Chapter 9

Melanie

I saw my life flash before my eyes as I heard him say those words. I could hardly breathe. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure the entire block could hear it. My knees felt like jelly, and my brain? Oh, my brain had just abandoned ship.

Gustavo's grip on my arm was so tight I thought it might snap it off . When he shoved the cold barrel of the gun against my head, I swear I saw stars.

Just when I thought I was a goner, I heard the rumble of a car engine pulling up in front of the house. My eyes darted toward the street, silently praying it wasn’t some pizza delivery guy about to get caught in the mess.

Gustavo jerked me even harder, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Who the hell is there?!" He shouted, his voice echoing down the street.

And then, like a scene straight out of some over-the-top action film, Dante stepped out of the car. He moved like he owned the damn world—and maybe he did.

For a split second, I felt relieved. And then but then I remembered that my personal tormentor had arrived. He was probably not here to save me. Maybe he'll kill me instead and save Gustavo the trouble.

Dante looked right at Gustavo, his eyes so cold they made my spine shiver. "Let her go, or I’ll kill you."

Gustavo let out this weird, croaky laugh. "I don’t fear you spoiled men from the west side of Città dei re!" he yelled, his grip on me tightening even more.

"I don’t fucking care if you fear me or not," Dante said. “She’s mine, so hand her over.”

‘Mine to torture!’ I repeated to myself.

Gustavo laughed harder. "Yours?”

“I can’t believe you want anything to do with a woman who’s nothing but destruction! She ruins lives, she will ruin yours too!”

Then he added, “You know, you should thank me for wanting to kill her!"

Dante growled, and I didn’t know if he was angry at Gustavo’s words or just pissed that he wasn’t the one saying them.

Before more thoughts could spill

into my mind, Gustavo hit the gun against the side of my head reminding me that my death was closer than I thought.

My vision spun like I’d just stepped off a carnival ride. I let out a cry, more from shock than pain, as I felt a warm liquid trickle down my temple. It was blood.

My eyes returned to Dante and his face hardened. He took a step forward and that made Gustavo even more angry.

"Take one more step and she dies!" Gustavo screamed. Then he looked at Dante like he was daring him to move. “And once she’s gone I wouldn’t hesitate to scatter your brain to pieces.”

Dante didn’t even flinch. He actually laughed, really loud like Gustavo had made a joke, and to be honest he looked cute when he laughed. The way his eyes lit up, and his jaw spread out. It was hard to tell that this same man was a monster.

When he eventually stopped laughing, his stern gaze returned, and he shot Gustavo a deadly stare.

"You don’t threaten an Alonzo," Dante said.

Gustavo smirked. “You’re nothing but shit and you’re going to die for feeling like more.”

I heard the sound of the gun click and I shivered, as I waited for the bullet to spill into my head.

My eyes moved in Dante’s direction at that moment and saw him move his hand weirdly… it was like he was doing a sign.

I wasn’t skilled in sign language so I didn’t know if he was telling me to run or fight.

I didn’t spend much time trying to figure out what his gesture meant because the sound of gunfire blasted through the air and Gustavo let out this horrible, gurgling groan.

My body froze. Every hair on my arms stood up. Gustavo stumbled back, still clutching me. Dante stepped forward, raised his gun again and shot another bullet straight into Gustavo’s chest.

Gustavo’s body jerked, and then he crumpled to the ground, dragging me down with him. I barely managed to roll away, shaking so hard my teeth clattered.

When I looked up, I noticed a guy standing behind Dante, holding a smoking gun. Oh. So Dante didn’t come alone. Of course he didn’t.

Dante stepped aside, his icy gaze sweeping over Gustavo’s lifeless body like he was just a piece of trash on the street.

He turned to his guy and said coolly, "Clean up this mess."

The guy just nodded and stepped forward. I watched in horror as blood spread across Gustavo’s chest, but my gaze didn’t last for long as I felt Dante’s intense gaze on me.

My heart started hammering again as I noticed the way his eyes darkened.

He lifted his gun and pointed it straight at me.

Oh God. Here we go.

"Stand up," Dante ordered. His voice was so calm, it made me want to scream.

I forced myself to move.

Dante tilted his head slightly, as he watched me stand on my feet.

He lowered the gun once I was on my feet, and stepped closer. I felt my back hit the wall behind me as his presence swallowed the space between us, his cologne crawling into my brain and making me dizzy.

"You really thought you could run off with my bike and I wouldn’t notice?" he drawled. "Hate to break it to you, princess I have eyes everywhere. And now… you’re going to learn exactly what happens when someone tries to cross me.”

His gun moved to my feet, and he pulled the trigger. I literally jumped as he fired a shot close to my leg.

“Consider this your first lesson in punishment,” he groaned and I feared what was to come next.

Was he going to shoot close to my ears next? I was surprised when he leaned in close, the cold metal of his gun caressing my cheek.

I inhaled as his gun moved from my cheek towards my lips. I saw him suck in a sharp breath, his eyes darkening as he watched the way my skin reacted.

Then he dragged the barrel lower, hovering at that sensitive dip between my neck and my chest. He ran his gun in an upward motion.

It was like he was teasing me or maybe it was all in my head. But at that moment, I forgot the terror. The way he touched me with that weapon felt almost intimate—like foreplay twisted into something deadly.

This moment might have been undeniably spicy, if it had been his hands instead of a gun, if I wasn’t so petrified, and if it had been anyone else but Dante.

It all ended so quickly, and reality slapped me in the face.

"Get in the car," Dante commanded, pulling away, and the fear I once felt returned.

I obeyed and as I stepped over Gustavo’s body, I had to stop myself from gagging. I silently apologized to him. Not that it would help.

I watched Dante whisper something into the ears of the man that came with him before he climbed into the car.

The minute he started the engine he looked at me, and smirked. "Get ready to be fucked—up.”

His smirk widened.“Real bad.”

I didn’t know what that meant, but I had a terrible feeling about it.