Life can be cruel. One moment you’re on the verge of reaching the peak of your career, your sweetheart of five years finally down on one knee, promising forever. The next, your world burns to ashes—literally. Now, I’m not just a prisoner; I’m the plaything of the most feared man in the country. I told myself I hated him, that I’d never break. But what kind of woman starts to crave the way he owns her body, the way his touch sets her on fire? How do you survive when the man who owns you is as ruthless as he is captivating? How do you escape a man who makes you question everything, even your sanity? ————- When her father’s PTSD causes a catastrophic accident, Lucia Castellano finds herself at the mercy of Dante Romano, a man whose name strikes fear into the heart of Chicago’s criminal underworld. Taken as a slave to pay for her father’s alleged crime, Lucia is thrust into a world of power and seduction she never imagined. Dante’s command is absolute, his touch both punishing and intoxicating. What starts as a fight for survival soon turns into a dangerous game of submission and trust. But as secrets surface and enemies close in, Lucia and Dante must confront their darkest fears to find freedom—and perhaps love—in the most unlikely of places. AUTHOR’S NOTE: This book contains explicit content, strong language, violence, and other adult themes that may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
ดูเพิ่มเติมDante’s POV“Just stay put, Lucia,” I snapped, cutting her off. My voice softened slightly, but there was no mistaking the edge of command. “Please. For now, stay in here.”Her gaze flickered between me and the door, the tension between us thickening as I hit the call button.I waited, the seconds feeling like hours, until Lucas answered on the third ring. “Boss?”“Get to the beach house. Now,” I barked. “Pick up Lucia and take her home. Don’t let her out of your sight. Got it?”There was a pause on the other end. “Understood. We’ll be there in ten.”I hung up without another word. Turning back to Lucia, I made sure she saw the seriousness in my eyes. “I’m leaving someone here to watch you,” I added, grabbing my coat off the chair. “Just stay in the room. Don’t open the door for anyone except Lucas or me.”She took a step back, still processing. “You’re not telling me what’s going on,” she said, a trace of frustration creeping into her voice.“I can’t explain right now,” I said, not a
Dante’s POVShe pushed me away again.I should’ve been used to it by now. But every time she flinched from my touch or caught my wrist with those trembling fingers, it hit harder than I ever let on.I could’ve taken her that night. She was right there. Breathing heavy under my mouth, hands trembling like she didn’t know what she wanted. The way she closed her eyes when I kissed her… it wasn’t fear of me. It was fear of herself.And ever since I found out she was a virgin, everything shifted. It wasn’t just about claiming her anymore. It was about doing it right. I’d never waited on a woman before—not for anything—but with Lucia every instinct told me not to rush, that she wasn’t like the others. She wasn’t truly mine yet. But she would be.I had to show her the side of me no one else had seen—the part of me that wasn’t all rage and control. She had to feel it, even if she didn’t know it yet.Starting with her birthday.She never mentioned it, but I’m not stupid. A date like that does
Lucia’s POVHospitals always smelled the same: bleach, sadness, and something too clean to feel normal. I hated it.The white walls felt like they were closing in as I rushed past the nurses’ station, Rico just a few steps behind me.A nurse with tired eyes stopped me at the door to my father’s room. “You’re his daughter?”I nodded quickly, my heart stuck somewhere between my throat and stomach.“He was found unconscious on his porch,” she said. “We believe he fell down a short flight of stairs. The damage is minor—bruised ribs, slight concussion. He’s lucky. A little more force and—” she stopped herself. “He’s awake now. Confused, but awake.”My fingers tightened around the edge of my coat. “Thank you.”She smiled and stepped aside.I walked into the room.My father looked smaller. Thinner. His bones pressed against the sheets, and his face looked pale under the harsh lights. Tubes ran from his arms, and a dark bruise covered his temple like a shadow.“Dad,” I breathed.He stirred, e
Dante’s POVTrust was a currency more dangerous than blood in this business. And right now, I was running short on both.I stared at the burner phone in my hand, the screen still lit from the last call. The guy on the other end had sounded too sure of himself. He promised the new route was safe, hidden behind fake businesses and paid-off border guards.“Nothing will go wrong this time, Signor Romano,” he’d said.I believed him.But I wasn’t fucking stupid.Last time, I trusted the wrong man and lost an entire shipment. That cost me more than money. It cost me power. It made me look weak. I wouldn’t survive another mistake like that.So I set up a test run. An empty truck. An unmarked driver. I kept everything secret, no records, no paperwork.Three hours later, I got a call that the cops had intercepted it.They didn’t find anything, but that didn’t matter. They were waiting for me. Again. And it wasn’t Lucia, obviously.I slammed the glass in my hand onto the desk, sending shards eve
Lucia’s POVI had never been so aware of silence until the ride back.Dante didn’t speak. Not once.He kept his eyes fixed on the road, his expression like it was carved from stone. The only sound was the occasional turn of the signal and the low hum of the engine, but each passing second made my skin itch, the weight of what I’d done pressing down like fog between us.Fiancée.Had I gone too far?The moment I’d said it, I saw something flicker in his eyes. Shock, yes—but underneath it, something possessive and dangerous. But now… all I could feel was distance. And it scared me more than his anger ever could.When we pulled up to the mansion, he didn’t wait for me. No parting glance. No words. He just stepped out of the car and disappeared into the house like I was nothing.I stood there for a long second before dragging myself inside.My feet took me to my room on autopilot, but sleep didn’t come. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my chest tightening with every passing minute. Had
Dante’s POVThe blood on my hands was already drying, but I could still feel its warmth. Enzo’s words echoed in my mind, each syllable crawling under my skin like a slow poison.I should have seen it coming. Enzo had been challenging my decisions for weeks now, questioning every move I made, watching me with those knowing eyes. He had been testing me, pushing me toward this inevitable moment.And I failed his test.Because in the end, I didn’t kill him for betraying me. I didn’t kill him because he overstepped his boundaries.I killed him because he put her in danger.I dragged a hand down my face, exhaling slowly. The idea that Lucia could be the mole still lingered in the back of my mind like a shadow I couldn’t shake. It didn’t matter that I had just put a bullet in my most trusted adviser to protect her—what if Enzo had been right?Had she really twisted my mind so completely that I couldn’t see the truth anymore?Before I could entertain that thought any further, a soft knock cam
Lucia’s POVI sucked in a sharp breath, my lungs finally remembering how to function.Dante’s face was hard like stone, his eyes were deadly. The room was silent, and in that silence, I heard only one thing.Death.Enzo remained eerily still, his hands loose at his sides. But I knew better than to think he wasn’t calculating or plotting, trying to find a way out of this.Dante tilted his head slightly, gaze never leaving Enzo. His voice when he finally spoke, was soft., yet dangerous. “Killing her wasn’t your call to make.”The words slid through the air like a final verdict.The moment dragged on, heavy with tension that felt suffocating. Then, footsteps echoed from the hallway. A group of Dante’s men spilled into the room, surrounding us with more guns.My pulse roared in my ears as I was still tied to the damn chair.Enzo let out a slow exhale, shaking his head as if Dante was the one being unreasonable. “I’m trying to do what you refuse to, Dante. I’m trying to protect what’s left
Lucia’s POVI didn’t move. I couldn’t. My pulse pounded so hard it felt like my ribs would crack under the pressure.The maid sobbed, her body trembling as the blade pressed against her delicate throat. The three men standing before me weren’t faceless intruders, I knew them.They were Dante’s men.And leading them? His consigliere.My breath caught. I’d seen Enzo many times before, standing by Dante’s side and quietly giving him advice. Always calm and composed. But now, his face was cold and merciless, eyes filled with nothing but fury.“What do you want?” I demanded, forcing steel into my voice despite the terror clawing at my throat. My gaze flickered to the maid, her eyes begging for help. “Let her go. She has nothing to do with whatever is going on here.”Enzo tilted his head, as if amused by my boldness. “Do you know what you are, Lucia?” His voice was smooth, almost conversational. “Misfortune.”I gasped.“You’ve done nothing but bring ruin since the moment you set foot into
Lucia’s POV I spent the day combing through scattered notes, some hastily scribbled, others underlined to the point of tearing. The more I pieced together, the clearer it became that Vincenzo was the common denominator in everything that had gone wrong. But it wasn’t enough.I needed more than a gut feeling and circumstantial evidence. Dante would never move without solid proof, and neither would the men in his ranks. Without hard facts, Vincenzo would keep getting away untouched.I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through my hair. Frustration burned in my chest.The journalist, though...I flipped through my notes again, rereading the little I had on him. His articles were brutal, painting Dante as a criminal and trying to expose him for what he truly was. It made it seem like Dante was desperately trying to clean up his image, but it wasn’t working. That wasn’t surprising, since Dante had no shortage of enemies. But the man himself? His background didn’t add up.I traced a finger
Lucia’s POV“Kneel!” His voice echoed through the hall. My entire body shook in fear as tears stung my eyes, but I bit down hard on my lower lip, refusing to let them fall. The sharp taste of blood only reminded me of how real this nightmare was.Laughter erupted from the men around him. They all mocked me. My shoulders slumped in defeat as Dante moved to pick up the heavy chains lying in the corner of the room.The air reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. Soft Latino music played from the speakers, creating a bizarre contrast to the suffocating tension. To them, it was a paradise, but for me, it felt like hell.“I said kneel, you crazy bitch.” His voice was colder this time. Before I could react, he stormed toward me and yanked my hair, forcing me down.I yelped in pain, gritting my teeth as his grip tightened. The men laughed harder, their amusement feeding his cruelty.The saddest part was that it wasn’t always like this. Just yesterday, I was the happiest woman alive. My boyfriend of...
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