Page 45 of Unleashed

Rodion snorts but quickly shuts up at Rafail’s murderous gaze.

"Fine," Rafail finally says through gritted teeth, obviously outnumbered. "I want to go now. You're going to need to rest later. Give me the number.”

He hasn't even called to see if the doctor would have time for him, but apparently, he doesn’t need to, not with that much power.

I watch as his aunt traipses across the kitchen, high heels clicking. She sniffs at the carton of cream. "Don't you have any low-fat creamer? Skim milk?"

"Eh, drink it black like a real man," Rodion says, his eyes challenging her, and his uncle snorts.

"Let's go," Rafail says as he wraps an arm around my shoulders and helps me to my feet. “Now.”

I reach for my crutches, and he lets me, even though I feel the tension in his hands as he loosens his grip, reluctant to let go. I hobble toward the door, but just as we’re almost there, my ankle wobbles.Shit.His arm wraps around my waist in an instant, steadying me as a low curse slips from his lips, warm against my ear.

"You okay?" he murmurs, his voice rough but laced with concern. A shiver runs down my spine, instant heat coloring my cheeks.

I swallow, feeling the heat of him close. “Yeah,” I say softly, trying to smile. “I just need a little practice.”

Rafail opens the door, scowling at the darkness in front of us. A car already waits right at the edge, only a few feet from our home.

Am I already thinking of it as "our" home?

So now I know what the phone call was. I'm starting to get the hang of these crutches—they aren't as bad as they seem. I place them under my armpits and swing my legs out, one after the other. After he opens the door for me, I slide into the passenger seat.

But as soon as the door shuts and we’re alone, he yanks me onto his lap, careful not to jostle my leg, and turns me to face him. His grip on my jaw is painful as he locks eyes with me.

“Do not ever, ever do that again. The only reason why you’re not over my lap with your pants around your ankles learning your place is because I’m giving you this one warning.”

My heart thuds in my chest as I stare at him. “What?” I swallow hard, trying to muster my courage.

His voice drops to a low, dangerous register, cutting through the air like a blade. “I’ve given you fair warning, and I do not repeat myself.” He drags me closer, his fingers tightening, just harsh enough to remind me who’s in charge. “I expect your obedience, just like I expect theirs. I’ll risk fuckingeverythingto keep you safe. But if you think talking back to me in front of my family is how you’ll help me do that, you’re dead wrong.”

Leaning in, his breath is hot against my ear, the menace in his voice sending an undeniable shiver down my spine. There’s a fine, fine line between fear and excitement, and every second I’m with him reinforces that. “You don’t contradict me. You don’t talk back to me. You do what I say, the waythey’velearned to, and I promise, you’ll never have to worry about a damn thing again.”

His grip tightens, his fingers digging in deeper, the pressure almost painful. “Is that clear?” His eyes bore into mine. “You’ve pushed, Anissa. You’ve tested how far you can go, and right here is the edge of where your boundaries end.”

I swallow hard.

“Tell me you understand.”

I nod, my heart pounding, the thought of softening this beast of a man a distant memory.

“Yes,” I whisper, my voice shaking as I ask myself what the hell I’ve gotten into.

He leans in, his devastatingly handsome face mere inches from mine. He lowers his hand to the small of my back, drawing me close. Almost caressing me. A reward for obeying.

“Yes, what?” he demands.

I swallow and give him the only possible response. He doesn’t need to ask me twice, as the vision of what he threatened plays itself out in my mind. “Yes, sir.”

The approval in his eyes warms me as his hand dips low to the small of my back and flexes. “That’s my good girl,” he whispers, his voice low and rough. And then his lips are on mine, and I’m melting, lost in the raw, intoxicating scent of him, the rugged yet somehow tender strength of his hold. Heat pulses through me, responding to the possessive way he claims me with a promise of protection and so much more. My mind wavers, torn by the intensity of his demands, but my body yields, melting into him like wax to an open flame.

I’m a stranger in a foreign land who’s starting to feel as if she might belong, even as the questions of my past remain unanswered. Something in me warns me to resist, but I’m realizing with every passing day… I’m not sure I want to.

He touches his forehead to mine and pushes a button beside us. “Pull this fucking car over and put up the privacy screen.”

Chapter 12

RAFAIL

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