Dante closed the apartment door behind him and collapsed against it, breathing heavily. With a dull thud, the bags slipped from his hands and landed carelessly on the floor. He no longer had the strength to hold them.
It was already midday. He had been running for his life almost the entire night, more than once barely dodging his pursuers. He was beyond exhausted, his body screaming in protest from fatigue. His body was drained to the limits, every muscle burning with exhaustion, every fiber crying out for rest. His cells had regenerated continuously in the meantime, but the unrelenting tension, the constant chase, had consumed him.
He was thirsty, hungry, and wanted nothing more than to sleep.
But he had made it.
He didn't know how, but he had reached his apartment.
His chest rose and fell in rapid, uncontrolled movements as sweat streamed down his face and body. The small water bottle that had kept him company through the night had been empty for hours. Thirst couldn't kill him, but dehydration gnawed at him, leaving his throat raw and every breath a torment.
With one last push, he forced himself away from the door and staggered to the kitchen. There he bent over the faucet, turned it on, and drank greedily, as if he wanted to drain the entire water supply dry. Only when his stomach protested did he force himself to stop.
Panting, he turned off the tap, tore the sweat-, blood-, and dirt-soaked clothes from his body, and let them fall carelessly to the floor. He was damned tired.
He stumbled into the bathroom. Sleep could wait— a shower could not. The way he smelled, one could have tracked him from a block away.
It had all been far too close. On the way, he had nearly lost his baggage. More than once, vital points had been narrowly missed, and at times the bullets had flown so close past his head that it was a miracle he hadn't been hit.
Still, a few bullets had found their way into his flesh. Luckily, they had been clean through-and-through shots that hadn't slowed him down too much. His clothes, however, would be good for nothing but the trash.
He was so utterly tired that it was a shame he didn't really have much time to sleep. After all, he had to check the alley that evening to see if Spider had received the message.
The rush of warm water enveloped him as he stepped under the shower. Droplets pelted his skin, washing away salt, dirt, and blood until only the burning muscles and the pounding adrenaline remained. With closed eyes, he leaned against the cold tiles, let the water run over his face, and drew a deep breath.
For a moment, everything was quiet. No footsteps behind him, no gunshots cracking, no frantic fleeing. Just him, the water, and the thought that he wasn't captured.
A quiet sigh escaped his throat. For this moment, however brief it might be, the world belonged to him alone.
Now he only had to find the facility and a way inside. He had to discover where Helios was being held, slip in unnoticed, and disappear with him just as quietly.
Maybe they could hide here in this apartment for a while, then figure out together where they wanted to go. He soaped himself up again, washed his hair, and rinsed everything off thoroughly. He was so tired he could no longer form a clear thought.
Dante lathered himself once more, let the foam glide through his fingers, washed his hair as if he could wash away all the tension and guilt with the water.
At least his apartment still seemed to be a safe place. Otherwise, they surely would have been waiting for him here.
Suddenly a wave of dizziness seized him, making the ground sway beneath his feet. With his last strength, he clutched the faucet to keep from collapsing flat onto the floor. A muffled curse escaped him.
Damn. He needed sleep. Badly.
After drying himself off and pulling on a fresh pair of underwear, he dragged himself to the bed. With a deep, almost desperate sigh, he let himself fall onto it. The pillow still smelled of Helios— that familiar scent that once promised comfort now made his heart clench painfully. He pulled the blanket tightly around himself, breathed in deeply… and felt the restlessness crush him.
It was the first time since he had taken the job as Helios's bodyguard that they had been apart. They had been together ever since Davis had died. They had gone through so much, and now he was simply gone… he hadn't even realized when it happened.
The guilt gnawed at him like a knife driving deeper and deeper into his insides. Could he have saved him if he had stayed by his side? Or would they have disposed of him long before they reached Vale's office? Getting inside wouldn't have been possible anyway.
Vale always preferred to speak to Helios alone.
He missed Helios.
He worried about him.
He wanted nothing more than to set out immediately and bring him back.
Dante buried his face in the blanket. "I'm sorry, Helios… Hold on a little longer. I'll be with you soon." His voice was barely more than a whisper.
Maybe everything had happened exactly the way it was supposed to, given the situation they were in. Thinking about it clearly, after what had gone down at the evening party, there really hadn't been any good solution.
Unless they had run away right after instead of sleeping together. They could have packed their bags immediately, turned on the shower, and disappeared through the secret passage…
No. He couldn't let himself dwell on it any longer. Helios had needed it in that moment, and he had needed it too, to clear his head.
He had to look forward.
At least he knew that Vale wouldn't hurt his son. Helios himself had said his father had never struck him. He had to trust that it would stay that way. With a bit of luck, Vale would only lock him up and pester him every day about developing the immortality serum.
More likely, though, Helios would willingly step into the lab and try to produce false results for as long as he could—until Dante came to save him.
He had to hurry. Every day, every hour was precious.
His eyelids grew heavier, his body sank deeper into the mattress. Exhaustion washed over him like a wave. In his last flicker of consciousness, he thought only of Helios and what he must be enduring right now.
I hope you're alright…
___
When Dante opened his eyes, he found himself staring straight into Spider's face. The assassin lay casually beside him in the bed, hands folded behind his head as if he belonged there.
"Good morning, darling," he grinned broadly, baring far too many teeth.
"What the—?!" Dante shouted in shock. He practically leapt out of the bed, slipped, and landed painfully on his backside.
Spider laughed so loudly and freely it almost echoed through the whole house.
How the hell had he gotten in here? How did Spider even know about this apartment?! Panic and fury shot through Dante's mind at once.
"Why are you here?!" he hissed, his voice trembling more with uncertainty than with anger.
Spider wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye, then lazily rolled onto his side and propped his chin in his hand. His gaze was as mocking as it was provoking.
"Well… you didn't show up to our date, so I came to you instead. It was so cold… so lonely… in that dark alley." He sniffled theatrically, as if fishing for pity.
"Cut the crap, Spider!" Dante's voice was a sharp growl. "Damn it—if you know about this apartment, then they do too!"
Dante jumped up and hurriedly pulled on his clothes. He threw a glance toward Spider, who was still lying completely relaxed on the bed.
"Damn it, we need to get out of here! Do you know a place where we can lay low?"
He was already running through every possible escape route in his head. Somewhere he also had to find food—his stomach growled painfully. What time was it anyway? Damn, he needed to focus! First things first: they had to get out!
Spider let out a loud sigh. "Relax, big guy. No one knows about this apartment. No one but me."
Dante was just buttoning his pants when he froze. Slowly, he lifted his head and fixed Spider with a dark, suspicious glare.
"How do you even know about this apartment?" His voice was dangerously quiet.
Spider met his gaze, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I followed you once, after you left Daddy raging and fuming behind." His tone was casual, almost lazy. A sly grin tugged at his lips. "I also saw what you two got up to in here."
Dante's ears burned scarlet. Blood rushed to his head, his hands clenched into fists. "You damned pervert…" He raked a shaky hand through his hair, muttered something unintelligible, then louder: "That's not important right now!"
Spider slowly sat up, the smile fading from his lips. Sitting on the edge of the bed, his gaze turned piercing, his expression deadly serious.
"He took Helios," Spider stated flatly. His voice was unusually grave, stripped of mockery or theatrics.
"You were there?" Dante's heart tightened as he asked.
Spider gave a slow nod. "I followed you to the estate. At first I just wanted to figure out what the hell happened to Helios at that party." He exhaled audibly, as if still struggling to process what he had witnessed. His eyes drifted into emptiness. "Please tell me I'm wrong… But he died there. I saw him fall. And then… he just got up again, like nothing had happened. Right? If not, then I need a damn psychiatrist."
Dante grabbed a chair and sank heavily into it. He nodded slowly.
"He's immortal," Dante answered calmly. There was no point in hiding from Spider something he had already seen with his own eyes.
Spider's gaze locked onto him.
"Like you are?"
Dante looked up in surprise. Spider's stare was sharp, and his eyes told Dante he had known all along. But it didn't really surprise him. Spider wasn't stupid. Dante nodded again.
Spider dragged a hand down his face.
"Shit," he cursed. "So Belladonna really did kill you back then. That night Davis died. I knew I'd seen that bullet pierce through your head."
"You understand now why I lied to you," Dante said.
With an annoyed sound, Spider let himself fall back onto the bed, stared at the ceiling, then sat up again as if he couldn't stand still for even a second. "How does someone become immortal anyway? Did Helios make you immortal?" His voice was curious—almost hungry for the truth.
"No. What happened to me was an accident. A coincidence. As far as I know, Helios and I are the only immortals."
Spider studied him for a long time, his gaze cold and contemplative at once. "Sounds like a very long story."
"One we don't have time for," Dante cut him off.
"Oh, but we do," Spider shot back. "You lit the candle because you wanted me to tell you where Daddy Vale dragged his son off to, didn't you? Well, too bad—I've got no clue. My spies have all been taken out so far."
So he'd have to find another way. Damn it, he didn't want to leave Helios too long in his father's claws.
"Shit," he cursed again. "Will you help me find him?"
Inwardly, Dante prepared himself to hand over every coin he'd taken from Helios's safe. But to his surprise, Spider simply nodded.
"My men are already tracking them."
Dante blinked. "I thought they'd all been killed?"
"Doesn't stop me from sending more," Spider replied smoothly. "You learn from losses, too. They'll manage somehow." His tone was confident. "Until then, we wait."
Dante stared at him. Slowly, he exhaled. Waiting was not on his to-do list. He wanted nothing more than to set out immediately.
"How long will it take?" he asked, his voice rough with impatience.
"In the best case, a few days," Spider answered plainly. "I'm expecting a report tonight at eight. If they don't show up, I'll know they're dead."
Dante glanced at the clock, only to realize it was already well past midnight. His head still wasn't working properly. He was hungry, and frustration seeped through every pore.
He stood up and went to the fridge to throw together something quick. On the kitchen table sat a bag of medical supplies, the bloody clothes had been discarded, and the traces he had left behind were gone as well.
He didn't remember bringing a bag of medical supplies into the apartment.
"I figured you must've taken quite a beating during that little chase," came Spider's voice from the doorway. The assassin leaned casually against the wall, as if he belonged there. "So I brought a few things. Bandages, disinfectant. After all, Helios isn't around to patch you up." A crooked grin tugged at his lips. "And there's food in the fridge. You can imagine my surprise when I saw your shredded clothes and then your perfectly intact skin."
Dante froze for a moment. Had that idiotic assassin really worried about him? Dante could hardly believe what he was hearing.
Embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his neck. The situation was beyond strange. Spider was such a self-centered egotist that it had never once crossed his mind the assassin might actually care about him.
"Thanks… for worrying about me," Dante muttered awkwardly.
Spider waved it off. "No big deal," he said, pulling out a chair at the table. He didn't look like he had any intention of leaving anytime soon. "How about you heat up the food and tell me how this whole mess started? I need to get a clear picture of the situation if we're going to break him out."
Dante hesitated. He hated waiting, hated being dependent. But what choice did he have? Without leads, without Spider's men, he was stumbling in the dark. And Helios was out of reach.
So Dante took the food Spider had brought from the fridge and warmed it up. In the meantime, he told him why they had really come to Soley, why he had taken the job as bodyguard to the Vale family, and what Jonathan Vale had to do with it all. He told him about Helios's death and how he had finally killed Belladonna. About the fights between father and son, and everything Helios had shared with him so far.
By the time Dante finished his story, they had eaten, and a quiet, mutual silence settled between them. It was still utterly surreal, sitting at the same table with Spider and having a calm conversation. He would never have thought such a situation could even happen. He'd always imagined hell would freeze over before he'd sit down to a meal and chat with Spider.
Stranger still was the fact that he felt completely fine sharing all this information with him. That pervert already knew far too much, and Dante felt more foolish than ever trying to keep lying to him.
After all, he needed Spider to get Helios back.
"Fuck," Spider said at last.
Dante nodded in agreement. 'Fuck' summed it up pretty well.
"At least he can't die anymore. That buys us time. Though I don't think Daddy would hurt his golden goose even if he weren't immortal."
"He can hurt him in other ways," Dante said quietly.
"True," Spider replied. "However, Helios's physical safety is my top priority, and that's guaranteed by his immortality."
Dante didn't like it, but Spider was right. Helios would definitely survive if they finally found him. That fact didn't make the sick feeling in his gut go away, but it was a start.
"You know, I've been watching Jonathan Vale for quite a while. The man knows exactly how to stay under the radar. I always suspected he had dirt on him, but never the scale of it. His trail often vanished. Many times my spies simply disappeared. I never got a lead on where they went. He probably shipped them off to Soley for his experiments, or somewhere else. I wouldn't put it past that psychopath," Spider hissed, full of hate. "But I don't think he would actually do anything truly evil to Helios. Whether he can die or not. He loves his golden boy. Besides, he needs Helios to keep his company afloat."
Dante exhaled slowly. "I hope you're right. Really."
"Helios would never be stupid enough to rise up against his father in the current situation. He's always played the good son. Why would he act differently now? Stop worrying like that," Spider said lightly. "Though he'll be pretty pissed with each passing day. I think your only worry after the escape will be how to make him happy again."
Dante snorted. "Idiot."
If all he had to do afterward was offer physical closeness, then he'd hide out with Helios for weeks and do whatever he asked—as long as he came out of this unhurt.
Tiredly, Dante rubbed his face.
"Has your situation improved at all?" Dante finally asked.
"So far, yes. My false trails are keeping them busy, even if they haven't given up looking for the mole. That's all you need to know. In any case, I currently have enough time to get Helios out of there," Spider said casually—as if the entire rescue operation were nothing more than an annoying game. His expression turned serious. "I don't need to tell you that Helios's immortality is going to cause some serious waves, do I?"
Dante twisted the corner of his mouth into a grimace.
"Of course. So many people witnessed it that it could never stay secret. Did Vale do anything about it after we left?"
Spider shook his head.
"No. He'll squeeze the maximum profit out of it, as always. Wallace got captured by his guards and then left himself. He avoided every conversation. Judging by the way he was smirking, he certainly had plans for what he wanted to do with the immortality serum. You two won't have a quiet minute even after this is over."
"That's what I feared," Dante said quietly. "I think we'll disappear as soon as we get him out."
Spider stood and grinned at Dante slyly. "Then I should pack my bag, too. I can't very well let you two flee on your own," he teased.
He shot Spider an annoyed look. "Don't you dare."
But Spider only laughed.
Dante rolled his eyes, but before he could come up with a reply, Spider's expression turned serious. "I'll let you know as soon as I find out more. Get some rest in the meantime. With a bit of luck, we can head out tomorrow night."
"Make sure the guards don't catch you," Dante warned.
Spider looked at him with amusement.
"What do you think kept them off your trail?" he asked, raising a brow. He opened the window, threw Dante one last arrogant grin, and disappeared into the night.
Dante stood there, utterly dumbfounded, staring after the assassin for a long time.
It felt as though his whole worldview had just been turned upside down. Spider had helped him without asking for anything in return. Either this was some fever dream, or the assassin wasn't as money-hungry as he used to be.
He closed the window and dropped back into his bed.
The waiting was already driving him crazy. But unfortunately, his hands were tied. He would have to wait until Spider returned with useful information.