DANTE'S POV
Her lips, the swirl of her tongue in my mouth, the slight sight that escaped her lips when I pulled her tender frame towards my hardened body, the mixture of feelings even I was yet to understand, everything came to a sudden halt when that call from Paulo came through.
"Everything is gone"
It was a turmoil in my head even after I had dropped Helena at the house, it was hard enough to push her out of my head and concentrate on the disaster that was going on in my turf.
"I just need to sort this out – I'll be back" I said to her, softly caressing her face and nearly kissing her but I didn't want to get a hard on from just kissing her alone, I needed to focus.
I gripped the wheel, my jaw clenched so tight it hurt.
The drive to the warehouse was a blur. My foot pressed hard on the gas pedal, the engine roaring as I sped through the streets, adrenaline pumping in my veins. By the time I arrived, Paulo was already standing there, his face pale as he stared at the empty shell of the building.
Everything was gone. All of it.
I slammed the door of my car, storming toward him. My fists were clenched, and I could barely contain the rage that boiled beneath the surface. Millions-millions-in goods, gone in a single night.
"What the hell happened?" I roared angrily
"Tony – that bastard!"
"Shit," I muttered, running a frustrated hand through my hair as I took in the sight of the empty warehouse. The place had been cleaned out, every crate, every ounce of product gone. "How the fuck did this happen?" I growled, cursing under my breath.
"I'm going to kill him"
Paulo didn't answer, he didn't have to. I know he thought the same thing that I did, but I had extended so much grace to the Anotti's, it was high time I took the bulls by the horn.
Suddenly, the crack of a gunshot rang out, splitting the silence in the air. My hand instinctively reached for the gun in my holster, but it wasn't me. It wasn't Paulo either.
We were surrounded.
I could always smell those bastards from a mile away.
I turned slowly, my eyes narrowing as I saw them. Men. Dozens of them, circling us like predators, each with a gun pointed at our heads. And leading them was Tony Anotti himself, standing there with that smug fucking grin on his face.
"Surprise, Surprise" Tony smile grew wider and then he flicked his gun at me "Drop your weapons – you're outnumbered"
I shot Paulo a look, and he knew exactly what to do as I fished out my gun and threw it to the floor for Tony to see.
"The other one" he exclaimed and I sighed, of course every man in Algreen Cove knew better than be strapped just one. I took out the gun from my back and threw it alongside the first one.
The weight of my gaze locked with Tony's as I surrendered the weapon, my hatred burning hot and deep. He walked toward me, that sick smile still plastered on his face.
And then he punched me. Hard. His fist connected with my jaw, sending a sharp pain exploding across my face.
Another punch. Blood filled my mouth, and I could taste the metallic tang of it as I staggered but didn't fall. Not yet.
Another hit, this one harder. I could feel the blood trickling down my chin, and my vision blurred for a second as I fell to my knees, my body screaming in protest. But even as I knelt there, beaten and bloodied, one thought ran through my head, steady as a heartbeat:
I don't kneel for any man.
Tony stood over me, triumphant, thinking he'd won. But he didn't know me. Not like that. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to focus through the haze of pain. I still had one trick left up my sleeve-or rather, in my shoe.
In a swift, practiced motion, I slipped the blade out from its hidden compartment in my shoe and swung it low, slicing through Tony's ankle with precision. He howled in pain, the arrogance on his face vanishing as he crumpled to the ground beside me.
The moment his body hit the dirt, my men-Paulo included-swooped in. The sound of gunfire erupted all around us as they took on the Anotti goons, but I didn't move. I couldn't. I was too focused on Tony, lying there bleeding on the ground, his face twisted in agony.
"Say your last prayers, Anotti"
HELENA'S POV
I ran to Dante as I saw his standing there with a bloodied face, and his hands clutching a glass of liquor. I wanted to touch him, to make sure he was alright and feel his skin on my hands but the moment I reached out, he pulled away with a wince.
"What the hell happened out there?" I asked, even though I better than that. Even though I knew he wasn't going to tell me anything because the men kept the women out of their business.
"It's better if you don't know anything principessa" he said to me, a lazy hand swiping across my face.
"I know what Tony tried to do to me," I blurted out. His eyes snapped to mine, sharper than before.
"Damn Paulo," he muttered under his breath.
I led him to a chair, my hands trembling as I fetched a rag and bowl of water. He sat down, taking another swig of his drink, his gaze heavy on me as I dipped the rag in the water. I knelt in front of him, carefully pressing the cool cloth to his face, dabbing away the blood. He flinched a bit as my fingers hovered over his sharp jawline, I could feel the tension in his body like a palpable vein.
His adam's apple bobbled up and down when I touched him and my eyes flicked to his lips - cracked, bloodied, but still... so tempting as I wiped against them with the rag. The urge to lean in, to trace my tongue over that busted lip of his, surged through me. His dark eyes watched me, the lust simmering beneath his pain, like he wanted to devour me whole.
The heat was in-built and suffocating "Stay still" I managed to stay
I couldn't stop thinking about how his body would feel pressed against mine, how his touch would burn through me. I didn't care about the rules anymore-fuck the rules. I wanted him. I wanted to be ravished by him, consequences be damned.
So I leaned forward, pressing a simple kiss to his jawline and I felt him tense, my fingers grazing his throat. The moment my lips touched his skin, Dante caught my hand, holding it firmly. His gaze burned into mine, and for a moment, I could barely breathe.
"Go," he said, his voice strained. But I shook my head.
"Helena," his grip tightened around my hand. "Go."
"No," I whispered, defiance bubbling up inside me.
I didn't want to leave, how could I leave when my insides burned for him, when I wanted him to rip me inside out and bare me for myself to see.
His eyes flared, the tension between us crackling in the air. "I'm not going to apologize for what I do to you if you don't leave right now," he warned, his tone dark, full of danger.
"I wasn't asking you to apologize"
He leaned in, his breath hot on my skin. "I'm going to count to ten, Helena. If you're still here by then... I'm fucking you."