2: He is the Devil

~Ethan John~

“Get closer,” Dante said and I moved closer,  even though he was lying on the bed it was obvious he was tall, with jet-black hair that framed his face. His dark eyes, the color of espresso, seemed to see through everything and everyone. There was an undeniable intensity about him, something dangerous. His voice is deep and commanding, Dante was everything I was not.

His eyes locked onto mine as he spoke again, his voice almost a whisper now. “Tell me, Ethan, can you keep secrets?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m a doctor, Dante Santoro. Patient confidentiality is my job.”

He gave a slight, amused smile, shaking his head. “That’s not what I mean.”

I frowned, unsure of what he was getting at. Before I could respond, Dante continued, his tone turning darker. “You know who I am, don’t you?”

I hesitated, not sure if I should admit it. But I nodded. “I do.”

“Good. You will be living here from now on. I need you to take care of my injuries. And remember this, don’t try anything funny. The last doctor I had… he couldn’t keep his mouth shut, and now he’s dead.” He gave me a matter-of-fact look and I only nodded

“Understood,” I finally managed to say when he kept looking at me waiting for an answer.

He didn’t answer right away but simply removed his shirt, revealing the smooth, tan skin that stretched across his chest and the hard lines of muscle beneath, I saw his tattoos and I couldn’t help but wonder the meaning attached to each one.

I tried not to stare at his abs, each one defined and perfect in a way that seemed almost unnatural. He was undeniably handsome and the most intimidating man I ever saw.

I quickly looked away and tried to focus on his injuries alone, I reached for the first aid kit on the table, my hands shaking slightly as I began to clean his wounds, it’s been a long time since I did this and hopefully, I don’t fumble. Knowing if Dante gets a glimpse of who I truly am, I will be dead before the agency knows it.

I noticed his eyes were on me as I worked, I tried not to acknowledge his sight on me. As soon as I was done I stepped back and the door opened, the same tall towering man that had taken me from the airport stepped inside, his gaze was still had menacing as it was from the very start.

“This is Luca,” Dante introduced him briefly. “Luca the Beast, but you can just call him Luca.”

Luca’s eyes flicked over me with a quick, appraising look before he turned back to Dante. “Do you want me to help you with anything boss?” He asked.

“Yes, take Ethan to his room,” Dante ordered, and without another word, Luca grabbed my arm with a grip so tight.

“Come on,” he growled. I followed him without protest.

We stopped at the door directly opposite Dante’s room. Luca opened the door and gestured for me to enter. “This will be your room for now. It’s right next to the boss’s, so you can reach him whenever he needs you.”

“Thanks.”

Luca didn’t reply, simply turned and left, his footsteps fading down the hall. I stood there for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts before locking the door.

The first thing I did was text Mr. Vince as I threw myself on the bed, pulling out the phone I made sure I hid from their scrutiny, “Settled in. Everything is fine. I will keep you updated.”

His response came swiftly, “Good luck, Ethan. Delete any messages that could implicate you.” I did as he suggested, erasing every trace of our conversation. The fatigue of the flight was finally settling in, I tried to close my eyes but before I could completely rest, I heard a knock on the door, I quickly hid my phone and went for the door.

I opened the door and it was one of the maids, she had come with food. “Thank you,” I said with a kind smile, she didn’t return it and only turned to walk away, I shrugged and locked the door back.

*

The sunlight penetrated through the thick curtains and I stood up, as soon as I was done with my morning rituals, I left my room and went to Dante’s room, a soft knock on the door and a faint come-in, I stepped into the room.

I met Dante standing in front of a large mirror, he was fully dressed in a black suit, his hair gelled back, and it was obvious he was about to leave the mansion.

“What brought you here this morning?” He asked and I cleared my throat immediately.

“I am here to care of your injuries, it’s too early to start moving now,”

“Later,” he replied curtly. “I have somewhere to be,”

“You can’t miss any of your treatments, you might contaminate the injury,” I replied

“You can come with me and do your work while I do mine,”

“Okay,” I replied.

I quickly walked out of his room and got my first aid kit, we walked out of the mansion together and there was a sleek black vehicle that was waiting for him, he stepped in and I did too, his men stepped into their vehicles and the driver ignited the car engine.

The car sped through the bustling city of Italy and in a blink of an eye it drove into the thick forests. I had no idea where we were going, but I knew it wasn’t going to be good.

When we reached our destination, I was shocked to find ourselves driving underground into what looked like a heavily guarded compound. We parked and Dante stepped out of the car, I did too.

The room we entered was dark and cold. There were five men chained to the wall, their faces bruised and beaten. They looked at Dante like he was their executioner, which, in a sense, he was.

One of the men tried to speak, but Dante cut him off with a cold smile. “Who leaked the information about the guns moving into the country?” he asked, his voice cold like ice.

The men all shook their heads, denying any involvement. “We… we did not do it! We are loyal to you boss, we will never do such a thing!” They all screamed, begging for mercy,

Dante’s smile faded. “Luca,” he said simply.

Luca stepped forward, his hands gripping a video player. He inserted a tape and hit play. The room was filled with the sounds of men who were captioned in the camera while giving out the information they were not supposed to give.

Dante’s eyes darkened as he watched the footage, and without a word, he pulled out a gun. “I have said it countless times, I don’t fuck with moles, if you try to sabotage me, I won’t hesitate to kill you!” He growled as he moved closer to those men.

“Send my regards to the devil, he should keep my place in hell until I come,” One by one, he shot each of the men, their bodies slumping to the ground like a bloody heap.

I stood as I watched how he effortlessly killed those men, he had no remorse, no hesitation. It was simply business, and even though I was used to seeing people shot and killed I couldn’t help but feel a bit shocked, not like I was expecting less from him, he is the most feared dangerous mafia lord.

When the last body hit the floor, Dante turned to me. “You can start your work now Ethan, I am a busy man and I have somewhere else to be.”