Page 24 of Ruthless Desire

His grip on my jaw tightens, forcing my eyes open. "Look at me," he commands, and I'm helpless to disobey. "Tell me you don't want this. Tell me you don't crave the chaos, the freedom I'm offering you."

I stare into those fathomless eyes, drowning in their inky depths. And in that moment, I see it all. The empire of blood and shadow he's built, the throne of bones he wants me to share. A world where morality is a distant memory, where the only law is desire.

It's terrifying. It's exhilarating. It's everything I've ever secretly wanted and everything I've been running from.

I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. My throat is tight with fear, my lungs refusing to draw breath. Everything spins around me, the edges of my vision going dark.

The last thing I see before I fall is Dante's face, those obsidian eyes burning with triumph and something darker. Something hungry.

Then everything goes black, and I fall into the abyss.

I come to slowly, awareness seeping back in fragments. Soft leather beneath me, the purr of an expensive engine, the scent of sandalwood and sin filling my lungs. For a moment, I keep my eyes closed, clinging to the desperate hope that this is just another cocaine-fueled nightmare.

But the hand on my thigh, warm and possessive, is all too real.

"Welcome back, little bird," Dante's voice washes over me, dark honey and razor blades. "I was beginning to worry you'd sleep the whole way home."

My eyes snap open, panic clawing up my throat as I take in my surroundings. We're in a car – no, a fucking limousine – speeding through the neon-drenched heart of Accel City. And Dante... Christ, he's right there, so close I can feel the heat radiating off his body.

"This isn't happening," I croak, my voice raw and desperate. "Let me go, you psychotic fuck. I'll scream, I'll –"

His hand tightens on my thigh, cutting off my protests. "By all means, solnyshko," he purrs, leaning in close enough that I can feel his breath on my neck. "Scream all you want. No one will hear you. No one will care."

A whimper escapes me, part fear and... something else. Something dark and hungry that I don't want to name. "Why are you doing this?" I whisper, hating how small I sound. "Why me?"

Dante's laugh is low and rich, sending shivers down my spine. "Oh, Natalie," he murmurs, his free hand coming up to cup my face. I try to flinch away, but there's nowhere to go. "Don't you know? You're mine. You've always been mine, from the moment I saw your art. Your beautiful, broken soul calling out to mine."

His thumb traces my lower lip, and I hate myself for the way my body responds. "You're insane," I manage, but the words lack conviction.

"Maybe," he concedes, his eyes darkening with hunger. "But then, aren't all the best artists a little mad? You and I, solnyshko – we're cut from the same cloth. Drenched in sin and shadow, creating beauty from the ashes of our broken minds."

Before I can process his words, his lips are on mine. The kiss is brutal, all teeth and tongue and dark promise. I should fight, should bite and claw and scream. But instead, I melt into him, a broken moan escaping me as he devours my mouth.

When he finally pulls away, we're both panting. I can taste blood – mine or his, I'm not sure. Maybe both.

"There's my good girl," Dante growls, his voice rough with desire. "I knew you'd come around eventually."

Shame and self-loathing crash over me in waves. What the fuck is wrong with me? This man is a monster, a killer. He's destroyed my life, murdered people I knew. And yet...

And yet I want him. God help me, I want him so badly it hurts.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask, trying to regain some semblance of control. To remember who I am, who I was before he came crashing into my world.

Dante's smile is all predator, sharp teeth and dark promise. "Home, little bird. To your gilded cage, where you'll sing only for me."

The limo slows, and I realize with a jolt that we've left the city behind. A massive wrought-iron gate looms before us, opening silently as we approach. Beyond it stretches a driveway lined with towering trees, their branches reaching for the sky like gnarled fingers.

At the end of the drive stands a mansion that looks like it was lifted straight from a Gothic horror novel. All dark stone and glittering windows, gargoyles leering from every corner. It's beautiful and terrifying, just like the man beside me.

"Welcome to Shadowcrest," Dante says as the car comes to a stop. "Your new home."

Chapter 10 Dante

Shadowcrest looms before us, a Gothic monstrosity of stone and secrets. As the limo glides to a stop, I savor the way Natalie's breath catches, her eyes widening at the sight of her new prison. My palace. Our kingdom.

"Welcome home," I murmur, relishing the shiver that runs through her body at my words.

She tries to shrink away as I reach for her, but there's nowhere to go. My hand closes around her upper arm, firm enough to bruise. Good. I want her marked.

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