Page 36 of Defying Love

The heat radiated from his body—his desire to protect clashing with the guilt of dragging me into his world. My heart ached, torn between the horror of his actions and the depth of his love.

"Is it worth it?"

"Without question," he responded, closing the remaining distance to pull me into his arms.

Our lips met in a kiss that spoke volumes more than any words could. It was a clash of love and desperation—a mingling of souls that knew too much darkness but yearned for the light. Dominic's kiss was an apology, a plea, and a promise all at once, branding me with a fervor that seared away doubt.

My fingers tangled in the dark locks at the nape of his neck, pressing myself against the solid wall of his chest.

Breathless, we broke apart, foreheads resting together, sharing the same ragged breaths. Our eyes met. My fingers traced the contours of Dominic's jawline, etching each line and shadow into my memory. His skin was warm under my touch, a contrast to the cold dread that twisted in my gut. The room was charged with a current that both exhilarated and terrified me.

"Tell me this is the last time," I murmured against his lips. My hands slid down the expanse of Dominic's back, feeling the tension coiled within his muscles—a silent testament to the violence he wielded like a second skin.

Dominic's embrace tightened, as if he could shield me from the truth with his arms alone. "I can't promise that." His voice was a low growl, filled with an anguish that mirrored my own. "This life—it's not something I can just walk away from."

I pulled back slightly, searching his face for something, anything that might offer solace. "But the bloodshed and death, Dominic… It’s too much. How can we build a future on something so stained?"

His eyes, those dark pools of resolve, met mine with an intensity that bored down to my soul. "Because it's the only way I know how to keep you safe—to keep us safe."

My breath hitched as I grappled with the love that tethered me to this man and the fear of the darkness that seemed to engulf him more each day. I loved him desperately, but at what cost?

"Is it worth it, though?"

Dominic's hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped my control. "For you, I would stain my soul a thousand times over."

In his touch, I found both my damnation and my salvation—my Dominic, the man who walked through hell so I wouldn't have to. But as our bodies entwined, a silent prayer rose from my heart, pleading for a glimpse of light in the unyielding darkness.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dominic

The shrill ring of my phone sliced through the silence, its vibration a sinister harbinger on the mahogany desk. My hand shot out to seize it, fingers closing around the cool metal with a grip forged in fury and dread. Lex's name illuminated the screen, pulsing like a beacon—a cruel trick that fueled the storm brewing in my chest.

"Speak," I commanded as I brought the phone to my ear.

"Ah, the esteemed Dominic Gambino graces me with his attention," Nikolai sneered from the other side, his words laced with frost.

"Where is she?" My demand was terse, heart hammering, each beat echoing Alexa's name.

"Your men? They put up a good fight," Nikolai continued, ignoring the question, his voice a serpent slithering through the line. "But ultimately, they were nothing but pawns swept off the board."

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the phone, the image of my loyal soldiers—men who had sworn allegiance to me—being cut down by this monster coiled in my mind with venomous clarity.

"And Alexa?" I pressed, my throat tight with barely restrained violence.

"Your lovely bride is with me. Isn't that touching? She still calls for you… even now," Nikolai drawled, a cruel mockery of concern tainting his words.

The darkness within me swelled, a tide of rage and fear that threatened to drown me. Yet beneath it all, there lay a cold, hard resolve. Alexa, the light in my shadowed world, was in the hands of a madman. And I would move heaven and earth to bring her back into my arms.

The silence that followed Nikolai's words was dense, a suffocating void where my rapid thoughts echoed hollowly. Each second stretched, taut and brittle as the realization clawed into me—Alexa, my Alexa, was staring down the barrel of mortality. Her light, the very essence that had softened the edges of my hardened world, flickered in the gusts of a tempest orchestrated by this madman.

"Let’s make this interesting, Dominic," Nikolai's voice slithered back into the conversation, a confident smirk audible in each syllable. "You want to save your precious wife? Then let's see how much she means to you."

My muscles tensed, coiled springs waiting for release. The shadow of a decision loomed over me, dark wings unfurling with dreadful anticipation.

"Come to me alone," Nikolai taunted, the words dripping with venomous pleasure. "Surrender yourself, and perhaps I'll consider letting her go. After all, isn't that what love is? Sacrifice?"

The notion, vile and twisted, hung in the air like smoke from a snuffed candle. My breath came out in controlled bursts, my mind a fortress against the encroaching dread. The image of Alexa, her bright-blue eyes often so full of hope, now wide with fear, seared itself into my psyche.

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