Damon's POV
Adrion leaned against the bar, swirling his whiskey lazily. "The meeting is at Club Mirage. Usual place. Don't be late, boss."
I nodded, uninterested. Mafia meetings were routine—negotiations, deals, threats. The same cycle. But something felt off tonight. There was an itch under my skin, a restless need to see her—Alina. My little angel, so pure yet unaware of the darkness she had lured in.
I hate how she gets under my skin. But I can't stop it.
I need to see her.
The club was alive with blinding neon lights and deafening music. The air reeked of alcohol and sweat. As I made my way to the VIP section, women draped themselves over me, their hands trailing over my chest, their voices sultry. Before, I wouldn't have thought twice about taking one of them upstairs. But now? Disgusting. They weren't her.
I was about to shove them off when something in the crowd caught my attention. A familiar silhouette.
Her.
Alina was on the dance floor. Dressed in something more revealing than usual, moving awkwardly to the rhythm, forced into an environment that didn't suit her,like a bird trapped in the wrong sky. But she wasn't alone.
That bastard.
Kevin.
My fists clenched jaw tightened as I watched her best friend pull her close, twirling her around like he owned her ,his hands where they shouldn't be. That should be me.
I gave the signal. My men knew what to do. No man touches what's mine.
Two of my men followed. It didn't take much-- just injection. I ordered them to lock him in the service room , instructed them not to hurt him -- yet.
I was about to walk over when a third man—some filthy stranger—slid in behind her. My jaw locked as I watched his hands brush her waist. I saw it —the fear in her eyes.
She didn't want this.
That was enough to snap my control.
She turned to flee, her terror evident. The bastard followed her.
I moved before my mind could process it, shoving through the crowd, my vision red with fury. As soon as I reached them, my fist collided with the bastard's jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. I didn't stop there. Blow after blow, I made sure he understood what happened to men who touched what was mine.
She looked at me like she was truly seeing me—for the first time.
Alina gasped behind me, trembling. "T-Thank you…sir"
Her voice was soft, unsure. I froze for a second, catching the faintest flicker of relief in her eyes.
Before I could say anything, she turned, searching the crowd for that idiot Kevin. My blood boiled.
I enjoyed seeing her searching like a lost kitten for its owner.
And then
I slipped on my black mask and cap, blending into the shadows.
This is only the beginning, Angel. I'm going to teach you how to love the dark.
She was trying to call someone but all I can see is her fear, trembling hands gripping her phone for support.
I went slowly
"Looking for someone baby girl?"I whisper behind per ears.
she gasped. I covered her mouth. Dragged her to the alley near the club. She struggled, tried hard to escape --- but not tonight.
The scent of her fear was intoxicating. Her body trembled as I traced my fingers along her jaw, her lips parted in silent terror. She looked so fragile under my touch, so small compared to me.
I should've felt satisfied—victory in her surrender—but that flicker of guilt… it was a disease I couldn't name.
She looked up, her dark eyes wide with terror and something dangerously close to pleading.
I relished the way she cowered, yet a flicker of something—something maddening—twisted my gut. I tightened my fingers around her wrist, savoring the contrast of his rough grip against her delicate skin.
I wanted to rip her apart, piece by piece, until she bent to me. And yet... my thumb stilled over the bruise. A flicker of restraint. Disgusting.
It didn't mean anything.
But that fear—it was mine.
I reached into her purse, fishing out her phone before she could react. I grabbed both her hands. Unlocking it was easy; she had just used it.
I typed a quick message to Kevin: I went home. I'm safe.
Then, I tucked the phone back into her bag and smirked down at her trembling form. "Now, let's finish what we started ".
Her gaze shifted to the man tied in the chair.
And then my knife. The same knife that killed Marco.
I can feel her fear for me in her eyes.
"You missed me baby?".
Then again her gaze shifted to the fucker who tired to harass her.
Her hands gripped my wrist, her breath shaky. "Please…" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the thudding bass of the club.
Her instict was right I'm gonna kill him, she needs to know what will happen when someone touches what's mine.
I smirked. "Please what, sweetheart?"
She didn't answer. She couldn't. Her wide, black eyes darted to the man tied to the chair—his bloodied face unrecognizable. Disgust and panic flickered across her face. She hated this. Hated me. Good. Let her fear me. Let her hate me. Because the moment she felt safe with me, she would be mine forever.
I leaned in, close enough to feel the warmth of her shallow breaths. "Are you begging for his life, Alina?"
She swallowed hard. "I—I don't want anyone to die."
A cruel chuckle rumbled from my chest. "Such a kind heart… wasted in a cruel world."
Her breathing grew heavier, chest rising and falling rapidly. She was on the verge of breaking. Beautiful.
But then she surprised me. She clenched her fists, took a shaky breath, and—she glared.
"You're sick," she hissed.
The spark in her voice, the fire in her eyes—fuck. I wanted her.
But she wasn't ready for me.
Yet.
I exhaled, stepping back, giving her a moment to breathe. Then, I smirked. "I'll let him go."
She blinked, stunned. "You will?"
I nodded, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "But only because you asked me to."
That fire in her eyes faltered, confusion settling in.
Relief flickered in her expression.
She didn't understand. Not yet.
And with that, I shot him in the forehead.
Alina's world stopped. No scream. Just silence—loud and cold. Then came the shaking. Then came the sobs.
He was dead. He had died only because he had touched her.
A sharp cry left her mouth. She covered it with both hands and started sobbing harder. Her knees felt weak before she could even process everything.
I leaned in again, my lips brushing against her ear. "You see, Alina… you already have control over me."
Her body stiffned. I pulled back, enjoying the chaos in her expression. She didn't know whether to fear me more… or believe me.
Good. Let her keep guessing. Because soon, she wouldn't just be afraid.
Then there she was, running from me again.
Because I will make sure that,
She'll come running back. They always do when the world turns on them. But Alina? She won't be running because of fear. No… she'll run to me because I'm the only one who'll understand her screams.
Alina's POV
I couldn't breathe. My entire body was shaking as I ran out of the dark alley, back into the suffocating lights of the club. My head spun with what had just happened. That man. That voice. The way he touched me.
Where are you Kevin?
I need to find Kevin.
Someone. Anyone.
My fingers instinctively went to my neck, brushing against the marks he had left before. The ones I had tried to scrub away. The ones I knew now… weren't a dream.
He was real. And he had been watching me.
And he knew my name.
My stomach twisted violently. I felt violated, exposed, and—God help me—trapped.
Tears were flowing. He had killed someone because that man had touched me. He died because of me.
"You killed" him was screaming in my mind like a mantra. I grabbed my head, covered my ears, yet I could still hear it.
I should tell someone. I should tell Kevin.
Will he believe me?
No one would.
Because I had no proof.
Fear surged through my veins as I pushed through the crowd, my heels making it nearly impossible to run. My breath came in short, frantic gasps as I neared the exit, desperate to escape the club and the nightmare unfolding around me.
But before I could reach the door, a strong hand wrapped around my wrist, yanking me back.
I gasped as I was slammed against a hard chest, the scent of musk and danger overwhelming my senses. My heart pounded in my ears as I looked up—straight into the same dark, unreadable eyes I had seen before.
It was him.
"We haven't finished yet baby?"
"I want a reward," he whispered. "For letting him go, baby girl," he murmured, his voice low and smooth, sending a shiver down my spine.
Let him go? You killed him, sick psycho! I screamed in my mind.
Confused with tears, I swallowed hard. "P-please L-let me go".I whimpered, tears spilling down my cheeks.
"NO," his voice boomed.
His lips curled into a smirk as he leaned in, his breath warm against my cheek. "I let him go once. Now, you owe me something in return."
"Please"
A chill ran through me. "If it's money you want—"
His deep chuckle sent another tremor through me. "Do I look like I need your money?"
I didn't know what he wanted, but the intensity in his gaze made it clear—I wouldn't like the answer.
"I want more."
Pause.
A dead silence.
"I want you".
Me.
No no no. This isn't happening. He doesn't mean it. He can't --.
The single word sent alarm bells ringing in my head. My instincts screamed at me to run, but his grip tightened, his body a barrier between me and freedom.
"Let me go," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady.
"You still don't get it, do you?" His fingers brushed my jaw, tilting my face up toward him. His touch was possessive, firm yet controlled.
"I could've taken you any night. But I waited. You're closer now."
"You belong to me, Alina. And it's time you understand that."
Terror paralyzed me, but I forced myself to speak. "You don't own me."
His smirk faded, and for a moment, something dark flickered in his eyes.
Anger flared within me, pushing past my fear. "You don't know anything about me!"
His smirk returned, this time more sinister. "Oh, but I do."
"Because I know your every moves and everything about you sweetheart".
A cold realization hit me. He had been watching me. Following me.
It was him. I was not paranoid.
Fear, anger, and anxiety twisted my stomach as I stared at him, my body trembling. "You… you've been watching me?"
"Did you think I wouldn't find you?" The voice… his voice. Deep, smooth, hypnotic—but darker now, more feral.
He didn't deny it. Instead, he lifted his hand and traced a spot on my neck—.
She whimpered, shaking her head violently. "Please…" she tried to speak, but it came out muffled.
He leaned in close, brushing her hair back with terrifying tenderness. "Do you know how long I've watched you? Touched you when you slept? Brushed my lips on your neck while you whimpered in your dreams?"
I sucked in a sharp breath, my entire body going rigid. The weight of his words crashed down on me, suffocating, terrifying.
I needed to escape.
Now.
I bit down on his hand. Hard.
He didn't flinch. He smiled.
"There it is," he murmured, voice low and reverent. "That fire. I crave it."
Her vision blurred again—not from fear, but tears. She didn't understand. Why her? Why now?
"I promised I'd come back for you," he whispered. "And I keep my promises."
And then he let go of my hand, I'm sure there will be bruises on my wrist adrenaline kicked me I shoved him--hard.
Only to see him stumble a little I used that opportunity and ran from him.
I didn't know where I was going—all I knew was that I had to get away from him. From the man who had just shattered the fragile sense of safety I had left.
Kevin's POV
Alina was laughing—nervously, but laughing—and for once, that was enough to make me feel like she was okay. I twirled her on the dance floor, her hand trembling in mine. Something still felt off, but I didn't push her. Not tonight.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. Unknown number.
"Sorry, just a sec," I said, leaning close so she could hear over the music. "I'll be right back."
She nodded, her smile fading just a little.
I stepped out of the club, pressing the phone to my ear. "Hello?"
No answer.
Frowning, I was about to hang up when I felt a sharp sting on the side of my neck. My fingers flew up instinctively, but it was too late. Darkness rushed over me like a tidal wave.
Everything went black.