Page 18 of Defying Love

Could she bear the crown of thorns that comes with loving me?

This was my world—unforgiving, brutal, laced with danger at every turn. And Alexa… Alexa was the one untainted thing within it. The responsibility of her well-being lay heavy on my shoulders.

One thing remained clear amid the chaos: I would lay waste to the world before I let it break her.

Chapter Thirteen

Alexa

The door swung open, its creak a harbinger of change. His silhouette filled the doorway. My breath hitched at the sight of him, my body instinctively tensing as he advanced toward me with deliberate steps.

"Alexa." Dominic's voice was a low rumble, his dark eyes fixed on me. “We need to talk.”

Everything about this man screamed to run, but I found myself wanting to stay. The way my body responded to his presence was breathtaking. No man had ever made it react this way. He was a killer, deep down I knew, but maybe he didn’t have a choice in most cases.

The articles were mostly about his father, and clearly, he would be next in line to take over, and had probably been brought up to do that very job his whole life. Familial pressure could be damning and I couldn’t bring myself to discredit him without knowing him better.

“Because of what happened tonight, we have two choices here.” He came and kneeled in front of me. “The families of the men I killed tonight would be coming after us, but to keep you safe, I ask you to marry me.”

Wait, what now? This handsome creature wanted to marry me? Or well, only because of what happened.

"I'm going to keep you safe.”

“And the other option?”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “I won’t even consider it.”

“No, you said I have two choices. What’s the alternative?”

His eyes locked on mine. “Death.”

Who would willingly choose to die? “So basically, you are telling me I have to marry you.”

This was not the proposal I had dreamed about since I was a little girl. How did I get myself into this mess? Why did I ever go to Willow for that job?

“Alexa… I have a confession to make, though, before you make your decision. From the moment you walked into my club, I wanted you to be mine. You might think I have no heart, but already it beats for you and only you.”

His declaration hung between us, a proposal wrapped in the velvet of his deep timbre but edged with a steel that suggested it was more than a mere question. It was an offering laced with shadows, one that spoke of protection yet whispered of possession.

The remnants of chaos from the recent events still clung to me like a second skin, leaving my senses raw. I studied his face, searching for something beyond the authoritative facade.

"Dominic, we…" My voice wavered. "We don't know each other, not really. You can't just?—"

"Marriage." He cut through my protest, his words slicing the air. "It's the only shield I can offer against what's coming for you."

I swallowed hard, my gaze flickering away before finding the courage to meet his again. In the muted light, I could see the rigid set of his jaw and knew that behind the facade of calm, there was an urgency that even he couldn't fully conceal.

He got up and started pacing before me. “Marrying me would mean that you would be a part of my world. And when I take over, people would swear their loyalty to both of us. There are certain expectations…”

“I can’t believe you are even asking me this… we haven’t even fucking kissed and you want me to marry you. Tie myself to you for the rest of my fucking life? Am I dreaming? Is this a joke?” A laugh escaped my throat.

He was so close now, his breath was warm against my face. “You give me the okay and I’ll give you anything you want… just ask for it.”

My head was not in the right space right now. All I could think about was his lips on mine, moving down my body, savoring every inch.

“Do you want me to kiss you?”

His lips were one slip away from mine. I nodded.

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