Roster Of Confrontation

Dante's pov

I lunged beside her, intercepting the guy's slap. Raising his hand was a massive mistake when dealing with a woman, but attempting to lay hands on my woman was an unforgivable sin. My grip on the guy's arm was firm, and a punch landed on his face, blood splattering everywhere.

I quickly drew my pistol, only to realize it was the half-working one, a stroke of luck in this instance. With an audible click, I aimed precisely, shooting at the legs of the two men. Their horrified expressions as they lost their balance and slumped down were a satisfactory scenario for me.

What is with this fortune?

And people said that I would rot in hell and be cursed with bad luck my entire life.

My focus then snapped to the guy who had been holding Athena. His widened eyes betrayed fear. His attempt to escape was useless. Playing games with the wrong person invariably has consequences.

Darren effortlessly delivered a well-aimed kick to the stomach, sending the guy sprawling to the ground, his head hitting a rock—an immaculate move.

My gaze shifted towards Athena, rage evident on my face. The reddening of my eyes and the pulsing vein on my neck were apparent. Despite the surge of irritation, I clenched my jaw, determined to maintain composure.

"Explain, Athena," I demanded, my eyes fixed on hers.

Worry flickered in her eyes. Though her stunning figure in the radiant red bodycon dress caught my attention, I remained determined, unaffected by the distraction.

"I-i, it's a long story," she stammered, gaze fixed on the ground. I knew she wouldn't be able to utter a word right now, taking her hand, I signaled for Darren to follow. We stood behind the cover of trees near the ball, away from any lurking danger.

"Did you get it?" I inquired through the earpiece, and Lewis's disheveled response came, "Yes, we got it. We're running towards the car."

Relief washed over me—the diamond secured. Now, attention shifted to the next step—reaching the cars. We couldn't mess this up now. It was the only and final chance to succeed.

Glancing at Athena, my focus shifted to her foot, displaying shades of red and purple. Attempting to conceal it, she squinted, muttering, "Fuck." The attempt to hide the injury was in vain, caught by my observant gaze.

"Don't think you're going to escape me with the stunt you pulled, Athena. You are going to give me the answers I need when we reach," I stated bluntly, before lifting her gently. That old woman wasn't going to escape this time. When I catch her, it's over.

Darren's eyes widened, but he refrained from speaking. "Let's go to the G-Wagon," I ordered, steering through the fading sounds of gunshots. Lewis and the others joined us simultaneously, right behind us.

Lewis's eyes widened at the sight of Athena. Before he could voice a question, she, still looking down, murmured, "Put me down; this is embarrassing."

"Oh, is it now?" I responded roughly.

Everyone tried to keep a straight face, but it wasn't beneficial because I wasn't foolish. It just added fuel to the already advanced fire because I didn't like people laughing during critical times.

"Guys, get in your cars; there's no time to laugh around," I ordered, a hint of seriousness cutting through.

Carter swiftly occupied the driver's seat, Athena moved to unlock the door (I did the same), and she withdrew her hand instantly, whispering with a stammer, "S-sorry."

"Cute," I thought, but answers were a priority.

I carefully placed her in the car, settled into the seat beside her, and closed the door. Darren took his place ahead, and Lewis occupied the other side.

Gunshots started approaching again, with men attempting to surround us. Carter started the engine, and we, along with two other cars, sped away from the chaos on time before it escalated further.

The diamond was in the suitcase, held by Lewis. "Show me," I demanded, taking it carefully from him. I needed to see with my own eyes that it was secure. Opening the box, the diamond was there, safe and sound.

Acquiring this one had been a piece of cake, but the prospect of securing the second from Amara is indeed a tough challenge, given her intellect compared to Aiden was impeccable, to be exact. I closed the suitcase and handed it back to Lewis. While he continued to glare at his sister, the anticipation hung in the air. Though the gunshots had decreased, the tension in the car hadn't reduced a bit. Athena, feeling tense, shifted a bit closer to my side.

"No, keep your butt here, Athena. You deserve the glaring right now," Lewis shouted, his voice sharp enough to make her quiver. Despite my anger, I didn't want to frighten her.

I gently pulled her close by the waist, holding her hand. I began drawing small circles behind it to soothe her down. No doubt, I avoided looking into her eyes but didn't want her to feel alone either. Never again.

"Fedorov, I'm talking to my sister right now. Do you think it's the right time to-" Lewis began, raising his voice even more.

I interrupted sternly, "Do not raise your voice at me, Lewis. Did I stop you from speaking?" Frustrated, he sighed, ignoring me, and shifted his attention back to Athena.

Realizing the need to lower his voice, he asked her, "Athy, why did you come here, and how did you? How did you bring Eric with you?"

She bit her lip before explaining, "It was Grandma. She took my children from school and threatened me to come see her. She booked me a ticket, and Eric went undercover and followed me. I had to tell him, of course, as I was crying uncontrollably. I got my kids; Eric brought them to your place right now. To top it off, my grandmother told me to attend the ball with her, along with one guy who stayed by me."

She took a brief pause and exhaled before continuing, "Eric texted that he got my children, I excused myself to the bathroom and... climbed out of the window. It was high, s-so I had to go down, but I accidentally came down a bit hard. In fear, I slipped and fell to the ground, managing to run a distance before those three men caught me. That's when Dante found me as well."

I clenched my fist hard, feeling like the tape on my mouth from bitterness had been coming loose recently. "Quel vecchio stronzo lo otterrà da me." I said it out of nowhere, and everyone, including Athena, looked at me, still baffled as she didn't understand Italian, but the others understood what I meant.

"Let me translate for you: your boyfriend said the old fucker is going to get it from him," Carter stated, and even Athena couldn't hold back a giggle. I glanced down at her and then back at the others. "Is this supposed to be amusing?" I glared at them, and Darren answered, "It is unfortunate what happened, but no one told you to say it like that."

"If I hear one more sound of laughter, even from you, Darren, I'll fire all three of you," I elaborated loudly, trying to look out of the window. I didn't understand the satire, but then, all of a sudden, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I looked down, and my eyes softened. "You can't fire me, so am I allowed to laugh?" Athena's big doe eyes worked like a spell, and her honey-colored gaze made me fall for her even more. It made up for everything, I swear. It made my heart rest in peace and blocked my brain from all the worries. She was like an addictive drug that I just wanted close and only for myself.

I felt like ripping the guy out alive who dared lay a finger on her. I just didn't feel like making a more destructive scene in front of her. Hitting and shooting are tolerable, but murdering a person in front of her? Not in my capacity. She was like an angel to my heart.

I pretended to think and finally spoke, raising an eyebrow and smirking at Lewis, "Absolutely... if you want your brother to know what we did last night." I could feel Lewis's glare intensify; oh, how I love infuriating him.

That ass tried to remove his shoe but then muttered, "Fuck, these cost me a lot; I can't even throw them." He turned to look at both of us again while fixing his composure, and I couldn't help but let a sly grin play on my lips. I was genuinely loving this comedy now, while Athena just stared blankly at him.

"I just kissed him, you dork. Warum übertreibst du? Mit wie vielen Mädchen schläfst du jeden Monat?" (Why are you exaggerating? How many girls do you sleep with every month?) she pointed out. That was intriguing – I had never heard him act like that.

"Excuse me? Do you think that low of me? Ich bin seit mehr Jahren jungfräulich als du," (I've been a virgin for more years than you) he retorted.

Athena scoffed, "Yeah, right," and then added, "Du hast mit meiner besten Freundin geschlafen und sie nicht angerufen." (You slept with my best friend and didn't call her.)

I was quite interested in this banter now, and Darren was looking back too, though he didn't understand. German banter always had a twist in it, aggressive and entertaining to hear.

"Damn," Carter said, smirking, and Lewis responded by rolling his eyes, "Athy, people fight."

"You told me to check if you packed everything, Und ich habe gesehen, dass du Kondome in deiner Tasche hattest," (and I saw that you had condoms in your bag) she said as she hit him on his shoulder and folded her hands. I wish I had popcorn for some reason to watch this, though I don't even like eating it.

I then interrupted, raising my hand in a dismissive gesture, "Condoms on a business trip are not like you," and Athena's eyes widened. "You understand German?" she asked, and I nodded, smirking, "Yes, darling, try another language."

Her mouth agape, but Lewis answered, "Of course, it's not. See, you heard him, Athy, I took them because Carter told me to get them for him."

I slightly coughed this time, raising an eyebrow as I stared at him blankly, adding, "I told you not to mix personal life with work, Carter."

"Hey, c'mon, I always carry just in case now," he implied cautiously, and I sighed, instructing, "Now you two stop arguing, alright? We have reached." I rolled my eyes for emphasis and gestured toward the surroundings as the car came to a halt.

The enormous grand gates swung open, and my uncle's beautiful mansion came into view. Nothing had changed a bit. It had been a long time since I last visited him. I was keen to meet him. We only had our occasional talks once a month for a few minutes. We both weren't the talkers, but we knew the bond was still there. The two cars followed the driveway, pulling up to a stop along with us.

Carter shut down the engine, and at the same time, I gently took Athena's heels and held them in my hand. Stepping out of the car, I made a move to lift her, but she protested, "I can walk; I just need support. I promise I'll tell you if it pains while walking."

I didn't push the matter further, respecting her wish. Instead, I took her by the waist, gesturing with my free hand for her to hold on to my arm for support, helping her stand steadily. I had spare shoes in the car, and even though they were a size too large for her petite feet, I knelt, tying them securely, my hands moving deftly.

"Dante?" a sudden voice from behind made me straighten up slowly, closing the car door as I placed my hands on Athena's waist gently. I turned to face the person.

"Long time no see. How have you been?" I greeted, raising my eyebrows in amazement and delight as I extended a hand for a handshake, my other hand still lightly resting on Athena's waist.

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