I stand there quiet, if he has a suspicion then he should fucking work on it.
“Why did you leave?” he asked, his voice calm but sharp enough to cut through the tension. “I was sick of it,” I said, my tone flat. It wasn’t a lie. It had been a game to me, one I played until I got what I wanted. By then, there was no point in staying. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t suspect you.” I shoved my hands into my pockets and rose to my feet, walking closer until I was inches from his face. His words were a challenge, and he knew it. Daring me to act. Testing me. But I wasn’t afraid of him. If I wanted to, I could smash his head against the wall and bury his body right next to his father’s grave. The thought almost made me smile. I’d made him who he was, built him from nothing, and now he had the nerve to stand there and question me like I was some kind of commoner. My fists clenched at my sides, the urge to hit him burning through me. But not yet. Not now. If I killed him here, it would be too soon. Taking him out meant taking down two leaders in a row, and the organization wouldn’t rest until they hunted me down for it. “I don’t need to,” I said finally, my voice calm as I forced myself to relax. He nodded slowly, his curls bouncing slightly before settling back into place. Then he circled me, taking his time as he studied my face, searching for any crack, any hint of guilt or fear. I gave him nothing. My glare was steady, my expression cold. “Fine. I believe you,” he said at last, stepping back and raising his hands in mock surrender. His fingers brushed his neck, a casual gesture that somehow made my skin crawl, like he was toying with me. “Can I have a glass of water?” The request was polite, almost casual, but I felt the weight of it. Felt the resistance in my chest. I didn’t want to do it. Didn’t want to serve him anything. “Are you going to give a brother some water?” he pressed, his voice light but insistent. I almost told him to get it himself. Almost. But the thought of him wandering through my house, snooping where he didn’t belong, stopped me. Instead, I turned on my heel and went to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it from the faucet. When I came back, he was gone. The door was still shut making me wonder why I didn’t hear him leave. I shoot my eyes to the door upstairs to find it slightly open. Shit! I raced up the stairs, my heart hammering in my chest as I shoved the door wide open. There he was. He had her backed into a corner, her body curled up like a wounded animal, trembling, barely able to look at him. His filthy hand gripped her waist, holding her in place, while his other arm leaned against the doorframe, blocking any chance of escape. My vision turned red. I didn’t think, didn’t pause—I was on him before his disgusting tongue could touch her neck. I slammed him into the wall, the force rattling the entire room. He crashed onto the table, scattering papers and glass to the floor, but somehow, he got back to his feet, his eyes blazing with a twisted kind of satisfaction. My blood boiled. How dare he touch her without my permission? “Is this it?” he taunted, his voice venomous. “Is this the reason you left? So you could live out your wild fantasies?” “Shut the fuck up,” I growled, my fists clenching at my sides. “Or maybe,” he continued, undeterred, “you were hoping for a love story, huh? Settle down with her, have kids running around the house. I can’t see that for you—but damn, she is gorgeous.” “I said shut it.” He sneered, circling me like a predator toying with its prey. “You’re forgetting something, Dare. Men like you and me? We don’t get to settle down. We don’t get love. No matter how much you try, it’s not for you.” “Mark!” My voice was a warning, but he ignored it. He leaned closer, each tone dripping with malice. “She’ll never love you. Does she even know who you really are? The things you’ve done—not just the assignments, but the women? If she knew, she wouldn’t stay here for another second.” He paused, a twisted smile spreading across his face as realization dawned. “You kidnapped her,” he said, his voice almost gleeful. “That’s it, isn’t it? You took her.” One more word. One more fucking word, and I’d slit his throat. “She cannot fucking handle you Dare, the things I have seen you do, she can’t fucking handle it. You have dark, twisted fantasy, she looks like you could break if you fucking touch her” The truth hurts just as they say. She was a fragile little thing, her skin was soft as silk, her eyes blue as the ocean, her long black hair that stopped at her waist. But besides being fragile and beautiful, she gave herself to me. She chosed to belong to me, it wasn’t entirely my decision, she made the decision too. Staring at her, she is still pinned to the wall where he left her, I wonder the things he had told her in the few minutes I was behind, her eyes are weary and she looks at me with fear. It is much different from the first time we met, when I gaze into those delicate blue eyes and made the biggest decision of my life. Sparing a witness. Now, she looked at me like I was just another monster. Mark pushed himself off the wall, brushing broken glass from his shoulders. He wasn’t done. His smirk curved into something smug, calculating. He turned back to her,closing up the space between them. “If you come with me, darling,” he began, his tone slick, “I promise I won’t make your life miserable. Unlike him. There’s nothing he can offer you but pain and misery.” He stretched his hand toward her, his audacity dripping from every syllable. That was it. I grabbed him by the collar, yanking him away from her before he could take another step. My grip tightened as my defenses kicked in, and I dragged him toward the window. Without hesitation, I smashed his head through the glass. She screamed behind me, her hands flying to her mouth, but I didn’t turn around. My focus was on him—the bastard bleeding from his head, his arms dangling uselessly out the shattered window. His dazed, blood-smeared face twisted into a weak smile, his eyes glinting with defiance. “Say one more fucking word,” I growled, my voice low and lethal, “and I’ll throw you out this window.” Silence. For once, he understood the gravity of my warning. I yanked him back inside and threw him to the floor. He groaned, clutching at his head, his once-arrogant demeanor crumbling. I loomed over him, rage still pulsing through my veins. “Leave,” I said, my voice cold and final. “And never fucking return.” He looked up at me, his expression shifting—half a promise, half a threat. It wasn’t over, not for him. But I didn’t care. If I saw him again, if he tried to pull this shit one more time, I wouldn’t stop. Next time, I’d kill him. Mark stumbled to his feet and staggered toward the door, leaving a trail of blood behind him. I turned back to her. She still stood against the wall, staring at me like I was the same monster she’d feared minutes ago. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was. I sank into the cushions of the couch, my arms dangling loosely from the armrests as I exhaled, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. The room was quiet, save for my own breathing and the faint creak of the house settling. I forced myself to let go of Mark’s words, to push his poisonous voice out of my mind. Then I heard her footsteps. They echoed softly down the stairs, each step slow. She wasn’t rushing. She wasn’t fleeing. But she wasn’t calm either. I could feel her hesitation, the weight of her thoughts as she moved toward me. For a moment, her steps stopped entirely, lingering in one spot as if she were deciding whether to face me or retreat. My patience wore thin. “Come to me,” I ordered. The pause lingered before she obeyed, finally stepping into the living room. She stopped a few feet in front of me, her posture stiff, her head tilted down. She wouldn’t meet my eyes. But I searched for them anyway, wanting to see those striking blue eyes, to read whatever she wasn’t saying. I rose to my feet. She flinched. The movement was subtle, but I saw it. Felt it. She was scared, and I couldn’t entirely blame her. I knew what Mark had said, the seed of doubt he’d planted in her. But it wasn’t just him. She had seen me. Seen what I could do. “What is it?” I asked, my tone controlled, neither harsh nor gentle. Her silence stretched, but I caught the faint sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead. Slowly, she lifted her gaze, those brilliant blue eyes meeting mine for just a heartbeat before they dimmed again, her lashes lowering as she looked away. “What are you going to do to me?” she asked softly, her voice trembling, her head bowing once more. If only she knew. If only she knew the things I wanted to do to her, the thoughts that burned through my mind whenever I looked at her. She’d run. Scream. Never look back. I bit my lip, stepping toward her. She moved back, instinctively, but I didn’t stop. I closed the distance, step by step, until her back pressed against the wall. The sight of her like this, trapped between me and the unyielding surface, reminded me too much of earlier. Of Mark. But this was different. I leaned down, my head resting lightly against her shoulder, my breath brushing against her neck. Her breathing quickened, shallow and uneven. She was terrified, and I couldn’t blame her. My lips hovered near her ear, so close I could feel the warmth radiating from her skin. “Why? Are you scared now that he said something to you?” A subtle flinch comes from her, I guess she doesn’t like me being close to her or Atleast that was what I thought until I felt a pull at the hem of my shirt. The corners of my lips lit up. I shift backwards and raise her chin to stare at me, “Are you forgetting that you gave yourself to me, I can do whatever I want with you. Isn’t that right?” I question and she nods her head in response. Such a sweet little girl. “Don’t worry, I will make you feel good. I will make you crave for my touch on your body so much that you will despise every other, you will beg me to touch you in places that you couldn’t, you will crawl to me and do whatever I say like my little bitch. You are mine now” I whispers, my gaze darken and I mean every fucking word I said. Her knees fail her and she drops to the ground, she is breathless. Damn do I fucking like the sight of her boobs bouncing upwards in a fast motion. I want to feel them in my palm but I restrict myself. I will have her, she was already mine but I won’t touch her yet.SkyThe room was suffocating, the kind of darkness that felt alive, wrapping around me like a second skin. I was naked, trembling, my body pressed against the cold wall. My hands and feet were chained, the iron biting into my skin, reducing me to something less than human. I whimpered, tears streaking my face as the reality of my situation sank deeper. I had no idea where I was, how I got here, or how to escape.Then, I heard it.Footsteps.The sound of leather boots pressing against the floor echoed through the void. My heart raced, panic overtaking me as I scanned the blackness, trying to see where they were coming from. The footsteps grew louder, closer, each one sending a shiver through my body.The creak of a door opening caught my attention. A sliver of light appeared, faint and distant, casting the outline of a figure. My breath caught as the door swung wider, flooding the room with just enough light for me to make out the man stepping inside.He was massive, towering, his pres
DareI am walking across the room when I hear muffled sounds from her room, I could tell exactly what those sounds were and it pissed me off. How dare you jerk off herself when I didn’t give her the permission, I push open the door to found her squimmering under the sheets, she is breathless and shaking, her eyes are closed.Is she dreaming? What is she dreaming of? “Please” I hear her whisper, the same way she did the other night. It’s soft and soothing to the ear, I would never let her go if she begged me with such tone.She pushed herself down, her legs crossed together and tightly.I sit by the bed watching her, I could hear moans escaping her lips, my two fingers caressed her lips when she opened them wide. For a minute I thought she was awake and responding to me but she was still fast asleep, I dipped my fingers into her open mouth and she sucks on them immediately. Whatever she was dreaming off has her horny as shit. I pulled my fingers out of her lips and ran them down her
DareI stood in my living room, the stench of blood heavy in the air, bodies scattered around me like discarded chess pieces. These men were supposed to be my recruits. Now they were nothing but lifeless proof of what happens when you cross me.After watching the news, everything in my life had spiraled. I hadn’t expected her to be the Mayor’s daughter. It had never crossed my mind. She didn’t act like she came from money, and she never once mentioned her family—not that I gave her much of a chance to talk. I’d assumed she was another runaway, abandoned by the world, just like the rest of us.But a million dollars changes everything. That kind of reward? It could make men betray their blood, and here I was, in the middle of the aftermath.“No one touches what’s mine,” I muttered under my breath, tightening my grip on the situation.Then came the voice from outside—grating, arrogant, and loud enough to make me grit my teeth.“Listen up!” it called out. “We know you have the Mayor’s dau
“Dad!” she screams, her voice cracking as the car disappears from sight. My grip on her remains unyielding, my hands steady around her. I can feel her trembling, her shoulders shaking with sobs. She doesn’t stop struggling, but I don’t let go.She turns to me, her face streaked with tears, her eyes brimming and swollen. Her cheeks sag, a picture of heartbreak.“Please,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “Just let me go. Let me go back to my family.”Her words sting in a way I didn’t expect, but I ignore the pang in my chest. She doesn’t understand—she can’t. I hoist her over my shoulder, ignoring her soft cries and the weak pounding of her fists against my back.The walk to the house feels longer than it should, her muffled pleas ringing in my ears. I push the door open and head straight to my room, the only place where I can remind her what she means to me.Her tears seep into my shirt, warm and wet, but I don’t stop. She’s mine. She belongs here.I set her down gently, sitting her
SkyMy eyes flutter open to the sound of my stomach growling, a hollow ache reminding me of how little I’ve eaten. I sit up, resting my head against the pillow behind me, and let out a deep sigh. The events of last night replay in my mind—the failed attempt to see my father, the crushing disappointment. The open window lets in a cool breeze, carrying with it an unnerving silence. It’s eerily quiet.Dare isn’t home.The realization sparks a glimmer of hope. I scramble to the closet, yanking out the white sheets, my hands moving with a frantic urgency. I drag the sheets to the bed, tying the ends together in tight knots. Next, I pull down the black curtains and secure them to the makeshift rope. My heart pounds as I glance out the window, checking the ground below.The guards are fewer than usual.A smile creeps across my face. Maybe this is it—my chance to escape him. My father must be worried sick, and I can’t let him stay that way. I know I swore my life to Dare in that moment of des
Dare I have been quiet for a while now, trying to control the urge to snap her pretty little neck and rid myself of the trouble she brings. It takes everything in me to stay composed, but the thought of her daring to escape me gnaws at the edges of my patience. How far was she willing to go just to get away from me?I replayed the scene in my head, watching her through the cameras in her room as she tied the ends of the sheet together. Brave of her, trying to climb down the window like that. If I hadn’t caught sight of the man lurking outside the gate, waiting to whisk her away, she might have made it. That thought alone tightens the knot in my chest—a mixture of fury and something deeper, something I refuse to acknowledge.“Did you forget what you said to me?” My voice is low but sharp, my eyes locked on her. Her head is bowed, but I can see the sadness in her eyes when she glances up, the glint of guilt trying to play its part.It doesn’t move me.A deal is a deal, and she belongs
SkyI ran down the corridor, my bare feet slapping against the cold floor as I knocked frantically on door after door, hoping someone would answer. Time felt like it was slipping through my fingers. Any moment now, Dare would realize I was gone, and if he found me, there would be no escape.A door creaked open behind me, and I spun around. A man in his thirties stepped out, his curly hair messy, a robe draped loosely over his frame. His sleepy eyes scanned me, taking in my dark hair and the oversized white robe clinging to my trembling body.“Please,” I begged, my voice shaking. “Can I use your phone?”He hesitated, glancing down the hall. My heart pounded in my chest, the room Dare and I had shared looming at the end of the corridor. I could almost feel his presence, his shadow creeping closer.“Please,” I repeated, desperation cracking my voice. “Just one call. I promise.”The man sighed, his gaze flicking around nervously, but he finally opened the door wider. Without waiting, I da
Dare “You threw me!” she screams, her voice trembling with rage as I step down from the garbage truck. “I could have died!” “But you didn’t,” I say flatly. “Let’s go.” “I’m not going anywhere with you!” Her defiance is infuriating, but this isn’t a negotiation. Grabbing her arm, I drag her along despite her struggles. She pulls against my grip, but it’s pointless—I’m not letting go. Mark is starting to get on my nerves. If I weren’t cornered with her in tow, I would’ve torn through those men and killed him myself, consequences be damned. But things are different now. I miss the days when my decisions didn’t come with strings attached. No responsibilities. No vulnerabilities. I could kill her right here if I wanted, but the thought of Mark or anyone else getting their hands on her twists something dark inside me. She makes me greedy. Possessive, if you want to call it that. She drives me insane. A week with her and I’m addicted, obsessed. The idea of losing her is unbearable, ev
Morning sunlight filtered softly through the curtains of Darla’s room, painting delicate patterns across the hardwood floor. The warmth was gentle, almost coaxing, but she remained curled beneath the covers, knees drawn to her chest, eyes fixed on the phone in her hands. It was an older model, chipped at the edges and slow to respond, but it held pieces of her past she couldn’t bring herself to erase.A hesitant knock at the door broke the silence, and Darla tensed instinctively, fingers tightening around the phone. But the voice that followed was warm, familiar, and a little rough with age.“Darla?” Marcel called softly. “Breakfast is ready downstairs. I made some coffee too—figured you could use it.”She exhaled slowly, the tension bleeding from her shoulders. Marcel’s presence was still new, a puzzle piece she hadn’t expected but found herself clinging to. He was a stranger in some ways—his eyes older, face lined with years of grief and weariness—but the kindness in his gaze was th
Ethan’s knuckles rapped against the door for the third time, the hollow sound echoing through the deserted hotel hallway. He leaned in, jaw clenched tight, heart hammering painfully against his ribcage. Silence stretched on the other side—deafening, absolute. Not even a whisper of movement.He swore under his breath, frustration spiking hot and sharp through his veins. Darla had to be inside. She wasn’t the type to ignore people, no matter how furious or hurt she might have been. Not unless…His breath hitched at the thought, fingers flexing against the smooth wood of the door. No. She couldn’t have left—not without a word, not when there was so much unresolved between them.But the silence lingered, unbroken and oppressive, taunting him with every heartbeat.“Darla!” he called, voice low but urgent, fingers tightening around the door handle. “Open up. We need to talk.”Nothing.An icy tendril of dread curled in his gut, twisting tighter with each passing second. His eyes narrowed, pu
The suitcase lay open on the bed, half-filled with clothes hastily folded and shoes shoved into corners. Darla’s hands trembled as she reached for another dress, the soft fabric slipping between her fingers as she struggled to breathe evenly. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs, her pulse a dull roar in her ears.She bit down on her lip, hard enough to sting, and forced herself to focus—one item at a time, one movement at a time. Pack, zip, leave. Simple. Necessary. Anything to escape the suffocating walls of the hotel room and the possibility of running into him again.Ethan.The name alone sent a fresh wave of panic crashing through her, her fingers faltering around the edge of a blouse. His eyes, dark and unreadable, flashed unbidden in her mind—the way they’d looked at her in the lobby, a mixture of shock and something else she couldn’t name. Something raw and aching that left her chest tight and her breath shallow.She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the memory aw
Esther’s eyes flicked to the clock on her office wall for the fifth time in as many minutes. Each tick seemed to echo louder than the last, pounding in her ears like a cruel reminder. It was past seven in the evening, the sky outside her floor-to-ceiling windows a dull gray, streaked with the last traces of daylight. Her phone lay face-up on her desk, dark and silent despite the dozen missed calls she had made.She drew in a shaky breath, forcing herself to focus on the financial reports open on her monitor, but the numbers blurred together, meaningless. The cursor blinked accusingly, a taunt to her futile attempts at distraction. Her manicured fingers drummed nervously against the mahogany desk, a tremor betraying her otherwise composed exterior.Two hours.For two hours, she had been calling Roy.And for two hours, he had not picked up. Not once.Her chest tightened painfully, a dull ache settling beneath her ribs. The same ache that had been festering since that night—since Darla h
Author’s POVThe low buzz of conversation filled the VIP section of the Rooftop Bar, but Roy barely registered it. His fingers curled around the neck of his beer bottle, the cool glass slick against his palm. It was already past three in the afternoon, and he was on his third bottle—maybe fourth. He wasn’t even sure anymore.He had come here thinking a few drinks with the boys might clear his head. It didn’t.King’s voice cut through the haze, smooth and casual. “What’s on your mind, buddy?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. The bottle in his hand clinked softly against the table, but Roy’s eyes remained distant, fixed somewhere beyond the dim blue lights flickering above.The atmosphere was suffocating. The heavy curtains blocked out any sunlight, making it impossible to tell if it was day or night. But the gloom felt fitting—an external mirror of the storm churning inside him.Darla.Her name surfaced in his mind unbidden, bringing with it a flood of memories he’d tried and faile
Ethan’s knuckles had turned red the moment he stepped out of the car, his fingers clenched so tightly that the veins beneath his skin protruded like strained cables. He flexed his hand absently, a futile attempt to shake off the tension that seemed embedded too deep to dislodge. The car ride had been mortifying, the low hum of conversation between John and Carlo barely registering. Their voices melded into the background—mere noise compared to the chaos raging inside his head.Darla.She had been right there. Right in front of him. And yet, the instant their eyes met, she had turned and fled. As if he were something to be avoided. As if he were nothing.How many times was she going to keep running from him?A sharp exhale left him, his jaw tightening with barely restrained frustration. He could never forget that face—those eyes, the way her lips parted in that fleeting second before she bolted like a coward. His chest burned with something raw and unnameable.Anger?Frustration?Pain?
The shrill ringing of the alarm clock waked Darla up. She groaned, her hand fumbling blindly across the nightstand until her fingers closed around her phone. Squinting against the harsh light of the screen, her eyes widened at the numbers glaring back at her.9:12 AM.Panic jolted her up, sending a violent pulse of pain through her skull.Shit. Shit. Shit.Her meeting was at 10 AM. She was supposed to wake up early, go over her notes one last time—not drown herself in alcohol and pass out fully dressed. The nausea hit first, causing the room to spin dangerously. Gritting her teeth, Darla pressed her fingers to her temples as if that could somehow hold her brain together.This is what you get, Darla.The floor tilted beneath her feet as she stumbled into the bathroom. She barely registered the icy chill of the shower before a sharp gasp tore from her throat. The shock of cold water slammed into her, dulling the pounding in her head just enough to think.You don’t have time for this.S
Revenge is a slow burn—a fire that starts deep in your gut and spreads until it consumes everything in its path.People warn against it, say it will rot you from the inside out.But they never talk about the rush.The satisfaction.The raw power of watching the people who wronged you crumble under the weight of their own sins.Darla never knew how intoxicating it could be—until tonight.She had seen the way their expressions twisted—first shock, then anger, then finally settling into pure hatred.At least, hers did.Esther.God, she hated Darla.It was written all over her perfectly painted face, hidden beneath layers of artificial charm. The way she clutched Roy’s arm, fingers digging into his sleeve as if Darla were a ghost who had returned to haunt her.And maybe she had.Maybe she wanted to be.She couldn’t stand Esther.Not just because she had married Darla’s fiancé, but because she had stolen the life Darla was supposed to have. The love. The family she had envisioned.Esther h
Roy Claus was still pisded about his anniversary being ruined, his entire world was unraveling in the span of a single night.After four years of silence, four years of pretending she never existed, of pushing her memory into the darkest corners of his mind—she came back.And she wrecked everything.The sound of shattering glass still echoed in his head.His perfect night—ruined. He could step out and face the guests, he felt so ashamed.A soft touch landed on his arm.“Roy…”Esther called him.Her voice was gentle, careful—too careful. As if she were willing the room to forget what had just happened, to pretend that Darla hadn’t just torn open a wound that was never meant to heal.Roy turned to her sharply, his hand grabbing her wrist before he even realized what he was doing.She flinched.“What the hell did she mean?” he raked, demanding answers he wasn’t sure he wanted.But he needed them.He couldn't forget the scene where Darla whispered into her ears, it made him feel like he wa