Chapter 96

[ALEX]

Blind rage consumed me. In my six years in the Mafia, I’d never been attacked. This was partly why I remained silent—if anything happened to me, my parents would resurrect me, only to kill me again.

This was the first time an enemy had gotten close enough to shoot at me, and it infuriated me that I didn't even know who sent them. To my house.

Sixty-three of their men came; sixty-two were dead. The only survivor? The one chasing Mia. It took every ounce of self-control not to execute him on the spot.

"Sir, the timing is suspicious," Dominic said as I washed the blood from my hands and face before entering the interrogation room.

Usually, I would have humored him, even if only pretending to. Today, however, I saw only red. "I don't pay you for your opinions, Dom," I hissed. "I need to know who sent these men. Don't show your face until you have information."

He nodded stiffly and left. I entered the interrogation room, where the man I'd shot was strapped to a chair, and Mia was in the opposite corner.

As soon as she heard my footsteps, she looked up from her knees. "Why—why am I here?"

"I already told you… so you can watch me kill him."

"And I already told you, I don't know who he is! He means nothing to me!"

"Then you won't mind seeing him die, right?"

"Of course I would mind, Mr. King!" she cried. "I'm a normal person! This isn't normal!"

"Mr. King?" I raised an eyebrow, approaching her. "Tell me you know my name, Mia."

She blinked, as if processing my question, then shook her head. "I—I don't."

"Jesus." Either she was innocent, or a very good actress. "Alex," I said. "It's Alex."

"Alex," she repeated softly.

"Now, one last time before I kill him. Do you know him? Is he here for you?" I asked. She shook her head and looked at him. That's when I noticed a large cut on her back, exposing most of it.

"Mia," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, as I knew how easily she frightened. "Did he touch you?"

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"Your back…"

She reached behind her, gasped, and turned to me.

"I—I didn't…" she stammered.

"Don't be afraid," I said, softening my voice. "Tell me, did he try to touch you?"

She shook her head. "I—I think it must have happened when I was running from him. I didn't even realize."

"Okay."

"Okay?" she asked.

"Okay," I repeated, before shooting him in the head.

Mia screamed, covering her mouth, her eyes wide as she stared at the dead man, then at me. "What did you do?" she cried.

"I killed him," I said.

"Wh—why?"

"Did you really think any man attacks me in my own house and lives?" I asked. She blinked back tears.

"Besides," I added, "he tried to attack what's mine."

"Yours?" she hiccuped. I moved towards her as if she were my center of gravity.

"What did I tell you about yourself?" I asked.

"That my life is yours," she whispered.

"And your death?" I asked.

"Y—yours."

"Good." I tried not to smile, but a ghost of one lingered. "If your life and death are mine, who do you belong to?"

"You?" she whispered.

"Me. Every part of you is mine." I moved closer, until there was almost no space between us. The urge to touch her, to claim her, overwhelmed me, requiring more restraint than killing that man had.

A wasted effort anyway, because I had to shoot him the moment I saw his bare back. He touched her. He touched what was mine.

I placed my hands on the wall on either side of her, caging her in. "Would you have let him touch you, Mia? If he wanted to, would you?" I asked.

She softly shook her head, her breath uneven. This time, it wasn't out of fear.

"And your boyfriend?" I spat the word like poison.

"No," she breathed.

"Then who can touch you, Mia?"

"Y—you."

I fought to contain the warmth spreading through my chest, the urge to smile. "And why?"

"Because I belong to you." Her lips quivered.

"Right as fuck you do."

"Are you going to…?"

"Am I going to what?"

She paused, as if waiting for me to understand.

"What, Mia?" I demanded. "Use your words."

"T—touch me."

My surprise must have shown in my eyes, because I saw color rise in her cheeks. My erection strained against my pants, the idea appealing to me far too much.

"I will," I replied, hoping I didn't look as smug as I felt.

I led her to the second room and shot the CCTV camera. She gasped, but didn't scream. My shy, innocent Mia no longer feared me. I turned her on. Perhaps I always had. Perhaps I'd had the same effect on her since the day I saw her. A dark feeling rose in my chest as I held her hips and placed her on the table.

She gasped, her eyes boring into mine with desire and lust. My erection was hard and painful, demanding release, but I had to remind myself to take it slow for her.

I licked my lips. "Open your legs for me, Mia."