Bella's breath caught in her throat as Damien's words echoed in her mind.
"He thinks you're my weakness."
Was that what she was to him? A weakness? A pawn in this dangerous game he played?
She should have been terrified. She should have demanded to leave, to escape this world before it swallowed her whole.
But instead, her heart pounded with something dark and forbidden.
Desire.
Damien watched her, his jaw tight, his body wound like a predator on the edge of losing control.
"You don't get it, do you?" he said, his voice rough. "Morelli isn't just after me. He's after you now."
Bella swallowed hard. "Because of you."
His gaze darkened. "Because I won't let him have you."
A shiver ran down her spine at the sheer possessiveness in his voice.
She should have pushed him away. Should have fought against the dangerous heat curling between them.
But when he reached for her, she didn't move.
Damien cupped her chin, tilting her face up to his. His touch was rough, desperate, as if he were holding himself back from something reckless.
"I should let you go," he murmured, his breath ghosting against her lips.
Bella's pulse raced.
"But you won't," she whispered.
His grip tightened. "No."
And then his lips crashed against hers.
The kiss wasn't gentle. It wasn't sweet.
It was fire.
It was possession.
Bella gasped against his mouth, her fingers tangling in his shirt as he pulled her against him, his body firm and unyielding. Every inch of him screamed power, control—and yet, in that moment, he was unraveling for her.
His hands roamed her body, mapping every curve as if memorizing her. When he lifted her onto the dresser, his mouth never leaving hers, she let out a breathless moan.
She was drowning in him.
And she didn't want to come up for air.
But just as his lips trailed down her throat, a sharp knock shattered the moment.
Damien stiffened. His entire body tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for the gun at his waistband.
"Damien," a voice called from the other side. It was Leo. "We have a problem."
Bella's stomach twisted.
Damien pulled back, his eyes still clouded with hunger—but now, something more dangerous lurked beneath.
Rage.
He cupped Bella's face one last time, his thumb brushing against her swollen lips.
"Stay here," he ordered, his voice low, commanding.
And then, just like that, he was gone.
Bella sat there, her body still burning from his touch, her mind spinning.
She had stepped into his world.
And now, there was no turning back.