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Any normal woman would’ve run. Though there was nowhere to go, they would’ve at least taken their chances. Panting, I surveyed the open parking lot, counting five cars and an SUV all pointed toward the warehouse. They’d been waiting for us, which meant they probably followed us.
“Why are you covered in blood, amore?” he taunted, though I was sure he didn’t care.
Shit. Summoning all the courage I had left and knowing that there was a gun holstered behind me, I crossed my arms defensively, trying to hide the fear that was bubbling inside me. “What the hell are you and your people doing here?” I ignored his question.
“What does it look like?” His amusement spread into an evil grin across his face, like he was ready to toy with his prey. “I’ve come to finish what was never even started because I had idiots working for me outside the prison walls.”
“You’re not finishing anything!”
He laughed ominously, and I knew that tone all too well. “I’m sorry you feel that way because I brought you a present.” With a flick of his hand, he signaled to one of the parked black cars. A man emerged from the back seat vehicle with a child in tow, dragging her by the elbow toward us.
My heart pounded in my chest and my fists clenched tightly as I stared toward the headlights, then realized it was Maddie. Rage filled me as the man brought her closer.
“Mom!” she shrieked, her voice trembling with fear and confusion.
“It’s alright, sweetheart,” I said, my voice steady but strained so as not to upset her further.
Dante’s grin widened, his eyes glinting with malice as he returned his gaze to mine. “Ah, she looks just like me with your hair, amore,” he sneered. “It’s a shame I wanted her dea?—”
As the metal door behind me clanged open, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from my daughter to see who it was.
“Well, didn’t this work out nicely.” Dante chuckled, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“What the fuck are you doing here?!” Ian spat.
“Dad!” Maddie shrieked at Luke.
“What?!” Dante spat in disbelief. “Dad?” He turned to Maddie, his expression twisted in anger. “No no, I’m your dad, not him.”
“He’s my dad!” she sobbed, struggling against the man’s grip. “I don’t know you!”
The man holding her seemed uncomfortable and out of place among the chaos and violence. His eyes flickered with unease as he tried to maintain the facade of being tough. But in their world, so many of these men had no qualms about hurting women or children. Dante and his family had no morals.
Luke stepped up beside me, ready to defend us. But Dante simply raised a hand to stop him. “I’m not here to fight. Why don’t we go inside and talk?” It wasn’t a question, but more of a power move. He had my daughter and knew we’d do whatever he wanted.
It was at that point I glanced behind me. Chance, Tyler, and Nico were nowhere to be seen. Shit, I sighed. Where did they go when we needed them most?! The other car doors opened, and strange men dressed in all black stepped out. Some were carrying various weapons at their sides; baseball bats, machetes, crowbars, guns, and one was flipping a knife around, taunting us as they slowly approached.
“Like I said,” Dante grinned, “let’s go inside and talk.”
Luke lunged toward Maddie with fatherly protectiveness, but Dante was closer and quicker. In one swift motion, he reached out and snatched her out of the way, pulling her in front of him. The glint of a blade caught my eye as he held a knife to her neck, his grip tight. Tears spilled down her flushed cheeks, her eyes riddled with terror.
“Maddie,” Luke whispered straightaway, and her gaze locked onto his. “How’s your ankle?”
She hesitated for a moment before flickering her gaze toward me, then refocusing on Luke. “Hurts really bad,” she replied with gritted teeth.
Her ankle?! What the hell happened to her ankle? His words seemed to calm her down, drying up her tears almost instantly. Luke took my hand in his and we slowly backed into the warehouse, with Ian close by, seething with anger. Ice Man remained stoic as Ian muttered something under his breath, though I didn’t catch what it was.
Once we were safely inside, I snatched my hand from Luke’s grasp. Still furious with him for putting us all in danger. Now, my sole focus was on saving my daughter and getting out of Boston as quickly as possible.
My eyes narrowed as Dante and his men backed us all the way to the center of the warehouse, where James lay dead in a pool of blood. His body was crumpled and lifeless, no match for Luke’s ferocious strength.
Dante cocked his head, a twisted smile forming on his lips as he looked down at the floor. “Shame,” he chuckled with a shrug. “He actually liked you guys, I think. But I had to keep my guys threatening to take his family from him if he didn’t do what he signed up to do.”
Ian pushed me behind him, folding his arms over his chest. “Let Jade and Maddie go, and we’ll settle this like it should be.”
Dante guffawed, his laughter ringing out through the tense silence. “I don’t play by those weak ass rules, Knight. Everyone’s fair game in my world.”
“You’re not going to hurt them,” Ian replied calmly, though I could see the tension coiled tightly in his muscles flexing through his shirt and jacket.
