Page 2 of Brutal Boxer

What had my distorted desires gotten me?

Pain and suffering… and holy terror.

I needed to get away from the Devil’s playground.

His once smoldering gaze had grown menacing when he looked at me. Vexation bled through every forced kiss.

Submitting, like a good girl, I returned them out of self-preservation. Pretending to love him for the baby he’d put in me.

Not from rape, though I was confident he’d take what he wanted if he so desired.

Lies and deceit were the reasons for my condition.

Casso had wanted a child, an heir, to take over his empire. I’d refused, desperate to flee the hell I’d found myself in. Little had I known the lengths Casso Campbell, the Pacific Northwest drug kingpin, would go to get what he wanted: me pregnant with his child.

Me at his mercy. His property.

Imagine my shock and outrage when I’d learned I was expecting. Shamefully, I’d wanted an abortion. No part of me had wanted anything to do with being tied to Casso for life.

We’d argued over the baby. Casso screamed and yelled hateful words. My mouth had run away with me, admitting I wanted out. I’d even ran to our bedroom to pack.

Stupid, stupid girl.

An hour later, my bags were by the door, so I could flee this elegant asylum. Casso entered, a coldness in his eyes pinning me in place. I’d never truly feared for my life until at that moment.

He strode toward me and said, “Clearly, you’re not in your right mind, precious.” In his next breath, I was handcuffed, dragged while screaming, and secured to the bed. “I won’t let you hurt our child or yourself. You both belong to me.”

The past couple of months, I’d been shackled to the bed or a chair.

When Casso left on business, his most trusted bodyguard stayed with me. Last month, Tony had kept me company for Thanksgiving in my room. I’d been kind and engaging, so he’d returned the same. But the way he admired me had revealed deeper feelings.

Tony wanted me.

To win my affections, he’d told me Casso had paid my Gynecologist to administer a placebo instead of the Depo shot.

I loathed Casso Campbell.

Cursed myself for not leaving when my bestie Jill had visited back in June. Not that I believed Casso would’ve allowed me to walk out of his life. Nobody left Casso.

He’d been on his best behavior while Jill stayed with us. The perfect, charming host. She had no clue he was a despicable human. Masterful at the game he played, giving Jill no reason to alert the authorities of my captivity.

Yes, captivity.

I was a prisoner.

Trapped in the penthouse suite of Cass’s gold tower in Seattle well before I was pregnant. Every room was laced with hidden cameras. I could do nothing in private, not even take a shit, without him knowing about it. When Jill was here, I had to mind my words and actions so Casso wouldn’t hurt her as he threatened to do before her arrival.

Not long after Jill left, Cass charmed his way back into my good graces. It worked for a time as he wined and dined me. Bought expensive gifts, danced beneath the moonlight with me. Made love to me.

Tony had said Casso’s actions had all been part of his grand plan to impregnate me.

I hated him with every fiber in my being.

“I know you’re awake.” The deep rumble of his voice speared down my spine like a bolt of ice.

Quiet, just stay still.

If I had any hope of getting away, I had to make him believe I wanted to stay. That meant dying to myself to save my baby and me from his nefarious grasp. No child should have Casso Campbell, the man with a black heart, for a father.

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