36

36
Dante stepped out of his SUV and rolled his shoulders, his muscles aching from the fights. His black shirt was splattered with blood—not his own though. He hadn't been injured at all; it was someone else's.

Their mission was successful. None of Caius's men were expecting that attack, so they only met with minimal resistance before they took over the whole place and drove everyone out.

Around him, his men piled out of the cars, some of them nursing minor wounds, others grinning as they spoke about the night's events in excited voices. Their victory had broken them out of their stiff poses and neutral expressions.

Luca stretched his neck, falling in stride beside Dante. "Well, that went better than expected. Caius will be surprised to see his casino burnt to the ground by morning."

"They probably have put the fire out by now," Dante mused. They hadn't just driven everyone out—they'd decided to pay Caius back in his own coin, so at least he would be counting massive losses to distract him from his big plan, whatever that was.

"You don't look too pleased," Luca voiced out, confused. They had won, so what exactly had Dante looking sour?

Dante shot him a look. "Petrova wasn't there. Neither was Balenko."

Luca shrugged. "Sure, an encounter with either of them would have made the night, but we also did well. We'll definitely have more chances later."

Dante exhaled sharply, glancing at the few prisoners they had taken—bloodied, restrained, and being led into the basement for interrogation. He had chosen the people they took himself, picking those who seemed like they would have information to share.

"He's right," Marcel nodded, falling in stride too. "They'll be licking their wounds for weeks."

Dante wasn't in a celebratory mood. There was still a goddamn mole in his circle. It was too convenient that their main targets were missing. It didn't make sense, but he felt like someone had given Petrova a reason to be absent tonight.

But before he could voice his thoughts, Luca clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Dante. There's cause for celebration."

Dante scoffed. "Celebrating means getting careless. We let our guard down, and next thing you know, Petrova is planning his next move."

"You might want to tell that to these men," Vito said, glancing backwards. Already they were passing shots around and talking of places to go.

"One night," Luca pleaded. "Let the men have one night of fun. They fought well. Give them that much."

Dante's jaw tightened. Luca had a point. The men were high off their success, their blood still pumping from the fight.

"Fine, one night," he conceded.

Luca grinned. "That's the spirit."

Marcel smirked. "So, where are we going?"

"Somewhere with good whiskey and even better entertainment," Luca replied.

Dante rolled his eyes. He would rather go home and start planning something new but didn't argue as they piled back into a car.

\---

The club was dimly lit, thick with smoke and the low hum of bass-heavy music. Women danced on platforms, moving in slow, hypnotic rhythms under neon lights. The air was warm, filled with the scent of perfume and expensive alcohol.

Dante leaned back in the VIP booth, swirling his whiskey as he listened to Vito and Luca talk. He wasn't interested in the half-naked women grinding on stage.

He had mentally compared them to Kaela and concluded that she was a better dancer despite them being more skilled. She made him feel something, and that's what counted.

Across the room, Marcel laughed, his arm draped over the back of the leather couch as a brunette curled into his side. Dante envied his ability to relax. His own mind kept trying to piece the puzzle of why Caius was not present.

"You need to loosen up," Luca nudged Dante, tipping his glass toward him.

Dante took a slow sip of his drink. "I don't do 'fun,' Luca."

Luca chuckled. "Ever heard of living in the moment? I know you're our boss, but sometimes you should live in the moment."

Dante didn't answer. He had stopped living in the moment since the day he turned 10. His eyes flicked toward the stage, watching as a dancer moved with practiced seduction. She only caught his attention because of her golden skin, just the shade of Kaela's.