Page 31 of Tempting My Mafia Monster

He shook his head. “Only when it comes to you.”

With hesitation, he slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around my back, leaning into my neck and burying his face in my hair. “You are the only mercy I have.”

I jumped at the sound of the door unlocking, and Monster swore, helping me back to my feet as he stood up, wincing at the pain in his ribs. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around me, ready to follow him out.

“Stay here,” he husked in a low voice, his eyes sweeping over my body protectively. “I’ll get you dry clothes.”

I hid behind the bathroom wall until he came back with one of his hoodies, a pair of his boxers, and socks. I got dressed quickly, and when I entered the main room, Monster was lying on his bed with his arm behind his head, not reacting to Sean and the two other soldiers’ unnerving presence. They kept their distance, hovering by the door, their gazes flicking between him and me. I sat on the chair by the table, feeling too exposed in his hoodie and boxers, so I stretched it over my legs to hide them.

“You look like shite,” Sean said to Monster, frowning in disappointment as he studied the bruises and wounds on his body.

Sean slid his hand down his chest as he looked at me. “What happened to her clothes?”

I stared at the floor. Neither Monster nor I said a word. Sean huffed, and then one of his soldiers cleared his throat. “Er, Boss.”

My body turned stone-cold as I looked up to see the soldier pointing to Donal’s hidden body in the corner. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as Sean walked over and pulled off the blanket. He froze, staring down at the mutated soldier. I glanced over at Monster, his expression blank and emotionless.

I knew they’d find the body eventually, but I hadn’t really considered the fallout. Would they kill me for killing one of their own? Torture me? Would Monster stop them from taking me this time?

I stared at the floor as Sean’s polished shoes echoed with each step back towards us. “I said…” His voice was low and unforgiving. I closed my eyes. “Don’t fuckin’ kill him. You disobeyed me. Again.”

There was a long silence. No one moved. No one spoke. I couldn’t take it anymore. I opened my eyes and frowned when I saw Sean’s anger wasn’t directed at me but at Monster. With a defiant shrug, Monster smirked.

“Take him.”

The two-word command ricocheted off the walls and into my ears, sending panic surging through my veins. I sprang from the chair as four more soldiers stormed in, and they all descended on Monster with tasers and baseball bats in their hands. He didn’t even fight. He let them drag him from the bed, swing the end of a bat into his stomach, and then cuff his hands behind his back. My mouth opened in a silent scream, words lodged in my throat.

Don’t hurt him! He didn’t do this. I did! Take me.

I met his dark eyes as they dragged him past me.

Don’t say a word, Little Monster.

I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Tears threatened as they disappeared from the bunker, leaving me alone with Sean. He stepped forward and grabbed my chin, forcing my face up.

“I–” I tried to claw the words up my throat to tell him this was my doing, but they wouldn’t come.

His lips stretched wide over white teeth. “I–I what? I killed Donal? Princess, I know. Cuttin’ someone’s dick off isn’t Monster’s style. He paints walls with blood. But I did wonder whether he’d take the fall for you.”

My face contorted with confusion, which made him chuckle.

“You’re provin’ very useful indeed. Keep it up.”

I yanked my chin free from his grasp, and he chuckled, turning his back on me and strolling to the door. I wanted to scream. I wanted to beg them not to hurt Monster. That he was already suffering, and they’d kill him. But only a choked sob of frustration escaped my lips.

“Someone get his body out of here,” Sean ordered, his voice echoing up the stairs as two more men entered and hauled Donal’s bloody corpse out.

The door slammed shut, and I fell to my knees, clutching the table as I finally let myself break down for the first time since they’d taken me.

They didn’t bring Monster back until the next morning. I stayed awake all night, curled up on his mattress, hugging my knife. My eyes remained fixed on the door as I prayed he’d survive whatever punishment they were inflicting on him. And he did. Physically, he was in one piece. But something was very wrong.

Two guards dragged him into the bunker, his feet dragging behind as if they were too heavy to lift. He looked almost drunk. I stood staring at him, wanting to reach for him, but he didn’t even acknowledge my presence. He collapsed onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, unblinking and unresponsive.

My lips trembled as I took a cautious step towards him, gauging his reaction. There was none. My hand clamped over my mouth when I saw his eyes. His pupils were so wide they had eaten away the rest of his dark irises, leaving nothing but a void of life.

“H-hey, it’s Soraya,” I whispered, kneeling beside the bed. He didn’t blink. “Oh God,” I whimpered. “W-What did they do to you?”

I scanned his body for any fresh injuries. It was hard to see beneath all the ink and dark shading, but I could make out hundreds of thin, tiny cuts criss-crossing his body. Some had already scabbed over, while others had dried blood, as if they’d only been made a few hours ago. They looked like… scratches. I glanced at his hands and noticed dried blood beneath his fingernails. Had he done this to himself? As if he’d been trying to claw off his own skin?