“What can I say father, Athena kept looking at me with those ‘fuck me eyes’ of hers. I can tell why she’s Dante’s
favourite, she is one hell of a rider.”

“That’s my boy. Her family and Dante should have received our little video by now. I wish I could be there to bear witness of the look on their faces whilst watching Athena cry out.”

“What’s our next move?”

“We stay low key. I have Ramirez running things but he’s going to receive a lot of push back now that the police commissioner is no longer in our pocket.”

“What about her?” Fernando nudges his head in the direction of Athena.

“We make them wait and just when they think they’re close to finding her, she shows up in a body bag on her father’s front door.”

2 weeks later

Dante’s p.o.v

14 days, 336 hours, 20.160 minutes, 1.209.600 seconds. 1 lasting heartbreak.

The atmosphere around the manor was at an all-time low. Nobody had being sleeping for more than an hour at a time and we ate enough to survive yet everything was tasteless.

Some silently may have given up hope on finding Athena but how could I? I chose to believe that there was a God and that he would bring her back to me.

While Matias and his sons removed emotion from their tactics, Allesandro and I couldn’t. We surely did seem like two helpless fools. I had called in every favour owed to me, yet was met with the same disappointing news.

Hendrik offered to come down and look for Athena as well but I asked him to take care of my businesses, after all if there’s no breakthrough soon, I’ll need something to drown myself in. All my money, power and influence meant shit in a time like this. I was humbled in the worst way possible.

“Family meeting in my study now.” 

Athena’s father shouted bringing me out of my sombre thoughts. I reached the room in time to witness Matias pour scotch in the glasses laid out in front of him. Nobody had said a word but were quick to down the alcohol in hopes it would burn the bitter taste of failure out of their mouths.

“With all due respect Matias, you’re wasting our time. We could be out there following any leads instead of drinking comfortably in your study.” Allesandro bluntly spoke out.

 I hadn’t this side of him before, so jaded and angry. Matias calmly put down his glass while Romulus and Remus poured themselves another drink. I just stood there, numb to the world.

“There’s one last aspect we haven’t tried.”

“What is it?”

“We fly to Mexico and hold Pedro’s business hostage until he returns Athena.”

“Are you insane father? That would be a suicide mission?”

“That’s why I, along with a specialised task force will be handling this. I can’t have anything happening to my other children.”

“I’m coming with you.” Both Sandro and I spoke up simultaneously.

“I think the fuck not.” Romulus glared at Allesandro, almost as if there was a secret looming between them.

“Rom is right and I do not want to discuss this further, we depart at sundown.”

I truly wish I had a father like Matias, someone willing to throw their head on a sword for their child instead of using it as a weapon to harm their kin. This insane plan has to work, if not then we might as well have had declared a war.

End of p.o.v

Undisclosed location, a few hours later.

Athena’s p.o.v

14 days, that’s how long I’ve being away from home. Hell if it wasn’t for Fernando I wouldn’t have survived more than a few days here. He would come and check up on me about 3 times a day and even brought items that made this room seem less like a hell hole.

If you’re wondering whether or not the conversation of Pedro and my mother sleeping together then I being born came up – it did.

At first he was shocked but then hopeful, he had always wanted a sibling but wished it would have being under better circumstances. I even told him about how Pedro might have had my mother killed and he promised to look into it, after finding me a way out of here.

These past few days I’ve felt sick- was it a sickness for home and loved ones or perhaps an infection from my ill-treated wounds? Whatever it was at least I knew I wouldn’t have to deal with it alone.

“Whatever happens, I need you to stay in this room and lock the door.” Fernando rushed towards and held onto my shoulder.

“What’s going on?”

“Your father is planning to ambush our business in Mexico, someone in his team leaked the information to my dad and well he wants you dead in the next couple of hours. Don’t worry I won’t let that happen, I have already put a plan of my own into motion.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked confusedly.

“Just trust your ‘maybe’ big brother alright? You will know when to unlock the door, I’ll see you in a bit.”

Fernando placed a kiss on my forehead and rushed out of the room with a purpose. I did as he told me and locked the door behind him, awaiting whatever was about to happen.

End of p.o.v.

“This is the location he gave?” Remus questioned.

“Yeah, looks just like a normal family home.”

“Are you sure we can trust him? What if this is some kind of set up?”

“My daughter trusts him and that’s enough for me. So can you all stop yapping and wait for the signal?”

Smoke started rising from the left quadrant of the house. This was the signal the men had being waiting for, after all Fernando had paid them a visit earlier on and discussed a new plan in detail.

Romulus and Matias entered through the front door while Allesandro, Dante and Remus went through the back. Pedro and his goons and been too preoccupied with trying to put out the mysterious spreading fire to notice the men sneak in and attack them announced.

Bullets were flying and fists had been thrown. Pedro like the coward he was tried to escape but was chased by Matias who aimed a gun at him.

“Father look out.” Fernando screamed before jumping in front of the now fired gun, the bullet meeting contact with his shoulder.

Pedro grabbed onto his son and fired a few rounds back, just enough to buy him some time to escape.

The fire was now becoming untameable, leaving the skeleton of the house unstable. Matias and Romulus had pulled out Dante who had passed out from smoke inhalation while Remus and Sandro made their way to the basement where Athena had being kept.

“Athena? It’s okay, you can open the door now.” 

Remus and Allesandro began coughing, smoke filling their lungs with each passing second. Athena had opened the door and flung herself into the men’s arms, tears streaming down her face.

“Okay we get emotional later, let’s get out of here.” Remus stated, leaving everyone in agreement.

Just as the trio reached the top of the staircase, one of Pedro’s remaining goons pointed a gun at Athena. Within the blink of an eye he had pulled the trigger before Remus could shoot him executioner style. Athena screamed as she saw Allesandro standing in front of her, his chest now oozing of blood.

Allesandro lost balance but was caught by Remus and Athena, his breaths had become shallow and his heartbeat faint.

“Let’s get him on my shoulder, I’ll carry him out.” Remus suggested but was turned down.

“No. Get Athena out of here. I’m not going to make it man.” Allesandro stated with his few remaining breathes.

“You’re going to be fine. Remus go and get help.”

“The flames Athena, they’re too strong. I won’t be able to get back in.”

“Then go. I’m not leaving him.” Athena argued as she pressed against Sandro’s wound with one hand and stroked his hair with the other.

Allesandro nodded at Remus, although no words were said – his eyes spoke ‘I’ll get her to leave, you can go’

“Princess listen to me, you have to get out of here. Please if not for my sake, for our baby's.”

“Baby? What baby?”

“Romulus ran your blood back from where you were taken. You’re pregnant. He only told me because he thinks I’m the father and even if I’m not by blood, you and our child are way more important to me than my life.”

Meanwhile Remus had escaped the flames and made it outside, conveying what had happened inside to the others.

“Get the extinguishers. The fire department is still 10 minutes out and we can’t be here when they arrive.” Matias ordered.

“To hell with this, I’m not letting them die in there.” A now conscious Dante exclaims before running towards the flaming house much to everyone’s protest.

Dante had arrived in time to witness what seemed to be one last kiss between Athena and Allesandro. The two had being so consumed in each other and faint from all the trauma endured, they hadn’t noticed Dante looming in the background until he made his presence known.

“I’m not losing you and you’re not losing each other.”