I don't think I would feel safe otherwise. Who knows what else would happen?”

“Nothing else would happen,” Dante said a bit forcefully as he held her shoulders and moved back to put a little distance between them.

“I need you to tell me exactly what happened. How can that weak girl tie you up this way? You…”

Antonia's hand flew to her head as she grimaced. “Can I do this later, Tay? Maybe tomorrow? My head is throbbing right now. I really need to lie down. Please?”