Chapter 5 Hunting Games
Serena's POV
I stared into the mini hole of the steel barrel that was inches away from my head, wondering how I got into this situation and how the hell I'm gonna get out.
Just a few ago, I would have sworn he wouldn't kill me. But now, like a bitter love story, I looked destined to die here.
I turned to stare into Dante’s grey eyes… they were empty, void of any emotion. One would think he wasn't the same man that had his way with me hours ago.
His look matched with that from last night, but this was worse, way worse.
“Last chance, Serena,” he announced with no mercy behind his voice. “Who are you working for?” He asked again.
I lifted my hands to the air, pleading with him. I looked around, hoping for some sort of luck.
I met the cold eyes of Nico, he barely spared me a second, turning away the moment our eyes locked.
My knees felt weak, sweat soaked the neck of the gown I had on. It's now or never.
I took a single step back, reaching for his shirt. “Dante, please hear me—”
He spanked my hand away with his other hand. That was the first time he had hit me since I got here.
“Ouch!” I yelled, grabbing onto the hand quickly, soothing the pain. “Dante, you hit me, you—”
“Don’t,” he cut me off abruptly, pushing the gun closer to me. “Don’t you dare. You saw what happened to that rat right?” He asked, gesturing to the dead body lying not too far from us.
“If you are not careful, that's going to be you any moment from now,” he added with no sign of remorse.
I didn't know when I began crying till I felt hot tears flowing down my cheeks. Everything came rushing to me, the courtyard spun around me.
I could hear the distant wail of sirens, and suddenly, the bullet wound on my calf that I thought had died off, started pricking me, throbbing lightly.
Everything hurts. Everything was ending.
“I have never betrayed you, Dante. I never betrayed Marco,” I paused, taking a deep breath. “I will die before I think of betraying you.”
Dante didn't respond, he just cocked the gun. His fingers tightened around the trigger.
I closed my eyes, praying it wouldn't hurt too bad, then…
Nico’s phone vibrated against my thigh, breaking me from my silent prayer.
“Hey, how did you—?” Nico tried asking, but I didn't let him finish.
I pulled it out as quick as I could, my hands kept shaking all the way. It slipped from my fingers, but I caught it before it hit the floor.
I didn't bother staring at the ID. I hit the answer and smashed it to my ear.
“Ehm… Miss Moretti—” A voice started from the other end. I knew that voice from somewhere.
It was the tech guy from earlier, and there was a particular spring in his voice this time around.
“We got a lock!” He yelled excitedly. “The black SUV just pulled into the old Romano docks. Same plates, same driver. I’m sending live feed now—”
I didn’t let him finish.
“They found him!” I screamed, shoving the phone at Dante’s chest. “They found the weirdo who’s been selling you out!”
Dante kept his eyes on me for a few seconds longer. I kept the phone on his chest, panting breathlessly. The nerd kept blabbing but at this point, he's said enough.
I shook the phone slightly, flicking my head down to it and back up. Dante watched carefully before slowly lowering the gun and stepping back, putting some space between us.
He slowly took the phone from me and took one glance at the screen before looking back at me. “Play it,” he ordered.
“Oh, Mr. Russo—” the boy stammered.
“Play it!” Dante ordered louder.
The gun still stayed a bit high. His thumb still hovered over the trigger like he wasn't completely sure.
I slowly strolled closer to him, peering into the screen to see what it had to show.
The tiny screen lit up, first black and white, then blurred into a video.
It showed a blacked-out Escalade rolling into a warehouse marked ROMANO MEATS at the entrance.
The driver’s door shot open and a man stepped out with a hoodie over his face, hiding his identity.
I couldn't see his face, but the way he walked, the way he rolled his shoulders back. It was all so familiar.
I didn't know who he was, but the look on Dante’s face said something else. The way his jaw locked while watching, was like he didn't need more confirmation.
“Get me a clearer facial angle,” he ordered with a steel voice.
A few seconds passed… then a screeching sound came out before…
“—visual confirmation in three… two…” The tech guy’s voice cracked through. “Holy shit. Boss, you’re not gonna believe this—”
The screen went blank. For a second, the whole courtyard fell silent, save for my ragged breathing.
Then Dante’s gun lowered all the way down to his side.
I stared down to see what had stunned him so bad.
The man on the screen—the man who had been photographing us, probably leaking our movements, the reason behind the burning of warehouses—was wearing a Russo family crest ring.
He is one of theirs.
Dante’s voice broke me. It was strained, more than I've ever heard.
He has always been calm, like he always knew what was coming next… but now, he looked completely blown away. “Can you—can you get me a name?”
I barely heard him, only hoped the tech guy did.
I could feel his tension, he cleared his throat loudly, so loud we heard it over the line. “Ehm—Mr. Russo—”
“Can you get me a name?!” Dante thundered, gripping the phone tighter.
I felt Nico step forward, not sure what he was more worried about… Dante, or his phone under Dante's iron grip.
“Sir—we, I mean, I don't have any right now,” he stuttered before adding quickly, “but I'm working on it right now, I'll get something as soon as possible.”
“Good,” Dante simply replied before tossing the phone away and pulling me by my hand.
I didn't struggle, partially grateful he had stopped pointing that gun at me.
Nico gave me a hard stare as I passed by him, he clearly wasn't impressed.
Dante didn't flash me a glance on the short walk to where the cars stood. He looked completely distant.
He reached where the men stood and stopped, vibrating all the way to the hand that held me.
“Ragazzi, abbiamo un topo tra noi ed è più vicino di quanto pensiamo. Andate a trovarlo e portatemi la sua testa!” He yelled to the men and I visibly gulped.
The men scattered out, getting into their cars and zooming off.
Dante stood for a while, and when Nico arrived, he turned to him sharply. “Trovate questo topo e portatemelo, vivo o morto!”
“Sì, signore,” Nico replied, staring at me briefly before walking off into another car and zooming off.
With them gone, Dante stood still for a while, looking nowhere in particular.
I knew how it felt to be hurt by those you cared for, so I reached for him. “Dante—”
But he caught my wrist so hard I gasped.
He didn't even bother looking at me, he was staring past me, like he was seeing something beyond me.
Then, like he got hit, he flinged open the back door and pushed me towards it.
“Get in!” He ordered. He still had his gun ready in hand.
Dante Russo was about to make someone drown in hell. I just hope he doesn't drown himself along with him.
I got in and he shut the door loudly after me. He stepped around, getting into the driver's seat before zooming off.
“Dante, where are we going?” I was forced to ask.
He didn't respond till after a full minute.
“Hold on tight, piccola. Daddy’s going hunting.”