Page 17 of Little Nightmare

Mistaking it for hope.

"Let’s go.” I breezed past him, my footsteps creating a heavy clicking noise as I got closer and closer to Dante’s study.

The wooden doors had the Alfero crest on them. The entrance was intimidating the first time I saw it. With twelve foot doors and two metal daggers sticking out of the front that you twisted and pulled—still stained in De Lange blood to remind everyone who joined the five families what would happen if one branch turned against the rest.

When I was younger I imagined the blood of my family still cried out from those handles. And now? Now, it was just an entrance, a means to an end. Just like this job.

I jerked open both doors and stepped inside. Cigar smoke plumed and twisted in the air, the aromas of expensive whiskey and cologne mixed with it. A few men sat in the corner playing chess and discussing something about a shipment in low voices.

Dante sat at his desk, hands behind his neck, as he stared up at Phoenix, who was leaning against the door and looking in a black folder. “Could be worse.”

"Is she still ignoring you?” Dante asked, not looking up from the folder on the desk in front of him.

"Naturally.” I imagined he was addressing me. “She hates everyone and everything, but she’ll eventually break and things will go back to normal.”

Ivan moved behind me. “She’s still crying.”

A snort escaped before I could stop it. “She’s dangerous no matter what emotion, believe me.”

Dangerously tempting.

Dangerously stupid at times.

Doesn’t allow her feelings to be felt.

Talked too much even during her sadness.

Dangerous.

Terrifyingly so.

Dante leaned forward, pressing his hands against the oak surface of his desk. “This should’ve been simple, and now we have one dead infiltrator. One grieving girl. It’s messier than it needs to be, and now my little girl’s caught up in it. I should have seen the signs, should have—” He shoves the black folder away. “I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

Phoenix reached out and snatched the folder, adding it to the one he was holding. “Stay close.”

Dante’s head jerked up, making me jump back. “Not too close, remember what I said.”

"She’s a job,” I deadpanned reminding myself and him. “And I don’t get close.” Not anymore. “Remember?” I took a long scan around the room. “Besides, you have to actually be in possession of a heart for it to break, right gentleman?” And I’d lost mine long ago, but could you really say it was lost if it was taken from you without your permission? I turned to leave. “I know what my job entails.”

Dante cleared his throat. “Remember what happens should you forget.”

He didn’t need to say much more. “My ghosts are buried right along with my heart; they fed on what was left of it long ago.”

"Good.” Phoenix moved up next to me and slapped a hand on my shoulder. “We don’t need a repeat of Vienna.”

Just hearing the name of the city spoken out loud sent a chill down my spine hard enough to make my stomach drop. “I hardly remember.”

Lie.

Phoenix knew it too. “Alright, let us know if anything changes, we’ll keep watch on our end, business as usual, act as normal as possible, and let us know if she gives you any information we can use.”

Typical. “Yup."

I walked away before I accidentally choked on more memories and headed out of the office and back down the hall toward Raven’s room.

I raised my hand to knock on her door when I heard it.

Puking.

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