usting to capt

d bed. Sunlight streamed through the gauzy curtains, casting a warm glow over the lavish b

osive altercation between him and Kian. I shuddered as I recalled the wild, possessive look in Kian's eyes when he pro

om door. "Bringing in some random piece of ass off the streets like that? For all we

tion. I strained to make out Kian's r

no argument. "She's no setup, I can assure you that. The little bella was ju

took us all down with her games!" Paulie shot back heatedly. "We can't

again, his voice taking on an edge that ma

able. "Which means she's off limits to being iced, even for you. The first button

g hard. "Loud and clear, boss. I'm just l

snarled. "We've got enough grief with Dmitri's crew trying to muscle in on o

out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, my heart racing. So it seemed even the

an inscrutable mask. When his gaze settled on me, something flickered bri

between us with a few lazy strides. Up close, I could see the quintessential mafia don p

reaching out to grasp my chin and force me to meet his s

myself to stay calm and reinforce to Kian that I

en, is that clear?" His grip tightened infinitesimally, sending a shiver down

taunts made me flinch. Kian'

ned like a dumb sissy," he growled. "Too many eyes out there lo

e'd been about to say. With a curt "Enter," Kia

frame all bulging muscle and inscrutible ink sleeves. He made Kian

in a surprisingly soft bari

is new hireling's sheer size and presence. "This is Isadora. From now on, she doesn't so muc

ssive dark eyes shifted to bore into me. Something in that inscr

an before turning that heavy-lidded stare on me once more. "Don't y

right menace would have been. I mustered a faint nod, keenly aware that Kyle's very presence had

eck. "The only hands you'll allow on that luscious body of yours are mine. Any button

ude possessiveness. But I had no doubt Kyle's presence was meant as an impli

repressing a shudder at the grim

ntary thrill down my spine. Callused fingertips brushed my cheek in an unsettli

ngering promise of the dark delights to come. Before I could so much as process the

n ever before. One thing was abundantly clear - surviving in this glittering underbelly would require sacrificing the last s

ze lingering on me with that disconcerting intensit

bastions of brutality and violence. If I didn't play by the

escape this nightmare,

sn't