She calls me out, emphasizing her words.If she only knew just how distracted I was.
“I didn’t get anything useful out of him,” I admit, sitting a little straighter. “But he said he needed an ally in this fight with Serrano. I made it clear he’d have to prove himself if he wants us to have his back.”
Quinn studies me a beat too long, her fingers drum against the table once, twice, a slow tick that makes everyone else hold still. Then she nods, sharp. “Let him in.”
Nyx steps aside, and the door swings wider letting Dante pass. He stops just inside, every set of eyes nails him to the spot. This is a sacred room. Not many outside the Royal Harlots ever step foot inside.
His glare cuts over the room, taking in the round table, the steel-backed chairs, the mural of our patch painted bold across the center. Then his gaze locks on mine and heat spikes straight up my spine. My chest tightens, betraying me before I can shove it down. I force my jaw tight, fists pressed against the table to keep from moving, from showing anything.
Quinn’s jaw is tight, measuring him as he plants himself at the edge of the circle. “You have something to share with us?”
He doesn’t flinch at the stares, doesn’t soften his stance, just drops something in the center of the table with a dullclink.
“What the hell is this?” LC leans forward, her eyes narrowing on the stack of black flash drives.
“Proof to put Serrano in the ground,” he says.“These are his insurance policies to keep his pawns in line.”
Lolita shifts in her chair, “And we’re supposed to just take your word for it?”
“I didn’t bring you my word.” He nudges the drives closer with two fingers. “I brought you this.”
Meadow sits forward, “Serrano is your problem. Why the fuck should it be ours?”
Dante’s teeth bare, “You think I like standing here asking for help instead of caving Serrano’s skull in myself?” he inhales a deep breath, exhaling slowly, “I just pulled my man Briggs out of Serrano’s clutches, bloodied, beaten, half dead.”
“Like Amber.” My voice hitches.
His eyes move back to me, just for a second too long before breaking contact, “That’s what you're up against if you think this is just about rigging fights. He's gearing up for something bigger.”
Orchid scoffs under her breath. Dante’s eyes flick to her, then back to Quinn. He doesn’t bite, but the tension rides high in his shoulders.
Vex, who’s been silent until now, drags the drives closer, eyes flicking to Quinn for permission. She mutters, “If these drives are what he says they are, they’re probably encrypted but I can crack them.”
“Then crack them and see for yourself,” Dante snaps, the first real bite in his voice.
The room goes still, then Quinn tilts her head, granting Vex permission. Vex picks one up, flipping it over in her palm, “Might take me awhile, but I’ll get it.”
Dante leans in. Not all the way, but enough that the overhead light sharpens the cut of his face, the blood still drying at the corner of his lip. “He’s not just fixing fights. He’s using fighters to test the water, then dragging the best ones into an invite-only showcase for high rollers to place bets and buy flesh.”
The room bristles. Scarlet Rose scratches her nose with the tip of her pen, “Serrano’s using the same infrastructure to recruit fighters and abduct women. The fight makes the proceeds for sex trafficking appear legit.”
“When’s this showcase?” Silk asks, her voice cutting clean through the tension.
Silk’s got her notebook open in front of her, keeping record of everything, not because anyone doubts her memory, but because she knows the devil’s in the details.
The scratch of her pen keeps time with his breathing. “I need logistics dates, locations…”
Dante tilts his head, “Word is this Saturday. Serrano will keep the location changing until the last second to keep cops and rivals out.”
Silk underlines something in her notes, taps the pen against the margin. “Vex and I will cross-check bookings. If Serrano’s secured a location, there’s a footprint somewhere.”
Dante’s gaze sweeps the table, steady and unflinching. “I know how Serrano operates because I was on the inside. We’re crashing this party, and you need me to pull it off.”
My pulse spikes. Not from surprise, we already had him pegged, but because he’s laying it out bare. He’s still dangerous, still a problem. I tell myself that’s all that matters. But the part of me that remembers his hands this morning, the heat of him close, that part says we’re in this together now.
Every pair of eyes swings back to Quinn. She hasn’t moved, hasn’t said a word since he walked in. But her gaze flicks to me, then back to him, and the silence stretches until it hurts.
“If Serrano wants war, we’ll give him one. The question is, how do the two of you get inside?”
