Page 60 of Under His Protection

DANTE

Dante

Nina stayed with me as we ran down the hall. It seemed counterintuitive to rush toward the gunfire erupting on the main floor, but it had already died down.

There was no way one group could enter and take out all the guests here. Too many celebrities and politicians had guards and security details. Of the criminal organizations present here, numerous soldiers and men stood on the ready to defend their leaders and capos inside the ballroom.

As I ran down the stairs, I guessed it was a case of two rivals snapping and attacking among the civilians. It happened, but every time we erred and caused too many uninvolved and innocent casualties, it seemed that all the crime families were accused and put under an even closer scrutiny with the law enforcement.

“Who is it? Who opened fire?” I shouted at Romeo as he ran up the steps to intercept me dashing down them. Franco hurried Eva off to the side, but several Constella men were surrounding us. All through the commotion of the massive ballroom, leaders were being encircled and protected. Guns were up. Eyes were open. But I saw no easy target to aim at.

Nina remained close to me, her slender fingers tight in my hand. As long as I felt this connection, knowing she was with me, I could stay levelheaded.

“I don’t know. Gunfire came in from the side entrance,” Romeo called back, frowning as he checked that Nina was all right with me.

I’d never given a shit about coincidences. Someone breaking into this gala now, this time, when the event had been put on for many years, meant something.

Nina.

If we hadn’t just overheard those two men talking about wanting to kidnap her so I’d be free for Vanessa to claim, I wouldn’t have gone there. I wouldn’t have jumped immediately to that conclusion. But we had. Moments ago, as I fucked her to distract her from the horror of eavesdropping on a pair of men talking about taking her, those two guys had discussed it.

Is it a diversion? Fighting so they can take her from me? Anger pounded through my veins at the concept. If anyone dared to get in my way and steal Nina from my grasp, there would be no end to the wrath they would incite.

“Is it—” More gunfire cut me off, and I ducked and shielded Nina. She shook beneath me, but the shooting didn’t last long.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” Romeo demanded.

I leaned up, glancing over Nina. Down below, past the remaining six or seven stairs I had yet to descend with Nina, was a pair of men. My son was right. They didn’t belong here.

Mafia families—the main criminal presence gathered here tonight—did not consort with bikers. The last time a Mafia family attempted to face off with a motorcycle gang was when the Domino Family took them on.

Which was why seeing the members of the Devil’s Brothers MC striding in here, guns blazing, made no sense.

“Get the fuck out of here,” I ordered, standing tall and aiming my gun at them. Others tried to get through the crowded hall, but with the commotion that the gunfire had caused, people were fleeing and panicking, and there was no easy way to cut through the throngs. Behind the bikers was utter chaos, but these fuckers weren’t bothered in the slightest.

“I don’t think so,” Stefan Giovanni said as he approached. He walked up closer, coming from behind the pair of leather-sporting bikers. One was bald. The other had long, graying, and greasy hair. But both looked like immature idiots with those black and white bandanas tied on their heads.

“What’s going on?” Romeo asked as Stefan placed one foot on the first step up the staircase my son and I blocked Nina on. Soldiers filed in, all aiming their guns at Stefan and the two bikers he’d rounded up to face me.

“What’s going on?” Stefan laughed dryly at Romeo as more bikers fought security closer to the doors. “I’ll tell you what’s going on. The joke is up, Dante.” He sneered at me, then lowered his stare to Nina. “You’ve intercepted and had your fun. It’s time to hand the girl over.”

Nina plastered herself to my back, trembling and tucking in close.

“That woman belongs to Reaper,” Stefan insisted.

“The hell she does. According to who? You?” I kept my gun trained on the greasy biker since Stefan wasn’t pulling his gun on me. Yet.

He canted his head to the left, as though I’d said something ridiculous. “According to the fine, upstanding men in this MC.”

Romeo cursed, mocking Stefan’s assessment of the bikers’ club.

“And Ricky.” Stefan narrowed his eyes. “You remember Henry’s son, don’t you?” Leaning toward the side, he tried to look at Nina crouched behind me. “It looks like you’ve been really busy making your acquaintance with his daughter.”

I didn’t respond, letting the asshole squirm under the pressure of my quiet.

He rolled his eyes. “He lost her in a bet—fair and square.”

“How the fuck would you know?” Romeo asked.

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