One Hundred & Twenty

One Hundred & Twenty
Late into the night, the soft hum of the waves outside their window was interrupted by the sharp buzz of Darius’s phone.
He groaned, reaching over the bed to grab it from the nightstand.
“Who the hell would be calling me at this hour.. it better not be Colin .. or I’m going to kill that bastard.” He muttered
The screen flashed a number he didn’t recognize. Frowning, he answered, voice low and guarded.
“Hello?”
The line crackled, then a cold, sharp voice cut through the quiet.
“Darius Venynar,” the man said. It was Don Matteo.
Darius’s jaw tightened, his body tensing instinctively.. he could recognize that voice anywhere even when he was asleep. “Don Matteo”
There was a pause, like the air itself was holding its breath. The distant growl of authority and menace came through the phone. “You’ve taken something that belongs to me, and I want it back.” Matteo said, each word deliberate, coated with rage.
Darius’s grip on the phone tightened. “It’s sad how you refer to your daughter as a think.. like she’s an object.. She’s not yours Don.”
“You forget yourself,” Matteo spat, the voice snapping with fury. “Your bodyguard duties were clear. Protect my daughter… not seduce her, not steal her away under my nose. You’re going to regret this, Venynar.”
Darius’s eyes flicked toward Amara, sleeping peacefully beside him, unaware of the storm about to hit. He could feel the weight of the threat pressing down. “I don’t care about your threats. She’s staying where she wants, and I’ll make sure of it. You don’t scare me Matteo Dervino”
A sharp laugh echoed from the other end. “You think you can defy me? You’ll see what happens when a child like you crosses me. You’ll wish you’d never been born.”
Darius’s knuckles whitened around the phone. “Try me then you’ll learn old men die easily like flys.”
The line went dead, leaving a tense silence in the room. Outside, the night wind rustled through the trees, but inside, Darius’s mind was already racing.
He knew one thing for sure… this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
He looked down at Amara, still asleep, and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Don’t worry, love,” he murmured, voice low and firm. “No one’s hurting you. Not him. Not anyone. I’ve got you.”
And with that, he set the phone down, eyes hard, mind already planning. The war with Don Matteo had officially begun.
Darius sank back onto the bed, his eyes locked on Amara’s peaceful face. The contrast between her calm and the storm raging in his mind was almost cruel. He traced her cheek lightly with his thumb, letting himself savor the quiet for a few stolen seconds before the reality hit again. Matteo would not let this slide. He never did.
His phone buzzed again, this time a series of texts. He ignored them, already knowing it was Matteo, trying to provoke him, trying to find a weakness. There wasn’t one. Not here, not while Amara was with him.
He leaned back against the headboard, letting out a low growl. The thought of Matteo sending people, of dragging Amara back, made his blood boil. He had promised her safety… and he would keep that promise, no matter the cost.
“Darius?” Amara stirred, her voice groggy, eyes half-lidded. “You awake?”
“Yeah,” he murmured, brushing a thumb across her lips. “Just… thinking.”
She tilted her head, the question in her eyes soft and curious. “About… work stuff?”
He smiled faintly, a predator smile, but gentle. “About how much I want you.. about how beautiful you look when you’re asleep.”
“Never knew you had this sweet side..” She whispered.
Her hand found his, curling around his fingers. “I don’t care what happens out there. As long as we’re together, I’m fine.”
His chest tightened at her words. She trusted him completely, and he had never felt more responsibility in his life. “I’ll never let anything happen to you,” he said firmly, voice low, full of promise.
She snuggled closer, laying her head on his chest. “I know something is bugging you.. we’ll figure out the rest later.”
Darius exhaled slowly, wrapping his arm around her, holding her close. Outside, the night was quiet, but he knew the storm was coming. Matteo wouldn’t sit idle, and soon the game would escalate.
But for now, he had her here, in his arms, and that was enough to steel him.
“Sleep,” he whispered, brushing her hair from her shoulder. “We need our strength. From now on it won’t be easy.”
Amara’s breathing softened, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she drifted back to sleep. Darius held her tighter, his mind already planning every move, every counter. Matteo had underestimated him, and that would be his first mistake.
He glanced at the phone, knowing it could ring again at any moment, and muttered under his breath, “Come for her, and you’ll regret it.”
The night stretched on, quiet for now, but heavy with tension. Darius’s fingers traced idle patterns along her arm as he thought, schemed, and waited. And when sleep finally claimed him, it was with her against him, the only calm he’d allow himself until the battle came.