Redemption

Prologue

Anna needed any form of distraction; she needed anything that will shield her from the angry-looking men that were running after her. Anna fully well understood why they were running after her, but then they should cut her some slack; whatever happened these past few days isn’t her fault, so they have no reason to chase her like she stole their Christmas presents.

Speaking of Christmas, Anna cringed when she remembered her childhood, those pathetic days when she would sit under the Christmas tree, waiting and hoping that Santa will bring her presents. The most amusing thing that happened to Anna was that she did see Santa; just that it wasn’t the old man with a long white beard. The Santa that brought gifts to Anna happened to be her father Ford Smith, and she found him dead on their porch that night.

Shaking her head to get rid of the unwanted thoughts, Anna looked back only to discover that the angry men were closing in on her and the only place to hide at the moment was the gigantic casino staring down at her.

Grateful that she still has her shoes on, Anna raced into the casino and took a seat at the far end of the casino, covering her face with her hair, a poor attempt to hide from them if they eventually come in here to look for her.

A few minutes later, Anna saw the men walk in, their frantic eyes searching around for her. When it was obvious to Anna that her scattered hair is not going to keep her hidden from them, she thought of other safety measures.

Running out of the casino wasn’t even an option for Anna because one of those men ambled towards her table. Just to keep herself safe, Anna stood up from her seat and walked up to the man next to her, she grabbed his jacket, and draped it across her shoulder.

The young man looked up, obviously surprised by Anna’s behavior and she surprised him further by slamming her lips on his. She expected the young man to push her away but was shocked when he responded to her kisses.

The young man’s hand circled her waist and he deepened the kiss. Anna pulled away abruptly, not because she was scared by the man’s interest, but because she felt betrayed by the flutters she felt in her stomach.

She looked around the casino but didn’t find the men she was hiding from, so Anna took it as her cue to escape. She raced out of the casino without looking back.

Anna didn’t stop running until she got on the bus and it wasn’t until that moment did she realize that she ran away with the young man’s jacket; not just any jacket but an expensive looking one.

 

Dante would have regretted leaving his house this morning, but he isn’t in the habit of regretting his actions but the day keeps getting worst. He lost a shipment worth millions of dollars thanks to a certain idiot who will definitely pay for it. He couldn’t wait to round the day up; perhaps take a blond home and fuck her hard until he is too tired to think of his problems.

With a deep frown, he ordered a bottle of scotch to keep himself company while he keeps watching the reason for his foul mood.

Just then, a tattered yet beautiful young lady ran into the casino. Dante wondered how she made it past the entrance door looking like that. With the way she constantly looked back, Dante deduced that she was running from someone.

 As stupid as it sounds, he had this urge to protect her but then he knows better than to get himself involved with issues that are not his problem. It is not as if the young lady asked for his help, so why get involved?

Dante’s scotch was served and he watched the young woman as he nursed his glass. He almost chuckled when she tried to cover her face with her hair. A few minutes later, the reason for the lady’s behavior walked in, their eyes frantically searching for her.

Dante actually pitied the girl so he picked up his phone to give Mateo a call so he can handle the situation but the girl stood up abruptly, approached him, and picked up his jacket. Mateo sighted them from the other end and stood up to intervene but Dante flickered his finger at him, instructing him to remain put.

As if her actions weren’t surprising enough, she slammed her lips on his.

Kissing her actually felt refreshing and Dante was willing to strike a deal with her; he wanted to offer her that he will take her out of there if she agrees to grace his bed but then she pulled away abruptly and ran out of the casino.

Although confused by her behavior, Dante was willing to let her go when he realized that she ran away with his jacket, his jacket containing his wallet, his card, and his car key.

Did she just stage a drama to rob him? And he stupidly fell for it? Anger coursed through him as he dialed Mateo’s number. “Someone just stole from me Mateo and I want you to find her and bring her to me!” Nobody steals from Dante Williams and lives to tell the tale “find that bitch and bring her to me!”