The morning sun was bright and cold. It shined through the large bedroom curtains, drawing long lines of light across the floor. Outside, the world was waking up, but inside the estate, time felt like it had stopped.
Dante woke up first. He did not move a muscle. He stayed perfectly still, lying on his side so he could watch Leo sleep. In the soft morning light, Leo looked peaceful. His breathing was slow and steady. There was no blood on his hands today. There were no hospital sirens or screaming patients. For a few beautiful minutes, it was just them.
Dante reached out a hand, his fingers hovering just an inch away from Leo's skin. He wanted to touch him, to feel the heat of the man who had become his entire world. But he hesitated. He didn't want to break this moment. In his life, peace was a rare thing. It was like a dream that could vanish if he breathed too hard.
But the peace did not last.
A sudden, heavy knocking came from the bedroom door. It wasn't a soft knock. It was loud, fast, and urgent. It was the sound of a man who had seen a ghost.
Dante sat up instantly. His body went from relaxed to ready for war in a split second. He knew that knock. It was Etienne. And Etienne never interrupted Dante's sleep unless the world was burning down.
Dante grabbed his black silk robe and pulled it over his shoulders. He walked to the door, his bare feet silent on the cold floor. He opened the door just a few inches, his eyes hard and dangerous.
Etienne was standing there. He looked pale, and his suit was wrinkled. He hadn't slept at all. He didn't speak at first; he just looked at Dante with eyes full of bad news.
"What is it?" Dante whispered, his voice like gravel.
"He is gone," Etienne said. His voice was shaking slightly.
Dante's eyes narrowed until they were just thin slits of ice. "What do you mean, gone? Speak clearly, Etienne."
"The traitor," Etienne whispered, looking around to make sure no one else was listening. "We did exactly what you said last night. We locked him in the shipping container at the docks. We had four guards standing right outside the door. We checked the locks every hour."
Etienne took a shaky breath. "But when we went to open the container this morning to bring him to you... it was empty. The locks were broken from the outside. The guards are dead, Dante. Someone took him."
Dante's face turned into a mask of pure fury. The skin around his jaw tightened until the bone looked like it might snap. He had left that man alive for a reason—he wanted to make him suffer. But now, that choice was a disaster.
Behind him, the bed creaked. Leo was awake. He had heard the voices at the door. He pushed himself up, the sheets falling to his waist. He looked at Dante's back, then at Etienne's pale face. He didn't need to be told that something had gone wrong. He could feel the cold air of danger filling the room.
"What happened?" Leo asked. His voice was deep and husky from sleep, but his mind was already working fast.
Dante turned around slowly. He didn't want to tell Leo. He wanted to protect him from the truth, but he knew he couldn't. "The traitor. He is out. Someone broke him out of the container last night."
Leo's eyes went wide. He sat up fully, his expression turning serious. "How is that possible? You said the docks were a fortress. You said your men were the best."
"I was wrong," Dante growled. He looked at Etienne with a look that could kill. "Someone helped him. He didn't break out of a steel container alone. Either there is a rat in my team, or our enemies were watching us from the shadows the whole time."
Leo stood up. He didn't care that he was barely dressed. He walked over to Dante, his gaze steady. "If he is free, Dante, think about what that means. He knows your face. He saw you at the hospital. He knows I am the one you came back for."
The silence in the room was heavy. It was the silence of a trap closing.
Leo reached out and touched Dante's arm. His touch was the only thing that could keep Dante from exploding. "If he was taken from a locked container, it wasn't a random rescue. Whoever has him now has a map to your heart. They have your secrets."
Dante looked down at Leo. The protective hunger in his eyes returned, darker than before. He wasn't just a boss anymore. He was a man who realized his greatest treasure was now a target.
"The peace is over," Dante said to Etienne, never taking his eyes off Leo. "Double the guards at every entrance. I want a man on every corner of this property. No one comes in, and no one goes out without my personal word. If a bird flies over this house, I want to know about it."
Etienne nodded quickly. "I'll handle it now, boss. I'll check the security feeds again. We will find out who opened that door." He turned and hurried down the hall, his footsteps echoing.
Dante closed the bedroom door and locked it. He turned back to Leo, stepping into his space until they were inches apart. He grabbed Leo's waist, his grip firm and possessive.
"Stay in the house today," Dante ordered. His voice was low and carried a dark weight. "Do not go to the hospital. Do not go to the clinic. I don't care if the whole city is sick. You are staying here where I can see you."
Leo looked up at him. He saw the fear behind Dante's anger—the fear of losing him. He didn't argue. He didn't fight for his freedom this time. He knew the war had reached their doorstep, and he knew he was the prize.
"I'm not going anywhere," Leo whispered, reaching up to touch Dante's face.
Dante leaned down, pressing his forehead against Leo's. Their breaths mixed in the quiet room. "I will find them, Leo. I will find whoever took him, and I will burn everything they own. No one takes what is mine."
Leo nodded, his hands resting on Dante's chest. He could feel Dante's heart beating fast, like a drum of war. The sun was up, and the birds were singing outside, but for the empire, the real darkness was just beginning.
The traitor was out there. And he knew exactly where to strike. Dante pulled Leo closer, as if he could hide him from the world within his own arms. The battle for the city was over, but the battle for their lives had just started.