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The Mafia Devil's Obsession - Chapter 19



Chapter 19


Leah

I pushed the door open and barely stepped into the hallway when his hand caught my wrist and slammed me into the wall so hard it knocked the air from my lungs.

His naked body pressed into mine, pinning me so tightly I could feel the thud of his heart. Or maybe it was mine.

"You really thought you could outrun me?" He growled, a sick grin creeping his lips. 

He forced my head up until I met his gaze, his breath hot against my lips. 

"I am going to make sure you understand what you did wrong, doll." 

"Go to hell," I spat, driving the knife into his side without a second thought.

Warm blood spilt over my fingers.

His body jerked, he grunted, and then he laughed wickedly.

"I didn't think you would actually stab me."

His fingers clamped down harder on my neck. I gasped, clawing at his arm, but he didn't let up. I twisted the knife, shoving it in deeper.

He groaned, staggering back, one hand clutching the knife.

I didn't waste a second and bolted down the hallway. 

I reached the front door, hands shaking so badly I missed the keyhole.

I stabbed someone. I stabbed someone.

"Leah!" Aiden's voice roared down the hallway. 

I flinched, the keys slipping from my fingers.

Get ahold of yourself! He won't die from it, but you will if he catches you!

I snatched it up, jamming one into the lock. 

"Get back here!" He was behind me now, blood dripping from where I had stabbed him and his eyes wild with rage.

I rushed out the door, slamming it shut behind me and locking it just as his body crashed against it.

"Open the fucking door, Leah!"

"I would be an idiot to do that."

"You are going to regret this, doll."

I ran into the rain towards his car. I slid inside, heart pounding, and turned the ignition on.

I let out a breath, feeling my freedom at my fingertips. I pressed the gas, the car jerked forward and back then died.

No.

My hands trembled as I twisted the key again, nothing.

"Please," I sobbed. "Please move."

It didn't.

I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, screaming in frustration.

Did he plan this? Did he give me hope just to take it away?

A gunshot rang out.

My heart skipped a beat. 

Another shot, and He kicked the door open.

I jumped out of the car and ran like my life depended on it. Because it fucking did.

My breath came in short gasps, barefeet thudding against the wet ground.

I had to get out of the woods. Maybe a car would be passing by. They could help me. I kept assuring myself that it was worth it, but I knew. I fucking knew that no one would be there.

"Don't let me catch you, doll," His voice dragged behind me amused. "I am fucking pissed right now." 

My tears mixed with the rain, blurring my vision. Branches tore at my arms as I ran into the woods. My foot caught on a root and I fell, my knee scraping the ground.

I whimpered as I forced myself up, dragging my feet when I felt a sharp sting under my sole.

I bit back a cry as I hopped on a foot toward a tree and  collapsed behind it.

A twig snapped. I covered my mouth, trying not to make a sound and praying he didn't find me.

"Now he is making me search the fucking woods for a woman?" I heard a voice muttered.

The driver was coming from the opposite direction.

My heart drummed violently with each step he took towards me, and I shrunk deeper into the shadow of the tree until he passed the tree.

"She didn't go that way?" I heard Aiden ask.

The driver laughed. "Damn, she got you really bad."

"Shut the fuck up and find her!" Aiden barked. "She couldn't have gotten far."

The driver sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright, calm your tities, big guy. I'll sweep the woods for your girl." 

"Although I gotta say for someone who got stabbed you look way too excited." Their voices and footsteps faded deeper into the woods.

I waited until I couldn't hear them anymore then peeked out. After confirming they were gone, I scrambled up, ignoring the pain in my legs, and limped in the direction the driver had come from.

My legs were trembling when the ground disappeared beneath my feet, and I fell.

"Argh!" An agonized cry tore from my throat as the bone in my leg snapped.

Tears spilt over as I clutched my leg, biting down on my arm to swallow back my cries.

A chill crawled over me as my eyes locked with a pair of lifeless eyes staring back at me. Three bodies lay in the hole, their faces a bloody messy.

I slapped a hand over my mouth, muffling a choked scream as I scooted away, sobbing.

I tried to stand up, but my legs gave out, and I crashed back down. 

Why me? Why was he doing this to me? 

I drew my knees to my chest, shoulders shaking with silent sobs as I buried my face in them.

I just want to go home.

The rain came down in relentless sheets, pooling around me. I couldn't stop shivering, and my teeth chattered uncontrollably.

I am going to die here with these deadbodies. My parents would cry. It would take a while, but they will move on. Maybe Liam would feel guilty and he would finally stop hating me.

My chest clenched, and I hugged myself tighter.

I don't want to die yet. Please. Anyone.

But the universe had a cruel way of answering a desperate prayer. It didn't offer salvation. No, It offered nothing but the very darkness I had been running from. A darkness that knew my name and smiled while he ruined me. It wanted nothing but to consume me whole.

"This is where you were hiding?" His voice slithered through the shadows. A viper coiling tightly around me, promising nothing but hell.

There was never a way out. This was all one sick game to him. And I lost badly.

He threw me on the bed once we entered the room, and I bounced against the mattress, catching myself with my elbows. 

"I warned you not to let me catch you, doll," he said, climbing the bed.

I tried to scoot away from him. 

I screamed as his hand wrapped around my injured leg, dragging me back to him.

"You have been disobedient," he said, his voice too calm. And I knew what that meant. "And disobedient girls need to be punished."

"Get your hands off me!" I cried weakly, my voice hoarse from the screams that had torn through me when he draped me over his shoulder and carried me back to the cabin.

I shoved at his chest, but it was like pushing a wall. He flipped me over, pressing me down.

"You stabbed me, Leah," he growled. "I don't forgive easily." 

And like a twisted joke, he whispered into my ear. "But since it is you, I will make an exception."

"Should I be thankful?" I scoffed.

He didn't answer. He yanked open the nightstand drawer and pulled out the ropes.

"What are you doing?" My heart pounded as he tied my wrists to the bed and moved to my ankles, binding them apart.

He tugged my shirt up over my hips, exposing me.

"Aiden!" I called out in shock, my voice cracking. 

He didn't look at me.

I twisted, but the ropes held me firm, and the more I struggled, the more strain it put on my injured legs 

"You will learn." He said. "Disobeying me comes with consequences."

His hand came down hard on my ass, sharp and loud.

I cried out, my body jerking as heat spread instantly where he struck.

He paused, massaging the spot for a moment before the second slap came.

"How many will it take to break you?" 

I bit down on my bottom lip so hard it bled, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing me cry.

He continued, each strike harder and more painful than the last.

Tears welled in my eyes, my body jolting with each strike.

"Beg me, doll," he said. "And I might just stop."

I stayed silent, enduring it until I finally broke. 

My body trembled, and I sobbed loudly, tears soaking the sheets.

"Please," I cried. "Please stop."

He didn't.

"Please," I repeated louder. "Aiden...please."

He fisted my hair, pulling my head back until I was staring into his eyes.

"What did you do wrong, doll?"

I sniffled, shaking. "I tried to run."

"And will you do it again?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Good," he whispered against my ear. "Because I might break these pretty legs next time."

A cold shudder ripped through me, knowing they weren't empty threats.

His lips brushed mine gently, the tenderness making my skin crawl. Then he sucked on my bottom lip, tasting the blood. He pulled away after the kiss and left me there to cry.









Chapter 20  

Aiden

Each step up the stairs pulled at the muscles near the stab wound.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath.

I looked down at my side. The cloth I had used to wrap the wound was soaked through with blood again.

I didn't think she would stab me and definitely not this deep.

"I shouldn't have left the knife in the drawer," I hissed, pushing the bedroom door open.

She was lying on her side naked, back facing me, exactly as I'd left her after washing her up. She was sobbing into the pillow, her entire body trembling from either the pain shooting through her legs or the humiliation she suffered. Or both. My handprint still on her ass glowed an angry red.

It could have been worse.

When I went after her, all I wanted was to hurt her enough that she would never think of running again. But when I found her in that hole, terrified and broken, my anger calmed.

That didn't mean she wasn't going to be punished. She had to understand, had to learn otherwise, she might do it again.

My eyes dropped on her scrapped knee, then to her ankle. They were swollen and purple. I frowned. I hadn't noticed when I carried her, didn't care at the time.

"Why didn't you tell me it was broken?" I asked, like she owed me any damn answer, and I wasn't the reason she was hurt, partly. 

If she hadn't run, this wouldn't have happened.

I knelt beside her legs, opening the bottle of whisky I had brought in with me. When I reached for her leg, she flinched.

"This is going to hurt a lot, doll," I warned.

I poured the alcohol over her open wound.

She screamed into the pillow, fists clenching tight around the sheets.

I could hear the pain and agony in her screams. It cut through me, stirring something... alien in me.

My jaw clenched. "Stop making that sound," I snapped, hasher than I intended.

I tried to be careful, but I didn't do careful. Being careful took a fucking lot of effort.

When I touched her ankle, she whimpered and tried to jerk away, struggling to sit up.

"Stay still if you want it to heal," I growled, feeling irritated more at myself than her.

She shook her head, eyes swollen and red, hair sticking to her sweaty face. She tried to push me away with the little strength she had left. She was a mess just how I wanted her. But it felt wrong, wasn't as satisfying as I had thought it would be.

Shit.

My voice softened. "I will be gentle."

"Liar," she whispered. 

"Have I ever lied to you."

"You..."

Another scream burst from her throat, swallowing whatever she wanted to say as I twisted her joints back into place. 

She cried louder, hitting me with her tiny, weak fists.

"I hate you!" She sobbed. "I fucking hate you!"

"I know," I said, brushing the damp strands of hair from her face. "It would have been weird if you didn't. "

"I am going to kill you," she threatened, her voice shaking.

I chuckled. "No, you won't."

"The only reason you managed to stab me is because I let my guard down. It won't happen again."

I grabbed a cold towel and pressed it against the swelling. She tensed but didn't stop me. 

By the time Storm was done burying the bodies of the men who had been trailing us earlier, she had already cried herself to sleep.

I watched the rise and fall of her chest. She looked smaller and fragile, like a cherished piece of porcelain, you never want to break. Except I wanted to break her. 

She seemed peaceful in her sleep, save for the brief moments she scowled and hissed. It was probably from the pain or her dreams. She must have seen an annoying face in there.

I glanced at her ankle again and felt a twisted satisfaction, knowing she wouldn't be able to run on them for a while. It was wrong, but who gives a shit?

I pulled her into my arms, careful not to put too much pressure on her ankle. She winced, her head resting on  my shoulder, breathing shallow and warm against my skin. That irritating feeling stirred in my chest again, tight, crawling under my skin.

My nails dug into her skin, and she whimpered in her sleep.

I'm only going to play with her until I am tired of her.

************************************

I sat behind my desk in my private home office, a cigar between my fingers as I fixed my gaze on the screen on my desk. She lay curled under the sheets like she was trying to disappear into the mattress. 

The dinner that was brought in hours ago remained untouched. She had refused to eat anything since we arrived at my place yesterday. 

I took a long drag from the cigar and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

"So fucking stubborn," I muttered.

She will get tired of it soon.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

"Come in," I said, extinguishing the cigar in the ashtray.

Storm stepped in ready to brief me on the events that happened while we were off the grid.

"The mayor called requesting for a meeting," he said, cutting right to it.

"What for?" I asked, leaning back in my chair. 

"He didn't say. Only asked that it be arranged quickly."

I stood turning to face the ceiling to floor window overlooking the city. My city.

"Apparently one of our men watching the Don said they met two days ago."

I hummed, my fingers massaging my freshly trimmed jaw thoughtfully.

He must have asked the Don for something and didn't get it. And now he is crawling to me.

A chuckle rumbled from my chest.

"Tell him I am busy."

"Yes, boss," he replied before continuing, "The boys got rough with a client who defaulted on payment, causing a scene midtown. The cops showed up and took them in."

I frowned. "Who was in charge?"

"Scar."

"That idiot should have known better than to pull a rookie move like that. " My fingers clenched tightly.

Then I exhaled slowly. "Give the cops a fat envelope. That's all they are after anyway."

Storm hesistated before adding. "Also, some outsiders have been sniffing around the club and asking questions."

I turned my head to him, narrowing my eyes. "What's with all the bad updates tonight?"

He shrugged. "I don't control this shit, dude."

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Move the next auction forward and send our clients an apology for the inconvenience. Make sure to deal with those prying around before tomorrow night."

"Yes, boss."

"Any more bad news?" I asked dryly, expecting more.

"Well, Mr. Carter hired a private investigator. He is famous for his skill in tracking down his targets."

I glanced back at the screen and she still hadn't moved.

"You want me to make him disappear?"

I smirked. "Don't bother. Let him burn his money, just like her, he will soon learn how futile escaping me is."

I lit up another cigar, sinking back into my chair.

Liam had watched from the window while I dragged her away that night. He didn't do anything, and even now, his father-in-law was looking for her he didn't say anything.

A dark chuckle escaped me.

"Poor Leah doesn't know how eager her husband is to get rid of her."

***********************************

I stood beside the bed, staring down at the trembling lump beneath the sheets.

"Are you planning on starving?" I asked coldly.

When she didn't respond, a muscle twitched in my forehead. She was starting to get on my fucking nerves.

Angrily, I yanked the covers off her to find her soaked in her sweat, her breathing shallow. She whimpered at the loss of warmth curling into herself.

"The fuck," I leaned in, pressing the back of my hand to her forehead.

She was burning up.

"Goddamit, Leah. If you are sick you should speak up," I snapped. "First your leg, now this? Are you doing this on purpose?"

I straightened, watching her shiver like a dying kitten, goosebumps spreading across her skin.

I reached for my phone and dialed Storm's number. "Bring up any fever meds you can get your hands on. Fast." I hung up before he could reply.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Great, now I have to take care of your sick body, too."










Chapter 21  

Aiden

Getting her to eat was a fucking nightmare. 

She cried like a child, tears trailing down her cheeks as she turned her face away. She clenched her teeth when I tried to push the spoon past her lips. And when I finally managed to force it in, she threw it all up on me. The meds weren't any easier. I practically shoved them down her throat as she clawed at my wrists like I was killing her.

Hours dragged by, and her skin burned hotter with each passing minute.

Was I supposed to take her to the hospital?

Fuck. She looked like a corpse lying there with her skin pale, lips cracked and dry.


I pressed a finger under her nose every second just to make sure she was still breathing.

I have made corpses, watched the life drain from countless eyes without blinking. 

But this? This was different. And I had no fucking idea why.

I wasn't worried. No.

I just hated the idea of her dying on me before I was done with her. After all the work I put into breaking her, It would be a pain in the ass to find someone new.

That's all.

She wasn't allowed to die until I permitted it.

"You are in denial, dude." 

Storm's voice startled me. I had forgotten he was still in the room. 

He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching me with a disgusted look on his face.

"I am not worried about her," I muttered, though even I didn't believe the words.

His gaze dropped to my hunched form, my elbows digging into my thighs, one hand pressed tight over my mouth and leg tapping the floor restlessly.

"Yeah," he said dryly. "Definitely not."

My jaw tightened as I forced my knee still and leaned back, glaring at him.

"What the fuck are you even doing here?"

"You told me not to leave."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to remember why the hell I had said that.

"Probably because you are scared shitless and don't know what the hell you are doing," he pointed out.

He pushed off the wall and approached the bed, stopping three feet away. His eyes shifted briefly to Leah on the bed.

"I get why you took her to the cabin. You had a twisted urge to satisfy. Not judging. But bringing her here?" He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "That I don't get."

My eyes darkened.

"There are girls at the club willing and desperate to serve you. But no, you are fixated on a woman who clearly wants to be anywhere but near you."

"I don't owe you any damn explanation," I gritted.

He sighed, dragging a hand down his face in frustration. 

"If you keep her here too long, the Don's going to notice. And you know damn well how he is. The second he sees you interested in something, he wants it for himself."

My fists clenched, nails biting into my palms.

He was right. The Don had shown interest in her when he found out I had met her a few times. He only let it slide because I told him it was nothing more than a one night stand.

But the thought of him even looking at her, touching her in a way only I should, made my blood boil.

I can let him have his way with anything, but not her. 

"I will take care of it."

"Surely, you don't plan on fighting the Don?" He raised an eyebrow, and as if realising something, he said, "Jesus christ, you are crazy."

I wasn't planning on fighting the Don. I wasn't about to break my rules for a woman. I just had to make sure he never found out about her.

***********************************

What the fuck was I doing?

I had spent the whole damn night by her side. Watching her breath, flinching every time she shifted like she might stop.

Pathetic.
I needed to get my shit together. 

I took a shower to clear my head, but that didn't help.

I told myself I would get Storm to find someone to take care of her. I didn't need to do it myself.

After drying off and changing the bandage on my side, I stepped out of the bathroom and found her sitting on the bed.

Her eyes met mine, wide and surprised. 

I exhaled slowly, feeling some weight in my chest loosening. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I pressed a hand against her forehead before I could stop myself. Her fever had broken.

She blinked, confused, not sure if I was real before it shifted into guilt as her eyes welled.

"I am sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to...it was a mistake."

I brushed away a tear with my thumb. "You have done nothing but cry these past few days." 

She shook her head. "I won't do it again. I promise."

A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. I lifted her chin until she met my eyes.

"Does it still hurt?" I asked. "Where I hit you?

She shook her head again.

"I won't do it again," I promised, my fingers tracing the curve of her jaw before sliding to the softness of her lips.

"Open your mouth," my voice dipped lower.

She obeyed.

I slipped my thumb in, pressing down on her tongue. She sucked on it, her tongue moving around it, wet and warm. Her lashes fluttered as she looked up at me.

Fuck me.

I swallowed hard, my cock throbbing.

Was it the fever or was this her real self?

I leaned in to kiss her, and she responded, arms wrapping around my neck, pulling me closer like she was starved for me. I lifted her onto my lap without breaking the kiss. She whimpered against my lips when her injured leg shifted.

My hand slid down, caressing her thigh. "Relax."

She trembled, fingers twisting into my hair as I kissed her again, deeper and rougher. My lips trailed over her neck, across her chest, claiming every inch of it like it belonged to me. Because it did.

My hand slipped under her shirt, gliding over her bare skin. I traced the curve of her waist until my fingers found the little mole resting at the base of her spine. 

My favourite.

She moaned softly, her body grinding against me. The only thing separating us was the towel.

I groaned, gripping her hips to stop her. "You are still sick," I whispered, breathless. "I don't want to go further than this."

Her face fell.

"I am not sick."

I chuckled, holding her tighter as she kept moving. "You are, doll."

"You don't want me?" She asked softly, her eyes flickering with hurt.

"No," I sucked in a sharp breath. "I want to bury myself  so deep inside you you will forget any name but mine."

"Oh God," she breathed shakily, hips rolling again with slow aching need.

Every soft moan, every roll of her hips, made my self-control crumble by the second. 

Her glassy eyes locked onto mine, like she could see deep into my soul. It shook something loose in my chest. Something I didn't like.

She lifted her hand, brushing my hair behind my ear. "When did you grow your hair?" 

The question caught me off guard.

"What?"

Her palm pressed to my cheek, and I leaned into it without thinking like it was the most natural thing to do.

"I love you —" She whispered.

Everything in me froze.

My breath hitch, and my heart beat pounded in my ears. For a second, I let myself believe she meant it.

She smiled softly. She had never smiled at me like that.

It shattered me.

Then, the next words that came from her lips felt like a bullet straight to the chest.

"— I love you, Liam."

The air left my lungs.

Liam?

The same man who sold her and threw her out without a second thought. 

My hands stilled on her hips, jaw clenching so hard it hurt.

She collapsed against my shoulder, snoring softly against my skin, unaware of the grenade she had just dropped.

Every sound she made, every fucking expression she wore, none of it had been for me.

I stared at the wall, rage creeping into my bones like frostbite. 

She hadn't learned a damn thing.

My hand slid to the nape of her neck, fingers wrapping around it, rough and possessive, as I pulled her tighter against me.

"You still don't get it." My teeth grazed her skin, lingering at the curve of her throat. "You are not his anymore." 

"You are mine," I growled.










Chapter 22  

Leah

My body ached all over as I turned on my side. 

My skin was clammy, the shirt clung to my damp body, my throat parched, and my head pounded with a persistent throb. 

The room was dark, except for a little light that slipped through the gap of the tightly drawn curtains.

I blinked, seeing a figure sitting in a chair across from the bed, watching me.

My heart raced as I sat up. "Liam?" I whispered.

He didn't respond. 

When he stood up and moved toward the window, I noticed he was taller. He yanked the curtains open, and the sudden light made me squint as  I turned my face away.

My heart dropped when I saw the tattooed back. It wasn't him.

I kissed Liam last night. 

I remembered his hands, rough and possessive all over my body. The warmth of his body pressed against mine. His voice...

I swallowed hard, a sickening realisation creeping up my spine.

Aiden turned to face me, his expression unreadable. "You look disappointed," he said, approaching the bed. He pressed his palm against my forehead to check my temperature. 

His long hair, brushing his neck, made me recall a memory. My hands were in his hair last night. I gripped the sheets, my hands shaking. "Still dreaming about your ex-husband?"

No. God, no. Itt was a dream. It had to be.

But it felt too real to be a dream. 

I slapped his hand away weakly. "Don't touch me," my voice trembled in disgust at myself. 

He chuckled, amused. "You seem all better now," he murmured. "I missed this side of you."

He asked if I was hungry. I opened my mouth to refuse when my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl.

You traitorous bitch!

His lips twitched.

"I am not eating," I muttered.

"You think I am asking?" His voice dropped into something darker. "You either eat it yourself, or I decide how you will do it. And frankly, I wouldn't mind shoving it down your throat while you are tied to the bed like last time."

My stomach twisted as I recalled that night. I could still feel the sting on my ass.

"Good girl," he purred, as he reached forward and ruffled my hair, like I was some obedient pet.

I jerked my head away from his touch.

He stepped out into the hallway, where he gave someone standing outside an order to have a certain Clare prepare something light.

I suddenly felt an urgent pressure in my lower abdomen. I tried to shift my legs, but the pain shot through my ankle. I had forgotten I had sprained it.

Of course. As if being locked up wasn't enough, I couldn't use my legs!

He returned, noticing me struggle and asked, "Where are you going?"

I ignored him, trying to stand on my own. My legs gave out the moment I stood, and I collapsed to the floor with a gasp. 

My face burned with humiliation as I blinked back the tears that gathered. I hated how helpless I was in front of him. Hated that I needed him. But I wasn't going to beg him. 

My eyes fell on the mirror across the room. I couldn't recognise the stranger staring back at me. She looked crazy, with messy hair, pale chapped lips, and hickeys on her neck.

Hickeys?

My hands trembled as they reached up to touch the hickeys scattered across my neck and chest.

It wasn't a dream. I had let him touch me last night.
Everything else was blank after the kiss. 

What did he do after I passed out?
My stomach clenched as bile rose to my throat.

The urge to pee surged again. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself up. The door was only a few steps away, but it felt like it was  miles away.

He followed behind, observing and enjoying the show.

I was almost at the door, just one more step. Then I felt a warm trickle run down my thighs. It started as a slow leak at first before everything gave way, followed by a shameless wave of relief.

I froze my gaze dropping down at the growing puddle beneath me.

My legs trembled from both pain and humiliation as I balled my fist, trying to hold back the tears. I wished the ground would just swallow me whole.

He must be smiling now, drinking in every second of my defeat.

"You would rather put pressure on your broken ankle and piss yourself than admit you need help?"

"I don't need your help," my voice cracked as I tried to push myself forward, but he caught me, scooping me up into his arms before I could protest.

"God, you are one stubborn woman," he muttered as he carried me into the bathroom.

"Let me down!" I shouted, pounding my fists against his chest.

"Keep being stubborn, and you ankle won't heal right."

He set me on the closed toilet lid. 

I glared at him. "What does it matter to you? You are the reason I broke it in the first place."

He raised a brow. "I don't remember asking you to run through the woods in the middle of the night."

He turned, tying his hair back. Then he turned on the tap, filling the bathtub with warm water as steam curled into the air. 

"Take off your shirt," he ordered, not bothering to look at me.

"No."

He turned then, his tone hardening. "I said, take it off."

"I said no."

"I have seen every inch of you. I washed you when you were sick. Don't act all modest now."

I scoffed, turning my face away. "You sound proud of yourself."

He stepped closer.

"Don't," I warned.

"I am trying to be gentle, Leah, " his voice was calm, like the silence before a storm.  "If force is the only language you understand, I am fluent as hell."

His hand reached for the hem of the shirt, tugging it with growing impatience, but I refused to raise my arms.

"Leah," he growled.

I noticed the danger in his gaze were real now, and my body flinched before I could stop it.

I clenched down on my jaw, shoving his hands away. I peeled the shirt off myself, breathing through clenched teeth.

He lifted me again and lowered me into the bathub, gently that false tenderness making me want to scream.

He crouched beside me his persistent presence like a fly that wouldn't leave no matter how many times I swatted it away. 

"Your eyes are already glistening with tears."

"They are not," I denied.

"They are already falling," he teased.

I wiped at them with the back of my hand, hating myself for how easily they came. I was trying so damn hard to be strong. Acting like he wasn't doing a good job in breaking me, but every second with him made it harder. 

"I hope you trip on the stairs, split your head open, and die slowly."

Painfully.

He smiled, wiping a tear from my cheek. "And what would you do then?"

"I don't think you should be worried about that when you are dead."

He laughed loudly.

I didn't say it to he funny. I meant it.

He grabbed the soap and washcloth. 

I snatched them from him. "Get out."

He stayed still, watching me with those eyes I had come to hate.

"Leave me alone, you bastard!" I yelled. 

When he straightened, I thought for a second he had listened. 

But then he shifted to the wall, leaning on it with crossed arms.

"Don't stay in the water for long. I don't want you catching a cold."

A bitter laugh rose from my throat. 

Is he worried about me now?

I needed time alone in the bathroom. Just one fucking moment to breathe. The bathroom was supposed to be my only source of privacy, but he was denying me that too.

I pressed my forehead to the cold tile, closing my eyes. "Please," I said quieter now.

He was silent for a moment before he said, "Five minutes." Then he left, the door clicking quietly behind him.

He wasn't even pretending anymore, no hope, no illusion that I had a way out of this.

He was just making sure he occupied every part of my life.











Chapter 23 

Leah

"You need a hair dryer," Aiden said as he carried me out of the bathroom, a towel barely covering my ass wrapped around my chest.

My eyes landed on a girl, kneeling on the floor and scrubbing off the mess I had made. She looked up, her face not hiding her annoyance. 


I turned, my eyes catching Aiden's gaze who noticed my embarrassment.

I bit the inside of my cheek and buried my face in his chest, my cheeks flushing red.

Fuck. I wanted to disappear.

Why the hell did he let someone else clean it?

He pulled me higher against him, and I tried not to focus on his rough palm gripping my bare thigh or how much of me was exposed.

"Keep starring, and you will lose those fucking eyes."

"Sorry, sir."

"Get lost if you are done."

"Yes, sir." I heard her hurry off.

He walked us into another room, a massive walk-in closet, dark and cold, like him. Black cabinets lined the walls, and a chandelier hung over a black letter sofa in the middle of the space. He set me down before tossing a plain black T-shirt to me. 

"Put it on."

I let it fall to the floor.  "Where is the dress I was wearing? The one you dragged me off my front porch in?"

I didn’t want to wear his shirt and have his scent wrapping around me.

"You can put it on or stay naked. Your call." He smirked picking it up. "I actually prefer you in nothing."

I glared at him as I snatched it from him. He chuckled, walking away while I held onto it, refusing to wear it yet. I know I was being stubborn, but I didn't want to obey him easily.

When he returned with a cooling gel, he chuckled again, noticing I still hadn't put it on. The cold shiver that ran down my spine told me that I had made a mistake.

He knelt in front of me.

"Until your ankle heals," he said, gripping it, and I shifted uncomfortably. "You don't walk without my permission. I will break the other one if you disobey me and make sure you never walk again." 

He applied the gel, his fingers circling my swollen skin slowly. I hissed, grabbing the edge of the sofa.

"You don't get to tell me what to do with my body."

He pressed harder and I screamed, arching slightly off the sofa.

"That body hasn't been yours since the moment I laid hands on it, doll."

"It doesn't belong to you," I gritted.

He smiled. "No," he murmured, brushing his lips over my ankle. "It belongs to me. Every inch of this beautiful body."

His mouth trailed upward, slowly, over my ankle, my knee, wet and claiming, each skin it touched burning.
His eyes held mine, dark and lustful. 

My breath hitched.

Yes. It was that look that undid me. The reason I was in this mess.He looked at me the way I always wanted Liam to. Like I was something sacred, he was hellbent on tainting. A desire so raw, it made me ache deep in places I had tried to keep numb. 

I fisted his hair, yanking it back before his mouth could reach its destination. But his lips continued its path, brushing my inner thigh.

I gasped, yanking harder. "Stop."

"I want your legs spread wide, trembling, while I eat you like I have been starved for you," he whispered against my skin. "I will ruin you with my mouth, devour every inch of your pussy until you are shaking, screaming, begging me to stop. And when you come on my face, soaked, wrecked, and crying my name, you will finally understand who this body belongs to."

A shudder ran through me and it wasn't the dread kind. Something worse that felt wrong and twisted.

I tried to close my legs, but his head wedged between them.

"You are disgusting," I spat.

I was the disgusting one.

His eyes dropped, lingering on the slick skin between my thighs. His tongue flicked over his lips. "And you are wet."

I tried to deny it, but the words caught in my throat shame curling tighter in my stomach, as I turned my face away.

"Don't," he said, turning my face back to his. "Dont pretend you don't want this. You want me just as bad as I do." 

I should have slapped him, fought harder. But I didn't.
He closed the gap, his forehead touching mine, our nose grazing each other, hot breaths mingling. He brushed my hair aside, his finger tracing the curve of my jaw as his mouth hovered over mine.

"I can't give you what you want," I whispered, my body shaking in anger.

I won't.

"You can. That's what you said last time, but you still let me touch you."

"No..."

His lips crashed against mine before I could finish, hard and demanding.

I pushed at his chest, but he pinned me down, trapping my wrists above my head. The towel slipped from my chest, and his body pressed into mine as his knee rubbed against me, sending jolts of unwanted heat through me.

By the time he pulled back, I was breathless.
His fingers dragged roughly over my trembling lips.

"You said your marriage was in the way. I got rid of it. Why are you still fighting this?"

"I never said that."

"You did."

"Is that why you ruined my marriage?"

He leaned in closer. "That...and I don't like sharing."

I let out a bitter laugh. "You don't like sharing? In case you have forgotten, I was someone else's wife when you touched me."

"And yet, you let me fuck you. Maybe those vows meant nothing to you."

My chest tightened. "You don't know shit about me!"

"I know enough, doll," he said. "I know your husband didn't fuck you properly."

I flinched.

"You say you regret that night. But I know you think of me when you touch yourself. When he was inside you."
His grip tightened on my wrists, his eyes dark with rage as he said the last words.

His knees pressed harder into me and I bit my lip.

"Stop."

"Do you hate my touch?"

"Yes."

"Liar."

His voice dipped lower. "You are lying. You say no, but your body... It's begging."

"It would react to any man who touched me like that."

His jaw clenched, a muscle twitching on his forehead.

Then he smiled, his finger tracing the line of my throat as I swallowed hard, then down my chest, stopping at the side of my stomach. "That's fine." He paused, hovering over my tattoo. "We have got time. I will teach your body to respond only to me. I will make sure the only touch it craves is mine."

"And when I am done, you will wear my name on your skin as a permanent mark you can't get rid of."

*********************************

The door was pushed open quietly, careful not to make a noise followed by light footsteps. It was the young girl who had been bringing me food all day. 

She approached the bed, probably to take back the dishes.
"You didn't finish your food?" She said, her voice laced with venom.

I didn't respond, my hollow eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"If he finds out you barely ate, he will blame me," she muttered.

"I don't care," I replied flatly.

"Of course you don't. You are not the one who gets punished," her voice sharpened. "You piss on the floor, and guess who scrubs it? Me. Must be nice, having to do nothing but fuck the boss."

I slowly turned my head to look at her, a bitter smile on my lips. She thought I was better off. As if I wasn't kept here against my will, far away from my family and with no idea when I would ever see them again.

She bit her lip, bowing her head.

"I am sorry. I misspoke."

"How old are you?" 

"Twenty-three"

I scoffed tiredly. "If you think I have got it better, try opening your legs for him too. I will gladly trade places with you."

She dropped to her knees quickly. "I didn't mean it like that. I swear. I am sorry." She slapped herself so hard I jerked in surprise. "I am so sorry."

"What are you doing?" I sat up, alarmed.

"I shouldn't have said that. Forgive me."

I watched for a moment then said, "Stand up."

"I won't stand up until you eat, ma," she said as she slapped herself again.

I shouldn't care. I was drowning in my own shit to feel bad for anyone else. But still, she shouldn't be punished because I didn't eat. Even though she was rude to me. Then again, if someone made me clean up piss, I would be mad, too.

"Okay. Stand," I sighed, reaching for the tray.

Her eyes lit up as she raised her head, smiling. "Thank you."
I stared down at the food, my stomach turning. I wasn't being stubborn. I just couldn't bring myself to swallow.

I took a bite, forcing myself to chew.

"If the food isn't to your taste, I can tell Clare what you like," the girl offered.

I shook my head, swallowing through nausea.

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