Stella's Own

Part 16

The party lights around her began to blur and her head felt dizzy. She slouched onto the couch behind her and was rubbing her temples. Something was in the drink. Stella was notorious for handling her liquor, but this was a rooffie.

Jake.

He must have slipped something in her drink. A friend she thought she could trust, turned out to be a backstabber.

Stella felt strong hands on her knees, and guiding her chin up. She could only make out what could be Dante's hair. The long and silky black strands was all she focused on.

"I think..." she could barely get words out. "Drugged." Her words slurred and she handed Dante the cup. He must have grabbed it out of her hand because she swore she dropped it.

Then the room was spinning around her as she felt like she was levitating. After her head leaned back her memory went dark.

Dante scooped her up off the couch and was carrying her through the party and to the car. Tif had seen him holding Stella and was nudging her way out. She opened the car door for him to lay Stella in the back. "Stay with her." He grunted.

Tiff could tell he was about to do something Stella would disapprove of. She grabbed his arm and he turned around to see her eyes telling him to think twice. His red face told her he would seek payment for messing with a Bruni.

Tiff let go and Dante marched back into the party finding Jake behind the bar mixing drinks and laughing with a few girls. Dante bust in behind the bar and saw a small bag of white pills on the lower shelf of the cups. His vision went red. Not only did he drug his Stella but Jake was drugging other girls.

Jake had no clue what was coming until he noticed Dante towering over him. Dante who was substantially tall and insanely strong.

"Hey man I can't have you back here." He said nonchalantly continuing to pour drinks.

Dante didn't respond, just swong and made Jake stumble to the side of the bar grabbing his jaw. Dante forced him to stand back up grabbing Jakes collar and watching the blood come from his mouth. "If I hear you drug anyone again you will be dead. You don't mess with the Bruni Family. Stella would have your head for this." Shoving Jake backwards his eyes wide and terrified of what Dante could do and how much fun he'd have. Before leaving he swiped the bag of pills and quickly looked around for any extra stash.

Dante stomped back to the car and found Tiff looking after Stella. He drove the girls home and carried her to her bed.

"Thanks for catching her when you did." Tiff said as they stared at Stella's sleeping body. Dante turned to her. "I've always had a bad feeling about Jake. I just wish Stella wasn't so blinded by business."

"What do you mean? Was she doing business with Jake?" Dante asked, knuclkes turnning white as his grip hardened on the steering wheel.

Tif sighed, "She's been running her opiods through him to the campus." 

Dante snarled. "He's a scum. These aren't opoids, these are roofies, where did he get these?" he held up the bag of drugs. Tif snached them from his hand and looked at them closer. 

"Antonio." She whipsered. "That's his insignia, the small gold A with crossed arrows." 

Shit. The one man he was supposed to protect her from, had managed to get her buisness partner to drug her. Danted made a mental note to go back and interrogate the scum. 

They got back to the appartment, Tif opened the door as Dante carried her in to her room. She was pale, and unresponsive. He checked her pulse, to make sure she was still alive. 

Tif shook her head. "I'm gonna kill Jake." Fury in every word. 

"Not if I do first." Dante grunted crossing his arms. 

Tif looked up at him, from where she sat next to Stella on her bed. "Should we call her father?"

Dante shook his head, "I don't want to spook him. I'm here for a reason, and that's to make sure shit like this doesn't happen." His words transfomred from stern to self lothe. He grunted and started pacing the room. 

"Look, we can't anticiapte every move from Antonio..."

"But we can't keep her locked in the apartment all day." Dante rebuttled. 

"No, we just have to do our best to find ways to keep him from getting close to her. Vet her mail, any drinks or food we get out, we have to have tested. Show up late to classes to do sweeps before you get there. That's the best we have, Dante." Tif said, throwing sense back into Dante. 

Dante nodded. He was letting his anger controll his job, to protect Princess Bruni. "You're right, I'm being irrational right now. I'm going to interrogate that stupid smuchk, Jake tomrorow. I'll need you to stay here with Stella." 

Tif nodded. Not only was she Stellas bestfriend, but she'd protect her thorugh anything too. 

The rest of the night they took turns watching Stella, waiting for her to wake up.