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Hiding

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Chapter 2: Hiding (Dante's POV)

"Anastasia!" Marshall called out. 

I watched her through the crowd, noticing the small furrow in her brows ease itself as she spun back around and left the club. 

My gaze drifted to the glass staircase leading upstairs as shouts echoed while the group of agents, most of whom I was familiar with, trailed downstairs with Davis in one set of cuffs and Garcia in another as he screamed in pain, clutching his leg. Waiting until they headed toward the exit, I began shuffling through the crowd, trailing behind them closely. 

"Who the fuck told you I'd be here?" Garcia seethed at one of the agents, still limping ahead. 

The response he got began with a simple scoff. "We were tipped off," he answered. "Looks like we weren't the only ones coming after you, Garcia. Someone else clearly wanted you gone." 

I take it they received my tip-off then. 

Brushing past the agents, I went by unnoticed in the crowd and slipped outside, getting into my car and driving off before someone saw me. I was barely ten minutes into the drive back home when my phone rang, already connected to my car. 

A faint breath escaped me as I read the caller ID, which flashed Tristan's name clearly. My fingers drummed against the wheel as I contemplated whether I should answer the phone or not, but against my better judgment, I did. 

"I need a favor," he said almost immediately. 

I suppressed a scoff as I rested my left elbow on the rolled-down window and traced my bottom lip with my thumb. He truly was unbelievable at times. "Hello to you too, Tristan," I mused. 

"Can you meet me? It's urgent." 

Stepping harder on the gas, I sped down the street, bringing a hand to the gear. "Come to my apartment," I told him. 

"I'll be there in a while," he said before hanging up. 

"Always so needy," I mumbled in annoyance, letting out a sigh. The engine roared louder as I sped down the street, taking advantage of the rare empty path ahead of me. 

The closer I got to my building, the softer the purr of the engine grew until I drove around the building and into the underground parking lot, unlocking my private garage once I disarmed security using my phone, and then parked the Ferrari amongst my others. Pocketing the keys, I stepped into the elevator and headed straight up to the penthouse. 

I got home with just enough time to spare because, by the time I shrugged off my suit and grabbed a bottle of water, Tristan was ringing the doorbell. I answered and stood in the doorway. "Can I help you?" 

"For starters, you can let me in." 

"We can't wrap this up here?" 

He shot me a blank look before brushing past me and entering the apartment.

"Make yourself at home, I suppose," I mumbled under my breath, closing the door and walking into the living room. 

"I need your help," he repeated. 

"So we've established," I said, cracking the water bottle open. "What do you need?" 

"I need information on Caden Miller. Everything there is to find." 

I set the bottle on the coffee table as I took a seat. Undoing my cufflinks, I set them down, too, and hitched up my sleeves. "What for?" I questioned. 

"I have every reason to believe he's the man my client is searching for." 

I nodded slowly in understanding as I leaned back into my seat. "Why don't you ask Kai?" 

A beat of silence passed through us. "Kai?" he asked. "Kai?" 

"I did say his name, didn't I?"

"The Kai you hate?" 

"I don't have the time and energy to waste on hating him. Last we spoke, we did each other a favor, so as far as I'm concerned, we're on good terms. For now." 

"A few weeks ago, you weren't." 

"And now we are. It's always been that way." 

A soft scoff escaped Tristan. "You've worked against each other for years when you both were still in the FBI. Now you trust him?" 

"We both went rogue. We never chose to work against each other, and now, we don't have a reason to. Unless we want to." 

Tristan shook his head, "I'm not..." He reluctantly stated, "I'm not close to Kai. We're not friends." 

My lip almost twitched in amusement. "We're friends?" I teased. 

"Dante," he deadpanned. 

I dropped it. "Last time we all worked together, it went well," I said instead, "you, me, Kai, and Cal. He'll help you. If he doesn't, I'm still here. But lately, I've been busy." 

"Doing what? Helping the FBI when you're no longer an agent?" 

I stared at him. "Have you been keeping tabs on me, honey?" 

"You tipped them off for the Garcia case, didn't you? Without any reason to." 

"He was sex trafficking young girls. That's enough of a reason to interfere." 

He let out a sigh, "Why don't you make a deal?" 

"Like Kai did?" I rolled my eyes. 

"He went rogue too, but they let him go because he offered to help them undercover whenever they asked." 

"I'm tired of working for other people. I don't have the patience to be at anybody's beck and call. Especially Marshall or Mr Vitalio's," I said, standing up as I tucked my hands into my pocket. 

Tristan rose to his feet slowly. "This isn't just about avoiding Anastasia?" 

My jaw ticked. "We worked together, and we worked against each other. There's nothing more to it, Tristan." 

He chuckled dryly, "Tell someone who believes that. How long are you going to stay underground, hiding like this? It's been a year. Aren't you sick of being in the shadows?" 

"I've never enjoyed the parties. It's better this way." 

"Do they even pay you? For every case you help with?" 

"They don't have to. In case you're forgetting, I get paid plenty just for bringing information and killing people. Anything else?" 

Exhaling in frustration, he pocketed his hands. "Dante." 

"Call Kai. He's just as good as I am." 

"If you're that busy, then..." Trailing off with a light shrug, Tristan turned around and headed toward the door. Pausing briefly, he turned to me. "Think about it," he said. "They'll host a party after the Garcia case. They've been after him for a while, they'll definitely celebrate. Mr Vitalio can't go without it. You should attend." Without another word, he walked out the front door. 

I couldn't deny it; after hearing it from Tristan, I did contemplate attending the party if they chose to host one. It was a strange thought to grasp, but even the FBI had people who were part of New York's elite, corrupted inner circle. Those people included us. People like Marshall, Kai, Mr Vitalio, even me and... her. 

Our job was rather simple. Keep the corrupt in check. It was our duty to make sure rules were bent, not broken, and laws weren't completely disregarded. We kept the order in the part of this city where people went out of their way to ruin it. 

Or at least that was my job until a year ago when I went rogue on a given mission. The circumstances were such, and if I had another chance, I'd do it again. But she was never part of my plan. She ruined everything for me. 

After going rogue the way I had, I wasn't left with another choice. Leaving the city wasn't an option I wanted to take, so I stayed and spent an entire year hiding underground. Cut off all business connections and made no deals. 

After years of working in the field, I had enough power and authority that even the FBI couldn't simply come and grab me from my own apartment. Without evidence, they couldn't even touch me, and I made sure not to leave any behind. 

After a while, I started making deals off the grid and made sure no one was aware that I was back in the game. But perhaps a year was enough. If the FBI had anything against me, they would have used it by now. Perhaps I could step back into the ring... Maybe I could stop hiding now. 

Undoing the buttons of my shirt as I stepped into my room, I shrugged the shirt off and tossed it in the hamper, turning the shower on. 

Tristan's question still lingered in my head. 

'This isn't just about avoiding Anastasia?' 

As the water poured down on me, I ran a hand through my hair and contemplated. 

I wasn't sure if we would ever be ready to face each other again. The animosity between us never died down, especially not while we worked against each other but even when we worked together. The hostility and enmity between us only... intensified things. Everything, in fact. 

A quiet groan escaped me as I dragged my hands down my face, tipping my head down, feeling the cold water wash down my back. 

I felt her enter the room before she even uttered a word, before she even stepped into the shower behind me and put her hands on me. "Hi," she whispered softly, her hands gliding down my back and around me, over my torso. 

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" I asked, rinsing the suds off of my neck. 

"No," she answered, stepping around me, her body flush against mine. I could feel every inch of her skin where it met mine, slick under the water. 

Taking a breath to keep my self-control, I lifted a hand to her jaw, brushing a thumb lightly over her cheek. "You still want more?" I asked. 

"Why do you always ask questions you already know the answers to?" She lifted a brow at me instead. 

"Because you never answer me," I retorted. 

"Wasn't that an answer?" 

My fingers slid down her throat, tightening gently. "Still not the words I want to hear, Anastasia." 

An amused smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Fuck you," she said to me. 

I tugged my hand down, pulling the other off her waist. "Why don't you leave then?" I asked. 

After lingering for a minute, she stepped aside and moved to get out of the shower. 

A frustrated breath escaped me as I snuck an arm around her waist and pulled her back in place, smashing my lips against hers. 

Realizing it would be better to get out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and got out. 

No matter what happened, things between us would never change. Anastasia Vitalio would always be my nemesis, and I, hers.

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Chapter 2

I'm just now realizing the amount of smut this book would have, considering its enemies with benefits...

Also, keep your eyes open for Kai... 👀