07| sapphire swan

"Oh, I will," Before I could respond, he reached out and took my hand. His touch sent a jolt of electricity through me. I stared at him, completely off guard. It was like the world had stopped turning. 

As I got lost in Isaak's eyes, I couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity. There was something about him that intrigued me, that made me want to know more. I tried to push that feeling away, but a nagging thought lingered in my mind. 

Isaak watched me closely, his expression unreadable. He didn't say anything, but I could feel his eyes on me, searching. I couldn't tell if he was challenging or trying to figure me out. Either way, I felt so exposed under his eternal gaze.  

I could feel the air getting thicker as my heart pounded in my chest. I could smell his faint scent of leather and cologne, and it made me feel lightheaded. My head screamed for me to pull away but my body didn't seem to move.

The southern voice was deep, and familiar and seemed to echo off the walls, reverberating in my ears. It was a male and it sounded angry, almost furious.  

I turned to see who the voice belonged to and I froze upon seeing him.

"Dante?" His frame towered over mine and now I just felt microscopic between the both of them. His sandy brown hair is disheveled and his eyes are bloodshot like he hadn't slept last night. His eyes flashed with anger as he pulled me away from Isaak, and I felt my body tense at this. I tried to pull away from him, but his grip was too strong.

I felt annoyance bubble up inside me.  

"What the hell are you doing here?" I said through gritted teeth. Before he could answer, Isaak lunged forward and landed a punch on Dante's jaw. I gasped as Ethan landed on the floor with a thud. Isaak made him rise to his feet by using his collar, revealing Dante's bloody nose. "Isaak stop!"

"Stop!" The moment was a blur. Before I knew what I was doing, I had the gun in my hand, the cold metal was pressing against my temple.

Both of them froze at the sight and looked at each other, then back at me, not knowing what to do.

"Stop or I'll shoot,"

"You wouldn't.''

Hell yeah, I wouldn't but this was the only way I could think of separating them. "Try me,''

Slowly, Isaak backed off so I lowered the gun and handed it back to its owner. "I'm sorry,'' Dante's words caught me off guard but oh boy was he wrong if he thought that would work on me. 

"Let her go," Isaak growled, his voice low and dangerous. There was a warning in his tone, a threat. He took a step forward, never taking his eyes off Dante. "I won't say it again,'' he said, his jaw set and his hands clenched into fists. "Let. Her. Go.''

"Isaak, he won't hurt me,'' I reassure him, grabbing Dante's wrist and walking over to the living room with him. "What the hell are you doing here?'' I hiss once we're alone. 

"Come back to work with me and work beside me."

This had to be some joke. I cross my arms over my chest.

Work with him? After everything that had happened? It was unthinkable. I just stood there, frozen in disbelief.

"And do what huh? What's that gonna do?"

"Please,"

I sighed, realizing he wasn't going to leave without me saying yes so that's what I did. 

I nodded, hoping that he would take the hint and leave. Deep down, I knew I didn't want to go back to work with him. But at that moment, I just wanted him to leave me alone. I could figure out the rest later.

"Yes!' He celebrated. "8 o'clock at the establishment?"

"Whatever floats your boat,"

□□□

I pulled up to the Sapphire Swan, and it was bustling with activity.

I could see people inside, laughing and talking, their voices a cacophony that spilled out into the night. The neon sign that hung above the entrance glowed brightly, the words "Sapphire Swan" standing out in brilliant gold.

The outside of the building was adorned with sparkling, jewel-like details, and even the streetlights outside seemed to twinkle with an extra sheen. It was as if the entire place was covered in a layer of magic, one that I wished existed when I worked there.

I took a deep breath and walked through the door. The warm air of the bar hit me as soon as I stepped through the door, and the sound of people talking and laughing filled my ears. It was comforting in a way, like the sounds of a familiar home. I took in my surroundings, noting the sparkling chandeliers, and the soft glow of the lights.

My blonde curls tumbled over my bare shoulders, brushing against the sweetheart neckline of my dress. The fabric of the dress swished against the floor as I walked.

I felt a rush of relief as my eyes landed on a familiar face at the bar.  As she walked towards me, I noticed the way the light of the chandelier hit her face, highlighting her deep brown skin. Her sunset orange dress had a slit up the side, revealing a flash of toned leg as she walked. Her hair was sleeked back into a perfect afro, and I couldn't help but notice how put together and beautiful she looked.

"Hey," I smiled and her eyes lit up once she saw me. "Diane?" I greeted her with a warm hug and complimented her. "It's been so long, what brings you here?"

"Dante," I sigh. "I just saw him actually," She says, looking back into the direction of the person I was looking for. "Thank you, Cressida,"

"It was a pleasure," She smiled and hugged me goodbye this time. My grip on my purse tightened as I made my way over to him and his eyes immediately caught mine. Dante took a long drag on his cigar, then blew the smoke out in a slow, controlled stream. It lingered in the air, forming lazy swirls that drifted towards the ceiling. As he adjusted his hat and cleared his throat once his eyes landed on me.

"Oh gentlemen," He stepped forward.  "I would like to introduce my-"

"Dante," I interjected, cutting off his speech. "No need to that for since I have a mouth of my own, no?" I raised an eyebrow, and he met my gaze for a moment before falling silent. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel the other men's eyes on me.

"Gentlemen," I began, trying to remain poised. It was the same man that tried hitting on me the other night at Casa Blanca.  "My name is Diane, and I'm sure most of you already know a lot about me. "As much as I'd like to sit and chat with you guys," I lie. My words were a complete fabrication - the last thing I wanted to do was sit and talk with these men. "But, I must speak to Dante in private for a moment. If you don't mind?"

When they all remained silent, I took that as a sign.

"Gentlemen, I'm Diane. I'm sure most of you already know a lot about me,"  I resist the urge not to shake the disgust of the old men who tried hitting on me the other night.

"Actually, " Dante began, his voice firm. "I think we can talk about that matter at another time. At the moment, all these men are gathered here for another reason. They are here to apologize to you." His gaze swept the room, and the men shifted in their seats, looking uncomfortable.

The tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel the air crackling with electricity.

"Apologize?" I echoed.

The grey-headed man inched closer to me and Dante wrapped his hand around my shoulder. I felt uneasy and suffocated. The man reached out for me but he couldn't do such a thing, a timbre was heard.

I turned, and my heart stopped as my eyes landed on the man who had just spoken. His frame towered over mine and imposing, with an air of authority that made everyone in the room seem to shrink in his presence. His dark eyes were fixed on me, and I could feel his gaze like a weight pressing down on my shoulders. "Isaak," I breathed.

Dante's words hung in the air, but I couldn't focus on them. All I could see was Isaak, standing there in front of me, his grey eyes fixed on mine. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster, and it was getting harder to breathe. "Touch her, and I'll deliver your corpse to your wife,"

The grey-headed man bowed his head down in fear. Dante raised an eyebrow, and the tension in the room got even thicker when he looked over to Isaak. A chuckle broke the silence, but it was not the sound of mirth. "You're here in my establishment, talking to my woman,"

Dante's hand hovered over the pistol, his fingers slowly curling around the handle. I could see the muscles in his arms tense, as if he was preparing to draw the weapon.

Isaak on the other hand,  remained still, with his jaw clenched,  his expression unreadable.  It was like he didn't care.

The tension in the room was palpable, and the silence was deafening. The two men stared at each other, neither one willing to back down. "Mr Rivera," The other old cleared his throat.

I recognized him. He was the one who was after me the most that night-- the one who made me lose my job.

"We just wanted to apologize but this crazy blonde over here behaves like she owns the place. Hell, the whore deserves more than what we say-"

The sound of a gunshot silenced not only him, but the whole of Sapphire Swan as everything turned into a blur.