Firecracker

Tracey's POV

The ride back to the mansion was silent. Neither Damien or I had said a word to each other. I knew i had messed up, big time and he didn't look like he wanted to hear a word from me. Not like i had anything to say either.

So, I sat there, frozen, with tears rolling down my face. My throat was hurting from trying to hold back the sobs, and my chest felt like it was being squeezed. I shut my eyes, hoping to block out everything, but all I could see was him.

The Italian standowner, his terrified face as he lay in a pool of his own blood....

Damien's man had killed him right in front of me. Just like that, With no hesitation, no second thoughts. And now, I didn’t know what to feel. Should I be grateful that Damien saved me? Or sick from witnessing it all?

The car jerked suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts. I shifted, trying to find some kind of comfort but, Damien noticed and his hand shot forward gripping my arm.

“Don’t move,” he muttered coldly and I swallowed hard, too scared to respond.

When we got to the mansion, the car stopped and one of Damien's men came forward, yanking open the door and dragging me out.

I stumbled, my legs shaky from all the running I had done earlier, but I managed to stay upright.

I didn’t dare look at Damien, who was sitting silently in his wheelchair, with that stony expression. The energy emitting from him was enough to tell me I was in deep shit.

Damien gave a subtle signal and before i could react, the man holding me tightened his grip

"Ahhhh— you're hurting me." I wince in pain but, the man didn’t respond. If anything, his grip tightened, his nails digging into my arm. I could only bite back a cry, too scared to make another sound.

We reached my room, he shoved me like i was nothing, and I stumbled forward, nearly falling.

Then Damien wheeled in behind me, and the door was slammed shut.

My nerves frayed as the reality sank in. I was alone with the monster.

“You think you’re clever?” Damien’s voice was low and sharp,“You think you can run from me?”

“Damien, I—”

“Shut up.” His glare hardened freezing me in place, his hands reached into his jacket, and he pulled out a gun. my breath caught in my throat.

Oh God.

"One more word from you Tracey and I promise you, I'd make sure you lose that babbling tongue of yours" He threatened coldly.

I bit my tongue, hard enough to taste the metallic blood. My back hit against the wall, and my legs felt like they’d give out any second. The sight of the gun was not helping.

“You had one chance,” he growled “And you threw away. Do you know what people don't get from me?" He asked.

I shook my head, unable to form words.

"Answer the damn question!" He flared.

"N—no" I sniffled out.

"Second chances, Tracey. No one gets a second chance from Damien Black."

He raised the gun slightly, and I flinched, shrinking further against the wall.

“I just wanted to be free.” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“Free?” He let out a bitter laugh.“You think you’re entitled to freedom? No, Tracey. People like you don’t get freedom.”

My stomach twisted at his words.I shook my head, desperate to make him stop, desperate to make him see I wasn’t a threat.

He raised the gun higher, pointing it directly at me.

I stopped breathing.

My body shook uncontrollably as I stared down the barrel, shutting my eyes dead. This was it. This was the end, Tracey. Damien was going to end me.

Next came the terrifying, that made me flinch in shock. Damien had shot right beside me and I was standing centimeters away.

I let out a shaky breath, watching him seat there for a second, just staring at me. Then, as if he’d had enough, he lowered the gun.

“Next time you think about running,” he said, his voice low and deadly, “remember this moment. Because if you ever try it again, I won’t miss.”

He warned and I nodded. He turned toward the door, but then he stopped, halfway out.

“Oh, and one more thing,” he said, his voice casual but deadly. “Your dad? He’s gone. Ran off the moment you left with my men. Guess running does run in your family.”

He let out a cruel smirk. "There’s no freedom for you now, Tracey. You made a deal, and now that deal is off.”

With that, he turned and left, the door slamming shut behind him, and I sank onto the floor, my knees giving out as his cruel words echoed through my head.

___

Damien's POV

Back in my office, I stared at the glass of whiskey in my hand, the amber liquid swirling under the dim light.

Tracey

A rebellious, feisty little thing who didn’t know her place. That girl was going to be the death of me.

Ever since she came into my life, it had been one issue after another. On a normal day, I’d have dealt with someone like her swiftly and coldly, putting a bullet right into her stubborn skull just like any other. Or worse, let my men have their way with her until she begged for mercy. But her? I couldn’t bring myself to do it. And, i had no fucking idea why.

I hated how much I thought about her.

I hated how her warm hazel eyes challenged me, the way her voice trembled when she spoke back. They stirred something in me that I couldn’t control. I hated it.

She was no longer a child, I expected her to know the kind of world she’d stumbled into. And yet, she kept acting like a teenage fool.

I didn’t have time for distractions. Joe had been a prime example. The idiot thought he could betray me, sell my merchandise to Dante, and walk away unharmed. One bullet to the head, and I’d made an example out of him.

Tracey had been there. She’d seen it. She hadn’t looked at me the same way since. Confining herself into the space of her room. I decided to let her be.

She had reacted exactly how I wanted her to. Scared and not asking silly questions about me.

When she finally decided to come out, she looked tired, her hazel eyes swollen, the sight made my heart sting.

I could see the fear in her eyes as she spoke... the previous confidence was gone...

I watched her pick her food heading back to the room, how do i start a conversation with her ...how do i tell her, her father wasn't coming to pay the debt, the stupid man had decided to be sly and she wouldn't be leaving here until I found him.

I know doing this would leave her shattered, but i had to.

And just like i expected, it did. Her once pale face drained of blood as soon as I reminded her of the deadline.

___

At the boutique, When the sales manager told me Tracey was missing, I chuckled. Too predictable and definitely not fit to be in my world. Of course, I knew she’d try to run. It was the nature of weak minds—innocent, reckless and always running.

A bit of me couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking with such stupid brain of hers? Did she think I wouldn’t find her? I was Damien Black for fuck sake.

I pulled up the tracker on my phone, watching her location blip on the screen. She was a mile away, probably thinking she’d outsmarted me. I decided to let her play her little game. Let her feel the thrill of freedom.

After two hours, The tracker had stopped and my amusement turned into irritation. She must have detected it and thrown it away. Foolish—i kissed my teeth. But, it can't be, i had carefully ducked it into her hair pin. There was no way she would find it while running, maybe it fell off.

That was bad. How do I get her back, if the tracker actually fell off. The street wasn't nice to her kind. my gut twisted with an emotion I refused to name. This isn't right. I can't be worried about her. I scolded. I never worry about anyone.

I ordered my driver to move to the last known location, A street I was very familiar with.

When we arrived, I saw her. Tracey was on the ground, drenched in rain, struggling against a man twice her size. The bastard was pinning her down, his hands on her.

The sight of another man laying hands on her made his blood boil.

I couldn't control the rage in my chest. Before I knew it, I signaled Skylo to take care of the scumbag.

The man didn’t even have time to scream, as Skylo dived a bullet straight into him. I wish his death was more painful.

When we got home, I was still boiling with anger as i watched her stand there, shivering and soaked to the bone. Her face was streaked with tears.

She looked so small, and fragile, and for a moment, I hated myself for bringing her into this mess.

But then the fury returned. She had run. She had defied me. No one who dared to live and tell the story.

I needed control. I needed blood.

“Get In,” I barked, my voice sharper than I intended.

But, her trembling body didn’t move, not until Skylo pushed her into the room and locked the door.

The sound of the knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts....

“Come in,” I responded, my voice colder than I intended.

Skylo walked in, with a smug grin wide on his face. .

“Boss,” he greeted, leaning against the doorframe like he owned the place. “You look like hell.”

“Not now, Skylo,” I muttered, taking a sip of my drink. The burn was sharp, but it wasn’t enough to quench the anger inside of me.

“Let me guess,” he said, smirking. “That girl is driving you insane, isn’t she?”he said, helping himself to the chair opposite mine.

I shot a glare at him, but, I didn’t answer. I was in no mood for his antics today.

“You should’ve seen your face when the tracker stopped beeping,” he continued, chuckling. “You look like you care.”

"Don't push it, Skylo. You have no idea,” I snapped, slamming the glass down on the desk. “That girl is not just trouble; she’s a walking disaster.”

“Then get rid of her,” Skylo said casually, shrugging.