Chapter 31 Back in the office
Dante's POV
I picked up the phone and didn't bother looking at the caller ID as I placed it on my ear and it connected automatically. Something I regretted immediately.
"Oh, Dante, you are awake," the female voice purred from the other end. It got to me, so smooth and particularly teasing.
I squinted my eyes, not to catch sight of anything but a result of my brain scrambling to place things together.
That soft tone, that carefree confident use of her tongue mixed with the Spanish accent. I had heard it not too long ago, tonight particularly.
Issabella. What could she want?
"Arghh," I groaned, throwing my head back against the pillow as frustration boiled up quickly.
Why the hell was she calling now? At this hour? And why call at all after last night?!
I didn't have the answer to any of those questions and honestly, I didn't even want to ask. I dropped the phone to my side, letting her voice fade behind as my arm hit the bed.
"Dante?" I heard her call softly. "You there? Hello?" She kept calling annoyingly.
I kept groaning even as I rubbed my face like it could take away the moment before me. Then finally, I lifted the phone back to my ear slowly. "Isabella, what do you want?" I asked unceremoniously.
"Oh, you are still there," she remarked with a slightly amused tone. She then followed it immediately with an exaggerated laugh, like we were old pals catching up or something.
"What. Do. You. Want?" I repeated slowly between gritted teeth as I was just about tired of her shenanigans.
"Oh nothing," she replied in that high pitched voice. "I just noticed that you hadn't called since I gave you my number hours ago, papito."
"And you had to call now?!" I asked with a slightly raised voice.
She laughed again from the other side. "Have you seen the time Dante?"
I peeled the phone away from my ear and checked the time. Shit, it was already past 6 a.m. I cursed under my breath.
"And that's why you felt it's best to call?" I continued nonetheless.
She laughed again. That's like the third time, what's her issue? "It's past 6 in the morning, Dante. You were never in bed past 6 or have you grown a lazy ass over the years?"
I could practically hear the smirk in her voice, there was nothing more I felt like doing than to yell at her. But I honestly lacked the strength to.
And for a second, I just stared at the screen. She was right, it was an old habit, I was always up before the sun. But last night wrecked me, I don't expect her to know of that.
Then suddenly, I remembered something. It had been at least a year now, even she had a new number.
"How'd you get my number?" I asked her immediately. It hit me that I had never given it to her earlier and I didn't call her with the one she gave me.
Another laugh followed though, like what I said was funny. "Are you really asking that?" She bemoaned. "You know your reputation. For someone like me that knows a lot of people... getting your number is not a task."
I shook my head. That was a weak response but I didn't have the time to look into it. "Get to what you want to say."
"Nothing, I just wanted to hear from you," she replied much to my surprise. Then her voice dropped, "I was already missing your touch."
I took a deep breath, I was running out of patience. "Isabella, you've got better things to do than bug me. Good day."
I hung up before she could respond then dropped the phone on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I groaned again, the sleep had long gone.
I pushed myself up slowly as my body protested with every move. My ribs still ached and my shoulder felt stiff.
But I headed to the bathroom anyway, flicked the light on and stared in the mirror. The bruises still looked slightly fresh on my face, I even had cuts over my brow and jaw.
I shook my head at my own reflection. I looked like shit.
I picked up a pair of boxers, putting them on before tearing out a new singlet and getting that on too.
Next, I let my hand run over a navy blue suit from the closet, taking it out and throwing the trousers on before the white shirt tucked in perfectly.
There would be no tie today, I suggested to myself as I threw on the jacket. I styled my hair back as usual, applied a few sprays of cologne and when I felt I could face whatever crap that comes my way today, I stepped out.
I went straight to the living room, ignoring Serena's room. Nico was already there, suited up and waiting for me with a cup of coffee. He stood when he saw me and stepped over quickly.
We shook hands firmly. "How are you feeling today, Don?" He asked.
"Just another day in the office." I nodded towards him. "Speaking of that, it's been too long since I went to mine. Should be heading there today."
Nico stepped back a bit. "Good call."
"I need you to run a few things for me," I started while he nodded immediately. "I need you to get a new phone delivered to me latest tonight. And it should be the latest version," I added and he nodded, typing into his phone.
"That would be done as soon as possible," he replied.
"And the car—get it delivered like you had said earlier," I continued.
He grinned slightly. "Already in motion. Don't worry about that, I got it covered."
I nodded. "One more, send some boys to burn the old car on the roadside. Get them to ransack it first for anything important, then lit up the rest. No loose ends should be left."
He agreed quickly. "On it, Don."
I nodded and watched him walk off with his phone to his ear already. Then I called one of the servants over. "Where's Valentina?"
"Haven't seen her, sir. Still at the hospital, I think," she replied.
Oh right, she was shot. I nodded and headed out. The boys were already in my car and set to step out. I slid into one of my spare cars, a black SUV, nothing flashy about it though.
They drove to the main office downtown.
It came to a stop at my reserved spot and I stepped out with guards nodding as I passed. I walked straight in and took the elevator up to the top floor, my domain.
I took a seat immediately and got the computer fired up, settling into old piled up work immediately.
I couldn't tell how long I had been working but in the heat of the day, my phone rang again from my side. I paused and took a quick glance at the screen. Nico.
I answered immediately. "Yeah?"
"Don, the boys found something at the wreck spot. I think you might want to take a look.”