Her hands curled into fists again, nails biting into her palms. "I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees."
Something dangerous twisted inside me—admiration or fury, I couldn't tell. Maybe both. And beneath it, a flash of raw want I had no business feeling at the image of her on her knees
"You're not going to die," I said quietly, almost to myself. "Not while you're under my protection."
She scoffed. "Protection?" she spat. "Or possession?"
The words hit harder than they should have.
I forced my voice steady. "Does it matter if it keeps you breathing?"
Another silence fell, colder this time. A thousand unsaid things crackled between us like dry tinder waiting for a spark.
I gripped the wheel harder, wrestling down the instinct to pull the car over, drag her into my arms, and make her understand—make her see this wasn't about empire or power.
It was about survival.
Hers.
And mine.
I couldn't take it anymore.
With a guttural curse under my breath, I yanked the wheel and swung the car sharply into a deserted alley, the tires shrieking against the pavement. The sudden jolt made Sienna grab the door handle, her breath catching in her throat.
The headlights cut a harsh path through the darkness, throwing long, jagged shadows across the crumbling brick walls.
Before she could speak, I turned toward her, trapping her with the full force of my body and will.
"You think you're safer without me?" I growled, my voice low and ragged. "You think running makes you free?"
Sienna lifted her chin, stubborn to the last, but her pulse thrummed wildly at her throat, betraying the fear she refused to show.
I leaned closer, the heat between us coiling tight, suffocating. Her scent invaded my lungs, her defiance scraping against my already fraying control.
One more inch and I’d ruin us both.
One more second and I wouldn’t be able to stop.
"Fight me all you want,principessa," I rasped, brushing a knuckle along her jawline, savoring the way she flinched and then stilled, breathing hard.
I tilted my mouth toward hers, close enough that she could feel the rough scrape of my voice against her skin.
"It won’t save you. Not from me."
CHAPTER 2
Sienna
The engine cut to silence outside a sleek high-rise that screamed wealth and power. I stared up at the building through the tinted window, my reflection ghosting back at me—pale face, torn wedding dress, eyes wide with a mix of fury and fear I refused to acknowledge.
This was it. My new cage.
Luca appeared at my door before I could brace myself, offering his hand like a gentleman. Like he hadn't just kidnapped me. Like I hadn't just chosen his protection over whatever bloodbath awaited me otherwise.
I ignored his hand and climbed out myself, legs unsteady after the adrenaline crash. The humid night air hit my face, carrying the scent of rain and exhaust. Behind us, the city sprawled—a glittering maze of lights and shadows, freedom just out ofreach.
"This way, Mrs. Romano," he said, the title scraping against my nerves like sandpaper.
