No killer

Isla~

After leaving Jake at the balcony, I didn't have the heart to go back to whatever dinner party Dante was hosting.

I couldn't sit at the table with those men, smiling and pretending to enjoy their company.

I decided to head back to my room, where I planned to lock myself up until my absence would be noticed and I'd  probably be dragged out again.

Now alone in my room, I saw no need to fight back the tears that had been threatening to fall from my eyes.

Grabbing a nearby pillow, I buried my face in there and let out a series of screams.

This was my life now. Pushing people I love and care about away, just to keep them safe.

Jake Pennington.

How he got involved with someone like Dante was still beyond me. What could he possibly want that Dante had? And why did it have to be Dante?

My father?

What did he really do to make Dante so obsessed with ruining our lives.

There were so many questions and I had no answers. I was slowly developing a headache from too much thinking....

So I decided to have a bath.

Stripping off the dress, I let out a sigh at the instant comfort I felt.

I made my way to the shower, taking my time to relish the feeling of cold water rushing down my naked body.  Screw warm baths! This was the real deal.

I even managed to crack a smile, despite the heaviness in my heart. However, that only lasted a moment. I was soon out of the shower.

I grabbed a nearby towel, wrapping it around my body as I finally stepped out of the bathroom.

It was almost past midnight at this point and my eyes were heavy with exhaustion. I wasn't used to staying up so late and all I wanted at this point was some sleep.

I was however stopped in my track at the sight of particular male figure, sitting right on the bed.

Dante.

The room was dimly lit, but I could still easily make out his silhouette. It sent instant shiver down my spine and I was frozen by fear.

What the hell was he doing here?

"Oh there you are, wife!" He exclaimed in mock surprise, turning to give me a side glance.

He had his back to me as he busied himself with taking off his shoes or something. I couldn't really tell what he was doing from where I stood.

"For a moment, I actually thought you ran off."

I bit back my reply, my hands instinctively reaching out to clutch the towel around my body.

I watched him suddenly take off his shirt to reveal his muscular, tattooed back and a gasp left my lips.

He wasn't planning to spend the night here, was he?

My eyes darted all over the room before they landed on something that made my blood run cold.

A pistol.

It was laying right on one of the drawers beside the bed, and suddenly ideas began to fill my head.

All I had to do was reach it and perhaps, I could get some answers out of him.

With that thought in mind, I began inching slowly towards the weapon, until he spoke up again.

"You're oddly quiet."

My shaky hands were soon wrapped around the gun, as I lifted it up, aiming it at Dante.

He froze. But not in fear.

I watched him turn around with a sadistic grin on his face, as he eyed the weapon in my grip.

"Ah...this feels familiar, no?" He chuckled dryly.

"Shut up!" I hissed, glaring daggers and trying to appear as intimidating as possible.

"Where have I seen something like this before?" He continued, totally disregarding my warning.

I knew the incident he was referring to, and vivid images of that day flashed in my head. He was purposely trying to piss me off...

And it was working.

I had never used a gun before, but I was currently tempted to pull the trigger right now.

I knew it was all in my head but I could hear Matteo begging and screaming at me to take the shot.

To make things worse, Dante didn't stop. He even dared to take a step towards me.

"Ah yes! This was the same thing your brother did, right before I killed him."

"Don't take another step." I warned, my voice coming out shakier than I had intended.

"Or what, wife?" Dante persisted, undeterred.

"I'm warning you. Stay back!"

"You're going to shoot me?" Dante grinned.

Suddenly he was right in front of me, his fingers wrapped around the barrel of the gun as he pressed it against his forehead.

My heart stopped as I looked into his eyes.

He was enjoying this.

"Go on, then." He breathed huskily.

"Shoot me."

His words rang in my ears, making my heart thump heavily against my ribcage.

This was it. This was my chance to finally end it all.

With a simple pull of the trigger, I could finally avenge the death of my elder brother. However, my fingers wouldn't move.

I stood there with the gun in my hand but I was unable to do it. My mind screamed one thing, and my entire body screamed another.

Dante suddenly dragged the gun from my hand, eliciting a yelp from me.

"You're no killer." He deadpanned, casually disassembling the gun and putting it away.

He then brushed past me, heading towards the bathroom like nothing happened.

I frowned.

"The deal you signed with Mr Pennington..."

He halted in his track.

"That wasn't the only reason you invited him over, was it?"

Dots were starting to connect in my head, the more I thought about it. Dante knew more than he let on.

There was a reason he forced me out for dinner, and it became clearer with every passing second.

"Bravo, mia moglie!" He turned around, grinning at me.

"You finally figured me out."

My eyes widened as he suddenly grabbed my chin, his dark eyes boring into mine.

"You don't have to worry about your little boyfriend." He cooed.

"I won't hurt him..."

"...as long as he doesn't try anything silly."

My blood ran cold.

He knew.

Dante knew everything.