Chapter 06: The Ruthless Mafia

We walked to the back of the club, away from the curious eyes of the crowd. My pulse raced as Kael set me down, his movements sharp, controlled—like a storm just waiting to break. His jaw was clenched, his entire body taut with restrained fury. The man who had dared to touch me was thrown onto the floor, his hands tied behind his back, shaking like a leaf in a storm.

"P-please! Have mercy! I didn’t mean anything by it!" the man sobbed, his voice cracking with fear.

Kael didn’t even blink. His cold, commanding voice sliced through the air. "Zane, break it."

A sharp gasp escaped my lips. "Kael, no! Don’t do this!" I grabbed his arm, desperately trying to shake him, to pull him away from the horrifying scene about to unfold.

He turned to me, his expression unreadable, but there was something dark lurking behind his eyes. Something terrifyingly unfamiliar. "He put his hands on what’s mine, Athena. I don’t tolerate that."

"I’m not a damn possession!" I snapped, yanking my arm free.

Kael ignored me. With a simple nod from him, Zane stomped down on the man’s hand. The sound of bones cracking echoed in the silence, followed by a blood-curdling scream that sent a shiver down my spine. I turned away, squeezing my eyes shut, bile rising in my throat.

The scent of fear and blood filled the air. My breathing grew shallow as panic swelled inside me, trapping me in a nightmare I hadn’t signed up for.

Kael’s voice was calm—too calm. "This is what happens to anyone who thinks they can touch what belongs to me."

I spun to face him, my chest heaving with anger and fear. "You’re insane! You didn’t have to do this! This is—this is beyond cruel, Kael!"

He stepped closer, his face just inches from mine, and for a moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes—something almost... amused. "You’re angry."

"Damn right I’m angry!" I shot back, jabbing a finger at his chest. "You’re a psychopath! A complete, over-the-top, control-freak psychopath!"

He smirked, tilting his head slightly as if considering my words. "Hmm. I don’t think anyone has ever described me quite like that before. But you… you’re feisty when you’re mad. It’s kinda cute."

"Cute?!" I gaped at him, my hands balling into fists. "You think this is funny?!"

"I think you yelling at me while standing on your tiptoes is very funny," he murmured, his lips twitching into a smirk.

I let out an exasperated groan. "You’re impossible!"

Kael chuckled, stepping back slightly but keeping his intense gaze locked onto mine. "I like watching you get all worked up. Your face gets red, your lips pout... it's adorable."

"I hate you," I grumbled, crossing my arms.

"Mmm. You keep saying that, but your eyes tell a different story," he said, tapping my chin before turning away. "Zane, we’re done here. Let’s go."

I huffed, still fuming, but my heart was pounding for an entirely different reason now.

---

By the time we reached the villa, exhaustion was seeping into my bones, but the anger still simmered beneath my skin. As soon as we walked through the door, I turned to him. "I don’t care who you are or what kind of power you think you have, Kael. I am not something you own!"

He arched a brow. "I never said you were."

"You literally just told a man you were punishing him because I 'belong' to you!"

He shrugged, completely unbothered. "It’s just the truth."

"You—!" I was so furious I couldn’t even form words. "You are the most insufferable—!"

He stepped forward, closing the space between us so suddenly that I had to tilt my head up to meet his gaze. "You’re really cute when you’re mad, you know that?"

My face burned. "I swear to God, Kael, if you—"

"If I what?" His voice was low, teasing. "Kiss you?"

My breath hitched, and his smirk grew wider. "You—You wouldn’t dare!"

His eyes darkened, and for a second, I really thought he would. But instead of kissing me, he leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, "Go to sleep, Athena. You’re going to need your energy."

A shiver ran down my spine, but before I could react, he was already walking away, leaving me standing there, flustered, furious, and completely, utterly confused.

I stomped my foot. "I hate him so much."

"You keep saying that," came Kael’s amused voice from down the hall. "But I bet you’ll dream about me tonight."

I grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it toward the door. "In your dreams, Visconti!"

His laughter rang through the house, smooth and smug. "Sweetheart, I am your dream. Goodnight."

That man was going to drive me insane.