Undying Hunger

Ch. 9: What happens now?

Grinding his teeth, Dante nearly warped the leather of his steering wheel, wringing it like he'd want to twist Frank's neck.

"Are we going to talk at all, or shall I choke on this silence?" Reid asked with the tactfulness of a shove. Since their romp ended and Dante promptly told Reid they had to leave quickly, Reid's mood soured worse than spoiled milk. Out of spite, Reid used Dante's nice blazer to clean off his chest.

"I found Frank," Dante said, keeping his eyes on the road. They were so close to home. Dante knew he wouldn't be able to enjoy it, but if he could just see it standing tall, he might have the strength to go on a few more minutes.

"Oh," Reid said and sank into the passenger's seat. "That's not what I thought we were going to talk about."

Dante tightened his grip again. That wasn't a test, but why did it feel like he failed? He explained. "And I wouldn't dream of deciding what to do with him without your opinion or approval."

That made Reid sit back up. Twisting totally towards Dante, Reid snapped, "Tell me you didn't kidnap him."

"Then, I won't. Someone brought him to me," Dante said, searching for a kinder way to say kidnapped.

"Why did you do that?"

Dante snapped a wide-eyed look at Reid. It'd been less shocking if Reid slapped him. It wasn't smart to raise his voice, but Dante couldn't help it. "He shouldn't get away with what he's done."

Reid sat up, turning fully towards Dante. "Jilting me isn't against the law, it just makes him a dick."

"But don't you want answers?"

"No," Reid grounded out, angrier than before.

It was making Dante feel like he was crazy, as if he was still somehow the bad guy in all of this. "You don't think he deserves some sort of recourse?"

"It doesn't matter! He's chosen a life without me."

Dante drove up to the Ventura estate, putting the car in park, but Dante didn't get out. The car stayed running, humming around them. Reid shook his head. "This might be a shock for you because maybe you can't comprehend everyone in the world, not at your beck and call, but for the rest of us, we are disposable. For some people they get dropped and aren't given a proper explanation. Not every relationship lasts. No matter how much you loved each other. All that's left is hurt."

His voice cracked and the silence that followed was earth-shattering. Dante thought the world underneath the car would open up and swallow him. Dante noticed a sparkle in Reid's eyes, threatening tears. But Reid swallowed and chewed the inside of his cheek, before forcing out the words, "You just hurt."

Reid stormed out of the car, slamming the door shut. However, he only took a few steps before stopping and stomping around the car to Dante's side. He knocked on Dante's window and waited for Dante to roll the window down. Fists clenched at his sides, Reid asked, "Are you coming?"

Dante stayed firm. "I have business."

"If you kill Frank, I won't forgive you."

"I won't kill him," Dante promised. Not that his word seemed to mean much to Reid anymore.

Tightening his jaw, Reid shook his head, burning bright red with all the things he desired to say. Instead, he turned away from Dante and Dante watched his back as Reid walked up the stairs. Dante waited until he disappeared inside before driving off again.

That man walking up the stairs was good a person. Reid could live free of caring what other people did or said... but Dante took it all personally. An insult to Read or any member of his family was an insult to Dante Ventura.