Sex

Lucian’s voice is low, but the weight of his fury makes it feel like a growl. “I asked you a goddamn question, Aldo.”

Aldo barely manages a wheeze in response, his pulse hammering against the pressure of Lucian’s fingers around his throat. I watch from the other side of the room, my breath steady, even as the plate in my hand trembles slightly before I lower it onto the bed.

Lucian’s grip tightens, and Aldo lets out a panicked whimper. “N-nothing, boss! I s-swear!”

I should intervene. I should say something. But in the intervening seconds since he stormed in, Lucian’s fury has taken up all the air in the room, pressing down on me like something tangible.

“Oh, just a big misunderstanding,” I finally say, forcing my voice into a drawl, feigning a calm I don’t quite feel. “Aldo here was under the impression that the slash under his eye was my way of flirting. He waltzed in here hoping for a matching set.”

Lucian’s gaze snaps back to me, his grip unwavering. Aldo’s lips are turning an alarming shade of purple. “Aldo thought he’d take a shot at touching what’s mine,” he murmurs. “I figure I’ll make him an example of what happens to anyone else who tries the same shit.”

Before I can respond, there’s a sharp crack—the sound of Lucian’s knee slamming into Aldo’s gut. The man crumples to the floor with a strangled gasp, curling in on himself.

“The fuck did I miss?”

Nico and Gabriele are standing in the doorway, eyes flicking between the whimpering mess on the ground and Lucian, who stands over him like a predator deciding whether to finish his meal.

“Gabriele,” Lucian says, not bothering to turn around. “String Aldo’s sorry ass up next to Fabrizzi. If he tries to run, shoot him.”

The capo nods, hauling Aldo up by the back of his shirt and dragging him out of the room.

Nico’s gaze shifts to me, his dark curls falling messily over his forehead. “You’ve gone full crazy caveman over the girl, huh?”

Lucian turns, slow and deliberate, and closes the space between them until they’re almost nose to nose. “If you think this is a joke, little brother, I dare you to say that shit again.”

Nico holds his hands up in surrender, backing off with a muttered, “Copy that.”

As soon as they’re gone, Lucian’s attention lands back on me. His face softens, but not enough.

“You okay?” He steps toward me.

I flinch.

The movement is small—barely there—but it stops him cold. I see the moment it registers, the way his fingers flex at his sides, the way his jaw clenches.

“You’re safe, Aurora,” he says after a beat, voice quieter now. “I’ll take care of Aldo.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “After you threatened to chain me up like a dog?” My arms fold across my chest. “You can’t have it both ways, Lucian. Why the hell would I trust you to keep me safe when you’re one of the monsters I need to be protected from?”

His expression darkens. “I won’t let anyone touch you, Aurora. Hell, I won’t even let myself.”

I scoff, throwing my hands in the air. “Oh, great. That’s so reassuring. ‘Don’t worry, Aurora! You’re fine! You’re safe in the hands of Don Lucian fucking Romano!’”

His lips twitch. It’s infuriating.

“I gave you my bedroom, didn’t I?” he says, as if that answers anything.

I glare at him. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Well, I’d hate to be accused of being predictable.” His voice takes on a teasing lilt, but his eyes are still smoldering, still locked onto me with an intensity that makes my skin prickle. He shoves his hands into his pockets. “You don’t have to understand it, Aurora, but I make the rules. I can have it any way I want it.”

A slow, mocking smile pulls at my lips. “Pray tell, which way do you want it?”

The humor in his expression vanishes.

“I told you,” he murmurs, stepping closer. “I want to protect you… and I want to own you.”

A sharp inhale catches in my throat.

“I want you to kneel for me and do everything I say,” he continues, voice dropping lower, rougher. “But I will tear apart any man who dares to look at you wrong.”

A shiver crawls down my spine. I don’t want to admit that part of me understands the madness in his words.

“You’re unhinged,” I whisper.

His grin is wolfish. “Guilty.”

My arms tighten around myself, my body instinctively drawing back as I fight against the suffocating weight of him. I need to get my footing back.

I glance down at the borrowed clothes—his sister’s band tee stretched tight across my chest, the waistband of the too-loose jeans barely hanging onto my hips. I lift them by the belt loops and tug. “I’m sorry about the hand-me-downs,” Lucian muses, voice lighter now.

I arch a brow. “Do I look that bad?”

His gaze flickers over me, slowly, deliberately. “Fuck no. The band tee is working for me. Even if it does belong to my little sister, and it’s a little weird to find it so sexy on you.”

Heat rushes to my face before I can stop it.

Christ. Was that a crack in my defense?

Lucian chuckles darkly, catching it. “Maybe we should get you a belt before I get new clothes sent over.”

“Good idea,” I mutter, my blush deepening.

He takes another step forward, and this time, I don’t move away.

“Look, Aurora.” His voice is softer now, smoother. “I didn’t bring you here to torture you. You’re no use to me broken.”

I stare at him, trying to decipher what the hell that means.

He hesitates. His hands flex. Something like rage flickers through his expression—except it’s not directed at me. It’s at the thought of whatever Aldo had planned.

Lucian shakes his head, exhaling sharply. “Call it a gut instinct, piccina. Most women find me kinda irresistible.”

I roll my eyes, ignoring the flutter in my stomach at the pet name. “A belt might be a good idea,” I say instead.

Lucian’s lips curl, his dark amusement making something curl deep in my chest.

And just like that, the game between us shifts again.

Because I know one thing for certain—Lucian Romano is dangerous. And the most dangerous part?

I think I might like it.