Page 3 of His to Protect

"Please, you know I'm good for the money!" Gordon begged, switching tactics. "I'll get it back to you, I swear!"

"Too late for that."

"Please, don't kill me! Have mercy!" Gordon sobbed, his hands raised in a pathetic attempt at surrender.

"Mercy is for those who deserve it," Dante said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Enough of this. He'd wasted enough time with words.

With that, he fired a single shot through Gordon's skull. Blood splattered across the motel room wall, and Gordon slumped lifelessly onto the bed.

The young man beside him let out a choked noise, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Stay put," Dante warned him, his voice firm but not unkind. There were still loose ends to follow up. He'd deal with the kid once he was done.

With a practiced ease, Dante rifled through Gordon's wallet. The scent of blood hung in the air, but he barely noticed it; death was an old companion of his, one he'd long since learned to work alongside.

Gordon's wallet still held most of the cash he'd stolen from the Thornes, a few personal cards… And nothing else.

Damn. The cash wasn't what Dante was truly after. He needed something more. A number, a name… something to continue his hunt.

Vetch was just a link in a bigger chain. Dante wanted to get to the guys at the top.

True, he could've asked more questions before killing the loser -- but people would sayanythingif you were holding a gun on them. It worked in the movies, but in real life, torture just got you lies. He'd learned that lesson the hard way in his younger days, chasing down bad leads from terrified people who would say anything if they thought it might save them.

It never had.

Besides, talking it out wasn't exactly Dante's style. Zane Thorne knew that. If the bossman wanted an operation to be quiet and discreet, he'd send Hunter, Colt, or Ajax. If he sent Dante, that meant he wanted blood.

Dante stood up, pocketing the cash, glaring at the corpse. He turned towards the door—

"Wait," Gordon's boy gasped. He lurched to his feet, and his trembling fingers wrapped around Dante's wrist.

The unexpected touch sent Dante's instincts aflame, ready to fight. He controlled himself, though. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the young man's boldness. "What?"

"Th-that's mine."

"Huh? What is?"

The boy glared up at Dante. He was still trembling, but there was something in his eyes -- a surprisingly strong determination. "The money. That'smine."

"Well, you're brave, kid."

"I'm not a kid," the boy insisted, his grip tightening even as his voice wavered. "I... I'm twenty one. My name's Felix. That's my money you took," he blurted out in a rush, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "He was going to pay me. For... uh, you know."

Dante studied him for a moment, taking in the defiant set of his jaw and the fierce determination in his dark eyes. Pretty, but with steel underneath. There was something interesting about this young man.

Unfortunately, Dante didn't have time to waste oninteresting. "Too bad, kid," he replied curtly. "Your piece of shit sugar daddy stole his money from the mafia, and now I'm taking it back. Rules are rules."

The words had barely left his mouth when Felix's expression shifted from dismay to defiance. "I don't care about your bullshit rules," he shot back, his voice stronger now. "I earned that money, and I need it."

Dante couldn't help but chuckle at the audacity of this kid -- this Felix, who stood before him with a trembling lip but fire in his eyes. He knew he should just walk away, and leave Felix to fend for himself. The world was cruel. If Felix was going to sell himself, he'd have to get used to being ripped off. Shit happened.

But something about Felix's vulnerability, the way he seemed so desperately out of place... Dante studied Felix's face. It was clear that Felix was new to this world, a fact that both intrigued and concerned him.

"Tell me, Felix," Dante said, his voice low and dangerous. "Have you ever done anything like this before?"

Felix hesitated, his gaze darting away for a brief second before returning to meet Dante's stare head on. "No," he admitted, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I'm... I've never been with anyone before."

Source: www.allfreenovel.com