Dante

The past month has been hard. Brutal. But this past week has been a living hell. They fucking took her and we can't trace down anything. A week! One whole fucking week. She could be dead by now and we didn't even get to mend our relationship. I didn't try hard enough to get her forgiveness and bring her back.

She never understood why we protected her so much. I never understood why she was fine one night and completely gone the next. It was like a flip switched in her. And I know she'd never use me just for sex. We had so much we didn't understand about each other but I was willing to learn that while we grow together. That's what love is. Unconditional. Regardless of what you know or don't know.

Axel has been drunk almost every night and when he's not, he's sleeping. Ian overloads himself with work so he doesn't spend too much time thinking. My days have been filled with only looking for Lexi, nothing else. I have so many of my men searching for a clue, a trace of her, but we've come up empty handed.

"Boss?" Luke, one of our best friends, approaches me cautiously. "It won't do you any good if you don't rest."

"I won't rest until she's safe in my arms again. Give me the latest update. Any new signals on her phone?" I've developed a habit of pacing non stop and running my hands through my hair. The stress is eating me alive.

Ring ring! Ring ring!

Without checking the caller I.D, I pick up the phone and answer. "This better be about Lexi or I will fucking kill you!" I don't have time for time wasters.

"Excuse me, sorry for disturbing you but Lexi said to call this number if she's not in for work," a soft female voice says, unsure if this is the right person. "Dante is it? I'm worried it's been a week and she hasn't shown up or answered my call."

"Who are you? Where's Lexi? Why the fuck did it take you ONE WEEK to call me?!" I signal for Luke to start tracking the call.

"I'm sorry I thought she was just unwell and needed some time off," her voice begins to waver, "she's been going through some stuff."

"Where are you? I'm coming down to investigate and God help anyone who delays my work," I threaten, already grabbing the keys with my men following suit. Luke shows me an address and he gets in the driver's seat. I'm not in the right state to drive.

"The cafe she works at, just outside of Ian's Job Seeking building. I have to get back to work before the boss fires me but I'll make sure everything is cleared for you." She hangs up before I have a chance to respond.

"She didn't lie," Luke speaks. "The call came from Lexi's workplace. We're almost there."

Within a minute we're at the cafe. The same one she thought she could pay me back with by buying us food. Always the selfless one.

"I'll check the cameras, you interrogate that girl I don't care what it takes, get everything there is to know," I instruct. Another car pulls in and more of my men file out, holding guns and blocking the entrance. No one leaves until I know where Lexi is.

I storm into the shop and everyone freezes. Good. It's busy. More people means more information. Someone knows something and I'm not stopping until I find my sweetheart. I walk up to the counter, where a young girl looks terrified. "Take me to the cameras. I want every angle on the day since Lexi was last here."

"Umm, y-yes sir, I'll take you t-to see my m-manager," she stutters, running out from behind the counter and up the side stairs. I follow her until we reach a large room upstairs with a middle aged man sitting in front of the countless screens. Then she hurries off back downstairs.

"Is this your fucking job?" I sneer, approching him slowly. He turns around, eyes widening at the gun I've pulled out. He nods quickly. 'Give me one good fucking reaosn why you shouldn't be dead?! She's gone! Kidnapped right under your nose and you did nothing about it?"

"Sir please I didn't see anything," he pleads, "Look through everything you need." He gets up hurriedly and runs down the stairs. Good, he should be terrified. I download all the data from the past month and send it over to the team back at my place. They can get started while I look from here. I search for the day Lexi went missing and slow down the footage.

I watch as she zones out again. My poor girl. The same girl I saw earlier walks up to her and says something before Lexi nods and approaches a table with three men. I watch carefully as they speak with her briefly before she runs off to the girl, writing down something. As she does this, the men get up and walk outside. I swap to the outside camera where the men stand beside a van. I pause and screenshot the men and vehicle and send it off to my men as well. They'll be able to find something.

I continue the footage until I see them push her into the van and drive off. Those men will not live to see another fucking day. They've messed with the wrong people. Ensuring everything was sent properly, I make my way back downstairs where everyone is being HELD at gunpoint by my men.

"No one knows anything except for that girl," Luke approaches me, pointing at the one behind the counter, "but even then she didn't notice the men leaving. It was a busy day, can't blame her. I tried speaking with her even after the men threatened her but she told me all she knows."

I nod once then head towards the car. "Let's go." That's all I say to have everyone wrap up their interrogations and come back to the cars. Luke begins the drive back home while I wait to hear any piece of news from anyone. I'll be grateful for anything right now that leads me back to her.

Ring ring! Ring ring!

"Speak."

"Is this, uh, Dante?" a male's voice asks hesitantly from the other end of the line.

"Yes and who the fuck are you?"

"I know where Lexi is." Silence. He doesn't say anything more. My heart almost stops. I signal once again to Luke to track the call. He can sense the urgency and pulls over to swap with one of my men. As the car begins motion again, I focus back on the phone call,

"This better not be a fucking joke or I will slit your throat. Start speaking."

"My name is Finn and I work for the man that had Lexi kidnapped. It wasn't part of the plan, I didn't realise that they were going to hurt her and they-" his voice becomes shaky as he begins to cry. He's actually crying.

Luke nudges me, showing me his screen. No IP address, no way to track. I mouth for him to send it to the men at home. They've got the advanced equipment.

"What did they do? Who is 'they'?" I will burn everything and everyone that hurt my sweet girl. No one dares lay a hand on her without getting through me.

"The men I work with. They tortured her non stop because Boss is away and I can't say a damn thing because there's twenty of them-"

"WHAT?!"

"I'm using a burner phone but here's our address. We need to figure out a plan because I promised her we would escape together. I told her within a few days that-"

"No! We're getting her out today. Send me the address," I demand as we pull up to the house. I head straight towards my bedroom and onto my computer. A message comes through with an address, which I send directly to Luke.

"You don't know how sorry I am, I promise this was never-"

He's cut off as a blood curdling scream rings through the phone. I know that voice.

"Lexi? LEXI!" I begin to yell into the phone. She's hurting. Someone is hurting her and I'm not there to save her and protect her. "LEXI SWEETHEART I'M HERE! LEXI! GIVE THE FUCKING PHONE TO HER!"

The door to my bedroom is knocked down as Ian barges in and Axel stumbles behind.

"Where is she?"

"What happened? Did you find her?"

With the phone still to my ear, I listen and hear movement. "Oh my god," Finn says, "Lexi. Oh my god, Lexi! Shit. Shit shit shit. You have to get here. I'll meet you halfway. What the fuck am I saying? Lexi wake up-"

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!" I shout, panic filling my body. Why is he not telling me what's happening? Who's hurting her and what are they doing to get those screams out of her?

"Oh my god. Oh my- she's- it's all my fault."

"What the fuck happened?! Answer me! Let me talk to her."

"She's hardly breathing. She's slit her wrist."

No. He's lying. "You're lying. You're fucking lying. Tell her to talk to me. I'm not mad at her, I promise. Tell my princess to come back. I can't- I can't lose her. I'll die."

"Shit. How fucking deep did she cut? She's hardly breathing. I need to go, change of plans. I'll meet you at the hospital." At that moment, I know it's real. I know she must've felt that she had nothing left on this earth. But she had us. She had Axel. Ian. Me.

"Don't leave me. DON'T FUCKING LEAVE ME! TELL ME YOU'RE LYING! TELL ME YOU'RE FUCKING LYING!"

The phone is snatched out of my hand and my heart shatters into a million pieces. My sweetheart. My princess. My life.

All gone. She's dying. She could be dead. And I didn't even say a proper goodbye. I didn't help her see how much she's worth living for. Let me take her place, just don't let her die.

I'm vaguely aware of Ian talking on the phone as Axel listens with him. I'm going to kill every single one of those fuckers. Emotions can come later. I've failed to protect Lexi and keep her safe. I will avenge her for as long as I'm breathing.

Everything feels unreal. It's as if everything is happening in the third person. I feel like I'm watching myself right now. I watch as Ian makes his way to me, giving me my phone. All three of us remain silent, processing what is happening.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

We all receive a message simultaneously. Who the fuck is messaging us all at the same time? I unlock my phone, seeing a private number has sent a video that goes for over an hour. I don't have time to watch this nonsense. But something in me urges me to press play. So that's what I do.

I open the video and press play. There's only a black screen and no sound. Ian and Axel approach me on either side to watch.

We wait a few more seconds before...

"Please no, I beg you! I didn't do anything! Don't hurt me!" That's Lexi. The screen morphs into a room. Not just any room, a torture room. Lexi stands in front of a man, with about twenty guys behind her.

"You didn't do anything. But those boyfriends of yours did. Boys, who wants to go first? Oh wait, I'll start." I growl as he grips her hair and begins yelling. "Luke! I have the faces of the men. I want each and every one of them at the headquarters by the end of the night."

"They fucking killed my sister! Their men raped and killed my sister! Because I owed them some money! She was fucking innocent but she had to fucking suffer! They used and abused her for a week before they ended her misery! Now let's start. Tie her up on the middle table. Tightest restraints."

I killed those men. The minute I found out what they were doing I had them tortured and killed. I don't stand for that. I may not be all good but at least I still have some morals.

I watch as he pushes her towards the other men. He fucking pushed her! How dare he? Ian turns away, unable to watch his precious girl getting hurt. "I'm going to send the video to someone else so they can identify all those people. Do we torture them or kill them instantly?"

"They lied to you. You're just another girl that they played with. Did you think they actually cared for you? Where are they, huh? You're in for one hell of a ride."

"Torture them. They fucking led her to kill herself. They deserve every bit of pain they will get. They'll be begging for death, just like they made our princess do," I hiss, ready to murder someone.

They're making her think we don't care about her, like we don't love her. I glance at Axel, who is memorising every little thing they did to her. He's going to treat them the exact same way. He's going to torture the life out of them. The one girl he loves will get her revenge. Axel will make sure of that. He will drag it on for weeks if he can, just to see them suffer for what they've done.

I almost throw my phone as I watch them tie her up, rip her clothes, gag her and a guy begins to belt her severely, metal studs along the belt. She can't move. My princess. I wasn't there to protect her. I promised her I would always protect. I promised. I fucking broke my promise. Just like I broke her heart. I always break everything. I can never protect anyone.

"Stop," she says with a tear stained face.

"You want me to stop?"

"Yes, please. I can't- AHHHHH! STOP! FUCKING STOP! I'M BEGGING YOU!"

"Lexi! I'm so sorry!" I apologise, sinking to the floor. "I'm so fucking sorry!" The sound of the continuous lashes given to her echoes throughout the room, every sound amplified, every scream, every hit.

"DANTE! IAN! AXEL! SOMEONE HELP ME! I CAN'T TAKE THIS! STOP!"

At this cry, I completely break down, knowing she called for us and we weren't there. We weren't there when she needed us the most.

"Lexi," I whisper, shattered and utterly broken, "I'm so sorry. Please don't leave us, I'll die without you. I'll fucking die, I need you." Unable to control myself anymore, I begin to shake so badly, begging Lexi not to leave. I'm going to die without her. I'm going to die.

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Hey guys,

I love Dante so so much and I'm so upset he has to witness the love of his life go through that and feel so helpless :(

Until next time...