Page 114 of Ruthless Lullaby

His gaze doesn't leave me.

"Maron," I whisper again. My voice is now shaking. "Please, say something."

He doesn't. Of course, he doesn’t. Instead, with a swift motion, he closes the door behind him. He then turns to me and takes a step forward. The blue in his eyes seems darker now, smoldering with a burning intensity.

"The club is closing soon," I stammer, trying to regain control. "We have to leave."

But he shakes his head, never breaking eye contact. In one slick move, he pulls out his phone and holds it against his mouth. "Kevin," he growls into the phone. His voice is guttural and commanding. "Lock the main door. Mindy and I will be staying here for the night."

What?

I didn’t consent to this!

What is he planning to do to me?

My heart pounds even harder against my ribcage, sending jolts of fear and unwanted desire through my veins.

"I'm not staying," I tell him. Instead of sounding confident, my voice comes out as broken and uncertain. But I steady myself to summon the strength I need to resist him. "Open the door,Maron," I demand, a little more confident now. "I want to go home. I'm tired."

Of course, he doesn't open the damn door. I’d be surprised if he did. He just takes a step closer, his presence overwhelming my senses. I instinctively back away, but our eyes remain locked. The air in the room is now crackling with heavy tension and unspoken desire. I can feel the heat radiating from his body, stirring a primal need deep within me. The need for him I’m trying to suppress.

Never in my life have I felt more conflicted between two polar opposites. The urge to flee and the traitorous desire to give in to his touch feel like they’re trying to pull me apart.

"Please," I whisper, my resolve wavering. "Just let me go."

But even as I plead, a part of me aches for him to refuse, to pull me into his arms and make me forget everything but the feel of his skin against mine. The internal struggle is maddening - my mind screaming to run, my body yearning to stay.

Maron's gaze softens for a moment as he scrutinizes me. It’s a flicker of something in his eyes - regret? longing? Whatever it is, it only lasts for less than a second. His expression hardens again, determination set in the line of his jaw.

"Mindy," he finally says, and it feels like a rush of relief. His silence was starting to feel suffocating. "We need to talk."

A wave of nausea washes over me. I stumble back, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach. I look up at him, seeing him with fresh eyes. He’s the father of my child. The most gorgeous man I’ve ever met, who has the ability to turn my body into a dripping sponge of wanton need. But he also happens to be a mob boss. A very dangerous mob boss. The two images war inmy mind. Part of me wants to blurt out the truth. Another part wants to run, to protect our unborn child from the violence of his world.

But then again, I'm carrying his child. A miracle I never thought possible - and he has no idea. Perhaps I should keep it that way. At least for now.

I wrap my arms around myself, as if I could somehow shield the tiny life inside me from the complexity of our situation. "There's so much you don't understand," I finally say. "A lot has changed, Maron."

But Maron doesn’t seem to care about what changed. He simply closes the distance between us, his strong hands gripping my face tightly. "Did Maurice make you cry on stage?" he asks, completely ignoring what I just said.

I stare at him. I never realized he saw me on stage. I never realized he saw mecryingon stage. "No," I reply curtly. "Is this why you came here? To ask about Maurice?"

He brushes off my sarcasm and continues to stare intently at me. "Are you back with him?"

"No," I say firmly.

His grip tightens on my face, causing me to wince. "He told me otherwise."

What the hell?

"You decide who you believe. Now if you'll excuse me..."

He scrutinizes me for what seems like an eternity. He then releases my face and steps back. "I believe you. But that's not the only reason I came here."

Chapter Forty-Four

Maron

“You can’t run away from me,lisichka. That’s not how a contract works.” I step in front of Mindy, blocking her path with my body.

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