Page 29 of Chaos
“If you hurt her, I will kill you,” Odin says, deadly calm, before opening the back door and getting in the back of Serena’s car.
Zeus and I are the last two still outside. I smile at him, waiting to see what he will say. He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t. He shakes his head before getting into the passenger side of the car. I chuckle before turning and walking to my car.
I sit down in the car, turn it on, and turn to Serena. “Where should we go?”
Serena
Dante and I are cruising through the mountains, the windows down, the warm breeze rushing across my body. The smell of pine is so prominent out here.
Dante’s phone is connected to Bluetooth. Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey starts playing through the speakers. Dante leans forward, turning the volume up. Turning to him, confused at his music choice. His fingers are drumming against the steering wheel as the beat picks up.
“Interesting choice,” I remark, a small chuckle escaping with my words.
“Everyone loves this song.” He quips back, a smile gracing his beautiful full lips.
I can’t help but smile as I watch him. He looks so relaxed and happy. When I first saw him earlier, he was the opposite. His shoulders were tense. His posture was rigid. His jaw was thrumming. He looked like he was five seconds away from exploding. But now, he looks his age. Like the world isn’t on his shoulders anymore. He can be free.
“Just a small-town girl. Living in a lonely world.” He turns towards me, singing the words with every emotion he can muster. His voice isn’t the greatest, but there is still beauty to it. The smile never leaves his lips. In that moment, I knew I wanted him to always smile like this. To feel like this.
“Just a city boy. Born and raised in South Detroit. He took the midnight train going anywhere.” I sing back to him.
I know I am not a professional singer. Hell, I wouldn’t even be considered a good karaoke singer. I would probably get booed off the stage the second I opened my mouth. I have never sung in front of anyone before, except Evan. I have always been too insecure. Evan once told me I wouldn’t be able to carry a tune even if I had a bucket, but I feel that doesn’t matter when I’m in Dante’s presence.
If it’s even possible, his smile gets brighter. He continues singing along to the lyrics as I watch him. This is the side of Dante I love seeing. I still don’t know much about him, but witnessing this light, airy side of him makes me want more. I feel the need to know every detail about his life.
I chime in, continuing to sing with him as the song progresses. I can’t take my gaze off his handsome face. Watching the way his lips move and curve around each lyric he belts out. His strong jaw flexes. Every once in a while, I catch a glimpse of his sharp canine tooth that caught my attention the first time I saw him. Still wondering how it would feel against my flesh.
We practically scream out the next verse to each other. Neither of us cares that we can’t hit the notes properly. It’s nice not to care how someone perceives me. To feel not judged for things I can’t change. To enjoy the moment with someone who likes me for me.
Feeling free is not something I ever thought I would feel. But Dante and the Kings make me feel it every time I am in their presence. They have become the light in my life. And having four of them that make me feel that way isn’t something I thought would be possible.
Most would call me a slut, and those words would have hurt me once upon a time, but now they are just words. Words are just letters strung together, and they only have power over you if you let them.
I can’t help but laugh as Dante tries to hit the high note, failing miserably. His voice cracks, causing him to cough. I try to hide my laughter behind my hand, but he quickly notices it.
He gives me a faux-horrified expression. “Are you laughing at me, darling? Most would be too scared to do that.” His voice is dark, full of promises that his words are true.
“Why is that?” I ask.
He leans forward, turning the volume down to almost a whisper.
“I’m a powerful man.” He shrugs his shoulders, like it doesn’t mean anything more than that, but there is something he isn’t telling me. I can feel it.
I want to ask why, but the words are stuck. I can see he doesn’t want to delve into that right now, and I can respect that. He will tell me whatever secret he has when he is ready. I have faith in that.
I leaned forward again, turning the volume back up, wanting to stay in the happy bubble we were in before I asked. I don’t regret asking, because there is something I need to know eventually.
I highly doubt his secret could be worse than what the Kings do. I don’t know a lot about them either, or what being in the MC entails, but I hear horror stories around school. I like to think it’s all just gossip, but there has to be a little truth in the words that are whispered in the halls about them.
He glances over at me again, the smile coming back to his face as we sing along. The chorus picks back up again, and we launch into a who-can-sing-louder contest. I like to think I am winning, but that might just be some pride peeking through.
Dante is officially winning our contest as I descend into a fit of giggles as he dances to the lyrics. He looks so childlike and carefree. I feel like he doesn’t get to be like this often. His movements are a little clunky, like he isn’t sure what to do with his body. But that doesn’t matter to me. Seeing him be the man he wants to be is all that matters.
I haven’t been paying attention to where we are going, trusting Dante to take us to wherever he wants. He said he had somewhere he wanted to show me, and the anticipation of that was killing me.
Dante hits a high note again, this time his voice holding strong. The note sounded like silk against my skin. Maybe there is a secret singer in him.
As the guitar solo plays, we are both laughing like we have never laughed before. I wonder if he feels the same way I do. Like he has always been judged in life, and this is the first time he can just be him. The thought that he could understand that struggle saddens me. I know how much it sucks and to even think he would be in the same boat is painful.
