Bella wanted to run.
Every instinct screamed at her to leave, to put as much distance between herself and Damien Sinclair as possible.
But she couldn't.
Not when his dark eyes were locked onto hers. Not when his fingers were still lightly gripping her chin, keeping her in place as if daring her to deny the truth.
The only way to stay alive is to stay with me.
The words echoed in her mind like a warning and a promise all at once.
She exhaled sharply. "This isn't fair, Damien."
His gaze didn't waver. "Nothing about my world is fair, Bella."
Her pulse pounded. "Then tell me the truth. Who is after you?"
A muscle ticked in his jaw. "Men who don't play by the rules. Men who think that threatening you will make me weak."
Her stomach twisted. "And are they right?"
Silence.
Then—
"Yes."
Bella's breath caught at the raw honesty in his voice.
Damien took a step closer, his heat wrapping around her. "You make me reckless, Bella. You make me want to burn the world down for even looking at you the wrong way."
Her heart clenched. "That's not good, Damien."
His fingers trailed down her arm, slow and possessive. "It's dangerous."
She shivered. "Then maybe I should go."
Damien's grip tightened ever so slightly. "I already told you, Bella. You're not leaving."
Something inside her snapped.
She jerked away from him. "You don't own me!"
His expression darkened. "Don't I?"
Her stomach flipped. "No."
Damien exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "You still don't get it, do you?"
Bella swallowed hard. "Get what?"
He looked at her then, his gaze filled with something raw, something undeniable.
"You think you have a choice." His voice was low, lethal. "But the moment you let me touch you, the moment you let me inside you, you became mine."
Bella's breath hitched.
Damien took another step toward her. "And I don't let go of what's mine, Bella."
Her heart pounded. "This isn't—"
A sharp knock at the door interrupted her.
Damien's entire demeanor changed in an instant. He straightened, his expression turning cold, controlled.
"Enter."
The door swung open, and a man in a dark suit stepped inside. His face was blank, but his eyes flicked to Bella briefly before settling on Damien.
"We have a problem," the man said.
Damien's jaw tightened. "What kind of problem?"
The man hesitated. "The kind that involves her."
Bella's stomach dropped.
She turned to Damien, but his expression was unreadable.
Then he grabbed her hand, his grip firm and unyielding.
"Change of plans," he murmured. "You're coming with me."
Bella's pulse spiked. "Where?"
His dark eyes met hers. "Somewhere safe."
But the way he said it, the way his fingers tightened around hers—
She knew.
There was no escaping him now.
And maybe… deep down… she didn't want to