Chapter 4

Sienna's POV

How was I supposed to survive this? I stared at the glowing text message on my screen while my stomach turned to pure ice. The words from Roman burned fiercely into my vision, promising absolute destruction for my family if I failed him tonight.

I stood frozen under the dim streetlamp right outside the campus library. Dante watched me intently, still waiting for an answer to his terrifying question about my abusive boyfriend. I quickly shoved my phone deep into my heavy coat pocket to hide my trembling hands.

I could feel the phone burning like a hot coal against my leg. Every single passing second felt like sand slipping rapidly through an hourglass. Roman was waiting for my confirmation, and he was never a patient man.

"Roman is just fiercely competitive," I lied, my voice shaking violently in the cold wind. "He always says crazy things when he feels threatened on the ice."

Dante did not blink, and he certainly did not believe my pathetic excuse. He stared down at me with those piercing pale eyes, reading every single micro expression on my terrified face. I turned away quickly and pulled open the heavy wooden doors of the library to escape his gaze.

"The library is the quietest place on campus," I rushed out, changing the subject desperately as we stepped inside. "I spend most of my time studying in the back corner."

Dante followed me through the entrance, his massive frame completely dwarfing the narrow aisles between the towering bookshelves. The suffocating silence of the building offered absolutely no comfort to my racing heart. I walked aimlessly past rows of ancient literature, desperately trying to formulate a plan.

We passed a row of empty study tables bathed in pale yellow light. The faint smell of old paper and floor wax did nothing to settle my churning stomach. I needed to guide him perfectly toward the trap without actually letting the trap snap shut on him.

"You did not answer my question outside," Dante noted, his heavy boots making absolutely no sound on the carpeted floor. "You are deliberately avoiding the topic of your violent boyfriend."

I stopped walking and gripped the edge of a wooden desk to steady my legs. If I did not deliver Roman his bait, my family legacy would be destroyed by tomorrow morning. If I sent Dante to the arena, Roman and his ruthless friends would put him in the hospital tonight.

"Dante, there is an unofficial night practice tonight at exactly midnight," I whispered, keeping my back turned to him. "Roman expects you to be there."

The heavy footsteps behind me stopped instantly. I squeezed my eyes shut, entirely consumed by the crushing guilt of leading him into an ambush. I slowly turned around to face him, forcing myself to look up into his cold, handsome face.

"Are you asking me to go?" Dante asked quietly. His voice dropped a full octave, vibrating ominously in the silent aisle.

"I am simply telling you about the schedule," I stammered, my fingers digging painfully into the hard wood of the desk. "But you really should not go."

Dante tilted his head, his sharp jawline illuminated by the dim library lights. He took a slow, deliberate step toward me. The rich scent of dark coffee wrapped around me again, making it incredibly hard to focus my panicked thoughts.

"Why should I skip a mandatory team practice?" he asked smoothly. He took another step forward, completely invading my personal space.

"It is incredibly late, and you just transferred here today," I rushed out, my chest rising and falling rapidly. "The athletic director strictly forbids students from being on the ice after hours."

Dante raised a dark eyebrow, clearly amused by my pathetic attempt at citing campus rules. "I do not care about the athletic director or his rules. Give me a real reason to stay home."

"The ice is terrible at night, and nobody wears their heavy protective pads," I pressed on, my desperation growing rapidly. "It is entirely too easy to get severely injured during these late sessions."

I stared directly into his pale eyes, desperately hoping he would understand the hidden warning. I was explicitly telling him that the practice was unprotected and highly dangerous. I needed him to stay away without actually admitting Roman was planning to brutalize him.

"So I should stay entirely away from the arena tonight," Dante concluded softly. He stepped so close that the front of his dark jacket brushed lightly against my trembling hands.

"Yes," I breathed out in absolute relief. "Please just stay in your dorm room tonight."

I thought I had successfully navigated the impossible trap. I thought I had protected him while technically fulfilling the vicious demand Roman sent to my phone. But Dante reached out and gently wrapped his large fingers around my bruised wrist again.

"You are a terrible liar, Sienna," Dante murmured, his thumb stroking my racing pulse. "Your heart is beating entirely out of your chest right now."

I froze completely, unable to pull away from his warm, heavy grip. He was reading me effortlessly, completely dismantling my fragile defenses piece by piece. He knew I was terrified, and he knew I was hiding something massive.

"I am just tired," I whispered weakly, trying to gently pull my arm back. "I just want to go home and sleep."

Dante did not release me from his firm hold. He reached up with his free hand and gently caught my chin. He forced me to look back up into his striking face.

His eyes were no longer empty shards of ice. They were dark, entirely focused, and dangerously intense. He looked at me like I was a complex puzzle he was absolutely determined to solve tonight.

"Tell Roman I will be at the midnight practice," Dante stated firmly. "Tell him I will come exactly as requested."

"No, Dante, you do not understand," I pleaded, my voice cracking with genuine terror. "They do not play by the rules when the coaches are gone."

"I do not play by the rules either," Dante replied smoothly. He released my chin and let his large hand slide slowly down the side of my neck.

The gentle touch sent a violent shiver cascading straight down my spine. My breath hitched loudly in the quiet aisle. He leaned down slowly until his perfect mouth hovered mere inches from my face.

I closed my eyes, entirely overwhelmed by his sheer physical presence and the dangerous promise echoing in his deep voice. I fully expected him to step back and walk away into the dark campus. Instead, he leaned in even closer.

Dante brushed his warm lips deliberately against the delicate shell of my ear, making my entire body shudder violently. His breath was hot against my freezing skin, and the library around us ceased to exist entirely.

"I will go to the ice tonight, Sienna," Dante whispered darkly. "Because I already know you are hiding something incredibly dangerous, and I plan to destroy whatever is scaring you."