Tell Me Ariel, Are You Mine?

Chapter 20 - The Arms Of A Hunter

Right, sooo I wanted to split this up, but I just couldn't see where it would have worked to split it imo. This is the longest chapter in the history of chapters people lol. Looooong. If you can't take it, and you're like 'whoa!', take a breather, go make a cuppa tea first, go drink some coffee maybe, eat a bar of chocolate, like NOW, chill out, then crack on. But I haven't updated since the 11th of May so i figure this will more than make up for that to anyone who has been waiting for it. Since its long, there'll be a typo or two, just read on by, they'll be dealt with :). Also wattpad has now switched the entire story to 'R'. Oh well. Anyway....I'm sleepy and off to bed now...

                                    Chapter 20 – The Arms Of A Hunter 

"Dan?" I said to Malcolm as I lifted into the seat next to him at the bar and settled by him. "You call him Dan?" I remembered with a smile at what he said to himself earlier. 

He smiled at me just before a twitch of pain caught up with him and he winced. "The missus started it." He said, rubbing slightly at the left side of his ribs. "But you know, Dan, well, he's like my brother so I can get away with it." An almost searing ahh escaped him at the pain he traced beneath his fingers.

"You fight like brothers too if that last kafuffle was anything to go by."

"No, he fights like the whole world is against him." He said sombre, straightening up to find a more comfortable posture. "Even me."

Sometimes when I looked at Dante, he did look as though it was him and only him in his world. There were moments when it looked liked he was completely caught up in his own head, as if something was worrying him, like it was only a matter of time. Til what? I didn't know...

I could totally see where Malcolm was coming from, but clearly, Malcolm knew more about that than I did.

I received a slight shove to my shoulder which took me off balance as some guy edged closer to the bar to get his drink. Malcolm was not impressed.

"Hey! Watch it, you fucking prick!" he said getting up with clear confrontation in mind. "You can't see there's a lady here?"

The guy held his hands up and said "Hey, hey, cool it okay?' Before adding "Sorry darling." to me, his hand briefly on my shoulder. I nodded, and he cast a cautious look over to Malcolm before raising his hand at the barman.  

The traces of his confrontation with Dante were clearly all over him. I had no doubt that Malcolm was still stewing over it and he was taking it out on anyone within near distance. I was sure he wanted to direct his frustration towards Dante if he were here right now, but Dante was off dealing with the other three, moving them on in fact. Well, that was the plan he'd told me, because it wasn't long ago he'd been stood in the dimly lit corner watching me just to make sure we left.

Dante had told me that he would lure the other three away from the main part of the club just to make sure things were safe for me here in the meantime before we made our move. But the three were no longer here. And from what I could see, neither was Dante.

I couldn't help but wonder what Dante meant when he talked about what they wanted from him, and I desperately wanted to think of anything else but what he was currently doing right now. Those two women...the rational side of me knew he was doing nothing with them, but I sure wanted to know what their intentions were. Whatever it was, he made it clear he didn't want me sticking around long enough to find out. 

As I passed a look at Malcolm, his thoughts seemed just as deep as mine, so much so I wondered what else was on his mind as he cradled his drink.

"You okay?" I asked him with a tilt of my head as I noticed his slight shuffle.