Then, as if drawn away by an unseen force, the shadows around his face began to dissipate, slowly revealing the man beneath. For the first time, I saw him—trulysaw him.
He wasbeautiful.
I hated myself for even thinking it, but it was the truth. His face was all sharp angles and harsh lines, but there was a haunting, almost regal beauty to it. Dark, tousled hair framed eyes that were a piercing shade of dark blue, almost black, like the moon reflected in a dark lake. Those eyes were cold and calculating, but beneath it was something that made my stomach twist in ways I couldn’t explain.
“What the fuck are you doing out here, Vivian?”
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I couldn’t reconcile the man before me with the monster I had imagined. He had just slaughtered seven men without breaking a sweat, and now he was standing here, staring at me with those intense eyes.
“I... I was trying to get away,” I whispered.
His gaze raked over me, taking in my torn dress, the scratches on my arms, the terror still lingering in my eyes. For a moment, concern flashed over his face, but it was gone asquickly as it appeared, his mask of cold indifference firmly back in place.
The Shadow had saved me. But he was also the one keeping me prisoner, the one who intended to force me into a marriage I didn’t want.
What kind of man was he? A monster? A savior? Something in between?
The only thing I knew for certain was that, for now, I was still his prisoner. And there might be no escaping the darkness that was The Shadow.
9
THE SHADOW
Ikicked one of the worthless men’s lifeless bodies, sending it rolling a few inches across the ground. The crunch of bones beneath my boot gave me a grim sense of satisfaction. The bastards had deserved far worse. My shadows curled restlessly around my frame, whispering for more bloodshed, more destruction, but I forced them back with a deep breath.
Then I looked up.
Vivian stood a few feet away. What remained of her dress hung in tatters on her body. Her eyes were wide and unblinking as she stared at me. She looked like she was seeing a ghost.
It hit me all at once—the weight of her gaze, the fear mingled with something else.
Fuck.
In the chaos, I hadn’t even realized my illusions had dropped. I had never let that happen before. The shadows that usually obscured my face had dissipated in the heat of my anger, leaving me fully exposed. She wasn’t looking at The Shadow anymore. She was looking atme.
For a brief moment, I considered cloaking myself again, considered hiding behind that shroud of darkness. But the damage was done. She had seen me. All of me.
I took a step toward her, and she flinched, her knees buckling as if her body had suddenly decided it couldn’t support her weight anymore. Instinctively, I lunged forward and caught her before she could hit the ground. Her skin was ice-cold, and she trembled like a leaf caught in a storm, but her body relaxed in my arms.
“Can we please stop making a habit of you swooning and me having to carry your ass everywhere?” I muttered, trying to inject a bit of levity into my tone. I held her carefully. Humans were so fucking fragile.
She was shaking so violently I could barely maintain my grip on her. Was she in shock, or was it just the adrenaline finally catching up with her? Either way, I didn’t have time to figure it out. The car was already waiting, its engine purring softly in the darkness like a patient predator.I will never let this happen again.She would never be in this kind of danger again. Not under my watch. Not unless I was the source.
I carried her to the sleek, black vehicle, my movements quick but controlled. I didn’t give her a chance to protest, to struggle. Not that she had the strength right now. The guards who had been searching for her stood at attention, their eyes carefully averted. Good. The last thing I needed was anyone questioning why I was hauling my “prisoner” around like a rag doll.
I placed her inside the car and climbed in after her, shutting the door with a thud that seemed to echo in the enclosed space. As the driver pulled away, I turned my attention to Vivian. She was huddled against the door, her knees drawn up to her chest, her eyes darting everywhere but at me.
I leaned back against the leather seat, studying her. “I’ll admit, the whole water-into-the-electrical-outlet stunt was cute. Clever, even.” I chuckled. “But really,that’sthe best you could come up with? I expected more from someone who ran with Vincenzo’s crew.”
Her eyes finally flicked to mine, and for a moment, I thought she might snap back with some of that fire she usually wielded like a weapon. Instead, she just stared at me, her expression a mix of exhaustion and fury.
I sighed and shook my head. “Now that you’ve shown me you’re not going to be a compliant little bride, I’ll have to take more drastic measures to keep you under control.” I leaned closer, dropping my voice to a whisper. “You really fucked up, thinking you could escape my territory unscathed. Don’t you realize you’re safer at my estate than out there with monsters who won’t hesitate to rip you apart?”
She didn’t respond, just kept staring at me with those eyes that seemed to cut right through me. Damn her. Even in her terrified, disheveled state, she managed to get under my skin. It wouldn’t last. I would break her—I had to. Softness and connection were two things I couldn’t afford, and I felt myself slipping. “It will be easier for you if you just relent. Stop fighting and accept your fate.”
“Fuck. You.”
I forced myself to look away, my hands curling into fists on my lap. I couldn’t let her see the cracks in my armor. She was a tool, a pawn in a game much larger than her petty attempts at freedom. I had to remember that. I had to prove I was the monster she expected. But there was something about her that made it hard to keep my distance.
