Chapter 188 No More Games
Dakota's P.O.V.
I'm tired of playing games, so I met with Ari, Benny, Galdino, and Valentina and told them I wanted to set up Quincy. Valentina is very good with makeup, so she made me look pale and added bruising around my neck to make it look like I was strangled. Ari didn't like it. He said it would give him nightmares thinking about me like that. Galdino and Valentina hid in the backseat of the SUV while Benny drove. I lay in the back, and when Quincy opened the back, I held my breath.
"How did you get her?" I hear him ask Benny. I open my eyes and stab him in the shoulder with my knife.
"He didn't, asshole. Did you really think you could convince him to turn his back on Galdino?" I ask as Quincy tries to back up. Oh, hell no, he's not taking my knife. I jump out and remove my knife from his shoulder.
"Everyone has a price," he says as I stick my knife into his other shoulder while Benny ties a gag around his head. Galdino and Valentina get out of the SUV.
"That's where you're wrong. Love and family are much stronger than money." Benny shoves Quincy into the back and ties his hands and feet.
"Dakota, why don't you and Benny check the house while we wait with our temporary guest?" I nod at Galdino, and we go into the house. As we walk around the downstairs, it's eerily quiet.
"Shouldn't he have people working for him or something?" I whisper to Benny.
"Quincy has always been odd. He's never had a wife, and we have never seen him with any women. It seems he prefers to be alone," he replies as we make our way upstairs. I quickly sheath my knife away when we reach one of the guest bedrooms. There's a woman tied to a bed crying. I walk over to her.
"Hi. I'm assuming you're not here willingly." I say as I untie her hands.
"No. I woke up tied to the bed with the naked pervert touching me. Who are you? You're not going to hurt me, are you?" She looks past me to Benny. He unties her feet and covers her with a blanket.
"We're not going to hurt you. I'm Dakota Kondrati, and this is Benny. Quincy is tied up in the back of our SUV right now. I stabbed him in both shoulders. He won't hurt you anymore. Is there somewhere we can take you?" Benny finds some clothes and hands them to her.
"I don't have anywhere to go. I was living with my boyfriend, and I left him when I found him in bed with another woman. I was walking with my two suitcases when two men put me into the back of a van with several other people. They forced me to drink something, and that's all I remember until I woke up here. This day went from bad to worse." She puts on the T-shirt and the sweats that Benny hands her.
"What's your name?" I ask as I sit on the bed beside her. I put my arm around her, and she lays her head on my shoulder as she begins to cry.
"I'm Shannon. I'm sorry for crying. I feel like I need to drink bleach. He forced his tiny dick into my mouth, and he was getting ready to rape me right before you got here. I thought he was going to kill me." I hug her and stroke her head gently.
"Would you like to stay at my house? It's really full right now, but we have room." She pulls away from me and wipes her eyes.
"You would let me stay with you? You don't even know me. You said you're Dakota Kondrati. Are you part of the Kondrati family?" She looks from me to Benny.
"Yes, I'm the boss of the Kondrati family." Shannon bites her lip.
"I didn't think mob bosses were nice people." Benny chuckles lightly.
"Don't let Dakota's size and kindness fool you. She's nice to those who deserve it, but she's as lethal as they come when someone hurts those she loves." Benny winks at me, and I smile.
"I know how to fight. If you come with us, you'll be safe. Do you have a job, or are you in school?" I stand, and Shannon stands with me.
"I just graduated with a degree in child psychology." I hold her hand as we walk out of the room.
"Benny, check the rest of the rooms." He nods and walks down the hall.
"We may be able to use your services. Would you like to stay with us?" We walk down the stairs.
"Yes. I can help out around the house, too. Thank you for being the one bright spot in this horrible day." We get outside, and I help her get into the SUV.
"You're welcome." I shut the door and walk over to Galdino and Valentina as Benny walks out.
"Let me guess, another guest is going to your house," Galdino asks. I shrug and smile.
"What can I say? I like to help people. She had just left her boyfriend, whom she found with another woman, when Quincy's men kidnapped her. They drugged her and brought her here, where he forced her to give him oral sex and was going to rape her, but we got here first. She's a child psychologist. I think she may be a good person to have around. I'm going to see if Enzo will stay in my room with Ari and me, and I'll give her the room he's staying in. I'm assuming you don't want him in your room." I look at them with my eyebrows raised.
"You have a big heart, Dakota." Valentina smiles at me without answering my question.