The Heart of a Killer

The guy rolled and kicked Dante away, then sprang to his feet, pulling a knife. A bloody knife—Anna’s blood.

Anger so deep it boiled in his bones raged inside Dante. He saw the blood on the knife and thought of what Anna had gone through. No way was this dude getting out of the alley. The guy waved the knife at Dante, but he was no match for the four of them. They’d gotten into more fights together than Dante could count and they were damn good at working together.

Dante stared him down, holding his attention as Gabe moved behind the man and grabbed his arm, jerking the knife out of his hands.

Fury took hold, then. Dante pulled his arm back and let it swing full force at the guy’s face. He staggered as if he was high or something, but Dante didn’t care. His fist connected with the bastard’s nose and Dante felt the impact, satisfied by the crunching sound. The guy didn’t say a word, just pulled to his feet again, ready for more.

Yeah, he had to be tweaking or something to get up after the punch Dante gave him. Dante shoved him back down and the others jumped in, and then it was fists and feet and blood and the guy didn’t stand a chance.

He didn’t know when the dude had stopped moving, but at some point Dante was out of breath and his fists hurt. He backed off.

“Stop. He’s done for.” Dante moved away, pulled the others off.

They stood there looking down at the guy who looked nothing like he had when they’d first come on the scene. He was a bloody pulp of a mess. Dante kicked at him, but he didn’t move. He was out cold.

He went to Anna, bent over her.

“Anna.”

She stared at her attacker, didn’t look at Dante.

“Anna.” Dante touched her and she flinched. He reached for her shoulders. “It’s Dante. Look at me.”

She turned to him, then her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, God. Oh, Dante.” She fell into his arms and he lifted her, pulled her against him while she sobbed.

He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her. “Come on, let’s take you inside.”

They took Anna back to the shop and sat her on one of the stools. Dante grabbed some paper towels and wet them so he could wipe her face.

“Is she okay?” Roman asked.

“Don’t know.” Dante focused on Anna.

She was crying hard now, shook her head, trying to talk even though he knew she had to be hysterical. “He grabbed me from behind, dragged me behind the Dumpster. He ripped my blouse and my bra.”

Dante sucked in a breath.

“He cut me, here,” she said, unbuttoning his shirt enough to show them all the heart-shaped cut.

“Jesus,” Gabe said. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Not if I do it first,” Roman said.

“You got there before he…” She bent her head down and wept, her fingers clutching Dante’s shirt together.

Shit. “Let me help you.” Dante rebuttoned the shirt, felt her body shaking, then looked up at Gabe. “Go grab that scum and bring him in here. We need to call the cops.”

Gabe nodded and motioned to the others. “Come on.”

Gabe and the others left Dante and Anna alone.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you go out there alone.”

“Not your fault.”

She could say that, but it didn’t matter. “We’ll call the cops and your dad. They’ll take care of this.” Because Dante had failed to.

Chin resting on her chest, she gave a short nod. “Okay.”

Gabe burst through the back door, out of breath. “Dante. I think he’s dead.”

Dante whipped around. “What?”

“He ain’t movin’,” Gabe said. “I tried to wake him up and he didn’t move. We tried to pull him to his feet, but he just went down again like…dead weight. When I went to feel for a pulse I got nothin’.”

“It’s true,” Jeff nodded, his face ghost-white. “He’s dead. Oh, man, he’s dead, Dante.”

Dante turned back to Anna, whose eyes widened. This wasn’t good. “I’ll go check it out.”

She scooted off the bar stool. “I’m going with you.”

“No. You stay here.”

She shook her head and gripped his hand. “Don’t leave me in here by myself. Please.”

He blew out a breath, torn between wanting her to stay put, calling the cops and wishing none of this had happened. He should have just taken the goddamn trash out for her. Then it wouldn’t have happened at all. “I’ll have one of the guys stay with you.”

“I’ll hang in here with you, Anna,” Gabe said, moving next to her.

She shook her head, that stubborn chin of hers lifting as she squeezed Dante’s hand. “No. I need to see him.”

He sighed. “Okay. Stay right next to me.”

They walked outside. He tried to keep her away from the guy, who was still lying there right where they’d left him. Roman and Jeff were standing over him. They stepped aside when he and Gabe got there.

Dante turned to Gabe. “Stay with Anna while I check this out.”

Anna resisted, but Dante turned to her. “This is as close as I’m letting you get to him. Understand?”

She nodded, still shaking.

Gabe pulled Anna to his side. Dante went over to the guy and nudged him in the side with his shoe.

“Get up, asshole.”

Nothing. He kicked him harder this time.

“Come on, get up.”