CHAPTER FIVE: STREET SHADOWS
830 Words
The air outside the club was cool and damp, the streetlights painting the sidewalk in pale yellow pools. Luna wrapped her coat tighter around her as she walked, the faint bass from inside fading into the night.
She just wanted to get home.
To forget the heat of Dante’s gaze.
To shake off the weight of his card burning a hole in her pocket.
Her mind kept replaying their conversation. How did he even know her real name? Who told him? And why her, of all the women in the club?
She hated the thought that Adrian might have somehow tracked her here—passed her name along to someone, fed information into the wrong hands.
A gust of wind cut through the street, carrying with it the scent of fried food from the 24-hour diner down the block. She kept her eyes ahead, scanning the road for a taxi.
That’s when she noticed them.
Three men, walking toward her. Not rushing. Not slowing. Just… approaching.
She forced her gaze forward, pretending not to see them.
The first one reached her in a few strides, stepping in close enough that his shoulder brushed hers. “Hey, beautiful,” he drawled, his voice slick with cheap alcohol.
Luna’s jaw tightened. She kept moving, but he matched her pace.
“Don’t be like that.”
Then his hand shot out, gripping her wrist.
Her chest tightened in a flash of anger. She yanked her hand free and slapped him across the face, the sound sharp in the quiet street.
His head snapped to the side, his cheek blooming red.
He turned back to her, eyes narrowing.
“You—”
Two of his friends grabbed her arms before she could move, their fingers digging into her skin. She twisted, pulling against their grip, but they held fast.
The man she’d slapped stepped closer, touching the side of his face, fury sparking in his eyes.
“You think you can hit me and walk away?”
Her pulse pounded in her ears.
Then headlights swept over them.
A black car slowed, the engine purring low and dangerous. Before the man could lay a hand on her, the passenger door swung open and two men stepped out—tall, dressed in sharp black.
She recognized them instantly. Dante’s PA. His driver.
They didn’t say a word—just moved fast. The two holding her dropped her arms as they tried to run, but the driver caught one by the collar, the PA snagged the other. Both men were slammed into the brick wall, grunts of pain breaking the night.
The third man—the one she’d slapped—bolted into the shadows, disappearing before anyone could catch him.
Luna stood frozen, her breath coming in uneven bursts, watching as Dante’s men made sure the two they’d caught wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon.
Then the car door opened again.
Dante stepped out.
He didn’t look at the two being dealt with. His eyes were only on her. Calm. Steady. Controlled.
“Come,” he said simply.
She hesitated for half a second before moving toward him, the adrenaline still rushing in her veins. Her hands were trembling, but she kept her head high.
He held the rear door open for her, and she slid into the plush leather seat without a word.
A moment later, the PA and driver climbed back in, the street falling quiet again behind them.
As they drove, she stared out the window, still replaying the moment those men had grabbed her. The smell of their cologne, the heat of their grip—it clung to her skin like something she couldn’t wash off.
She didn’t realize she was shaking until Dante spoke.
“Where?”
She turned, startled.
“Your address,” he said, eyes on her, his voice low.
She gave it, and the driver adjusted course without question. The rest of the ride passed in silence, though she could feel his gaze on her more than once.
When they finally pulled up to her building, Dante stepped out first. He came around to her side, opening the door himself.
She stepped out, still unsteady on her feet. “Thank you,” she managed, her voice quieter than she wanted it to be.
His expression didn’t change. “It’s fine,” he said, his tone even. “Be more careful.”
There was something in the way he said it—not a warning, but a promise.
She nodded once, clutching her bag closer, and turned toward the stairs. But she could feel his presence at her back until she disappeared inside.
It wasn’t until she locked her apartment door behind her that she let out the breath she’d been holding.
But as she leaned against the wood, her hands still shaking, a terrifying thought slipped into her mind.
What happened tonight…
could have been Adrian’s doing.
And if it was, he was already closer than she’d feared.
- Writer
