DANTE’S POV

Before the auction

“Plea– please sir, I swear I didn’t talk to the police,” the man I was torturing cried out to me.

I sat in front of him, with a cynical look on my face, unfazed by his crying.

“You didn’t talk to the police?”

“No sir, I swear!!!” he lied, rubbing his hands together as he pleaded to me.

“So why did the police suddenly raid my shipment, when you were the only one that knew about it?” I asked, leaning closer to his slobbering face.

“It must have been a coincidence I swear,” he lied again and I scoffed, reaching into my pocket and bringing out the pictures I had gotten of him and the police captain exchanging an envelope.

I threw the pictures towards him and he rushed forward, grabbing the pictures with his tied up hands. His eyes widened in shock as he looked from the pictures to my face.

I brought out my gun from my back pocket and pointed it at him.

“I swear, it is not what you think—”

His words were cut off as I shot the lying bastard in the head.

If there was one thing I could not stand in my business, it was a snitch. I would rather have a man steal from me than lie to me.

“Clean this up,” I instructed one of my men as I stepped outside, inhaling the cold night air.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

Vincent, my second in command, was calling.

“Boss, you need to head back to the office now!” he said tensely.

Inhaling deeply, I frowned and headed into my car as I cut the call.

The drive back to the office was silent, but my mind was far from still.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her—Violet.

The woman I had met at the club a month ago, she had not just stolen my wallet that night, she had also stolen my ability to think clearly. And for some reason, I still hadn’t been able to find her, it was like she had vanished into thin air.

I walked into my office to find Vincent waiting by the door. His expression was unreadable almost like he had bad news.

“What is it?”

“We found her,” he replied coolly.

I went still, unable to believe what I had just heard, “What?”

“The girl you have been looking for. She turned up at an underground auction.”

I wanted to scream out in excitement, I wanted to feel relieved but my mind couldn’t stop wondering why the girl that I had been looking for turned up at an auction of all places. “How did she end up there?”

“I don’t know, all I know is that Lucian obtained her and she was listed as the main prize for tonight,” Vincent replied, watching me expectantly, like he was waiting for my next order.

“She is mine,” I said shamelessly. I had spent my nights dreaming of Violet and I would be damned if I let her get away from me again. “Get her at all costs.”

“Understood,” Vincent nodded and left, leaving me standing alone in my office.

How in the hell did she end up at an auction?

And why the fuck was she up for sale?

I didn’t want to think about that right now, all that mattered was that finally, Violet was mine.

***

An hour later, Vincent led her into my house just as I came down the stairs and my breath hitched in my throat.

It was her, it was really her.

Her eyes were stained with mascara like she had been crying and her bottom lip was split, but at least she was here, in the flesh.

“Who is your boss?” she was asking Vincent, still as defiant as I remembered.

“If I didn’t know better, I would say that you are really excited to see me,” I commented and she turned to face me, a shocked expression on her face.

“Did you miss me, Violet?” I asked as I walked closer to her, taking in the sight of her like I was starved of her presence.

“You were the one who bought me?” she asked, still stunned.

“Apparently,” I commented, reaching for her arm.

I led her to the couch and sat down beside her, staring intently into her eyes.

“Now Violet, would you like to explain to me how you ended up at an auction?”

Her bottom lip trembled like she was going to cry again, when my phone suddenly rang.

It was Lucian calling.

“Excuse me for a second,” I said, standing up.

“Mr Dante,” Lucian greeted as I picked the call, “How do you like your package?”

“The package is currently in tears, and I am not a big fan of that” I replied, glancing at Violet, who was wiping her face.

“You know, I was quite surprised that you sent someone to bid for her, but knowing your history it makes sense.”

“What are you talking about? What history?”

“You didn’t know that she is the daughter of Richard Ellis, the man who betrayed your father?” Lucian chuckled and my breathing slowed.

“What the fuck do you mean?” I asked him, already seeing my world turn red.

“She is Teresa Ellis, the daughter of the snitch that got your father murdered twenty years ago. Seeing as you have purchased her for a hundred thousand dollars, I hope that she is worth your while,” Lucian mocked and then the line went dead.

I slowly turned to Violet as my phone slipped from my hand, hitting the ground with a loud crash.

The woman I had spent a month looking for was no stranger, she was the daughter of the man I hated the most.

She was the enemy.