Chapter Seventeen

DANTE

Dante stalked into the crowded New Haven nightclub. He scanned the room, searching for any sign of Kiki amidst the entangled dancers and drinkers. If Kiki thought she could get away with tormenting Emma, she had underestimated just how far he would go to protect what was his. This was where Kiki liked to hang out after getting punted from Couture. A flash of platinum blond hair caught his eye.

There. In the roped-off VIP section.

Kiki lounged on a black leather couch, sipping a martini as Joey sat rigidly beside her, face pale and fingers clenched tight around a glass of what looked like scotch. What the hell was he doing here? And with her, after what she did to his sister?

Dante moved through the undulating crowd, his gaze locked on his target. He shouldered past giggling twentysomethings and rowdy frat boys doing shots.

The closer he got to the VIP section, the more tightly he had to control his temper. She had seen him approaching and was enjoying every minute of the enfolding drama. Dante had to be careful not to give it to her. Kiki’s eyes met his, glinting with wicked amusement above her martini glass. She leaned close to whisper something in Joey’s ear. Joey tensed, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. The pained look on his face only stoked the boiling rage Dante struggled to contain.

As he stopped in front of them, Kiki’s glossy red lips curled in a practiced pout. She crossed her long legs, stiletto heels flashing. “Dante, what brings you here tonight?”

Dante narrowed his eyes. He kept his voice low and controlled, words slicing through the thumping music. “Cut the crap, Kiki. You know damn well why I’m here.”

She blinked up at him, all false innocence and barely concealed malice. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. I’m here enjoying a night out with my new boyfriend.” Her fingers slid possessively over Joey’s thigh.

“Really?” Nausea churned in Dante’s gut, because he was sure Kiki was just playing with Joey.

“Why don’t you fuck off?” Joey said, standing and swaying slightly. But it wasn’t the same Joey who had confronted him in the parking lot the other day. This Joey looked like a caged animal, wincing at the bright lights and huddling from the loud noise.

“Are you okay, man?”

“I said fuck off!” Joey roared.

“Why are you even here with her after what she did to Emma?”

“Emma?” That snapped some clarity back into Joey’s features. “What’s he talking about, babe?”

Kiki scoffed, meeting his glare head-on. “Oh, please. I didn’t do anything to your precious princess.”

Dante’s blood boiled, fingers twitching with the urge to wrap around her slender throat and squeeze until she choked on her lies. But she’d probably get off on that. He inhaled deeply through his nose, reining in his temper. “Don’t play games. I’ll show him your Instagram reels, how you made fun of Emma and turned her into a meme.”

“What?” Joey snarled, suddenly looking for a moment like his old self.

Rolling her eyes, Kiki shoved at Joey’s chest, but he didn’t budge. “You’ve got it all wrong. I was hacked. I bet it was Pepper. That anorexic pothead has had it out for me and Emma for months now. This was all her idea to hurt Emma and make me look like the bad guy. And you fell for it.” Crocodile tears welled up in Kiki’s eyes.

A mirthless laugh escaped Dante’s throat. “You expect me to believe that? You really think I’m that stupid?” His voice grew colder, quieter. Deadlier. “I know you, Kiki. I know what you’re capable of.”

She matched his icy tone, green eyes burning into his. “You don’t know anything.”

Joey stepped between them. “You need to go before I give you the ass-kicking you so desperately deserve.”

Dante’s jaw clenched, his gaze flicking from Joey’s strained expression to the way his shoulders hunched, as if bracing for a blow. He’d seen that look before, recognized the signs of a man haunted by trauma, drowning in the memories of a battlefield far away.

Drawing a measured breath, Dante took a step back, giving Joey space. “I’m not leaving until she deletes those posts and issues an apology for what happened ‘when she was hacked.’” He used finger quotes to underscore the last part.

Joey’s throat worked as he swallowed hard, myriad emotions playing across his face—confusion, doubt, quickly masked. He ran an unsteady hand through his hair. “Yeah, she can do that. Can’t you, babe?”

Kiki’s smile turned sickening sweet. “Of course I can. You know I would never hurt Emma. She’s practically family.” The lie fell from her lips with practiced ease, honeyed poison masquerading as comfort.

Dante knew that look, the manipulation, the gaslighting. He’d seen it countless times before, watched as Kiki twisted the truth to suit her own agenda.

But Joey wasn’t just another pawn in her games. He was a soldier, a warrior, a man who’d seen the horrors of war and come out the other side. Dante saw the cracks in his armor, the wounds that ran soul-deep, and knew he had to tread carefully. One wrong move, one misstep, and Joey would shatter like glass.

“Joey, listen to me.” Dante’s voice was low, urgent. “I know you want to believe her. I know you think you owe her your loyalty. But you don’t. This bitch is toxic.”

“Don’t call her a bitch.” His voice cracked, raw and broken.

Kiki’s hand snaked out, fingers curling around Joey’s arm in a vice-like grip. “Believe in me, baby. Believe in us. Don’t let Dante poison your mind with his lies. He’s jealous.”

“Don’t let her manipulate you.”

Joey’s gaze darted between Dante and Kiki. With a shaky exhale, he pulled his arm from Kiki’s grasp. “I need some air.”

He turned on his heel and wove through the crowded nightclub, disappearing into the throng of dancing bodies. Dante watched him go, a knot of concern tightening in his gut. The haunted look in Joey’s eyes, the way his hands trembled—he knew the signs all too well. PTSD was a motherfucker, and seeing his best friend drowning in its clutches made his blood boil. Dante should have caught on to this before now. He cursed himself for being too distracted with his relationship with Emma to notice.

Kiki’s mocking laughter cut through his thoughts. “He’s fine. Don’t be such a worry wart.” She leaned back in the booth, a smug smile playing on her glossy lips. “And Emma...sweet, naive little Emma, he has no idea what she’s gotten herself into with you.”

Dante’s fought the urge to lash out, but he knew ignoring her would hurt worse. But he couldn’t let her continue to hurt Emma and Joey.

“Leave Joey and Emma out of this,” he growled. “This is between you and me.”

“It is, isn’t it? But you see, by hurting them, I’m hurting you too. It’s a win-win situation.”

“You’re playing a dangerous game,” he warned.

“And I pay to win,” she sneered at him. “You cast me aside just when things were getting interesting. Worse of all, it was for little Miss Goody Two-Shoes. You took her innocence. Bravo. You’re making her your personal slut. Congratulations.”

“Watch your mouth,” he said in a deadly quiet tone.

She faltered for a second, but then rallied. “It’s all going to get old for you sooner rather than later, and when it does, you’re going to be sorry you ended our arrangement.”

“Fine,” he said, feigning boredom. “Joey and Emma are collateral damage and I want to avoid them getting hurt further. What’s it going to take to get you to back the fuck off them?”

Kiki leaned in, her red lips a mere breath away from Dante’s ear. “I want my access to Couture and Club Inferno back,” she hissed, the venom dripping from each word. “If you don’t comply, I’ll make sure Emma and Joey suffer more than you can possibly imagine.”

Colleen would never let her back in, but he didn’t let that show on his face.

“Think about it, Dante,” Kiki continued, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. “Give me what I want, and everyone goes back to their own corners. I get to watch your relationship with Emma wither and die as she tries to keep up with you and fails. I want a front-row seat.”

There was only one way to play this. “Fuck it, I tried.” Dante forced a shrug. “Do what you want. I don’t care anymore. You’re right. I am bored. Bored with you and this situation. There are other subs to beat and torment. Maybe I’ll look Pepper up and give her a wild time.”

The smug look vanished off her face. “Wait, what?”

“Have fun, Kiki. I doubt I’ll ever see you again.” He turned on his heel and forced himself to walk out of the bar. It took everything in him not to check on Joey.

She called after him, but he ignored her. Kiki needed to be the center of attention. She needed to be relevant. If she believed that he decided protecting Emma and Joey was too much trouble, she’d move on. Hopefully, she wouldn’t break Joey’s heart in the process.