Illegally His!!??

XVIII

Dante's POV

As I stood in the shadows of the warehouse, the sounds of chaos echoed around me—gunfire, shouting, the screams of my men as they fell one by one. 

But the real thrill came from the sight before me: Meera, helpless and scared, right in my grasp. It was intoxicating, knowing I held the power over her, the girl who meant so much to Xavier.

I could see the fear in her eyes, the tears rolling down her cheeks, and it filled me with a twisted satisfaction.

"One more step, and this chick is gone," I taunted, feeling invincible.

Xavier, the notorious leader of his family, was about to watch everything he cared for slip through his fingers. 

But then, just as I relished the moment, a sudden shift in the air snapped me back to reality.

Xavier stormed in, rage radiating off him in waves. I had expected anger, maybe even a reckless attempt to save her, but I had underestimated how quickly he would react. 

My grip on Meera tightened instinctively as he advanced, gun in hand, his face twisted in fury. It was the look of a man who would stop at nothing to reclaim what was his.

Then, before I could process it, the gunfire erupted. Pain shot through my arm as a bullet struck, and I cursed, stumbling back toward the exit. 

My men were falling like flies, and the chaos was too much.

Everything was falling apart—my plan, my power, my control.

"LUCIAN, CATCH DANTE!" I heard Xavier shout, and it sent a chill down my spine. Lucian—the one person I knew could outmaneuver any of us. If he caught me, everything would unravel. 

I barely made it through the door when I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind me. I had to escape; I had to get back to Marcus and regroup. 

My thoughts raced as I clutched my wounded arm, adrenaline coursing through my veins. This was a disaster, and I couldn't afford to be captured.

I could already hear the distant sounds of victory from Xavier and his men, and it made my blood boil.

I'd miscalculated. 

I'd thought I could intimidate him, break him by threatening the one thing he loved.

But he was stronger than I had anticipated, and now I was the one on the run. As I darted into the shadows, I realized the enormity of my failure. 

Marcus would not be pleased. I could already imagine the disappointment etched on his face, the harsh words that would follow. He had trusted me to pull this off, to weaken Xavier, to make a statement. But now I was the one who would have to answer for it.

"Get out of my way!" I shouted at the men I pushed past, desperate to escape. I could hear the distant sound of sirens approaching, the last thing I needed.

As I finally reached the outside, I caught my breath, leaning against the cool metal of the abandoned building. 

But the victory I had so desperately sought was slipping through my fingers. I glanced back at the warehouse, a sinking feeling in my gut.

I would have to report this failure to Marcus. The repercussions would be severe. I could already envision the hell I would face, but first, I had to disappear. I would find another way to take down Xavier and reclaim my position.

I wouldn't let this defeat define me. With one last glance at the chaos behind me, I took off into the night, plotting my revenge.

Marcus POV

The atmosphere in the estate was electric, filled with laughter and the clinking of glasses. My men had gathered in the grand hall, celebrating what they believed was a decisive victory over Xavier. The air was thick with arrogance, their bravado a testament to their confidence. We had finally managed to capture Meera, and in their eyes, we were on the brink of crippling Xavier's empire.

But as I poured myself a glass of fine whiskey, my phone buzzed sharply against the polished wood of the table. The familiar name flashed on the screen—Dante. A sense of unease washed over me; he was supposed to be in the thick of it, ensuring everything went according to plan. I swiped to answer, bracing myself for news of our triumph.

"Boss," Dante's voice crackled through the line, shaky and breathless. "We need to talk."

"Talk? About what? We're winning, Dante! This is our moment!" I leaned back, expecting him to share tales of how he'd tied up loose ends, but the tone in his voice turned my excitement into a dark suspicion.

"Things... things didn't go as planned. I... I failed."

The room fell silent around me. The jubilant laughter ceased, replaced by a suffocating tension as I stood up, gripping the phone tightly. "Failed? What do you mean you failed?" My voice was low, a warning.

"We underestimated Xavier. He came for her, and he had backup. I was shot, and most of my men... they're gone. We're being hunted."

The cheers and excitement from my men turned into murmurs of confusion, and I could feel their eyes on me, seeking answers. I could almost hear the collective disbelief; they had expected victory and glory, not a report of failure.

"Dante, are you telling me that a single man was able to thwart our plans? This is unacceptable!" My voice rose, and I could sense the anxiety growing in the room. They had celebrated too soon, and I had no patience for failure.

"I'm sorry, Boss. I was caught off guard—"

"Caught off guard?" I cut him off, my blood boiling. "You were supposed to eliminate Xavier's weakness! You promised to bring me her head as a trophy!"

The murmurs among my men grew louder, disbelief morphing into anger. "What the hell is going on?" Vincenzo barked, his hands clenching into fists. "We were promised a victory feast, not a funeral!"

"Shut up!" I snapped, my gaze piercing through the crowd. "Dante has given us a mess, not a victory! We will not celebrate failure!"

I could feel the tension in the room thicken. Men who had been drinking and laughing now wore grim expressions, uncertainty swirling among them. They had anticipated glory, and now they faced the cold reality of defeat.

"Listen, Dante," I said, forcing calm into my voice, though my fury simmered just beneath the surface. "You need to regroup. Get out of there. I want you back at the estate immediately. If Xavier is coming for you, you know what we do to traitors."

"Understood. I'll do what I can," Dante replied, but I could hear the fear lurking beneath his bravado.

I ended the call, the weight of his failure heavy in the air. My men looked to me for direction, their confidence shaken. "Get it together, all of you!" I barked, my voice booming through the silence. "This is not over. We will regroup, and we will retaliate! You wanted a war? Then we'll give them one they'll never forget."

As I spoke, I could see the flicker of determination return to their eyes. They were warriors, and they craved a fight. The celebration may have been cut short, but the hunger for power and revenge surged back to life.

"We're not beaten yet. We'll turn this failure into a weapon. Get me intel on Xavier's movements. I want everything—his schedules, his associates, even the women he holds dear. We'll make him pay for underestimating us!"

The men nodded, their enthusiasm rekindled, ready to follow me into whatever storm lay ahead.

I knew then that we'd rise from this defeat. Dante might have faltered, but I would not. We would crush Xavier and reclaim our strength. Failure was merely a stepping stone to something far greater.