56. Dante

Chapter 56

Dante

T he late afternoon sun poured through the windows of Kage’s Manhattan apartment, casting long shadows across the polished hardwood floors. The light was warm, golden—ironic, really, given the storm brewing beneath our collective calm. We’d been holed up here for two days, riding the precarious edge between strategy and chaos, with Kage juggling his phone calls like a chess master playing an invisible opponent. Every conversation ended the same: no chatter about my father’s murder. Great news, right? Except it didn’t feel like it. Not when every second ticked by with the weight of something about to snap.

Elise curled up on the couch, her small frame lost in one of Kage’s oversized sweaters. She hugged her knees to her chest, her eyes darting between the muted TV and the phone she barely touched. She was resilient; I could see that in the way she carried herself, but resilience didn’t mean unbreakable.

Kage stood off to the side, his broad shoulders taut with tension as he leaned against the wall. Even in stillness, he radiated power, like a coiled spring waiting to explode. Dante was next to him, his relaxed stance a deliberate contrast, though his sharp eyes missed nothing.

"Do you think Vance and Talon are up for this?" Kage asked Dante, his voice low and deliberate, each word precise as a scalpel.

“After what I told them?” Dante snorted. “They’re itching for it. Your guys ready?”

“Ryker and Declan are solid.”

I leaned against the counter, catching snippets of their conversation while keeping one eye on Elise. They talked about tonight’s plan like they were ordering pizza instead of planning a kidnapping. Sure, it sounded excessive—seven of us, plus half the MC—but we didn’t know what we’d be walking into. My father’s secrets had cast a long shadow, and we needed answers. The university president wasn’t just a key player; he was the key. If we cracked him, everything else would fall into place.

“Camille,” Kage’s voice cut through my thoughts. He crouched in front of me, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “We’re ready to go.”

I nodded automatically, my fingers tightening around the counter’s edge. “Are you guys absolutely sure about this?”

“Absolutely,” he said without hesitation.

Elise looked up, her expression pinched with worry. “Ready for what?”

"Ty’s getting another tattoo," Kage deadpanned. "He needs moral support."

Ty’s glare was quick and sharp, but he played along, shooting Elise a cocky grin. “That’s right. It’s gonna be a tough one. Lots of tears.”

Elise giggled, and for a moment, the tension eased. It was strange, seeing Ty’s softer side emerge around her. He was still Ty—sharp edges and predatory smirks—but with Elise, there was a gentleness that didn’t feel forced. It was the kind of balance I hadn’t expected, but one I was grateful for.

“Elise, why don’t you go put on a movie?” I suggested, keeping my voice light. “I’ll join you in a second.”

She hesitated, her gaze flicking between me and the guys before she nodded and disappeared into the theater room. As soon as the door closed, Camille took my hand.

“Are you guys sure this is the best plan? Because if this goes sideways…” Her eyes filled with tears. “Maybe you shouldn't go," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, but it cut through the tension like a blade. "You've been through enough, Ty. Stay with me.”

Ty

Camille's words hit me harder than I expected. For a brief, fleeting moment, the thought of staying, of just letting it all go and hiding away with her and Elise, was tempting. But that would be giving into a fantasy. Reality demanded action.

"I have to go," I responded, my voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside me. "I've got debts to pay, Camille. And not just the kind you can wipe away with money or good intentions."

Her eyes searched mine, looking for something. Maybe an excuse, maybe a lie, something less tangible than the truth I was about to lay bare. "I killed someone," I reminded her, the words feeling like stones in my mouth. "And no amount of jail time or community service will ever make up for that. But I've tried, in whatever way I can. I gave most of my parents' money to the family of the person I killed. It wasn't enough. It'll never be enough.”

Camille was silent for a long moment, processing. "And this... tonight... it's part of paying that debt? You planning to write a check to karma?”

“Something like that.” I stepped even closer, crowding her without touching her. "It's about finding out the truth about my parents. But it's also about protecting you, Elise, Dante, Kage... everyone who's been caught up in this mess. The best way to do that is to end this shit once and for all."

Her hand found mine, her grip tight. "Just come back safe, okay? All of you."

I nodded, squeezing her hand back. "We will. I promise."

She hugged me tight then did the same with Kage and Dante. I knew she was scared. So was I. But we weren’t fucking around. We had sheer numbers on our side.

Dante rode on his bike, and Kage and I took his car. When we got to Devil’s Engine, Vance, Talon, their friends and Kage’s friends were already there, their expressions grim but determined. The plan was straightforward. Get in, get the president, get out. Question him until we had the answers we needed. The risks were high, but so were the stakes. We couldn't afford to fail—not when so much depended on us getting this right.

"Remember, we need him to be coherent," Kage emphasized. "No unnecessary roughness until we get what we need."

Vance nodded. "Got it. In and out, and let's hope this bastard's more scared of us than loyal to his cause."

Talon cracked his knuckles, a clear sign he was more than ready to start.

We headed back outside and were about to split up when the sound of engines descended.

“Shit,” Dante said. "Cars and bikes. A lot of them."

Kage swore under his breath.

Vance and Talon immediately moved into defensive positions with Ryker and Declan following close behind, while Dante, Kage, and I scanned the surroundings. The quiet of the evening was shattered as a couple of cars, followed by a pack of motorcycles, sped into view.

"Rival club," Vance growled, shooting a glance towards Dante. “The ones that have been dealing drugs. Look at their logo, a buck with trees for antlers. Fucking trees.”

Shit. These bikers were working for the same organization that Camille’s dad and my parents had been mixed up with?

The vehicles skidded to a halt, surrounding us. We barely had a second to react.

"Get down!" Talon shouted, just as the night erupted with gunfire.

I couldn't make sense of it all—the chaos, the noise, the sudden silence that fell like a heavy blanket after the gunfire stopped. We were supposed to be the hunters tonight, not the prey.

I ducked behind Kage's car just as all hell broke loose. Bullets rained down from all sides. Screams of pain and roars of anger were barely audible as the car was riddled with bullets.

A shout of pain screamed out next to me. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a loud echo in the sudden quiet that followed the storm of bullets.

The rival club—they had come out of nowhere, engines roaring like beasts hungry for blood. And just as quickly as they had descended upon us, they left, the night swallowing the sound of their departure.

“They took Kage!” I heard Dante choke out. I followed the sound of his voice. "Dante!" I crawled to where he lay motionless, a dark stain spreading beneath him. "Shit, Dante, talk to me."

But he must have passed out because he didn’t answer. Panic clawed at my throat, raw and fierce. Camille couldn’t lose him or Kage. It would kill her.

Nearby, I saw Vance, a grimace of pain etched deep into his features as he clutched his side. Talon was next to him, already on his phone, his voice steady as he called for help. "Hang in there," he was telling Vance, but his eyes met mine and I could see the worry in his expression.

I studied Dante’s wounds more closely. It looked like he’d been shot in the shoulder. I wasn’t sure why he was passed out but…

"I've got to go after Kage," I said, the words ripped from somewhere deep inside me.

Talon nodded, understanding immediately. "We'll handle things here." He reached toward his back, pulled out a gun, and held it out to me. I took it, then sprinted to where Dante's bike was parked, the keys still in the ignition as if he'd known I'd need it. Swinging my leg over, I fired it up, the engine roaring to life under me. For a moment, I allowed myself to feel it—the raw power between my legs, the wind that promised speed, escape, pursuit.

Then I was tearing down the street, following the fading echoes of the rival club's departure. My mind raced, trying to piece together their likely route, where they might be taking Kage. Anger boiled inside me, hot and fierce, a burning desire for retribution fueling my ride.

As the city lights blurred past, the reality of our situation hit me. We were in deep, way over our heads in a game that was played for keeps. Dante injured, possibly critically, Vance wounded, Kage kidnapped by a fucking rival club for an unknown reason, but the only thing that made sense was that the rival MC had to be tied to the missing kids.

To Camille’s father. To Silas and Troy and my parents.

Fuck, what the hell was going on? And would we survive to find out?