Nowhere To Run
869 Words
Ariana’s body was still trembling from the gunshot.
Everything had happened so fast.
One second, she was standing in her apartment, Dante’s fingers grazing her skin, igniting something dangerous.
The next, a masked man had stormed in. Dante had shot him.
Now, they were running.
The cold night air burned her lungs as she struggled to keep up. Dante’s grip on her wrist was unyielding as they rushed through the dark alleyways of Manhattan.
Her heart pounded. “Where—where are we going?”
Dante didn’t answer. He stopped beside a sleek black car, yanked the door open, and practically shoved her inside.
He slid in beside her, slamming the door shut. The driver took off immediately.
Ariana was gasping for air, her mind spinning. “Who was that man? Why did he—”
Dante turned to her, his sharp gaze cutting through the dim light of the car. “He wasn’t there to rob you, Ariana.”
She swallowed hard. “Then what the hell was he there for?”
Dante exhaled, rubbing his temples. “To kill you.”
Ariana’s breath caught in her throat. Kill her?
Her entire body went cold. “Why?”
Dante’s jaw tightened. “Because of me.”
She stared at him, disbelief flooding her chest. “That doesn’t make sense. I barely know you.”
His lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Exactly.”
Ariana shook her head. “That’s not an answer.”
Dante’s gaze flickered to her lips, then back to her eyes. “You’re in the middle of something you don’t understand, sweetheart.”
Ariana clenched her fists. “Then explain it to me!”
Dante hesitated, his expression unreadable.
Ariana’s patience snapped. “Dante, someone just tried to kill me! I think I deserve to know why!”
For a moment, he just looked at her.
Then, finally, he spoke.
“You’re not just some random girl, Ariana. You’ve been watched for a while.”
Her stomach twisted. “Watched by who?”
Dante’s eyes darkened. “By me.”
Silence filled the car.
Ariana’s pulse raced. “You—what?”
Dante leaned in, his voice low. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you for months. Long before we officially met.”
Ariana felt like the air had been knocked from her lungs. “That’s insane.”
Dante’s lips curved slightly. “Is it?”
She shook her head, panic rising in her chest. “Why would you—”
His fingers brushed her thigh.
The heat from his touch sent a shiver through her.
“Ariana,” he murmured, “do you really think everything in your life has been a coincidence?”
Her breath hitched.
Dante’s voice was a whisper against her skin. “The failed auditions? The sudden invitations? The way doors started opening for you?”
Ariana’s entire body went rigid. No.
It couldn’t be.
“You’re lying,” she whispered.
Dante exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair. “I wish I was.”
Ariana’s mind spun. Had he been pulling the strings all along?
She pushed his hand off her thigh, her voice shaking. “You’ve been controlling my life?”
Dante didn’t flinch. “Protecting it.”
Ariana’s heart pounded. “From what?”
Dante looked at her. Really looked at her.
“The people you trust the most.”
Ariana swallowed hard. “Mira.”
Dante’s silence was answer enough.
Tears burned in her eyes. “You’re wrong. She would never—”
Dante leaned in, his breath warm against her skin. “Wouldn’t she?”
Ariana turned away, her hands shaking. Mira wouldn’t betray her.
But the video she’d seen said otherwise.
Dante’s voice softened. “I need you to trust me, Ariana.”
She exhaled shakily. “I don’t know if I can.”
Dante’s hand curled around her jaw, forcing her to face him.
“You will.”
Ariana’s pulse spiked.
His thumb grazed her lower lip.
Her breath caught.
This was wrong. So, so wrong.
But why did she want him to close the distance?
Ariana forced herself to pull away. “You’re dangerous.”
Dante smirked. “That’s the first thing you’ve said tonight that’s true.”
Before she could reply, the car slowed to a stop.
Ariana blinked, glancing out the window.
They were outside a massive penthouse building.
She turned to Dante. “Where are we?”
“My place,” he said simply.
Her stomach twisted. “No. Take me home.”
Dante’s gaze hardened. “Your home is compromised. You’re safer with me.”
Ariana bit her lip. He had a point.
But going with him felt like a mistake.
As if sensing her hesitation, Dante reached for the door handle. “You can stay out here and wait for the next assassin, or you can come inside.”
Ariana hesitated.
Then, reluctantly, she stepped out of the car.
Dante smirked. “Good girl.”
Ariana shot him a glare. “Don’t push it.”
He chuckled, leading her toward the entrance.
As they stepped inside, a feeling settled in Ariana’s chest.
Something had changed tonight.
And there was no going back.
- Writer
