Chapter 66: New toy

Dante had just taken off his jacket and hung it carefully on the chair when his hotel room door burst open. His guards rushed inside without knocking.

The sheer lack of manners irritated him more than whatever emergency they thought they were bringing to his attention. These men knew better. They had been trained better.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Dante’s voice was cold. “You don’t storm into my private space like wild animals unless you want to lose your tongues.”

But instead of the usual stammered apologies and bowed heads, the two men just stood there. They exchanged a nervous glance between them. Their hesitation was enough to drain all the irritation from Dante’s chest and replace it with something much worse.

“Sir,” one of them began. His voice was carefully. “It’s about Rex.”

At the sound of that name, Dante went completely still.

“What about Rex?”

The guard swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “He’s been taken.”

Dante lost his footing and stumbled backward against the edge of the heavy wooden table. His hand shot out to catch himself before he fell.

“Taken?” Dante’s voice cracked with disbelief. “What do you mean taken? Taken by who? Taken where?”

His mind was already racing through possibilities. The Mandalas. Rival families. Police. Federal agents. The list of people who might want to hurt Rex was getting longer every day.

“One of our surveillance men was keeping an eye on him. You gave us orders weeks ago to track his movements. Make sure he stayed safe.”

Dante nodded impatiently. “And?”

“The surveillance reported that Rex was ambushed while driving home. They dragged him away before our man could intervene.”

Dante felt his chest tighten in a way he hadn’t experienced in years. His hands shook as he fumbled for his phone. Before he could think clearly, before he could plan or strategize, he was dialing Draco’s number.

The line connected on the second ring. “I already know what happened,” Draco’s deep voice rumbled through the speaker. “I’ll handle the situation. Don’t worry.”

“No.” Dante’s refusal was immediate and sharp and final. “Rex has been kidnapped. Do you understand what that means? Kidnapped.”

His heart was hammering so hard he could feel it in his temples.

“I can’t just sit here in this hotel room while you handle it like it’s some minor business problem.”

Draco’s voice got harder. More serious. “You’re not thinking clearly, Boss. If these people have Rex, it’s to draw you out into the open. He’s bait. They want you exposed and vulnerable.”

Draco paused to let that sink in.

“If you walk into their trap, you’re giving them exactly what they want. You’ll be dead before you even see him.”

“I don’t give a damn about traps!” Dante snapped. “I’ll give them whatever they want. Money. Territory. Information. I just want him back alive and unharmed.”

His throat felt tight. Anxiety was surging through his body like poison. An unfamiliar feeling that was gnawing at his insides and making it hard to breathe.

On the other end of the line, Draco’s voice softened slightly. “Listen boss. They know you care for him. That makes Rex a weakness they can exploit. Don’t let them control you with it.”

His voice got gentler but more urgent.

“Let me handle this the right way. Let me gather information. Find out who took him and why. Plan a proper response. Don’t let your emotions make you stupid.”

“I said no!” Dante cut him off. His chest was heaving now. “This isn’t your decision to make. Rex belongs to me. He’s mine to protect. Mine to save.”

Before Draco could argue further, another call came through. The phone screen showed an unknown number. No name. No contact information.

Dante’s stomach dropped. He ended Draco’s call without explanation and answered the unknown caller immediately.

“Where is he?” Dante demanded.

A voice on the other end chuckled. “So you do remember me after all.”

“I don’t know who you are,” Dante said. “But I have a very long list of enemies. If you want to talk about Rex, then cut through the bullshit and tell me what you want.”

The voice got colder. “Julien. Do you remember that name?”

Dante’s eyebrows came together. He searched through his memory. There had been so many names over the years. So many faces. So many people who had crossed him or betrayed him or simply gotten in his way.

His lips curved into a mocking smile. “Ah yes. The snitch.”

The line went completely silent for several heartbeats. Then the man on the other end erupted with fury.

“Don’t you dare call my brother that!”

Brother. Now it all made sense.

“He betrayed me to the police,” Dante said. “I’m only telling the truth about what happened.”

“You killed him!” the voice snarled. “You murdered him with your own hands and now you want to pretend he deserved it?”

Dante’s laugh was bitter. “Pretend? I don’t need to pretend anything. Julien made his choice when he decided to work with my enemies. And choices always have consequences.”

The man on the phone inhaled sharply. “I didn’t call to argue about ancient history. I called because I have something that belongs to you.”

His voice got quieter.

“Your new toy. If you want him back in one piece, you’ll do exactly as I say. I’ll send you an address. You come alone. No backup. No weapons. No tricks.”

The voice got harder.

“If I see that bodyguard of yours or any of your other dogs, you’ll never see Rex again. This is between you and me. Time to settle the score for what you did to my brother.”

The line went dead.

Almost immediately, there was a knock at the door. Draco stepped inside without waiting for permission. His sharp eyes took in Dante’s face and shaking hands.

“I’m going to him,” Dante said.

“Absolutely not.” Draco’s refusal was as sharp. “You are not stepping one foot outside this hotel. You’re already a target with the Mandala family hunting you, and now this?”

He stepped closer to Dante.

“You’d be walking into a slaughter. They’ll kill you the moment you show your face.”

“I don’t care about the danger!” Dante barked. “They have Rex. Do you understand what that means to me? Rex. I can’t sit here safe and comfortable while they hurt him.”

Draco’s jaw tightened. His fists clenched at his sides. “My job is to protect you. I was trained for years to do exactly that. I won’t stand by and let one weakness endanger your life.”

The words made something inside Dante snap completely. He whirled around to face Draco with fury blazing in his dark eyes.

“Don’t you dare call him a weakness!” Dante’s voice sounded dangerous. “This is my battle. My choice. My responsibility. I will fight it my way.”

He stepped closer to Draco until they were almost nose to nose.

“Stay out of my way. Go make yourself useful at the club,” Dante said. “I already know exactly what I’m going to do to those bastards once I get Rex back.”

And without another word, he was gone.