The copper tang of blood filled the VIP lounge, mixing with the expensive scent of spilled bourbon. Lily didn't lower the gun.
Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird, but her gaze remained steady, locked onto Dante's oceanic eyes.
"You talk too much for a man with a barrel against his ribs," Lily hissed.
Dante didn't flinch. Instead, he took a step forward, forcing the muzzle of the Glock deeper into his tailored waistcoat. "And you tremble too much for a woman who claims to be a killer. Your finger is shaking, Lily. Is it adrenaline, or is it the realization that if you pull that trigger, the truth about your father dies with me?"
"I'll find it elsewhere," she spat, though they both knew it was a lie. The Vane Syndicate sat at the center of a web that spanned three continents. If the answer wasn't in his ledger, it didn't exist.
"Search the bodies," Dante commanded, his voice shifting from a whisper to a cold, authoritative rasp directed at his surviving men. "The Red Fang wouldn't hit The Obsidian unless they had a mole inside. Find them."
He turned back to Lily, his hand suddenly snapping out with the speed of a viper. He gripped her wrist, twisting it just enough to force her to drop the weapon. It clattered to the marble floor.
"Let go!" She swung a left hook, but he caught her fist in his palm, his strength effortless and absolute.
"You're coming with me," Dante said. "The police will be here in three minutes. You can either spend the night in a precinct cell explaining why a waitress is holding a restricted firearm, or you can come to my estate and start earning that ledger."
The Escape
The back exit of The Obsidian led to a private subterranean garage. A matte-black armored SUV sat idling, its headlights cutting through the gloom.
Dante shoved Lily into the back seat before sliding in beside her. The space was cramped, smelling of leather and the lingering smoke from his gun. As the driver sped off, the city lights blurred into streaks of gold and neon.
Lily huddled against the door, clutching her bleeding arm. "I'm not your prisoner, Vane."
"You're an asset, Lily. Don't flatter yourself with the title of prisoner," he replied, pulling a first-aid kit from a hidden compartment in the armrest. He grabbed her arm with surprising gentleness, his large hands dwarfing hers.
"I can do it myself," she snapped, trying to pull away.
"Sit. Still." It wasn't a request. The "Alpha" in him was fully present now—the man who commanded thousands with a nod.
As he cleaned the graze with antiseptic, Lily watched his face. For a fleeting second, the cold mask slipped. His brow furrowed in concentration, and she saw a faint scar running along his jawline—a remnant of a past that clearly wasn't all silk and champagne.
"Why me?" she whispered, the silence of the car suddenly feeling heavier than the gunfire. "You have an army. Why bother with a 'kitten with claws'?"
Dante paused, his thumb brushing against her skin. "Because an army follows orders out of fear. You? You fought back when you were outgunned ten to one. I don't need more soldiers, Lily. I need someone who isn't afraid to look into the abyss."
The Arrival
The Vane Estate was a fortress of glass and steel perched on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. It was beautiful, sterile, and terrifying.
As the gates hummed shut behind them, Lily realized she had just entered the lion's den.
"Your room is on the third floor. West wing," Dante said as they stepped into the vaulted foyer. "My housekeeper will provide you with clothes. Don't try to leave. The perimeter is electrified, and the dogs haven't been fed since yesterday."
Lily turned to face him, her eyes burning with defiance. "This doesn't change anything. I still hate you."
Dante leaned in, his face inches from hers. The tension between them was electric, a volatile mix of hatred and an attraction neither would admit to.
"Good," he murmured. "Hate is a much more honest emotion than loyalty. It keeps you sharp."
He turned to walk away, but stopped at the foot of the stairs. "Oh, and Lily? Lock your door. I'm not the only monster in this house."