Page 64 of Savage Saint
ANGELO
It feels like days have passed, not less than twenty-four hours, since I've had my fingers inside Butterfly's pussy, feeling her clench around me. But like all the good things in my life, this too got interrupted by Dante. Or rather, his little, yappy dog—Luca.
After I destroyed my phone and Dante could no longer get a hold of me, he decided it would be wise to despatch Luca to reel me in. Like my younger brother could do anything other than annoy the living shit out of me with his antics. Needless to say, him standing outside of my house singingMelt with Youby Modern English at the top of his lungs did nothing to improve my feelings towards Dante. Once I eventually agreed to a meeting at Black Royale, my annoying little brother finally departed with a smirk on his lips and parting words:
"Might want to change those joggers before the meeting,fratello. That stain's either a very unfortunate placement or you've been having way more fun than usual." He'd winked, the bastard. "Tell Kasia I said hi."
Now, standing in the private poker room of Black Royale, the casino that serves as the crown jewel of our legitimateempire, I check my watch for the third time in ten minutes. The room's ambient lighting casts long shadows across the green felt table, and the scent of expensive cigars and aged whiskey hangs heavy in the air. Floor-to-ceiling windows on one wall offer a panoramic view of Blackwood's glittering skyline, while the opposite wall of glass overlooks the main bar below. A constant reminder of the empire we've built.
Where golden cages once hung suspended above the crowd, displaying dancers like exotic birds, now only empty mounting brackets remain. Dante had them torn down the night he discovered Alessa dancing in one. The woman he'd been trying to force out of town had somehow ended up working right under his nose. The cages were gone within hours, along with Alessa's job and any hope of shelter in Blackwood. Of course, that decision nearly got her killed when Nico's men found her at the bus station. Sometimes my brother's protective instincts work in reverse.
Tonight, the view of the bustling casino floor below should hold no appeal. Except she's down there. Kasia sits at the bar with Mel, Alessa's friend, her red hair catching the amber lights like fire. Even from this distance, I can see the easy way she moves, the sharp intelligence in her eyes as she scans the room. Always alert. Always ready.
My hands grip the poker table's edge as I watch some drunk asshole lean too close to her, his intentions written all over his leering face. She handles it with no problems, a subtle shift that puts distance between them, a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. The same deadly grace I felt beneath me on that gym mat yesterday, when she was flushed and breathless, saying my name like a prayer.
Every instinct is screaming at me to go down there. To wrap my hand around her throat and show every man in that casinoexactly who she belongs to. But I force myself to stay put, jaw clenched, watching her like the obsessive bastard I've become.
She's not mine to claim. Not yet.
But Christ, I want to.
I lean back in my chair, forcing myself to breathe as I watch Kasia. She’s scanning the crowd with that intense focus of hers. It’s like she’s sizing everyone up, weighing threats against opportunities. I admire how she clocks each exit and possible escape route. Like she needs to be ready for every eventuality.
Once again, I can't shake the feeling that even before I found her, she'd been through hell. That even in places she should feel safe, she's incapable of letting her guard down. I'm the same. A life spent in the shadows makes us both wary, both hyper-aware of what lies beneath the surface of the mundane.
Suddenly, the phone on the wall shrills through the quiet room, breaking my thoughts. I step away from the glass and reach for the handset. Arrow’s voice crackles through as they answer.
“Angelo. Fuck. Can't get a hold of Dante. All the systems are shutting down. Someone’s trying to get inside.”
"Cazzo. How long do we have?"
"Maybe a minu—"
The tension rises as their words cut off abruptly, leaving a deafening silence in their wake. My heart thunders in my chest as darkness swallows the casino whole. The ambient lights blink out one by one until we’re enveloped in shadow.
"Butterfly," I shout, running to the window. Trying to see something, anything.
The emergency lights kick in, bathing everything in a bloody red glow. From my vantage point, I spot them. Black-clad figures moving with precision through the crowd. My hand reaches for my gun, but my eyes stay locked on Kasia.
One of them makes straight for Mel, his arm stretching out to grab her. Before I can even clear my holster, Kasia moves.
It happens so fast I almost miss it. The champagne flute in her hand shatters against the bar. In one fluid motion, she drives the jagged stem deep into the attacker's throat. Blood sprays in an arc, catching the red emergency lights like rubies.
She yells something at Mel, yanking her behind the bar. The move saves both their lives as bullets pepper the space where they'd been standing.
Kasia doesn't waste a second. She strips the dead man's weapon, rolls to cover, and opens fire. One, two, three shots. Each one finds its mark. Three more bodies hit the floor. Her face shows no hesitation, no fear, just cold focus as she takes them down.
I've seen a lot of killers in my time. Hell, I am one. But watching her move, watching her fight... She's something else entirely. My stomach twists with a mix of terror and pride. Terror because she's in danger. Pride because holy fuck, my Butterfly is lethal.
I can’t stay away, leave her to fight on her own. My body moves before I think. The instinct to protect her overrides every shred of logic, every ounce of caution.
I sprint to the glass wall, heart pounding as I bring my gun up, my finger locked on the trigger, and fire. The shattering glass explodes outward, raining down shards all over the floor.
“Angelo!Sei impazzito?”Have you lost your mind?Dante’s voice bursts through the commotion behind me, a mix of curses and warnings that barely register as I leap through the jagged opening.
I’m falling, but somehow I’m flying, each second stretching like an eternity as adrenaline surges through my veins. The ground rushes up to meet me, but I angle my body just right for a controlled landing. My boots hit the polished floor with athud that reverberates through me, steadying my balance even as chaos erupts around me.
Gunfire fills the air, punctuated by screams and shouts from the crowd scattering in panic. It’s all white noise to me now; my focus zeroes in on Kasia. She’s still moving fluidly behind the bar, methodical as she dispatches another attacker with ruthless efficiency.
