Tangled Threats and Desire

Dante's pov

I cut the call mid-sentence, my senses sharpening as I rushed toward the restroom. Undeniably, I couldn't enter the ladies' restroom, but the whimpering was audible, a distressing sound that made my fury rise the bar.

Without giving it a second thought, I pushed the door open, revealing a gruesome sight.

The man's hands were wrapped around Athena's throat; she was against the wall, struggling to get out of his grip.

Once more, without thinking, I lunged forward, yanking him away from her. He indeed made the mistake of laying his fingers on her.

His astonishment was short-lived as I twisted his arm, making him wince in pain. The cold metal of his own knife found its way into my hand.

I took him by the collar, pressing him against the wall as I brought the blade dangerously close to his neck.

The room thumped with the weight of my question: "Why did she send you here? It's not like I don't know, but it would be better if we confirm it, yeah?" His eyes darted between me and Athena, fear etched on his face. The only response was a trembling finger, pointing towards Athena.

Confirmation was all I needed, and without a moment's hesitation, my fist collided with his jaw. I could feel the satisfying breaking of bone as he collapsed to the ground. And the knife found a new place to rest, sinking into his arm, a symphony of screams echoed in the room as I just stared at him.

I then realized I wasn't alone as my eyes met with Athena, her eyes wide with distress, expressing concern. "What if the owner sees—?" I shrugged as I pulled her by the arm, not roughly but in a hurried way as she was in more danger than me.

"The owner is my friend," I assured her, casting a reassuring glance. "He'll handle it."

Going from the front door was not the best decision right now, and my theory was proved right.

Promptly, when she and I came out of the restroom, we saw a group of men enter the restaurant at the exact time. The moment they saw us, they immediately drew their guns, but I held Athena's hand tightly as we made a run toward the back door.

My mind raced, as I contemplated the most suitable route for our escape.

With determination to keep her safe, I guided Athena through the obscured passages, plotting our way through the tangled turns of the alley.

The atmosphere was intense as they could come from anywhere.

I navigated through alleys and could hear that the men were closing in. I made a quick decision and took a right, then a left, leading us into a complex.

There, we secured ourselves behind a steel door, and I picked up a rod hidden behind a box and used it to lock the door securely.

I quickly turned on my earpiece as I instructed, "Get a helicopter again."

Leo's voice came through the earpiece within seconds as he said, "Eric is on his way. He faced a similar situation while driving but was unharmed."

I listened carefully to Leo's words and then took Athena up with me. She hadn't spoken anything except for her heavy breathing.

Although it had less potential to be dangerous, I still had to be cautious and keep her behind me as I took out my gun. We both reached the top, gasping for air.

I scanned the surroundings, my eyes darting between potential threats.

Athena stood close, her hand firmly gripping mine, her gaze a mix of fear and trust.

I was lost.

Was my heart beating because of the situation?

or because I was still holding her hand?

Fuck.

I then tried to stay calm and took a quick check of our surroundings again, ensuring no immediate danger could lurk around.

With the tension thick in the air, I couldn't afford to let my guard down. It wasn't my life, it was hers. I knew what hell she had to go through and I'll make sure the only people seeing hell now were the ones who started it for her.

I motioned for Athena to stay close, her eyes locked onto mine, seeking reassurance. Since there was no danger here, I securely holstered my gun.

We stood there, in a temporary haven. Athena hadn't spoken, but her eyes spoke volumes. They were glossy as she closed her eyes shut when I didn't look away.

I released my grip on her and checked if she was injured. Gently pulling her close, I cupped her face, "Darling, are you alright?" I inquired. She hesitantly nodded.

"Speak," I demanded roughly, and she stammered, "Y-yes." Her hand was on my chest, her eyes down, but she looked up, plastering a fake smile.

She made me do things I'd never done, pulling her close, our foreheads touching. We were so close that I could feel her soft breaths on me.

"Calm, darling. You are safe; no one is going to hurt you. I promise you that," I reassured her as tears flowed down her cheeks. For a moment, she didn't say anything, and I gently pulled away, still holding her by the waist. I wanted to see her face. She looked up with tears in her eyes, extending her pinky finger.

"You can't lie in this," she asserted. I smiled slightly and connected my pinky finger with hers, making a silent promise. "Promise," she smiled, and I took a napkin from my pocket to help her dry her eyes.

She hesitantly took it and dabbed her tears with the napkin. I observed the vulnerability in her eyes.

My mind felt like it wasn't thinking straight as I lightly caressed her face. She looked at me a bit confused, and at that moment, my gaze unintentionally fell on her lips. It was the wrong time to notice, but I couldn't contain myself around her.

"Dante..." she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of hesitation, and my eyes met hers. "It's the wrong timing."

I was about to release my hold on her, ready to distance myself, but before I could take a step back, she went on her tiptoes, gripping my face gently with one hand and tugging at my blazer with the other.

At that moment, her soft lips met mine, making me forget everything. I felt a jolt of amazement, but there was no room for objections as the tenderness of her lips enveloped me.

This woman is going to be the death of me, that's for sure.

The wetness of her lips synced seamlessly with mine as I gently lifted her, placing her on the table. Her legs wrapped around my waist, and the connection of our lips was unbroken, while my hands explored the contours and curves of her body. The intensity heightened with each passing moment. But in an instant, we reluctantly pulled away from the embrace, our lips parting as Eric's voice sliced through the earpiece at that moment, noting, "Brother, we've arrived."

A curt "hmm" escaped my lips, and I closed my eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath to regain my composure. She had successfully induced an arousal but we needed self-control considering the situation right now.

As I reopened my eyes, they met hers, revealing a flush on her face—with the warmth of the shared moment.

I gently tried pulling away from her, her eyes still fixed on mine. The desire lingered in the air, evident in her swollen lips and the audible traces of her panting.

I could feel the heat between us, but I tried my best to restrain myself.

Athena's fingers then intertwined with mine, and I let her, it was more than just a simple touch. Her touch sent a warm tingle up my arm. It made me feel helpless and wanting more.

I couldn't hold back anymore; it was like an unstated agreement between us. Moreover, before allowing her to step down, a premature desire surged as I pulled her close by the waist again, immersing in a passionate, rough kiss—one last one, felt like I was on the brink of losing my shit. She responded with a soft whimper, reciprocating the kiss as my hands delved into her hair. The intensity was noticeable.

Reluctantly, I acknowledged the need to stop, even though I could sense she felt the same way. I gently separated our lips with my thumb and opened my eyes, lowering them slightly.

Her gaze stayed fixed on me, as our lips were still awfully close.

My thumb traced a gentle line, concluding with a lingering touch on her lower lip, slightly parting it.

"We need to go, baby," I murmured, but it was evident she wasn't paying attention. Her gaze remained fixated on my lips. Unable to resist, I smirked, fully aware of the effect we had on each other at this moment.

With a rough yet enticing tone, I whispered, "Patience," as I placed tender kisses on her neck. The delightful sounds escaping her lips fueled the desire inside me, but I halted reluctantly this time, meeting her eye roll with a simple smile.

I then assisted her in getting down, and together we hurriedly stepped outside, greeted by the helicopter with her hand in mine.

The helicopter's blades began to spin faster, creating a clamorous noise, I took Athena by the hand and carefully led her towards her seat. With a steady grip on her arm, I carefully guided her to ensure that she didn't stumble or feel uneasy because of the commotion created by the chopper.

Eric suddenly interrupted with an untimely cough and clutched his chest, exclaiming, "I think I'm having a heart attack. Leon didn't teach you that. This is the first time I've ever seen this."

Athena chuckled at his acting, and I was relieved to see that she wasn't uncomfortable with Eric's absurd behavior. Eric laughed along and then asked with concern, "Also, Ma'am, are you alright?"

She nodded and smiled, putting Eric's worry to rest. "Good to know," Eric said, glancing over at me with a sly grin.

"Eric, stop, and let's focus on the update," I interjected, feeling a bit exasperated.

He theatrically rolled his eyes before returning his attention to the laptop. "There's a ball in Barcelona, Spain. The guy hosting the party wants to show off a diamond, but the security is tight and we'll need to crack a few things," he explained, pausing for emphasis before shutting the laptop with a sigh and stowing it in his bag.

"Alrighty then, we've got our destination locked in," I said with a note of resignation. Eric gave a nod in agreement.

He then shifted his attention to Athena, who nervously chuckled, her eyes flickering between him and me. "I don't know what to say," she confessed, her uncertainty evident in her demeanor.

"You know my name but what you don't know is that I'm his younger brother. We have met before in your cafe when I had brown hair- the strawberry milkshake guy, remember?" Eric shared happily.

Trying to inject some humor into the situation, I mockingly mimicked sipping an imaginary strawberry milkshake, but it only earned a quizzical look from both Athena and Eric.

Eric then retorted, "Shut up, alright? It wasn't my choice." I raised an eyebrow and replied, "The number of times I've heard you telling Leon to get a strawberry milkshake is innumerable."

Athena chimed in trying not to laugh, "Stop bullying your brother. There's nothing wrong with drinking a strawberry milkshake." She placed her hand on my thigh to silence my attempted theatrics and turned her attention back to Eric.

As they then engaged in conversation, my mind wandered off. I was distracted by my thoughts, contemplating the day's turn of events. The last thing I expected was to kiss Athena, and it had been an eternity since I had even been this close to a girl.

On top of that, today's incident should not happen again. We were fortunate this time, but what if we weren't? I had to ensure her safety, and due to the urgency of the situation, I had to take quick action on critical matters.

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