CHAPTER 8

 

Angelina's POV

My deep sleep was violently disturbed when my cell phone began ringing loudly right beneath my pillow. The sudden noise made me jump, jolting me completely upright in the bed, my heart thumping vigorously against my ribs. I practically ripped the phone out from under the pillow, glaring sleepily at the bright screen before answering.

"What?" I snapped, my voice thick with sleep.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Creed's obnoxiously loud voice rang through the speaker.

I groaned in absolute annoyance. God, how can he be so damn cheerful this early?

"Morning," I grumbled miserably. "Why did you call?"

"Well, Danzel called me and said you wanted to go out somewhere today."

"Did he now?" I asked, unable to stop a massive yawn from escaping.

"Yes, he did. Now get your butt out of bed and get ready, because it's already ten in the morning."

"Okay," I mumbled, tossing the phone onto the nightstand.

I dropped my face into my hands and closed my eyes. I hadn't managed to fall asleep until around two in the morning. I had been lying awake for hours, my mind playing our kiss on an endless loop. Slowly, my fingers reached up to graze my bottom lip, a strange, nervous heat blooming low in my stomach.

He had kissed me.

The intoxicating feeling was absolutely nothing compared to the awkward high school kisses Lexi had always described to me. It was so much more than that; it was intense, consuming, and incredibly deep. My swirling thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the loud buzzing of my phone. I grabbed it and saw a text from Creed flash across the screen:

On my way. Wear something comfortable.

I let out a long sigh, threw off the heavy covers, and headed straight for the bathroom.

Standing under the scalding spray of the shower, my mind inevitably drifted right back to Danzel. Last night, he had been vehemently opposed to letting me outside the house. So, what had suddenly changed his stubborn mind? My thoughts offered no logical answers. Even as I dried off and headed into the massive walk-in closet, I couldn't stop overthinking it. I quickly dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a soft sweater before heading downstairs.

"Hey, Yara. Good morning!" I called out brightly when I entered the sunlit kitchen.

As soon as she saw me, her face broke into a wide, motherly smile. "Hey, honey. Good morning! I made some fresh sandwiches for you, I hope you like them."

"Of course I will," I said, hopping onto a barstool. "You are the absolute best cook in the world!"

"You look very cheerful today," she noted happily.

"Yes, I am! Danzel is actually letting me go out for the day," I smiled widely, though it faltered slightly as I added, "But only with Creed."

"Well, I hope you enjoy your day outside, sweetie," she wished sincerely.

Just then, the distinct sound of heavy, measured footsteps echoed into the kitchen. I instantly froze mid-chew.

"Good morning, Danzel," Yara greeted politely.

"Morning, Yara. Bring me my breakfast."

The deep, rumbling timbre of his voice behind me sent a furious blush rushing to my cheeks. Vivid, suffocating images of last night—his hands roaming my body, his mouth devouring mine—flashed vividly across my mind's eye. I forcefully lowered my gaze to my plate, sinking down slightly to avoid his penetrating stare.

"Good morning, Love. Did you sleep well?" he asked, taking the stool next to mine. I didn't even have to look at him to know his signature arrogant smirk was playing on his lips.

I gulped down the bite of food, desperately trying to force my posture upright. "I did. Thank you," I replied stiffly.

I picked up a fork and blindly pushed the food around my plate, my appetite completely ruined by his intense proximity.

"Well..." I started hesitantly.

At the sound of my voice, his dark gaze snapped up from his phone, and he cocked a dark brow, waiting for me to continue.

"I—I..." I stumbled over my words before finally forcing them out. "Thank you for today."

"You're welcome, Angelina," he replied smoothly. Then, a wicked, mischievous glint flashed across his bright blue eyes. "You kind of didn't leave me much of a choice last night."

I choked violently on my orange juice the second the crude words left his mouth. How could he say something like that with Yara standing right in front of us?

Thankfully, to save me from dying of sheer embarrassment, Creed practically bounded into the kitchen.

"There you are!" he cheered, pulling me into a tight side-hug. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks!" I smiled, blushing at his sweet compliment.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Danzel's jaw tense dangerously. His large hands instantly curled into tight fists at his sides, but he purposefully kept his furious gaze glued to the marble counter.

"You ready?" Creed asked me, completely ignoring his boss's lethal aura.

"Yes! Give me one minute, I just need to grab my purse," I said, hurrying out of the kitchen before a fight broke out.

When I walked back into the grand living room, I caught Danzel quietly telling Creed something. Danzel had a terrifyingly stern look on his face, and judging by the rigid posture of Creed's back, I knew he was listening very carefully. Danzel abruptly stopped mid-sentence when he noticed me standing in the archway.

"Let's move, shall we?" Creed grinned, instantly dropping the serious demeanor and walking toward the front door.

I grinned back and quickly followed him. But just as I was about to step out the heavy door into the sunlight, Danzel's deep voice stopped me.

"Angelina."

I frowned and turned around, watching him stride toward me.

"You forgot your phone in the living room," he said, holding the device out to me.

"Oh. Thank you."

He nodded briefly. Then, completely taking me by surprise, he leaned down and pressed a remarkably soft kiss to my forehead. "Stay safe, Angel," he murmured gently against my skin.

I mumbled a breathless, tiny "yes" and practically sprinted down the front steps toward the driveway, where Creed was standing impatiently by his car. I looked up and saw Creed smiling down at me with an incredibly mischievous expression.

"What?" I demanded, glaring up at him.

But his annoying smirk answered it all.

His sleek car was idling in the driveway. He opened the passenger door like a perfect gentleman, and I quickly slid inside, waiting for him to get behind the wheel. My eyes instinctively drifted to the side mirror, and I saw Danzel standing perfectly still in the massive window, staring intensely as we pulled away.

I forced myself to look away and turned to Creed. "So, where exactly are we heading?"

"Well, I never take girls out unless it's for formal dates or wild parties," he bragged with a wink. "But I'm pretty sure you are going to absolutely love this place."

That was all he would say before turning up the music. I spent the entire drive begging for more clues, but he simply shook his head and refused to crack. It's a surprise, he insisted repeatedly.

After an hour of driving, he finally pulled into a massive, colorful parking lot. I frowned in deep confusion as I stepped out of the car. My jaw dropped as I took in the towering rollercoasters and bright carnival lights.

"An amusement park!" I squealed in pure, unadulterated excitement.

He laughed loudly at my childish expression. "Come on, then! Let's go."

---

For the first time in a week, I forgot everything terrifying that had happened to me. I simply enjoyed myself. We played every arcade game we could find, and we rode massive, terrifying rollercoasters—which completely exposed Creed's secret fear of heights. He had an absolute death grip on my poor hand every single time a ride took off, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. I laughed until my stomach hurt at his genuinely frightened expressions and relentlessly teased him about it all day long.

As the sun began to set, Creed led me into an incredibly upscale Italian restaurant just outside the park limits to eat.

As soon as we stepped through the glass doors, I noticed the nervous, darting eyes of the staff glancing our way. People literally stepped out of our path, and even though the dining room was completely packed, the host immediately ushered us to a private table in the back.

"Hello, sir," our waiter greeted, his voice trembling slightly as he handed us the menus.

"A table for the two of us," Creed ordered.

My eyes widened in surprise at the sudden, dramatic shift in his tone. The playful, goofy guy I had spent the entire day with had completely vanished. Instead, his voice was laced with a chilling, authoritative seriousness. Creed casually ordered our food, requesting several authentic Italian dishes I had never even heard of.

He kept his demeanor terrifyingly stern and rigid the entire time the waiter stood near the table. But the exact second the man scurried out of sight, Creed immediately relaxed back into his chair.

I stared at him in absolute awe. "Wow, Creed... I honestly didn't know you could do that."

"Do what?" he asked, genuinely confused, the sudden softness returning completely to his voice.

"That you can be just as bossy and terrifying as Danzel when you're around other people."

"Trust me, darling, we have to be bossy when we are out amongst them," he explained softly, leaning closer. "It's absolutely necessary for our survival in this life. We cannot afford to show an ounce of kindness when it comes to our work."

"Then why are you always so soft and kind to me?" I asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"First of all, do not call me soft," he glared playfully, though a warm smile quickly broke through. "And second... it's because you're my little friend."

"Well, it's very good to know!" I smiled back, genuinely touched.

He paused for a moment, his playful smile fading completely. "Can I ask you a huge favor, sunshine?" he asked, his tone turning dead serious.

"Yeah, go on," I nodded hesitantly, sitting up straighter.

He took a deep, heavy breath and locked his eyes on mine. "Listen, Angelina... I know that you have been brought into this world completely against your will."

My eyes widened at his blunt honesty.

"I also know that it was Danzel who kidnapped you, but..." His voice dropped into a desperate, pleading register. "Please don't leave him. I know how insane that sounds, but he has been through actual hell in his life. He has never allowed a single person to enter his personal space. Hell, I honestly don't recall him bringing a girl home in years. But now... Danzel is actively changing."

Creed leaned forward across the white tablecloth and gently covered my hands with his.

"And it's you who is changing him. Please don't try to run away again. Be kind to him. Take the time to genuinely gain his trust, and I am absolutely certain he will eventually let you do whatever you please. But..." Creed's grip on my hands tightened painfully. "Let me warn you right now. Never—and I mean never—break his trust. Once you promise him something, you make damn sure you stand by your word. Because if you betray him, he will literally be the death of you."

I wasn't sure what my shocked expression gave away, because my mind was frantically trying to process the heavy weight of his words.

Danzel is changing, and it's you who is changing him.

How on earth was I supposed to change a ruthless mafia boss? And how could he ask me not to leave him? Danzel had abducted me, for Christ's sake! He was an incredibly dangerous man, and I couldn't simply choose to live my life with a man who killed people for a living. I needed to get back to my mother; I had an entire, normal life waiting for me out there.

"Angelina? Will you try?"

Creed's desperate voice dragged me back to harsh reality. I gulped down my rising panic and forced myself to speak.

"Uh... I'll try, Creed," I answered honestly. "I mean, he literally kidnapped me. How am I supposed to just comfortably live with him? I completely understand your emotions and your loyalty to him, but—" I abruptly cut myself off when I saw his hopeful expression drop into sadness. "But... I will try. I promise," I quickly assured him, forcing a reassuring smile.

He offered a weak, grateful smile and nodded his head.

The food arrived, and it was absolutely amazing. Even though I couldn't pronounce half the names on the plates, I savored every bite. We spent the rest of the meal talking comfortably about lighter topics. When we were finally finished and it was time to pay, Creed simply stood up, grabbed his jacket, and casually started walking toward the door.

"Creed, wait!" I hurried after him, grabbing his arm. "You didn't pay the bill!"

"I know," he nodded simply, not breaking his stride. "I don't need to pay here, sunshine."

"Why not?" I asked, utterly confused. Then, my eyes widened in realization as I looked around the lavish restaurant. "Oh my God. You own it!"

"Yeah, it's no big deal," he shrugged casually, pushing the glass door open for me. "Now come on, let's get you home."

We drove back to the mansion immediately. Creed had some pressing business to attend to, and I was completely exhausted from the long day. All I wanted to do was collapse onto my plush bed and sleep.

Creed politely insisted on walking me all the way up to the front door, and then he playfully followed me straight into the living room.

The exact second our footsteps echoed on the marble floors, a furious, booming voice shattered the quiet house.

"I explicitly told you to have her back by noon!" Danzel roared, storming out of his office. His blue eyes were blazing with unadulterated fury. "Why the fuck are you so late, Creed?"

I violently flinched at his terrifying volume and instinctively grabbed Creed's hand for protection.

Danzel's lethal eyes instantly dropped to my fingers wrapped around his friend's hand, and his square jaw clenched so tightly I thought his teeth might shatter.

I dropped Creed's hand like it had burned me.

"You," Danzel growled, pointing a trembling finger directly at me. "Get in your room. Now."

I didn't dare argue. I nodded frantically and power-walked toward the staircase.

"We stopped by the restaurant to have lunch. Angelina was exhausted from walking," Creed explained calmly, completely unfazed by Danzel's explosive yelling. "Which is admittedly partly my fault," he finished, a highly amused smirk spreading across his face.

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Danzel snarled, taking a threatening step forward.

Creed just threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"Calm down, man! I took her to the amusement park, and we enjoyed a lot of rides. Then we both got hungry, so we stopped to grab a bite. That's it."

"Fine. You can leave now," Danzel dismissed him coldly. Without waiting for a reply, he spun on his heel and stormed back into his private office.

I stood paralyzed on the bottom step, nervously watching the tense scene unfold.

Creed strolled over and pulled me into a quick, warm hug. "Well, I gotta go deal with some work. But you can call me whenever you want to, okay?"

"Sure, Creed. Thanks a lot for today. I really enjoyed your company," I smiled, lightly punching him on the shoulder.

"I know," he bragged smoothly. Then, he raised his voice drastically to ensure it carried down the hall. "Everybody loves me!"

"If I have to come back out there, you are going to be in serious trouble, Creed!" Danzel bellowed furiously from his office.

Creed just laughed harder and turned toward the massive front door. But right before he opened it, he stopped, spun around to face me, and threw me an incredibly exaggerated, dramatic wink. "Love you too, Angelina!"

My eyes nearly popped out of my skull at his reckless, suicidal teasing. I held my breath, waiting for the massive explosion we both knew was coming.

It didn't take more than two seconds. The heavy oak door to the study slammed open, and Danzel practically flew into the hallway, marching murderously toward his friend. Creed took one look at his furious boss and sprinted out the front door, laughing hysterically the entire way down the driveway.

---

After soaking in a wonderfully warm bath, I decided to take a quick fifteen-minute nap to recharge. Naturally, I ended up sleeping for two straight hours. When I finally dragged myself awake, Yara was already knocking on my door, calling me down for a late dinner. When I slowly descended the stairs and walked into the dining room, I found Danzel already sitting at the opposite end of the long table, silently waiting for me to join him.

"Hey, honey!" Yara smiled warmly as she set down a platter of roasted chicken. "How was your day out?"

I eagerly told her absolutely everything about the amusement park, making sure not to miss a single, funny detail about Creed screaming on the rollercoasters. Danzel didn't say a single word the entire time, but I could feel his intense, burning gaze tracking my every movement. When I finally finished my long story, I turned to Yara and politely asked about her day.

She happily told me she had spent the afternoon shopping for gifts for her daughter. I frowned sadly when she casually mentioned that she would be leaving town for a couple of weeks to visit her, which meant I was going to be left entirely alone in the hands of a very dangerous man.

Yara eventually excused herself to go pack her suitcases for the trip.

I sat in the tense silence, nervously toying with my green beans. I opened my mouth a couple of times to speak, but the words kept dying in my throat. Danzel was eating his dinner mechanically, his eyes heavily focused on his plate.

"Danzel?" I called out softly.

He slowly raised his head, cocking a dark eyebrow in question.

"Yara told me about a massive sale happening at the local mall. It's really not that far, and... I kind of wanted to go and buy some new clothes," I asked nervously, playing with my fork.

He let out a low, dark chuckle.

What is so funny?

"You know that you don't have to sit around waiting for cheap mall sales anymore, right? You don't have to worry about the cost of cheap dresses marked up at ridiculous prices. You can simply order anything you like, from anywhere in the world, and I will have it delivered," he stated matter-of-factly.

"The clothes at the mall aren't cheap! Besides, I just love going to malls," I defended myself. "And I really want to go."

He wiped his mouth with a linen napkin and stared at me for a long moment. "Okay, love. We'll go tomorrow."

Wait... what?

Did he just say we?

"We?" I asked, my brow furrowing in deep confusion.

"Yes. Creed is busy handling my business tomorrow. So if you want to leave this house, you have to go with me," he smirked, clearly enjoying my visible panic.

"Okay..." I managed to stammer out. "But don't you have actual work to do tomorrow?"

"Don't worry about my schedule," he said, abruptly standing up from his chair. He walked over to my side of the table, leaned down until he was hovering over me, and whispered huskily, "Besides, instead of staring at fucking paperwork all day, I would much rather watch you try on every single dress in the store and spend the day with you."

He chuckled darkly at my wide-eyed expression, leaned in, and pressed a hot, lingering kiss to my cheek.

"Good night, Love. Sleep well," he murmured, turning and walking out of the dining room. "We have a very long day ahead of us tomorrow."

I sat completely frozen in my chair, my fork halfway to my mouth.

Oh, God. Tomorrow is going to be an incredibly long day.

---

I was wide awake long before my alarm went off the next morning. My stomach was twisting with a chaotic mix of excitement and pure, unadulterated nerves. I was genuinely excited to go shopping and feel normal again, but I was terrified because Danzel was personally tagging along. My steps literally faltered on the grand staircase when I saw him waiting for me in the foyer.

He was wearing a simple, fitted black t-shirt and perfectly tailored black jeans. He looked like an entirely different person without his intimidating, custom three-piece suits. This was the first time I had ever seen him dressed casually, and I hated how incredibly attractive he looked.

He caught me staring as I reached the bottom step. "Ready?"

"Absolutely," I grinned, trying to mask my nerves.

He just shook his head in slight amusement and held the front door open for me.

As soon as I stepped outside and saw his car parked in the circular driveway, I froze dead in my tracks. My blood ran cold. It was the exact same, heavily tinted black car that had relentlessly stalked me for weeks before my kidnapping.

"Come on, Angel. We don't have all day," he called out smoothly, casually holding the passenger door open for me.

I forcefully swallowed my rising panic, hurried over, and slid into the plush leather seat.

"So, how many dresses are you planning on taking home today?" he asked casually once we merged onto the main highway.

"Uh... I really don't know. I just... I don't really have that much money," I admitted quietly, embarrassed by the reminder of my financial situation.

Danzel instantly shot me a lethal glare from the driver's seat. "You do not ever need to worry about money again, Angel. You can buy literally anything you want."

"Okay," I agreed softly. There was absolutely no point in trying to argue with him when he used that tone.

I kept my gaze firmly fixed on the passing scenery outside the window, a sudden, heavy wave of homesickness washing over me. I missed Lexi so much. We had always enjoyed ourselves endlessly every single time we went to the mall together. And now, here I was, being chauffeured to a shopping spree by the terrifying mafia boss who had abducted me.

"Tell me exactly what's going on in that beautiful little brain of yours," he demanded softly, noticing my sudden shift in mood.

"I just... I miss Lexi a lot," I confessed honestly.

Danzel visibly stiffened at the mention of my best friend. He clenched his jaw so tightly I could see the muscle ticking, and he remained completely silent for the rest of the drive.

We pulled into the massive parking structure a few minutes later. I practically leaped out of the car, a genuine smile breaking across my face when I spotted the giant, bright orange SALE banners hanging over the mall's grand entrance.

"Let's go," Danzel ordered. He stepped up beside me, possessively intertwined his large fingers through mine, and started leading me toward the glass doors.

He adamantly refused to let go of my hand as we walked into the first high-end boutique. I tried my hardest to ignore the strange, fluttering feeling shooting up my arm from his warm touch. I could physically feel the heavy, envious gazes of almost every single woman in the store locked onto us—or, more accurately, locked onto him. A few women even shot me dirty, jealous glares as we walked past.

What is their problem? It's not like he's actually my boyfriend!

Danzel remained completely unaffected by the blatant staring. He confidently led me toward the racks and simply ordered me to select whatever caught my eye. As I sifted through the endless hangers of gorgeous fabrics, my eyes would constantly drift over to him. Unsurprisingly, I caught his intense, predatory gaze tracking my every single movement.

When my arms were completely full, I walked over to the fitting rooms where he was waiting. Apparently, Danzel had taken the liberty of selecting several dresses himself, silently handing the silk garments to me and demanding I try them all on.

I honestly hated every single piece he had chosen, except for one.

It was a breathtaking, emerald-green slip dress that stopped daringly high at my mid-thigh. The neckline plunged into a sharp diamond shape, perfectly exposing the soft swell of my cleavage.

I smiled triumphantly in the mirror, amazed by how perfectly the fabric clung to my curves. I cautiously opened the fitting room door and stepped out to show him. "Danzel?"

His heavy gaze slowly dragged up my body, and his blue eyes widened fractionally.

I shifted uncomfortably on my bare feet under the sheer intensity of his stare. Without saying a word, he stood up from the velvet waiting chair, took three long strides toward me, and backed me straight into the small fitting room until my spine hit the wall. He stepped fully inside and effortlessly kicked the wooden door shut behind him.

His eyes hungrily roamed from my flushed face all the way down to my bare legs, and a heavy, electric tingling sensation ignited deep in my core. His blue eyes seemed to illuminate beautifully under the harsh fluorescent lights, his pupils completely dilating the second his dark gaze met mine.

"You look absolutely fucking delicious in this dress," he growled, his voice dropping into a rough, primal rasp. "I want to rip the fragile fabric right off your body and fuck you senseless right here against this mirror."

I gasped loudly at his incredibly crude, filthy words, instinctively backing myself harder against the cold glass.

Danzel planted his hands flat against the mirror on either side of my head, trapping me completely. He leaned in, capturing my lips in a desperate, bruising kiss.

My eyes fluttered shut in total surrender. He moved one hand down to firmly cup my jaw, holding me steady as he slanted his mouth fiercely over mine. He gently bit down on my lower lip, pulling a helpless, needy moan from the back of my throat. His strong arms immediately wrapped around my waist, hauling me flush against his hard chest and smashing me backward into the glass.

I finally pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss only when my lungs began burning for oxygen. It took me a few heavy, disoriented moments before I could slowly pry my eyes open to look at him.

"God... I have missed the taste of your lips," he whispered raggedly, gently tracing his calloused thumb over my swollen bottom lip.

He took a slow step back, clearly struggling to rein in his control. "Get changed. I will be waiting for you right outside," he ordered roughly. He leaned in to press one last, lingering kiss to my mouth before turning and walking out of the small room.

When I finally managed to change back into my own clothes, I stepped out and handed the emerald dress to Danzel. He took it without a word and walked straight to the cashier to pay the exorbitant price tag.

"Can I just go use the washroom, please?" I asked quietly, pointing down the mall corridor.

"Yeah," he agreed, turning back to level me with a terrifyingly serious glare. "But do not try to do anything stupid, Angelina. I mean it."

I gulped nervously and nodded my head. "I won't."

I practically ran down the hall to the public restrooms. When I was finally done splashing cold water on my flushed face and re-adjusting my clothes, I took a deep breath and walked out into the corridor.

As I was briskly walking past a dark maintenance alcove, a hand suddenly shot out of the shadows, clamped tightly over my mouth, and forcefully dragged me backward into the darkness.

My eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated panic. I thrashed wildly against the tight grip, terrified that Danzel's rival enemies had finally caught up to me.

"Shhh! Angelina, stop fighting! It's me."

The second my brain registered the familiar voice, I stopped struggling. My eyes snapped open, my face completely draining of color as I stared up at the person holding me.

His warm, incredibly worried eyes instantly caused mine to well up with tears of relief. It was the guy I had harbored a massive crush on since high school. It was the sweet, normal boy I had always dreamed of being with. It was my classmate.

"Thomas!"