Chapter 2 - Into the Lion's Den
The Moretti estate sat like a fortress of dark granite atop the cliffs overlooking Lake Michigan. Surrounded by twelve-foot iron gates, high-definition thermal cameras, and twenty armed guards patroling the perimeter with Belgian Malinois attack dogs, it was built to withstand a siege.
A sleek black armored SUV slid through the gates at four in the morning. Dante sat in the back, his shoulder pressed against Cassidy’s. Neither of them had spoken during the thirty-minute drive from the loft.
When the vehicle pulled up to the grand stone portico, the door was yanked open by an elderly man with silver hair, sharp grey eyes, and a tailored charcoal suit. Leo Vance stared into the backseat, his pale face breaking into visible relief when he saw Dante step out.
"Thank God," Leo breathed, grasping Dante’s forearm tightly. "When Thomas’s phone went dead, I thought the worst. We’ve been locking down the docks all night. Gabriel is inside, calling the captains together for an emergency council."
"Is he?" Dante said dryly, buttoning his jacket over his bandaged arm. "How thoughtful of my brother."
Leo’s eyes shifted, landing on Cassidy as she stepped out of the SUV. He took in her worn sneakers, her faded jeans, and the quiet, posture of a warrior dressed in oversized cotton. His brows furrowed in confusion.
"Dante... who is this? One of the witnesses from the diner? We need to clear her out before the police trace the license plates—"
"This is Cassidy," Dante interrupted, his voice dropping into a tone that admitted no debate. "She is the reason I am breathing tonight, Leo. She stays with me. In the primary suite."
Leo blinked, shocked into momentary silence. A civilian girl brought into the inner sanctum of the Moretti bloodline was unheard of. But one look at Dante’s expression told the seasoned consigliere that arguing would be dangerous.
"As you wish, Don Moretti," Leo bowed his head slightly. "The captains are in the red room. Gabriel is preparing to take the oath of temporary leadership."
"Let's go interrupt him," Dante said softly.
They walked through the grand double doors of the mansion. The interior was magnificent—vaulted ceilings, marble floors, multi-million-dollar oil paintings lining the walls. But Cassidy wasn't looking at the art. Her eyes automatically mapped the blind spots, the camera angles, the exit doors, and the guard placements.
Dante noticed. He matched his stride to hers, leaning down slightly. "Impressive layout, isn't it?"
"Two security guards at the main stairwell are leaning too heavily on their right hips," Cassidy murmured without looking at him. "Their response time to a left-flank breach would be delayed by three seconds. And your thermal system near the east wing has a blind spot caused by the exhaust heat of the greenhouse."
Dante let out a low, dark chuckle that vibrated in his chest. "I’m going to have to double your salary, aren't I?"
"I haven't accepted the job yet."
"You took my side in a gunfight, sweetheart," Dante said, his dark eyes flashing with lethal charm. "The job is yours."
They reached the heavy mahogany doors of the red room. Inside, the muffled sound of a man’s voice echoed—confident, dramatic, full of artificial sorrow.
"...we must honor my brother’s memory by striking back at Krell immediately!" Gabriel Moretti was saying to the six regional captains sitting around the massive oak table. "Dante was a great man, but his soft approach to the northern docks cost him his life! I will take the reins of this family and—"
Dante kicked the double doors open.
The heavy wood slammed against the stone walls like a cannon shot.
The room went instantly dead silent. Six mob captains scrambled to their feet, their faces turning pale as ghosts.
Gabriel Moretti stood at the head of the table, a crystal glass of scotch held halfway to his mouth. The glass slipped from his fingers, shattering into a hundred pieces on the Persian rug.
"D-Dante?" Gabriel stammered, his eyes wide with utter terror. "You... you’re..."
"Alive," Dante walked slowly into the room, his long strides terrifying in their calm rhythm. Cassidy walked half a step behind his left shoulder, her hands relaxed at her sides, ready for violence. "You look disappointed, brother."
"No! My God, no!" Gabriel gasped, sweating profusely as he stepped away from the head chair. "I... I was told Krell killed everyone in the diner! Thomas... the guards..."
"Thomas was murdered by a traitor," Dante said, stopping at the head of the table. He leaned both hands on the rich mahogany, looming over his younger brother like a dark god of vengeance. "A coward who sold my routine to Victor Krell for a clean slate on his debts."
Gabriel swallowed hard, looking desperately around the room at the other captains for support, but every single man had lowered his eyes. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
"Dante, you can't think that I—"
"I don't think, Gabriel," Dante interrupted softly. "I know. But I am a fair man. I’m giving you until sunrise to tell me where Krell is hiding his secondary armory. If you lie to me, I will personally feed you to the hounds in the east yard."
Dante turned his back on his trembling brother, offering Gabriel the ultimate insult—showing him that he wasn't even worth keeping an eye on.
"Leo," Dante commanded as he walked toward the door. "Lock my brother in the basement study. Strip him of his phones, his watches, and his crest."
"Yes, Don Moretti," Leo said coldly, nodding to four heavily armed guards who immediately closed in on Gabriel.
"Dante! Please! It was Krell! He forced me!" Gabriel screamed as he was dragged away, his boots skidding across the hardwood. "He said he’d kill me if I didn't give him the schedule!"
Dante didn't look back. He led Cassidy up the grand marble staircase to the third floor, stopping outside a massive set of double doors guarded by two elite enforcers.
He opened the door, stepping aside to let her enter first.
The primary suite was breathtaking—a king-sized bed draped in dark silk, a roaring marble fireplace, and panoramic windows looking out over the stormy lake.
Cassidy stood in the center of the room, turning to face him. "You used Gabriel as bait."
"Gabriel is weak," Dante said, closing the door behind them and locking it. He removed his suit jacket, tossing it over a chair, revealing the dark shoulder holster beneath. "He didn't plan Krell’s attack. He’s just the messenger boy. The real mastermind is still out there, and now that Gabriel has failed, they’re going to panic."
"And what about me?" Cassidy asked, stepping into his personal space, looking up into his intense dark eyes. "Why am I in your bedroom, Dante?"
May you like
Dante stepped closer, his large frame towering over her, his dark eyes blazing with an undeniable, intoxicating heat that made her heart slam against her ribs.
"Because Krell knows your face now," Dante whispered, his hand rising to gently frame her jaw, his thumb tracing the soft curve of her lower lip. "And because I don't want you out of my sight. Not tonight. Not ever."
