Behind his black eyes

Chapter 6: Dante

The heat of her skin against mine. The taste of her breath sweet, intoxicating hovered just beyond reach. Every time I closed my eyes, she was there. A silhouette of fire and temptation, but always faceless, always elusive.

I woke with my heart pounding, sheets twisted around my body like a lover’s embrace, the ghost of her touch burning into my skin. The room was cold, but inside me, a fire raged sharp, hungry, relentless.

I reached for the glass of whiskey on my nightstand, the amber liquid sliding down like a slow caress, but it couldn’t drown the ache.

She was no woman I’d ever known, no face I could place. Yet every nerve in my body screamed for her.

“El que busca encuentra,” I whispered a reminder that he who seeks, finds.

But what if the thing I sought was the one thing I couldn’t have?

I ran a hand through my dark hair, still damp from sweat. The dreams were no longer just dreams, they were a hunger clawing at my mind, waking me in the dead of night with a fire I hadn’t felt in years.

Every touch, every whispered promise in those dreams it was as if she knew me better than anyone ever had. But the facelessness was maddening. No eyes to read, no mouth to kiss. Just the memory of skin on skin, heat against heat, and a voice I could almost hear but never quite catch.

I swallowed hard. The last time I’d felt something like this was a lifetime ago, with a woman who had long since slipped through my fingers. Since then, women came and went like shadows empty distractions to keep me from going insane.

But this…this was different.

The phone buzzed again. I glanced at the screen. Miguel.

I hesitated. If this was about Ariella, I wasn’t ready. Not yet. I needed more time to wrap my head around the deal my father had forced on me, the marriage contract that bound me to a woman I’d never met.

Still, curiosity won.

I answered. “What is it?”

“Dante,” Miguel’s voice was steady but urgent. “We’ve found her.”

A slow smile spread across my lips despite the tension knotting my chest. The faceless woman was no longer just a dream.

“Where?” I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.

“Near the docks. She’s moving fast, with a man.”

I crushed the phone in my fist, the growl building in my chest threatening to spill over.

“El león no pierde el sueño por la opinión de las ovejas.” The lion doesn’t lose sleep over the opinion of sheep. They didn’t know what I was about to do.

I slipped into a tailored jacket, feeling the weight of my family’s expectations settle on my broad shoulders.

It was time.

Time to claim what was mine no matter the cost.

didn’t waste a second.

The city was a blur through the rain-streaked windshield as I drove toward the docks, my mind locked on one thing finding the woman from my dreams, the faceless enigma who’d taken hold of me without a name.

The engine’s growl matched the thunder pounding in my chest. Every muscle coiled, ready for action. The arranged marriage was no longer some distant threat, it was a fire roaring to life beneath my skin.

Miguel’s team was already there, waiting for my signal. I knew they’d handled tracking her movements with precision, but I wanted to see for myself.

The air at the docks was sharp with salt and diesel, fog curling like a ghost around the crates and shipping containers. The perfect place to hide or to be hunted.

I stepped out of the car, the rain soaking through my coat, but I barely noticed. My eyes scanned the shadows, catching movement two figures moving quickly, close.

The man beside her was a wild card. I didn’t recognize him, but I didn’t need to. He was a threat, and I wasn’t about to let anyone stand between me and what was mine.

“Dante,” Miguel’s voice crackled in my earpiece. “They’re headed toward the east pier. I say we move in now.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Do it.”

Heart hammering, I moved forward, the night alive with tension and possibility. The chase was on, and I was closing the gap between the dreams and the woman who haunted them.

The shadows peeled back as I closed the distance, every step measured, controlled. The damp air smelled of salt and danger.

They didn’t hear me coming.

Not until I was right in front of them.

“Stop,” I said, voice low and commanding.

The man turned first, eyes narrowing like a cornered animal. Ariella froze beside him, her face catching the flickering light for the first time.

She was more beautiful than I’d imagined… fierce, fire in her eyes, and not the least bit intimidated.

“Who the hell are you?” the man growled, stepping between us.

I smiled, a slow, dangerous curve of lips. “I’m the man who owns her.”

Her eyes snapped to me, disbelief flickering. “You don’t even know me.”

“Not yet,” I said, voice colder now. “But you belong to my family. And I intend to keep you safe.”

The man scoffed, but I didn’t flinch. “Back off, or I’ll make you regret it.”

Miguel’s men moved in from the shadows, circling like wolves. The man weighed his options, then stepped back, snarling a warning.

I stepped closer to Ariella, letting the threat linger in the air.

“You’re coming with me,” I said, every word a command. “No more running.”

Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue. Not yet.

Because deep down, even she could feel the pull of an invisible bond tightening with every heartbeat.

I gestured sharply, and Miguel’s men closed in, forming a protective perimeter as I took Ariella’s arm.

Her skin was warm beneath my fingers, a stark contrast to the chill in the night air. I caught a flicker of defiance in her eyes, but also something else: fear, maybe, or uncertainty.

“Let’s go,” I said, voice low but firm.

She hesitated for a heartbeat, then allowed herself to be led away. The man who’d been with her watched us, fists clenched, but he didn’t follow.

The ride back was silent, tension thick between us. Ariella sat rigid, eyes fixed on the window as the city lights blurred past.

I stole a glance at her profile, the curve of her jaw, the line of her neck and something inside me twisted.

Who was she, really? The woman who haunted my dreams and now sat beside me, so close but still a mystery?

I wanted to reach out, to bridge the gap between us. But years of control, of running this empire, taught me one thing: power is everything. And to have power, I had to keep my guard up.

I cleared my throat. “You’ll live in the west wing. Separate quarters.”

Her eyes flashed with a mixture of irritation and relief. “Fine.”

Good. I wasn’t in the mood for games. Not yet.

But as the city lights disappeared behind us, one thing was clear: this was only the beginning.

The sleek black car rolled through the gates of the estate, the rain still tapping a steady rhythm on the roof. I parked in the underground garage, the silence thick with anticipation.

Ariella didn’t say a word as I led her through the grand foyer, her footsteps light but deliberate.

I stopped outside the door to the west wing, my domain for the last few years quiet, isolated, just how I liked it. Now, it would be her prison.

“You’ll have everything you need,” I said, voice clipped.

She looked up, eyes fierce despite the exhaustion. “I’m not your possession.”

A smirk tugged at my lips. “No, but you’re bound by a contract you didn’t sign.”

She clenched her jaw, but I saw the flicker of uncertainty beneath her bravado.

Before I could say more, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

Miguel.

I stepped into the hall and answered. “Talk.”

“Your father wants to see you. Now.”

The weight of his voice pressed down on me. I ran a hand over my face. “Tell him I’m handling it.”

“It’s not just about the girl, Dante. The family’s restless. They want answers.”

I closed my eyes, anger simmering beneath the surface. The deal. The marriage. The control all slipping through my fingers faster than I could grasp.

“Understood,” I said. “I’ll make sure they get them.”

I ended the call and stared at the door behind me. Ariella was in there now my enemy and my obligation.

And the dreams? They weren’t fading. If anything, they burned brighter.

I didn’t know if I was losing myself or finally finding something worth fighting for.

I slid my phone into my pocket and paced the grand hall, the polished marble reflecting the storm brewing inside me.

Don Miguel wasn’t a man you ignored. His word was law, his expectations as heavy as the family legacy I was supposed to uphold.

But this arrangement wasn't what I wanted. Not like this.

I clenched my fists, fighting the frustration that threatened to boil over. The marriage was a political move, a chain forged in cold calculation. Ariella, whoever she was, was a pawn, and so was I.

Still, something about her lingered in my thoughts. Those dreams. That fire.

My phone buzzed again.

Miguel’s voice was low but steady. “She’s settled in. No trouble so far.”

I exhaled slowly. “Good.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “Prepare the guest wing. I’ll see her in the morning.”

There was silence for a moment.

“She’s stronger than she looks,” Miguel said finally.

“Good,” I replied. “Because I’m not going to make this easy for either of us.”

I ended the call and turned toward the west wing door. The night was far from over, and the real battle between duty and desire was just beginning.