Page 11 of The Bratty Heir

Then Victor released him abruptly, pulling back to his side of the car. "Don't," he growled, voice rough with barely contained desire. "Don't play games you're not ready to finish, boy."

Rocco sagged against the seat, frustration and arousal warring in his veins. "Who says I'm not ready?" he challenged, unable to help himself.

Victor's laugh was cold and humorless. "Trust me, little prince. You have no idea what you're asking for."

He started the car again, pulling back onto the road. The rest of the drive passed in tense silence, the air thick with unresolved sexual tension.

As they pulled up to the Rossetti penthouse, Victor killed the engine but made no move to get out. He turned to Rocco, his expression unreadable in the dim light.

"You did well tonight," he said gruffly. "But don't let it go to your head. This life... it's not for the faint of heart. You need to decide if you're really ready for what it entails."

Rocco met Victor's gaze, chin lifted in defiance. "I can handle it," he insisted. "I'm not some delicate flower that needs protecting."

Victor's eyes narrowed, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "We'll see about that," he growled. "Training continues tomorrow. 5 AM sharp. Don't be late."

With that, he was gone, leaving Rocco alone in the car with his racing thoughts and aching body.

As Rocco made his way up to his room, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was standing on the edge of a precipice. One wrong move, and he'd fall into an abyss from which there was no return.

But as he remembered the heat in Victor's eyes, the possessive grip of those large hands... Rocco wasn't sure he wanted to step back from that edge.

He collapsed onto his bed, mind reeling with the events of the night. As sleep claimed him, one thought echoed through his mind:

What the fuck had he gotten himself into?

CHAPTER 5

NIGHTFALL TEMPTATIONS

The pulsing beat of The Inferno nightclub thrummed through Rocco's body, drowning out the incessant voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Victor. He knocked back another shot, relishing the burn as it slid down his throat.

"Fuck Victor," he muttered, slamming the glass on the bar. "And fuck this whole goddamn family."

He'd snuck out of the penthouse as soon as night fell, desperate to escape the suffocating weight of expectations and Victor's constant, burning presence. Here, in the throng of writhing bodies and pounding music, he could pretend to be anyone. Just another pretty face looking for a good time.

A hand slid around his waist, warm breath tickling his ear. "Hey there, beautiful. Can I buy you a drink?"

Rocco turned, coming face to face with a tall, dark-haired stranger. The man was handsome in a generic way, all sharp cheekbones and bedroom eyes. Nothing like Victor's rugged, masculine beauty.

Rocco shoved that thought aside, plastering on his most seductive smile. "I don't know," he purred, leaning into the stranger's touch. "What else are you offering?"

The man's grip tightened, pulling Rocco flush against his body. "Oh, I think we can come up with something fun," he murmured, his free hand trailing down Rocco's spine.

A shiver raced through Rocco's body, but it wasn't the pleasant kind. Something about this guy felt off, dangerous in a way that set Rocco's nerves on edge. But the rebellious part of him, the part that was so desperate to prove he could handle himself, pushed that instinct aside.

"Lead the way," Rocco said, allowing the stranger to guide him towards a dark corner of the club.

As they moved through the crowd, Rocco caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. A familiar broad-shouldered silhouette that made his heart leap into his throat.

No. It couldn't be. Victor wouldn't...

But then the crowd parted, and there he was. Victor Kovac, looking like sin incarnate in a tight black t-shirt and jeans that clung to his muscular thighs. His eyes locked onto Rocco's, blazing with a mixture of fury and something darker, hungrier.

Panic flooded Rocco's system. He turned to his companion, practically shoving the man towards the back exit. "Let's get out of here," he said urgently. "I know a place we can go."

The stranger's eyes lit up, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "Eager, aren't we? I like that in a boy."

They stumbled out into the alley behind the club, the cool night air a shock after the humid press of bodies inside. Rocco's heart raced, adrenaline and fear creating a dizzying cocktail in his veins.

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