Chapter 28 Dante
We were halfway across town — Lucian in the passenger seat, reading Brantley’s HR file out loud just to irritate me — when my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I almost let it go to voicemail.
Almost.
I answered with a clipped, “What?”
There was a shaky inhale.
Then—
“Dante?”
Seraphine.
Everything in me went still.
“Seraphine.” My voice softened without my permission. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I—um— I just— something happened, and I— I don’t really know what to—”
She wasn’t stuttering from nerves.
She was stuttering from shock.
Before I could force clarity out of her, another voice grabbed the phone.
“Give me that—Seraphine, honey—move.”
A beat.
Then Amara’s sharp, furious voice:
“Dante Vescari? Good. Listen carefully. You need to get to Luna Diner right now. Some psycho just texted a threat to Sera.”
My grip tightened on the wheel.
“What kind of threat?”
“The ‘stop digging or else’ kind.”
A cold, murderous calm washed through me.
“I’m on my way.”
I hung up.
“Lucian,” I said. “Trace a text sent to Seraphine Vale’s phone within the last ten minutes.”
Lucian blinked. “What—”
“It was a threat.”
That was all he needed.
His fingers flew across his screen. “Send me the number—quick.”
I recited it.
He nodded slowly, every second adding tension to the air.
“Found it,” he said. “But it’s not registered to any owner.”
“Meaning?”
“It’s a burner. Whoever used it shut it off the moment the message went through. No GPS ping. No tower bounce. Nothing.”
Exactly what I feared.
We pulled into the diner parking lot at full speed. I didn’t bother with parking etiquette — slammed the car into the first open spot and stepped out.
The moment I walked in, the diner went silent.
Forks froze.
Conversations died.
A toddler dropped a pancake.
I didn’t care.
I found her instantly — in a back booth with Amara pressed protectively beside her. Seraphine’s hands were clenched in her lap. Her mimosa was untouched. Her eyes were too bright — not crying, but on the edge.
We crossed the diner in long, hard strides.
Lucian followed at my shoulder like an executioner.
We slid into the booth opposite them.
Seraphine flinched — just a little — when she saw me.
Amara didn’t even blink.
“Good,” she said. “He’s here. Fix it.”
Seraphine shot her a glare. “Amara—”
“No. Let the scary men handle this part, babe.”
I leaned forward, voice lowering.
“Let me see the message.”
Seraphine hesitated only a moment before handing me her phone.
The screen showed one simple line:
We saw you at Elemental Veil. Stop digging.
Cold. Confident. A warning from someone who had watched her.
My body heated.
Lucian nudged me under the table. “Easy. Don’t flambé the phone.”
My jaw locked so hard something cracked in my neck.
Lucian leaned in. “I traced the number. Burner phone. Shut off instantly after sending.”
Seraphine went still. “So… someone’s watching me.”
“Someone thinks they can threaten you,” I corrected, voice low. “There’s a difference.”
Amara drummed her nails against her glass. “So, obvious question. Missing women. Club. Onyx. Threat. All connected?”
Lucian shrugged. “Feels like the universe is drawing a giant fucking line between them.”
Seraphine swallowed, eyes darkening. “I… didn’t think it would escalate like this.”
I handed her phone back, my voice dropping to a rumble.
“You’re not leaving my sight.”
Her head snapped up. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” I said. “I let you walk out of my club last night. That was a mistake.”
Her eyes sparked. “I’m not your responsibility, Dante.”
“Too late,” I said. “Because whoever sent that message? They know who you are. They know what you’re doing. And they think you’re vulnerable.”
Her breath stuttered.
“But I’m not letting you leave this booth without protection.”
Seraphine bristled. “I can call my brother.”
“No,” I said instantly.
She frowned. “You don’t even know him.”
“I know what he’ll do,” I said. “He’ll panic. He’ll escalate. He’ll drag you into a precinct where you’ll be surrounded by men who couldn’t protect a lunch break, let alone you.”
She opened her mouth—
Closed it.
Looked down.
“…He’ll also bring Carol,” she admitted quietly.
Amara perked up. “Okay wait—who the hell is Carol?”
Seraphine groaned. “My sister-in-law. She… uh… doesn’t like me very much.”
I snorted darkly. “Doesn’t like her? That woman looked at Seraphine like she was a stain on her wedding china. If I ever meet Carol again, she’s leaving without ankles.”
Amara choked on her mimosa. “Without ankles??”
Seraphine gaped. “Dante, you can’t just—”
“It was a joke.”
“It didn’t sound like a joke.”
Lucian murmured, “It wasn’t a joke.”
I kicked him.
Seraphine dragged her hands down her face. “This is insane.”
“No,” I said calmly. “This is normal. For me.”
Amara nodded approvingly. “Honestly? I’m with him. Your brother means well, but he brings Carol, and Carol brings bitch vibes.”
“Thank you?” Seraphine said, unsure.
“So no,” I repeated. “You’re not calling him.”
She tensed. “But you can’t watch me 24/7.”
“Try me.”
Her lips parted — shocked, thrown, something else sparking in her expression that made my pulse tighten.
“We don’t know who sent that message,” I said. “Or how close they are. Until we figure that out, you stay with people who can protect you. Me. Lucian. Amara, if she’s with you.”
Amara raised a hand. “I volunteer as tribute.”
I ignored that.
“You’re not out of my sight,” I said again, slower. “This is non-negotiable.”
Her voice was small — but not weak.
“Why?”
Because you’re mine.
Because someone dared to threaten you.
Because you have dragonfire in your blood and don’t even know it.
Because I would kill half this city before letting someone touch you.
But I didn’t say any of that.
Instead, I leaned forward so only she would hear:
“Because someone is hunting you,” I said, “and I intend to hunt them first.”
Her breath hitched.
Amara’s eyes widened. “Well damn.”
Lucian drummed his fingers. “So… who do we start with? The club? Renee? Kael?”
Seraphine stiffened at the name she didn’t recognize.
I didn’t give her time to ask.
“Not here,” I said. “We’re going somewhere safe.”
Seraphine shook her head. “I can’t just leave—”
“You can,” I said. “And you will.”
She opened her mouth to argue.
Amara slid out of the booth. “Come on, sweetie. Let the angry mafia king do his thing.”
Lucian sighed. “God help us.”
I stood, offering Seraphine my hand.
She looked at it.
Looked at me.
Then finally — slowly — placed her hand in mine.
And something electric arced between us.
As we walked to the exit, Amara whispered loudly behind her:
“Girl… if he doesn’t break your bed someday, I will literally riot.”
Seraphine made a strangled noise.
I heard every word.
And didn’t hide my smile.