I leaned back against the bar, arms folded like I was sizing up a piece of meat. The exit door loomed behind her—a tempting, easy escape back to that suffocating life she’d been chained to.
“Run if you want, princess,” I drawled, my tone mocking, as cold and casual as a slap.
I saw her pause—those gears turning in that brilliant head of hers. That door was her ticket back to safety, back to his control. But something in her kept her rooted.
“Go on,” I urged, voice low and dangerous. “It’s your shot at something else.”
Her fingers clenched hard at her sides, nails biting into her palms like she was trying to hold herself together against a storm brewing inside.
“And if I stay?” she whispered, barely audible but loaded with defiance.
My smirk twisted slowly, deliberately—a wolf savoring the thrill of the chase. “Then you’re mine,” I said, flat and final.
Time stretched out, each second taut as a live wire. The choice hung in the air like a challenge—her eyes locked on mine, searching for permission, for truth, for an escape from the chains that had defined her.
In that electric pause, I saw something fierce ignite in her gaze—a raw, untamed determination ready to tear down every barrier. At that crossroads, one path led back into the darkness of his control, the other into uncharted territory with me.
And just like that—without a word—she made her choice.
Chapter 3
Kennedy
I didn’t regret staying, not even for a second. But suddenly, I was hyperaware of being alone with him.
Nick didn’t move, just leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes locked on mine. He watched me as if he were waiting for me to grasp the reality of my choice. The tension wrapped around us like smoke, thick and palpable.
I should’ve felt trapped. Instead? I felt seen.
“Changed your mind yet?” His voice sliced through the silence, low and taunting, each word laced with challenge.
“No.” I met his gaze head-on, refusing to let my resolve falter.
His smirk widened—dangerous and thrilling. “Good.”
Nick stalked forward, closing the distance between us with an intensity that made my heart race. His hands rested casually in his pockets, shoulders loose, but there was nothing relaxed about him. The air crackled with tension as he took another step, a predator eyeing its prey.
“I need you to understand something, Kennedy.” His voice held a calmness that felt like a lie. There was no softness in his tone, no hint of sweetness. He wasn’t here to comfort me; he was laying down the law. “I don’t share.”
The words dropped like a match into gasoline. I sucked in a breath, my mind racing to comprehend the weight of what he meant. This wasn’t some playful fling; it was something much darker.
“This isn’t some twisted little affair,” he continued, his gaze steady and unwavering. “You’re not a free agent anymore.”
The reality of his statement sank deep into my chest, heavy and suffocating. I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice amidst the chaos swirling inside me. “That sounds a lot like a cage.”
He stepped even closer, invading my space in a way that sent shivers down my spine. “No.” His voice dropped to a whisper, more lethal than any shout could ever be. “I don’t cage. I claim.”
His words echoed in my mind as I searched his eyes for any hint of deception. But all I saw was determination—raw and undeniable. The air felt thick between us as the truth settled in: I had crossed an invisible line tonight.
A part of me thrilled at the idea of being claimed by someone like Nick—someone wild and untamed—while another part quaked at the implications of those very words. Could I really walk away from everything I’d known? Would it even matter if I wanted to?
Nick leaned closer still, and for the first time since entering this penthouse, doubt flickered within me—a momentary pause before diving headfirst into unknown depths.
I hated the way his words sent heat licking through me, igniting something I’d kept buried for far too long.
“As long as you know you’re mine?” His thumb brushed along my jaw, tilting my chin up until I was forced to meet his gaze. “I’ll let you do whatever the hell you want.”
Right then, I knew this man would never control me the way my fiancé did. He didn’t want to possess that kind of power—and that was a huge difference. But deep down, I recognized the danger in him—he would ruin me in a way that felt intoxicating and terrifying all at once.
