Intoxication: Chapter 11

She wanted to fallow him, but she just sat there staring at the door. She wasn't going to just let him go out there alone, allow him to face a mafia on his own. That was sending him to his grave. She wasn't going to let him die. She got up and pulled open the closet, she pulled out her suit case and opened it. She grabbed her tight leather pants, black tank top, leather jacket, and her thigh high boots. She undressed and pulled her pants then her shirt. She strapped her holster around her upper thigh, and tugged up her boots. She slipped her arms into her jacket and stood in front of the mirror. She looked down at her hand guns for a moment Dante hadn't gotten around to looking at the one that had jammed the other day so she picked up the still working one. "Dante, you told me not to worry and that you'll come home, but this time I'm not listening." She spun her gun around her finger holstering it. She slipped her boot knife into the top of her boot and concealed the whip as a belt. "I'm making sure you come home... Alive." She left her cell phone on the desk and waked from the room. She knew where he was going and it wouldn't take her long to get there by foot. She walked through the lobby of the hotel, several people giving her strange looks. She didn't care she was on a mission.

Dante I want to believe you but I just can't... Those words rang in his head as he drove. He had never done anything to earn her trust, he had never done anything to win her heart, he just made her worry about if he was coming how that night or if he would be alive by time morning broke the next day after she had dragged him home from a mission. If it wasn't for Scarlett he probably would have been dead several times over. He thought about her sitting alone in the messy hotel room, the way fear had filled her eyes. He had seen that look before, only one before, and it was the look he say in his mother's eyes when he had been eight years old, when the demons had attacked and killed her. The sight of it in Scarlett's eyes almost broke his heart, but part of him knew this was a fight he wasn't going to walk away from unscathed. He just hoped his partner was smart enough and stayed away for once even though both of them were to be working on this mission.

Scarlett walked along the boulevard towards the coffee shop where the meeting was originally supposed to take place. The streets were oddly quiet for a Wednesday afternoon, it was the calm before the storm. Every one of her senses were heightened listening looking for any signs of trouble. She could see the sign on the coffee shop come into view, then she saw the cars. She slipped into the bushes along the fence line. Paris and a few men waited alongside the building. Something isn't right here... She looked around, there were no other cars, or people and the shop sign read closed. This really is a set up. She watched as Dante emerged from the car, and leaned back against the hood. He crossed his arms across his chest.

"Dante, please keep your guard up..." She whispered.

"So gents what about this meeting?" he asked.

"What about it?" Paris answered.

"Let's get it over with and we can all go back to living our lovely little lives." Dante smirked pushing himself off the hood of the car.

Don't reach for your gun, please don't reach for the gun... She just seriously hoped he wasn't going to be an idiot about this whole thing. She was lucky he didn't pull his gun. She listened in on the conversation.

"I doubt you'll be going back to your perfect little life fighting demons Dante." Paris smirked.

Scarlett saw something flash in Paris' eyes, the same red she had seen flash in Sebastian and Marcus' eyes last night. He was a demon, they all were. She needed to get Dante out of there now, but it was too late. Demons emerge out of the shadows and attacked Dante before he had any chance of getting his gun. She felt a scream leave her throat as they pinned him to the ground. Scarecrows, Chimera demons as well as the demons from the Seventh hell army surrounded him. She could see blood on the ground underneath him. The large blade of a sickle arched out from between his shoulder and spine. He struggled to get up, but it was no use, the demons pushed him back down to the ground.

Dante, what are you doing... She peaked through the bushes, you can take them they're lesser demons. She watched as his strength waned.

Paris knelt down in front of him, "So devil boy aren't as strong as you use to be now are we." He sneered.

Dante closed his eyes, and lay there, he could feel the blade at the back of his neck, that would kill him at the slightest movement.

"That's enough, I think he's weak enough he wouldn't give us any problems." Paris shoed away several of the demons. The blade was pulled from Dante's body, by one of the cronies Paris had brought with him. They dragged Dante to his feet and hauled him over the a large black car. Scarlett watched in horror. Paris turned towards one of the guards, "Make sure that girl didn't follow him, and if she did... kill her." With that he turned and climbed into the vehicle.

Scarlett waited until the vehicle had turned out of the lot before she revealed her hiding spot. "You pricks looking for me?" She asked standing up.

Immediately the men turned and looked at her not sure what to do, and she didn't give them a chance either, she pulled her gun and opened fire. One by one they dropped dead in the parking lot. She stood there looking around for any other signs of life, there wasn't any. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of what they had done to him. If she had been with him this never would have happened. She could still see his blood on the pavement as she walked over to the car. She opened the car door and climbed in. The keys were still in the ignition, he must have been planning on making a quick getaway if possible. She thought starting the car. Slowly she backed it up and pulled out of the parking lot, she knew when they were taking him. To their safe house where they would be in control, she just hoped she remembered the way there.

Dante laid there looking at the roof of the car, he could feel the pain ripping away at the right side of his chest and down his arm. This isn't normal, a shouldn't be this painful. That was all he could think of, how he had been over powered by a hoard of lesser demons. Scarlett please stay away... please. He could feel his heart rate escalating, his blood running down his arm. He started coughing, he brought his hand up to his mouth. He could taste blood, his eyes were growing heavy. The vehicle stopped and he was pulled from where he was laying. He cried out in pain. He was supported by two demons on either side of him, they made their way towards what looked like an old world war two bunker. They opened the door, and he felt his back being slammed into wooden chair.

"Tie him, make sure he can't get up." Paris ordered.

Dante was in a daze, he felt heavy braded ropes being wrapped around his wrists. He could see the large hole in his shirt, and in his chest. Where the sickle had gone through his chest, the wound was healing, only a little bit of blood oozed out. Dante sat there as his guns were taken off him.

"So Tony," Paris smirked at him, his eyes burned red, "Of should I say Dante?"

"Just cut the formalities and let's just get this shit done." Dante snapped.

"I would watch what you say considering the situation you're in." Paris answered, looking at Ivory. "So you're here to collect that money that we've been keeping from the New York Chapter." He pointed the gun at him.

"Yeah, you're point being."

"I want to know why he sent you though." Paris smirked pointing Dante's own gun on him.

"Because he knew I'd get the job done, considering that we are now dealing with demons."

Paris laughed, and turned around away from him, "True, true, but he didn't know that we're trying to serve you up on a silver platter to the demon prince, our Lord Master. We just had to keep on killing the collectors he sent until he came to you. It was only a matter of time, and looks like my patience paid off."

"Demon Prince..." Dante snorted, "Sounds like a bit of a prick making some lesser demons do all his dirty work."

The comment earned him the butt end of his gun coming in contact with his jaw. Dante, leaned forward and spit more blood from his mouth. "You knew if you're a little nicer I might cooperate a bit better."

"We're not going to get anywhere with him. Move him into the back room and gage him. He'll stay there until our master gets here." Paris ordered.

The ropes were removed from his wrists and they pulled him up. That's when he snapped; he grabbed one of the demons and slammed him back into the table. A few demons jumped on to his back, he couldn't take these guys by hand even if they were lesser demons, while they were in human form he couldn't tell what breed of demon they making his predicament that much more dangerous. He threw them off, but he was met by the gun being pointed at his heart. He put his hands up and stepped back. He knew the drill; he'd been arrested enough in his past, on his knees hands behind his head. He glared at Paris the entire time.

"I'll make sure Scarlett arrives back on the main land safely. I know how much you just love her." Paris smirked at him.

"I swear to god if you hurt her…" He yelled.

"You'll what? Kill me? Dante may I remind you that you can't do anything to save her now, you're completely useless to her."

Dante struggled against the bonds that now held him.

"Take him away." Paris flicked his hand and Dante was pulled back on to his feet.

Scarlett lay on the ground in the tall grass that surrounded the safe house. The grass stunk like swamp and she didn't like the fact that her favourite boots were getting dirty because of this. She could see a few people moving around the building, everyone must be inside. She watched as the guards changed. She pulled out her gun and stretched out her arms, clutching it tightly. She looked down the sighs taking aim directly at the forehead, an instant kill. She fired once and then twice. There boys made a dull thud as they hit the pavement. She stood up and brushed herself off, and walked towards the door. Her heels clicking as she opened it, she walked down the hall, he gun resting on her shoulder. She assumed everyone would be in the meeting room, so that's where she headed; she'd find Dante later. She was lucky there wasn't very many rooms in the building, plus the ones she had checked were empty. She rounded a corner, just as s camera fallowed her movements, and she ducked back out of sight. She looked around the corner, as the camera moved back so it wasn't on her any more, she fired and the bullet hit the camera, stopping it in its tracks. She smiled and continued down the hall, to the meeting room. She could hear voices on the other side, many voices.

She reloaded her gun and pushed the door opened. "Sorry to interrupt boys but I'm here for my devil boy and my money." She smirked pointing the gun at anyone who made the smallest movement.

Paris looked at her and laughed, "Well it seems your little trip down here was in vein because I have neither of them…"

"Cut the crap Paris, I know what's going on here. Just give me what I came for and you won't have to wind up dead."

"You see my dear you're going to wind up dead." He smirked.

Scarlett felt a pair of large arms encircle her. They lifted her off the ground and she kicked back, scoring a direct hit to the balls on the man/demon holding her. She turned and started hailing bullets down on the other room attendance.

Scarlett? Dante looked up from where he sat in the bare cement room. He could hear the shots being fired and the yelling, the screaming. He tried again to break the bonds around his wrists but couldn't. What the hell is this rope made out of?

Scarlett watched as many of the men in the room shed they're human skin and took they're demon form. She licked her lips, "I've always had a preference for the devils." She had defiantly pick up moves from fighting alongside Dante, and she was much more confident when fighting now. If only he was here to see me now. She pushed herself up into the air, and landed on the chest of one of the demons, shooting bullet into its skull. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Paris trying to slip out the back door. She pulled her boot knife and threw it at him. It pinned him back to the wall. She looked around the room, every begin in the room laid dead on the floor except for him. Scarlett spun her gun around her finger as she walked up to him. She pulled her knife out and grabbed him around the throat, "Where is he?"

"Who..." Paris shuttered.

Scarlett held the knife up to his throat, "Dante, where is Dante?" Paris actually looked scared of her. "Maybe this will jog your memory." She ran the blade of the knife along the side of his face drawing blood.

"Okay, okay... Just don't kill me. He's in the room down the hall to your left." He squealed.

Scarlett let go of him, and started to walk away from him. "Thanks." She smiled sweetly.

"No thank you for letting me live..." Paris breathed kneeling on the ground trying to catch his breath.

Scarlett picked up ebony and ivory off the table in the center of the room, "I wouldn't thank me yet." she turned on him and looked down the barrel of Ivory, "Every rose has it's thorns."

The final shot rang out, the shell making a high pitched ting as it hit the concrete. She turned and walked out of the room.

"Dante" She smiled as she walked into the room where he was. She tipped his chin up to look into his eyes. "You look cute when your helpless maybe I should leave you tied up and have a little fun with you."

"Like hell you will." He laughed.

She turned his face to the side, and say the large purple and black bruise that was already forming on his jaw from being pistol-whipped. "We need to get ice on that." She let go of his jaw, and moved to cut him free from his bonds. Dante stood up and rubbed his wrists, immediately the blood rushed from his head and he collapsed forward. "Hold up there big boy. give yourself a minute you've lose a lot of blood." Scarlett settled him back in the chair. His cloths were completely destroyed.

"I think I'm good." Dante answered, slowly standing up.

Scarlett put his arm over her shoulder just in case he decided to have another episode. She knew she would be little help, considering he weighed almost 250 lbs. If he went down she was going down too. It really was true the bigger they are the harder they fall. "The car isn't parked too far away just up the road." She answered as they emerged back into sunlight.

"You were right not far at all." He laughed as he leaned on the hood. The car had been parked around the corner.

"Don't joke. Now let me see that arm of yours." She answered unbuttoning his shirt.

"You just want me naked."

"Dante, please stop you're really hurt." She answered, leaving him to remove his shirt the rest of the way. She dug around in the back seat of the car for a moment before pulling out a emergence first aid kit. She also pulled a bag with spare cloths out from under the seat. When you work with a devil hunter you have to be prepared for everything.

"This is just a scratch." He smiled.

She set the first aid kit down on the hood next to him and slipped on a set of latex gloves. She looked into the kit and saw that it had a cold pack that you cracked and the chemicals mixed to produce cold. She pulled it out and folded it in half, and pressed it to Dante's jaw. "Hold this." She practically order. He held it against his face as she fused about the wound on his chest.

"It's already healing, I'll be fine."

"Dante..." She snapped at him, as she poked and prodded the wound with her fingers. "I just want to make sure on bits of metal came off under the skin."

Dante sighed and just sat there.

"You're fine, you're almost all healed so..."

"See I told you." he smirked at her.

"Do you want a black eye to match the bruised jaw?" She asked putting a hand on her hip.

"No..." he sighed.

"Good, now get changed and we're heading over to speak with Rafael." She answered throwing the duffle bag at him.

He caught it and opened it. Inside lay his back leather shirt, chaps, boots, and his red pants and jacket. He just smiled to himself. It's going to be so nice to be back in my old clothes. He looked over at the beautiful blonde woman who had just saved him. She was on the phone with she assumed Rafael. If it wasn't for you I'd probably be dead. She turned and smiled at him. When she smiled Dante felt something extremely weird happen on the inside of him, his heart actually fluttered and his mind went blank. Her actions had proved to him just how much he meant to her and how much he needed her to back him up, and be his right hand woman.

"I knew there was something up when De Luca sent Dante the famous Devil Hunter and you to come collect money." Rafael said standing up.

"Then why didn't you say something." Scarlett asked, looked back at the door. Dante hadn't come into the office with her. She had asked him to stay outside and she would handle this.

"Because I didn't know. I knew that my son was employing demons but I didn't think it had gotten this out of hand."

"What can you tell me about this Lord Master?" Scarlett asked, crossing her arms.

"That I was actually hoping you or Dante could tell me." He answered, taking a sip of water.

"Well we know probably know as much as you know, so I guess nothing useful will come of this. So just write the cheque for 35 million and we'll be on our way."

"Scarlett, I spoke with De Luca just before you arrive, I have had the money, transferred to the accounts already. 17.5 into De Luca's, and then you're and Dante's cut has been split up and put into your accounts."

Outside the office Dante leaned against his arms crossed. A young woman about 21 passed by him, she did a double take before stopping. "Your Dante the devil hunter aren't you."

Dante looked down and smiled at her, "Yes, and what's your name babe?"

She giggled, and came closer to him, "Iris," She smiled.

"So beautiful," He tipped her chin up, "Like a flower." She blushed.

"So what do you say? You know where there is somewhere we can get a little alone time." He asked.

She blushed harder, "Aren't you engaged?'

"No, an if I was I think I'd take a chance with you." he flirted.

She smiled and pulled him into the coat closet by the door, and closed the door. She grabbed Dante by the front of his coat and started kissing him. Dante pinned her against the wall and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He kissed down the woman's neck and pulled down the front of her dress.

Scarlett paced the area in front of Rafael's desk, "If that is the case then we will be leaving now." She turned on her heel.

"Scarlett wait..."

She turned again.

"I will not hold a grudge against you or Dante for what happened today. It happened because of circumstances that were beyond my control. However I will give you some advice."

She looked at him slightly confused.

"I see the way he looks at you can I see the way you look at him. Even if you don't want to admit it to yourself, or you can't see it the truth is that you need each other."

With that Scarlett turned and left the room. She looked down the hall, and of course Dante wasn't there. "Dante?" She asked. She didn't get an answer, what she got was giggling from the coat closet. She rolled her eyes, typical. She walked over to the closet and pulled opened the door, and there they were. Dante shirt undone, lipstick on his face and chest, and the girl top pulled down and skirt hiked up, legs around his waist.

"Let's go." She grabbed Dante by the collar and pulled him away from the girl. He winked at her as he was dragged away. Scarlett pulled him along behind her as they walked to the car. She let go of him only to allow them to get in the car. Dante zipped up his shirt and took off his jacket.

"So did you get the money?" He asked.

"What do you think?' She snapped.

Dante could sense she was mad, and it was about what she had seen in the closest, he honestly felt guilty.

"Do you think Dante?" She snapped.

"Scarlett..." He started.

"No, just shut up and listen. You act like nothing is wrong when you go around flirting with girls, and acting like a man whore all the time. I left you outside so you wouldn't have to deal with Rafael and what do you do start screwing around with one of his maids. Like really Dante. You never take anything seriously, you don't even take me seriously. I could've left you alone to die but I didn't because that's what partners do we back each other up."

"Why are you so mad about this?" He asked, "We were just having a little fun."

"Dante that's all it ever is, a little fun but have you ever thought of the effect you're reactions have on me?"

Dante just shrugged.

"No you don't you're a selfish child half the time. I don't want to hear crap about how you always put yourself before me in harm's way, but there is more to being a good partner then just keeping me safe."

"What would you have me do then?" He asked.

"I don't know..." She answered pulling up to the hotel.

"You know just fucking say it Scarlett."

"Dante, stop, I don't know." She got out of the car and slammed the door, "Let's just go get something to eat and go for a walk and we'll talk things out then."

Dante just nodded, the stress of the day's events had both of them on edge. All he wanted to do the moment she got out of the car and started to walk away from him was to grab her hold her in his arms, tell her he was sorry for being an ass hole. That he loved her, and ran kisses down on her, but he knew she didn't share his feelings and it was safer for the both of them if he kept her at a distance in his life. He kept her safe in case he did go out on a mission and didn't come home or he broke her heart.

Chapter 12 Preview: This chapter will contain the preview for the story but please note some changes have occurred since the preview was written.

"Dante?" Scarlett asked rolling over on to her side to face him.

"Hum?"

The sand was still warm from the day time heat even though the sun had set an hour ago they lay in the sand looking up at the stars. She stared at him, he looked flawless in the moonlight. The warm ocean water beat against the shore, not far from their toes. She froze up she couldn't do it.

"What is it?" He asked opening one eye and looking at her.

"I can't remember." She answered shyly, before getting up. She unzipped her fish net hoodie, and dropped it in the sand, and then dropped her shorts. She stood there in her bikini for a moment before walk out into the water.

"Scarlett?" He asked sitting up. His eyes landed on her curved body about waist deep in the water. He couldn't help but stare at her, this was the least amount of clothing he had ever seen her in and he liked the view. Christ she's beautiful. He got up and took off his shirt fallowing her into the water.

Scarlett stood there looking out over the ocean, when she felt his strong arms wrap around her pressing her back against his warm broad chest. "Dante..." She breathed.

"What can't I have some fun."

She could hear the smirk in his voice and she didn't have time to react before he picked her up and threw her into the water soaking her from head to foot.

"Dante!" She yelled.

He was doubled over in the water laughing.