by Alessa Thorn
They walked the four blocks to where Silas and Izabella had set up in a transit van. The basement club, Earthly Delights, was across the street. Its entrance was only a door painted with vines and flowers.
"Ohh, Dante is going to love that," Athena murmured. There had to be another entrance or exit, and she was sure that once he was inside, Dante would find it. The merc in him wouldn't like not knowing all the exits.
Everything is going to be fine.
Athena opened the back door of the van, and they got in. Leo looked the most relaxed out of all of them in his dark jeans and white shirt tight enough that showed off his broad shoulders and olive tan. He was bait alright, but he would catch more than Liddell if he wasn't careful.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"I don't know why people keep asking me that. I can take care of myself. Mio Dio, it's only a club."
"Well, if you don't feel okay once you get in there, you can leave. Athena and I will be keeping an eye on the streets, and Dante will be with you," Kon reassured him.
There was another rap on the door before Dante opened it. He was dressed in a black button-up shirt and black jeans. He had even managed to run a bit of product in his clipped hair, so he didn't look like he had just fallen out of bed. Athena tried not to smirk. Dante didn't dress up for anyone.
"You still want to do this?" he asked Leo gruffly.
"Yes. Stop asking."
"You won't have any comms on you, but I'll be keeping a close eye the whole time," Dante said as Leo got out of the van. "You get into any situation that makes you uncomfortable, you find me."
"So you can swoop in and save me like my very own knight in shining armor?" Leo asked sarcastically.
Dante's hazel eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer so that Leo had to tilt his head back to look him in the eye. "Not like a knight. Like a mercenary with some brass knuckles and a set of pliers for anyone who so much as grinds up against you in a way you don't like."
Leo's cheeks were stained with color. "I'll be fine. I'll see you in there." He turned around and headed across the street for the vine-covered door.
"Breathe, D. You look like you're about to bust a nut," Silas said from the front seat.
Dante made a frustrated noise and pushed a small comm device into his ear. "Leo should be safely holed up behind his computer somewhere, not trying to be a snack for a psychopath."
"I have sparred with Leo in a boxing ring; trust me, he's got this," Kon said.
"You'd want to hope so, Basty. If anything happens to him because he's trying to impress you, I'll use my pliers on you," Dante said, slamming the door to the van and moving across the street towards the club.
"What was that about?" Kon asked with a frown.
Athena only shook her head and fitted her own earpiece in. "I do believe Dante has a crush."
Inside, the club was lit with gold and green lights. Leo moved down a steep staircase that had been muraled to look like a rainforest. When he had reached the bottom, he looked back and saw Dante coming down behind him.
God, the man radiated menace when he glared like that. His hazel eyes narrowed in on him, and Leo suddenly felt like the bait he was meant to be playing. He quickly looked away and let a woman in a pixie costume stamp his hand.
"Welcome to the autumn equinox, beloved!" she chirped happily at him.
"Grazie, bella, I can't wait," Leo said, laying on his accent. They didn't know if Liddell had someone working in the club to help him choose his victims, so Leo was already playing tourist just in case.
"Ohh, I love an Italian! You have fun!" The music was thumping as the pixie opened another door for him to grant him entry.
Leo walked through an archway of greenery and fake orange and brown fall leaves and into a cave of low, warm lights. The packed club had two stories that overlooked a dance floor. All along the exposed brick walls were booths with people drinking and laughing. The fall theme had gone wild inside, and the railings for the stairs were lit with sparkling lights.
Leo didn't need to turn around to feel Dante's eyes on him; it was like a warm touch between his shoulder blades.
God, he needed a drink if he was going to have to deal with the sexy, glowering mercenary all night.
He made his way down to the lower-level bar and ordered a vodka and soda. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see Dante come down the stairs. More than one curious head turned to look at him, and Leo really couldn't blame them. He was hot when he was relaxed, teasing Dante.
Dressed in black, his sleeves rolled up those impressive forearms, his expression aloof and calculated, Dante looked like someone’s new daddy fetish waiting to happen.
And he was watching Leo's every move, ready to pounce at the first sign of trouble. At the thought of Dante's brass knuckles, Leo went hot all over.
Jesus Christ.
Leo quickly looked away and drunk half of his drink. It was going to be a long night.
He pulled out his phone and checked his messages, half hoping there would be something to distract him.
"I'll have a scotch," Dante's deep timbre cut through the music from the other end of the bar. Leo finished his drink. He needed a buzz to get his head in the game and far away from his moody bodyguard and his perfect ass.
Leo ordered a shot of vodka, downed it, and ordered another from the handsome, smiling barman.
"You celebrating something?" he asked in an excellent brogue while topping up Leo's drink.
"I just landed from Roma and need to blow off some steam before I have to start work at my new job on Monday." Leo smiled flirtatiously. "It's very grown-up and important."
"Oh yeah? And where are you working?"
"National Gallery of Modern Art. I got an internship there," Leo replied.
"Congrats. I hear the competition can be brutal." The barman gave him a wink. "You enjoy your night, Mr. Rome."
Leo laughed, downed the vodka, and headed for the dance floor. The DJ was playing something melodic with just the right amount of beat. He was meant to be partying, so that was what he planned on doing. He hadn't had a night off in weeks, and technically, this one wasn't either. If he was going to be bait, he was going to be a good bait.
Leo let the churn of bodies drag him in until he was moving with the beat. After a few minutes, a large warm hand snaked around him from behind, and a hard chest pressed into his back.
"You might want to slow down on the vodka, Mr. Rome," Dante said into his ear.
Heat rushed over Leo's chest, his heart beating too hard under Dante's palm. "I might not. Didn't you hear? I'm about to start a new job."
"I was too focused on the bartender who was about to drool into your glass." Even with the beat, Leo heard the annoyance in Dante's tone.
"He was very cute. I wonder if he has a kilt he can put on and play Jamie Fraser with me," Leo replied.
Dante tensed behind him. The hand on his chest slid down to his abs, and he was tugged roughly up against Dante's chest.
"Try and remember that we are on a job, and you're not actually here to get your fine Italian dick wet," Dante growled in his ear.
"Maybe you should remember that you're here to observe and not act like my jealous, over dominant boyfriend every time someone smiles at me," Leo snapped.
He froze involuntarily as Dante's fingers slipped under the hem of his shirt and pressed hard into his too hot skin.
"I haven't even begun to show you my dominant side. Now, get focused, or I'll call this whole shitshow off," Dante warned, and then his hands and heat were suddenly gone, leaving Leo shaken, his pulse hammering in his throat.
Maybe he shouldn't have had that second shot after all.
"Are you okay? Was that guy bothering you?" a new voice said from beside him, shaking him out of his stupor. Leo turned to the barman, who was now amongst the crowd.
"No, he just doesn't like getting told no," Leo replied and let his flirty smile return. "What are you doing in here? Aren't you working?"
"Leo. And that was nice of you. Celebrations are warming up."
Caleb smiled cheekily. "I have to say I'm relieved that Rick Flag wasn't your boyfriend or anything."
"Like Rick Flag from Suicide Squad? No. Not at all. Just a guy looking to dance," Leo laughed. It wasn't an unfair description, especially with Dante's soldier attitude and sandy blonde hair.
"And you turned him down?"
"Not my type," Leo lied smoothly, and because he knew that Dante was watching from somewhere, he put his arms around Caleb's neck and danced with him.
Afterward, they went back to the bar, and Leo ordered another drink that Caleb happily went to make.
"You know, there's a real equinox party happening at a friend of mine’s house tonight," he told Leo as he mixed ingredients. The hair on the back of Leo's neck stood up.
"Really? What kind of party?" he asked.
"They can get pretty wild, but worth it for the experience. He's one of these bored rich guys that go all out. Unreal place." Caleb smiled, all Scottish charm, and placed a colorful drink on the counter.
"What's this?" Leo asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It's an equinox-themed cocktail. Don't worry; it's mostly orange and pineapple juice."
Leo had a mouthful of the sweet and sour mix. "Not too bad at all. When do you plan on getting off to go to your friend’s place?"
"Not long now. He's got a bunch of drivers. He'll send us one. Just relax and drink up," Caleb said, his hand messaging on his phone under the bar.
Things were getting weird. Leo turned to spot Dante, but his vision blurred.
"Woah, what else was in that drink?" he asked.
"Just some tequila. You okay?"
"Yeah, maybe the heat is getting to me," Leo replied, rubbing at the back of his neck. He looked for Dante again, wondered where he had gone. If he was making out with some twink in a dark corner.
You told him to back off, remember?
Leo swayed again, and Caleb was suddenly by his side, his arm propping him up. "Let's get you some air, Mr. Rome. You aren't looking hot," Caleb said, helping him up and through a staff door behind the bar.
Leo stared around at the colorful bottles that he was led past. A rush of cool air met him as Caleb half carried him up a short flight of stairs and into a back alley.
"Just breathe, Leo. You're going to be okay," Caleb assured him, his face blurring. A car pulled up, and the back door opened.
"You're working fast tonight, Mr. Fairfield," a crisp voice said from the inside of the car.
"He literally fell into my lap, so I took what the gods gave me. He's sweet," Caleb said, accepting a pale blue envelope from the driver.
"Wass happ..ning…" Leo slurred. Their voices turned to a distant hum, and Leo was put into the back seat.
"Just relax. You're in for the night of your life, handsome," Caleb assured him before kissing him and shutting Leo into the darkness.
27
Athena was contemplating going for a snack run when the comm device in her ear crackled to life.
"Athena! Leo's gone," Dante exclaimed over the noise of the club.
"Okay, I'm on it." Athena opened the door of the van and hurried out in the streets.
"The alley," Kon said from behind her. "I'll watch your back." They went down a service lane behind the club just as Dante charged out the back door.
"Did you see him?" he demanded.
"I thought you had eyes on him," Kon said coldly.
"I did! He was at the bar, and then he was gone..." Dante trailed off, and his expression darkened. "Go get a car and meet me here in five." He vanished back inside.
"Better do as he asks," Athena hurried back to the van. "Iz, start pulling up any surveillance you can on the traffic cams. Leo's been taken. Silas? You have the spare keys?"
Silas handed them over and pointed to an SUV parked two spaces up. "What's happening?"
"Dante has a plan. Stay with Iz. I'll let you know what's happening when I know."
"Will do."
Athena jumped in behind the driver's seat, Kon beside her, his handgun out and its silencer on. Athena pulled up behind the club just as Dante reappeared with an unconscious man over his shoulder.
"Who is this?" she asked, opening the back for him.
"He's the fucker who drugged Leo. We are going to find out what the fuck happened."
"And where are you planning on questioning him, Hill?" Athena demanded.
"Don't worry, Silas and I organized a place in case Kon wanted to interrogate Liddell. Head for Sighthill," Dante replied, getting into the back seat.
"You made me a kill room? I'm strangely touched," Kon said with a small smile.
"We get to use it sooner than we thought. Lucky us."
Athena pulled out into traffic, Kon plugging in the address Dante rattled off into his phone so it would give her directions.
"So what makes you think the bartender knows anything?" Kon asked.
"Because he was all over Leo from the moment he arrived. They danced, and Leo went back to the bar. I saw him sitting there, and everything was fine. I got hit on, and by the time I shut the guy down, Leo had vanished, and so had the bartender. I went back downstairs, and the guy was back to serving. I checked the bathrooms, but Leo was just…gone," Dante said, so worked up he was almost rambling. "When I asked the bartender about what happened to Leo, he gave me some shit about minding my own business and that Leo was fine, got a bit smug and said I should leave Leo alone. So I hit him and took him out the back. Found an envelope of cash in his back pocket."
Athena laughed. "Fucking hell, Hill. I hope you're not wrong about this."
"Don't care if I am," Dante replied, lowering his voice. Athena looked at him in the rearview mirror, saw the killing calm that had suddenly come over him.
Fuck.
"Message Silas, Dante. Let him know where we are going," Athena said and focused back on the road.
Kon was silent and alert beside her, a tenseness in his shoulders that hadn't been there half an hour ago.
"Don't worry; we'll have Leo's location in no time. Nothing is going to happen to him, Kon," Athena said softly. He surprised her by resting his hand on her thigh but didn't reply.
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into a storage facility with rows and rows of locked sheds. They had rented a shed on the far end of the property, choosing something outside and not in the main enclosed buildings. Athena backed the SUV up as close as she could to the door.
"Dante, where are the cameras?" she asked, not getting out of the car.
"At the very end, and Iz already has been into their system to rig this end to be invisible. Silas had her do it right after we rented it. You know what he's like with his 'always be prepared' motto," Dante replied. He still checked all around them for any eyes before he unlocked the padlocked roller door.
"Let's see what this asshole has to say for himself," Athena said and found some black zip ties.
Dante hauled the unconscious bartender out of the back of the car and dropped him onto a metal chair. Athena helped him zip tie his arms and legs to the metal frame.
"Silas sure makes quick work of setting up in a new place," Kon said, stepping into the storage shed and closing the door. It had tubs of equipment and a box of plastic sheeting.
"Silas is always prepared for everything. Help me with the sheeting," Athena said, and they rolled out the plastic under the chair. "If you're squeamish when it comes to this kind of thing, Basty, you might want to wait outside."
Kon gave her a look somewhere between contempt and amusement. "You seem to be forgetting who you're talking to. If Dante wasn't so eager for his pound of flesh, I would have cheerfully made this fucker squeal for you, Edgeworth."
Athena grinned. Not many men out there offered to torture someone for you. "You say the sweetest things."
Dante went through the plast
ic tubs of equipment and took out a bottle of water. He had a mouthful before he tipped the contents over the bartender. He came to with a start, thrashing against his restraints.
"What the fuck is going on? Who are you—" his gaze focused on Dante. "You! What the fuck, man?"
"What's your name?" Athena asked.
"Caleb," he shouted and struggled again.
"Where is Leo, Caleb?" Dante pulled out his brass knuckles and slipped them on. "Spit it out, or this is going to get messy."
"How would I know?" Caleb demanded. Dante's fist whipped out, and Caleb's nose broke with a sickening crack. He screamed, blood rushing all over him.
"Where is Leo?" Dante asked.
"He…he wanted to go to a party. All I did was get him a ride," Caleb spat.
"What party?"
"E-Equinox party."
Dante gripped the man by the face and tilted his head up. "Really? Then what did you put into his fucking drink?"
"Just…something to help him relax. He wanted to party."
"Rohypnol is going to make him relaxed, alright," Athena commented, and Caleb flinched. She wanted to give the guy a few hits herself, but Dante and Kon had it handled. She had a feeling that her hands were going to be bloody enough by the end of the night.
"If you were so helpful, what was the money for? Does Liddell often pay you to feed him fresh meat?" Kon asked, his dark eyes narrowing.
Caleb went pale and thrashed. "I d-don't know who you're talking about."
"Athena, beloved, cover his mouth for me," Kon asked. Athena grabbed a towel from the plastic box and wrapped it around a panicked Caleb's head.
Kon placed the tip of his silencer on top of Caleb's knee and pulled the trigger. Caleb screamed, a high-pitched wail through the cloth.
"I'm going to ask you again. Where has Liddell taken Leo?" Kon asked. He nodded to Athena, and she lowered the cloth.
"S-Silver End," Caleb whimpered.
"What is that exactly?"
"It's his place… it's outside Silverburn."
Kon smiled, and it sent a chill through Athena's bones. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"