YOU REMEMBER
1460 Words
DANTE
The door opens, and I reach for my gun immediately.
“Boss, it’s me!”
Boyle freezes in place with his hands up as I sit up. “We need to move. Now.”
My pulse hammers in my ears as I try to process his words.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Axel has planted explosives, and this house is rigged to blow in a few minutes.”
That knocks off every ounce of sleep, and I throw the sheets aside, yanking on my pants. The room reeks of whiskey, s*x, and smoke from the half-burnt cigar on the nightstand.
As I take in everything that happened a few hours ago, she crosses my mind—the nameless lady with the ocean-blue eyes.
“Where is she?” I ask at once.
Boyle’s brows wrinkle slightly. “Who?”
“The woman, I…”
The desperation in my voice makes me pause. I have never wanted a woman twice, but her—she is different. It is almost like I have known her forever, and those eyes… they are too familiar.
“No one’s here but us, Boss. And we have to move right now.”
Reluctantly, I leave, vowing to find her when I am done sorting my mess.
As we rush down the stairs, Boyle says, “The Godmother wants ten men left behind. That way, Axel and his men will believe you were actually caught in the explosion.”
I stop cold by the back door we are supposed to escape through. My step mother has never cared for me, and ten men lost will be a taint on my regime—one I am not sure I will get back.
She has been pushing the fact that I am a bastard to the kingmakers of our group, the Jackals, and I know I have to do something great to make them forget this loss.
I hate that she is right about leaving men behind as bait, but f**k, that is a lot.
“Boss, is—”
“Let’s go,” I say to Boyle before he can finish.
A few seconds after we step out of the compound, the guest house rocks the area with an explosion. A hail of dust rises in our faces, and we see Axel’s men rushing into the area as we crouch in the bushes nearby, trying to catch our breath.
Boyle nudges me and points to a black car down the dirt road.
“Our ride is here.”
He covers me until we get to the car, and I slide into the backseat.
As I watch the remnants of the building that swallowed my men, I vow to paint the town red with Axel’s empire. Our bond of brotherhood ends here.
Hours later.
The sun is up, and the impending war hangs in the air. The Godmother sent reinforcements, but we are on hold, waiting for Jade Satoro to give us updates.
Apparently, the deal she made with Axel went sour, and he is trying to swallow her father’s group—the Black Vultures.
This has taught me Axel is a snake, and he should never be trusted.
I sit before a blank canvas, trying to take my mind off everything that could go wrong. Jade may be leading us on, but I am ready to take my chances.
Finally, my sketch is done, and the face beneath my pencil is hers.
The flashes from the intimate scene of the previous night come again, etched in my brain—the taste of her lips and the warmth between her legs.
Fuck, I would give anything to feel it again.
“I’ll find you,” I whisper, tracing the lines of her face.
My phone buzzes in that instant, and I pull it out of my pocket.
“I’ve cleared my men out of the villa. You can attack now, and make sure nothing is left of that bastard,” Jade’s voice comes through the speakers of my phone.
Then she continues, “And the woman you are looking for, I know where she is.”
RAVEN’s POV:
The veil covering my face does nothing to hide the fear in my chest.
My eyes remain on Axel as the priest asks if I take him as my husband.
My voice shakes horribly as I say the heaviest yes of my life.
“Do you take her as your wife?” the priest asks, and I watch the brightest smile creep up his face like he has won a f*****g trophy.
Before he can answer, the church doors burst open, and one of his men rushes in.
“Boss! We’re under attack! Dante’s coming, and he has burned the villa!”
I watch fear crawl down Axel’s face as his eyes narrow.
He grabs my wrist, dragging me toward the altar room as gunshots echo outside.
My mind spins, and I know this may be my last chance to escape.
Without thinking, I bite his hand hard, and he let go with a curse.
I run without looking back, but before I get to the door, I crash into a solid wall of muscles.
My eyes dart up, and the moment I look into his eyes, I remember him from last night.
His hardened eyes soften the moment they meet mine.
“Please. Save me,” I choke out, clutching his shirt.
He raises the gun, and my blood turns cold, but he fires past my head.
One of Axel’s men drops dead behind me, and he lowers his gun, meeting my gaze again.
“And why should I save you?” he asks.
My heart pounds in my chest as I fall to my knees, trying to audition for my freedom.
“I’ll serve you and do anything you ask. Just… don’t let him have me.”
He studies me for a second before he holsters the gun.
“Very well. Marry me.”
My breath stops for a second, and I glare at him.
“Are you serious?” I question, and his eyes grow cold.
“I didn’t stutter when I spoke. If you want freedom, then you have to marry me.”
He grits his teeth. “Is that a yes or no?”
My heartbeat almost explodes in my ears as I stay silent, thinking about what to do.
Knowing I have no choice, I nod in defeat.
Because what else can I do?
For now, he is better than Axel, and last night was unforgettable.
The memories still send butterflies to my belly, but this is not the right time to think about s*x with a stranger.
“Get up,” he murmurs in a thick voice, and I get to my feet.
“I will give you protection from Axel as long as you stay obedient to me,” he says, lifting my chin. “Last night was unforgettable, and it is my intention to keep you.”
I swallow hard, with bumps rising on my body.
“You!”
He raises his gun, pointing it at the priest, who is cowering in a corner.
“Pl-please have mercy in the name of the Lord,” the man begs.
“I have no intention of killing you unless you want to obstruct my wedding.”
The priest stands at gunpoint, going over the vows.
When it is time for him to kiss the bride, he kisses me passionately, like we are some couple in love.
He even deepens the kiss, and my body melts into him, ashamed of the fact that I am aroused by how scared he makes me.
The priest takes this as an opportunity to escape, because when Dante pulls away from me, we are in the church with only one man who isn’t the priest.
The man claps for him, and Dante sweeps me off my feet in bridal style.
“See, it’s not that hard, Boss. I told you anyone can find a wife.”
Dante carries me outside, and the man follows.
He takes me into his car, and just as he slides into it, my eyes go down his wrist, catching a symbol I hadn’t seen earlier.
My entire body freezes up as I recognize it from five years ago.
It belongs to the Jackals—the group that wiped out my father’s empire.
“See anything you like?” he asks.
Air escapes my lungs sharply as I meet his eyes.
I think maybe he doesn’t know me, and I will find a way out if I lie low.
“N-no, I…”
“You do not have to lie to me, Raven Russo. I know you remember.”
- Writer
