*REBEL SIMMONS POV*

I watched as Dante looked out the window of the car, the street lights of Paris slightly illuminating his sharp features. His tuxedo was pristine, and his hair was styled back neatly. Everything about him seemed immaculate, except for the daunting bags underneath his eyes. 

Ever since we landed in Paris yesterday, Dante has been on high alert. He doubled the amount of guards, personally checked our hotel rooms, and refused to leave my side. He even stood outside the door when I went to the bathroom. 

He spent the entire night beside me as he double checked security, monitored street cameras, and communicated with his members back in Italy. I had to practically beg him to get some rest, and even then he hid a gun under his pillow, in the nightstand, and under the bed. 

I couldn't tell what made him more nervous: the fact that our families are hiding in a safe house, Pavlovski's rumored attack tonight, or that an infamous assassin is trying to kidnap me and potentially avenge the death of her younger sister. 

My mind wandered as we drove to our destination: The Balle des Enfers.

The Balle des Enfers had only three rules:

1) No Weapons Allowed. 

2) Killing on the premises is forbidden. 

3) The Dons and Capos are required to attend. Which means that Pavlovski will be making his grand appearance. 

I looked over at Dante, and placed my hand over his, making his tense body relax for a brief moment. He looked at me as he rubbed small circles on my palm, most likely an attempt to further calm himself down. 

Granted, I forgave him for the way he treated me, however, I wasn't just going to rip off my clothes for him and jump into his arms. He had to earn my trust back, and he knew that. Since our talk, he's made steady progress in his attempt to be nicer. 

"We're almost there, sir." The driver called out from the front of the vehicle. 

"Let's go over the plan again." Dante said quickly, making Stephan sigh in annoyance. 

"Cousin, we've been over this 1,000 fucking times." Stephan said as he rolled his eyes.

"Then let's go over it 1,001 fucking times." Dante growled at him. 

Apparently, his attempts at being nice were only extended to me. 

"We're in, and we're out. We make our appearance, stay for the main course, then leave at the first opportunity." Natalia said calmly as she reached into her purse. She was wearing a light pink gown that was covered in small crystals. Her purse, was of course, a matching shade of pink. 

"If anything goes down, we have men surrounding the building. Worst case scenario, I activate this, the building goes boom, and we escape." She stated as she held out a small detonation device in her hand disguised as a compact mirror. 

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that. If it does, we'd declare war against the fucking world of organized crime." Stephan said as he ran his hand through his hair. 

"Stephan, make sure you guard Natalia with your life, got it?" Dante said seriously as his eyes narrowed. 

"Sir yes sir." Stephan said as he gave him a small nod. 

The car came to a steady stop in front of a large building surrounded by tall, white pillars. There was a staircase leading up to the entrance, where a handful of security guards awaited us. 

"Everything will be okay." I said softly as I looked at Dante and gave him a soft smile. He quickly leaned over towards me, and pressed his lips against my forehead. He stayed there for a moment, before pulling back and looking me in the eyes. 

"Don't leave my side for a second, okay?" He whispered as he cupped my face. 

"Got it." I said as I nodded. 

"...Thank you." He said after a moment before he placed a quick kiss on my lips. 

"Hello? We're still in here!" Stephan remarked loudly as he looked at us with a disgusted look on his face. 

"Fuck. Off." Dante said slowly before he opened the car door. 

He turned around and held out his hand towards me. I placed my palm against his as he helped me out of the car. Natalia quickly exited the car after me, narrowly avoiding the door Dante slammed on Stephans face. 

"Fucker." I heard Stephan mumble as he opened the door and got out of the vehicle. 

Dante wrapped his arm around my waist as the four of us walked up the stairs, the sounds of music and mingling guests growing louder and louder with each step. We reached security, told them our names, and underwent a mandatory search before walking through the metal detectors. 

As we entered the ball, I couldn't help but gasp. I marveled at the large venue, admiring the extravagant decorations, live string quartet, and luxurious decor. Servers gracefully maneuvered through the crowd, holding trays of appetizers and drinks for the guests. Black, round tables were scatter amongst the floor with large floral centerpieces. Each seat was labeled with a white piece of paper with a gold ribbon. 

My eyes wandered towards the quartet, who were elegantly playing Air by Bach, one of my favorites. 

I looked around the room, instantly feeling out of place in this lavish event. The woman here were drop dead gorgeous. Their necks were adorned with diamonds, and their dresses looked fit for a queen. Every man was in a tuxedo, hopefully on their best behavior for tonight. 

I couldn't help but examine the room. It was such a different setting than the one I was use to, and if one didn't know any better, they'd think they were walking into some elegant charity event, or an engagement party thrown by a wealthy family. But in reality, this party held nothing but wolves in sheep's clothing. 

Each man was either adorned with scars, tattoos, or a combination of both. With their wives linked to their arms, each don and capo made their way around the room, greeting their associates with cordial smiles. I couldn't help but wonder how fast one would turn on the other if given the chance, yet here they are. Drinking liquor together under one roof. 

"I can see why you hate this event." I said under my breath, making Dante scoff quietly. 

"Small talk with old, untrustworthy bastards. Not the way I would like to spend my evening." Dante said loud enough for only me to hear. 

"Well, if you didn't have to be here, how would you spend your evening?" I asked as I looked up at him. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to my ear and making me inhale sharply. 

"I'd much rather be spending my evening doing something much more pleasurable." He whispered, bringing forth a flood of unholy thoughts into my mind. 

"Ah, Dante my boy." An older man called out, making me pull away from Dante immediately. His tan skin tone shimmered against his salt and pepper hair. His smile was friendly, but the scars littering his face told a different story. 

"Eduardo, it's a pleasure." Dante said calmly as he firmly shook the mans hand while maintaining his other arm wrapped around me. 

"You've never brought a date before, who might this be?" The man asked as he looked down at me with curiosity. 

"Rebel, this is Eduardo. He runs most of the operations in Spain." Dante said as he looked at me. 

"Nice to meet you." I said as I nodded slightly, attempting to be as cordial as I could. 

"Since when did you settle down?" Eduardo asked Dante, surprise in his tone. 

"Well, you have to find the right person in order to settle down, no?" Dante said as he lifted his chin slightly. 

"I suppose any woman who's willing to put up with you is worth keeping around." Eduardo said as he smiled and placed a hand on Dante's shoulder. I couldn't help but hear the condescending tone underneath his words. 

"I'm hearing good things about Italy, your father would be very proud." Eduardo said as he gave Dante a small smile. 

I looked around the room as Dante and Eduardo continued to mingle. I scanned the faces within the ballroom, trying to see if Scarlet was in attendance. While I was scoping out the room, I couldn't help but notice that every don here was significantly older than Dante, most of them proudly displaying their silver hair and sagged skin. 

I furrowed my eyebrows as I realized that Dante... shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be Don. His father should be the man here tonight, fitting in with these older gentlemen and enjoying the events of tonight, but Pavlovski robbed him of that. 

"Dante, let me introduce you to my associate, Luis. I think he'd be a great help to you in regards to your exports into the United States." Eduardo said as he gently gripped Dante's shoulder. 

"Maybe another time." Dante said as his body tensed slightly. 

"Oh come on now." Eduardo said as his gave Dante a small smile. "It'll only take a moment, I'm sure Rebel will be more than fine by herself." He said as he began to guide Dante towards the back of the ballroom. 

"I said no." Dante stated sternly as he gave Eduardo a look that could kill. I quickly looked to my right to see Stephan and Natalia mingling with another older couple across the ballroom. 

"Dante, I'll be fine. I need to talk to Natalia about something anyway." I said as I gave him a small smile. He clenched his jaw, before eventually giving me a reluctant nod. He sighed before quickly turning around and following Eduardo to the back of the ballroom just as the string quartet began playing Moonlight Sonata. 

I turned around and began walking towards Natalia and Stephan. I maneuvered through the maze of people, attempting to smoothly make my way across the room. It was slightly crowded, causing me to be extra cautious to not bump into the other guests. I looked down, narrowly avoiding a designer gown, when I roughly slammed against something. 

I looked up just as a woman shoulder bumped into mine, making me take a step to regain my footing. 

"Excuse me?" I said as I turned around. I looked to see a woman in a luxurious red dress, swaying her hips seductively as she walked away. Her tan skin was complimented by her crimson dress, and her long brown hair cascaded down her back. 

Why does she seem... familiar?

My breathing hitched as realization flooded over me, and Scarlet turned her head slightly, looking at me over her shoulder. My heart dropped as I made eye contact with the woman who was being paid millions to kidnap me. She gave me a small smirk before walking to the back of the ballroom. I looked at her destination, and saw Dante and Eduardo chatting near the wall with another man. 

I quickly began walking forward, running every possible scenario through my mind as I watched Scarlet get closer to Dante's position. I pushed through the crowd, not even caring about the patrons as I shoved my way through them. I inhaled sharply, ready to yell out Dante's name. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Rebel." A deep and raspy voice said from behind me as a hand gripped my shoulder. His voice was coarse, as if he spent most of his life chain smoking cigarettes. I sensed a faint accent beneath his words, but it was so minuscule that I couldn't make out where it was from. 

I turned around to see an older man, his hazel eyes staring down at me with a sinister smile on his face. His skin on his face was wrinkled, and his silver hair was thick and full. His face was clean shaven, and his nose was narrow and sharp. He towered over me, and stood at about 6 feet tall. Like everyone else, he was wearing an expensive looking tuxedo and reeked of cigars mixed with an overbearing cologne. His eyes stayed locked on me as his face held an emotionless glare. 

"It's so nice to finally meet you in person." He said seriously as he tilted his head slightly, as if he was examining me. 

"I wish I could say the same, Pavlovski." I said as I looked up at him. He smiled at my words, proving that my assumption was correct.