CHAPTER 8

Angelina POV

My sleep shattered when a phone rang directly beneath my pillow. I jolted awake, my heart hammering vigorously against my ribs. Groping blindly, I pulled the vibrating device from under the fabric, glared at the unknown number on the screen, and answered. "What?" I snapped.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Creed's excessively cheerful voice rang through the speaker.

I groaned in annoyance, wondering how anyone could be that energetic this early. "Morning," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes. "Why are you calling me?"

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

"Did he now?" I asked, failing to stifle a loud yawn.

"Yes, he did. Now get up and get ready, because it's already ten in the morning."

"Okay," I mumbled, hanging up the phone.

I dropped my face into my hands and closed my eyes. I hadn't fallen asleep until nearly two in the morning. My mind had been completely consumed by Danzel, replaying our kiss over and over. I gently traced my fingers across my lower lip, a strange, warm flutter blooming in my chest. It had been nothing like the awkward first kisses Lexi used to describe to me. It was intense, consuming, and deeply intoxicating. My thoughts were interrupted by a text from Creed telling me to wear something comfortable.

Standing under the hot spray of the shower, my mind drifted right back to the mafia boss. Last night, Danzel had been fiercely opposed to letting me leave the house. So what had suddenly changed his mind? I couldn't figure it out, even as I dried off and headed to the closet to find some casual clothes. After pulling on a comfortable pair of jeans and a top, I made my way downstairs.

"Hey, Yara. Good morning!" I called out as I stepped into the bright kitchen.

Her face lit up the moment she saw me. "Good morning, honey. I made some fresh sandwiches for you."

"Thank you, I'm starving," I said, taking a seat at the island. "You're the best cook ever."

"You look awfully cheerful today," she noted, setting a plate in front of me.

"I am. Danzel is actually letting me go out for the day," I smiled, grabbing a sandwich. "Well, only with Creed. But still."

Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed into the kitchen. I froze mid-bite.

"Good morning, Mr. Parker," Yara greeted warmly.

"Good morning, Yara. I'll take my breakfast now."

Hearing his deep, raspy voice right behind me sent a furious blush straight to my cheeks. Images of us tangled together on the couch flashed vividly in my mind. I lowered my head, staring intently at my plate to avoid his gaze.

"Good morning, Love. Did you sleep well?" he murmured, pulling out the stool beside mine. A knowing smirk played on his lips.

I swallowed my bite of food and forced my posture to remain casual. "I did. Thank you." I pushed the rest of my sandwich around the plate, my appetite suddenly replaced by nervous butterflies.

"Well," I began softly. His gaze snapped up from his phone, one dark brow rising in question. "I just... wanted to say thank you for letting me go out today."

"You're welcome, Angelina," he replied smoothly. A wicked, mischievous glint flashed in his blue eyes. "Though, you didn't exactly leave me much of a choice last night."

I choked on my orange juice, coughing into my napkin. How could he say something like that with Yara standing right there?

Before I could formulate a response, Creed strolled into the kitchen, saving me from further embarrassment. "There you are!" Creed cheered, wrapping an arm around my shoulders in a quick side hug. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks!" I smiled, blushing at the compliment.

Beside me, Danzel's jaw locked, and his hand curled into a tight fist on the marble counter. He kept his dark eyes trained on his coffee, but the lethal tension radiating off him was undeniable.

"You ready to go?" Creed asked, completely ignoring his boss's murderous aura.

"Yes. Give me one second to grab my purse," I said, hurrying out of the kitchen.

When I returned to the living room a moment later, Danzel was speaking to Creed in a low, dangerous whisper. Danzel's expression was deadly serious, and by the rigid posture of Creed's shoulders, I knew he was listening carefully to every word. Danzel cut himself off mid-sentence the second he noticed me standing in the doorway.

"Let's move, shall we?" Creed grinned, instantly returning to his cheerful self as he headed for the front door.

I smiled back and followed him. Just as I reached the threshold, Danzel called my name. I turned around to find him walking toward me.

"You forgot your phone," he said, handing the device to me.

"Oh. Thank you," I murmured.

He gave a sharp nod, then leaned down and pressed a soft, protective kiss to my forehead. "Stay safe, Angel," he whispered.

I mumbled a quiet agreement and hurried out into the hallway, where Creed was waiting by the elevator. He was smirking mischievously at me.

"What?" I asked, glaring at him. He just chuckled, his knowing look answering for him.

Creed's sleek car was parked in the circular driveway. He opened the passenger door for me with a theatrical bow, and I slid inside. As he started the engine, I glanced at the side mirror and caught sight of Danzel standing in the large living room window, watching us leave. I quickly looked away.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked as we pulled out of the gates.

"Well, I usually never take girls out in the morning unless it's the walk of shame," he joked, flashing a grin. "But I promise you're going to love this."

He refused to give me any more clues, simply calling it a surprise. After an hour of driving, he finally pulled into a massive parking lot. I frowned in confusion as I stepped out of the car, but then I heard the distant sound of carnival music and screams.

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

Creed laughed heartily at my reaction. "Come on then! Let's go."

For a few hours, I completely forgot about the nightmare my life had become. We played rigged carnival games, ate cotton candy, and got in line for the biggest rollercoasters. To my absolute delight, I discovered that the lethal mafia right-hand man had a severe fear of heights. Creed had a literal death grip on my hand when our cart slowly cranked to the top of the tracks. I laughed relentlessly at his pale, terrified expression, teasing him the entire way down.

When the afternoon began to fade, Creed drove us to a high-end Italian restaurant for an early dinner. The second we walked through the glass doors, the atmosphere shifted. Nervous eyes darted toward us, and patrons subtly moved out of our path. Even though the dining room was packed, the maître d' rushed over to accommodate us instantly.

"Good evening, sir," the man greeted, practically trembling.

"A table for two," Creed ordered.

I blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in his demeanor. The playful, goofy guy from the rollercoaster was gone, replaced by a cold, authoritative man who demanded absolute respect. The staff scrambled to seat us in a private booth, and Creed fluently ordered several Italian dishes I had never heard of.

Creed maintained his rigid, intimidating posture until the terrified waiter finally scurried away. Once we were alone, I leaned across the table. "Wow, Creed. I didn't know you had that in you."

"Had what in me?" he asked, dropping the mafia persona and returning to his usual, relaxed self.

"That you could be just as bossy and terrifying as Danzel."

He chuckled darkly, leaning back in his chair. "Trust me, sunshine, we have to be bossy when we're out in public. It's a necessary part of the lifestyle. Kindness is seen as a weakness in our line of work, and we can't afford to be weak."

"Then why are you so soft with me?" I asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"First of all, do not call me soft," he glared playfully, though a smile tugged at his lips. "And second... it's because you're my little friend." I smiled warmly at the sentiment. But Creed's smile slowly faded, replaced by a heavy seriousness.

"Can I ask you for a favor, Angelina?"

"Yeah, of course," I nodded hesitantly.

He took a deep breath, resting his elbows on the table. "Listen, I know you were brought here completely against your will. I know Danzel kidnapped you. But please... don't try to leave him."

My eyes widened in shock at the sheer sincerity in his voice. "He has been through hell, Angelina," Creed continued softly. "He never allows anyone into his personal space. I honestly don't recall the last time he brought a woman to that house. But you... you're changing him. He's actually trying."

Creed reached across the table, gently covering my hand with his. "Be kind to him. Gain his trust, and I swear to you, he will eventually let you do whatever you please. But let me warn you—do not ever break that trust. If you make him a promise, you have to stand by it. Because if you betray him, he will truly be the death of you."

I didn't know what my face was showing, but my mind was spinning wildly. I'm changing him? How was I supposed to change a ruthless killer? And how could he ask me to stay with my kidnapper? Danzel was a dangerous, violent man, and I had an entire life and a mother waiting for me out there in the real world.

"Angelina? Will you try?" Creed's voice pulled me back to reality.

I swallowed the thick knot of anxiety in my throat. "I'll try, Creed," I said honestly. "But you have to understand... he abducted me. How am I supposed to just accept living with him? I get what you're saying, but—" I stopped when I saw his hopeful expression falter. "I'll try my best," I finally assured him with a small, forced smile.

He smiled weakly in return and nodded.

The food arrived shortly after, and it was absolutely amazing. We fell back into easy conversation, talking about everything and nothing as we finished our meal. When we were done, Creed stood up, adjusted his jacket, and simply started walking toward the exit.

"Creed, wait!" I hissed, hurrying after him. "You didn't pay the bill!"

"I know," he said casually, not breaking his stride. "I don't need to pay, sunshine."

"Why?" I asked, before my eyes widened in realization. "You own the restaurant!"

"Yeah, it's no big deal," he shrugged modestly, pushing the glass doors open for me. "Come on, let's get you home."

We headed back to the estate immediately. Creed had syndicate business to attend to, and I was thoroughly exhausted from the sun and the heavy meal. All I wanted was my comfortable bed. Creed insisted on walking me to the front door, following me inside the quiet foyer.

The second our shoes clicked against the marble, a furious voice boomed through the house.

"I told you to have her back by noon!" Danzel roared, storming out of his office with pure wrath burning in his eyes. "Why the fuck are you late, Creed?"

I flinched violently at the sheer volume, instinctively reaching out and grabbing Creed's hand for comfort. Danzel's dark eyes immediately locked onto our joined hands. The muscle in his jaw visibly ticked. I dropped Creed's hand like it burned me.

"You," Danzel growled, pointing a lethal finger at me. "Up to your room. Now." I nodded quickly and practically ran toward the staircase.

"We stopped at my restaurant to have lunch. Angelina was exhausted," Creed explained smoothly, completely unfazed by Danzel's terrifying rage. "Which is partly my fault," he added with an amused little smirk.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Danzel gritted out, stepping dangerously close to his friend.

Creed just laughed. "Calm down, man. We went to the amusement park. We walked around all day, got hungry, and stopped to grab a bite. That's it."

"Fine. Get out," Danzel dismissed him harshly. Without waiting for a reply, Danzel turned on his heel and stormed back into his office, slamming the heavy door behind him.

I had paused on the landing, quietly watching the exchange. Once Danzel was gone, Creed walked up the first few steps and pulled me into a quick hug. "I've got to go, but you can call me whenever you need anything, okay?"

"Sure, Creed. Thank you so much for today. I really enjoyed it," I said, lightly punching his shoulder.

"I know," he bragged playfully. He then raised his voice to ensure it carried down the hall. "Everybody loves me!"

"If I come out of this office, I will end you, Creed!" Danzel shouted through the heavy wood.

Creed laughed out loud, walking backward toward the front door. Just before he stepped out, he winked at me and yelled, "Love you too, Angelina!"

My eyes went wide in shock. It didn't take more than two seconds for the office door to rip open. Danzel marched out with lethal intent, but Creed was already sprinting down the driveway, cackling the whole way.

Exhausted from the day's adrenaline, I took a long, warm bath and crawled into bed. I had only planned to rest my eyes for fifteen minutes, but I ended up sleeping for over two hours. When I finally woke up, Yara was knocking gently on my door to call me for dinner. I made my way downstairs and found Danzel already seated at the dining table, silently waiting for me.

"Hey, honey!" Yara smiled as she served the food. "How was your day out?"

I eagerly recounted the entire trip to the amusement park, leaving out nothing. Danzel ate in complete silence, but I could feel his heavy, calculating gaze tracking my every expression. When I finished my story, I politely asked Yara about her day. She happily explained that she had gone shopping for her daughter. However, my heart sank when she casually mentioned that she would be leaving town to visit her for a couple of weeks. I was going to be left entirely alone with the dangerous mafia boss.

Yara eventually excused herself to go pack her bags for the trip. I sat at the table, nervously pushing my green beans around with my fork. I opened my mouth to speak a couple of times, but my courage kept failing me. Danzel continued eating his dinner in perfect, intimidating silence.

"Danzel?" I finally called out softly. He looked up, raising a dark eyebrow in question.

"Yara mentioned there's a big sale happening at the mall downtown. It's not too far, and... I kind of wanted to go pick out some new clothes," I lied nervously.

He let out a low, dark chuckle. "Angel, you do realize you don't have to wait for mall sales to buy cheap, overpriced clothes, right? You can just order whatever designer pieces you want, and I'll pay for them."

"They aren't cheap. I like the mall," I argued defensively. "And I want to go."

"Alright, Love. We'll go tomorrow," he agreed smoothly.

Wait. We? "We?" I repeated, blinking in confusion.

"Yes. Creed is busy tomorrow," he explained, a devilish smirk returning to his lips. "So if you want to leave the house, you're going with me."

"Okay," I managed to squeak out. "But don't you have work tomorrow?"

"Don't worry about my schedule," he said, standing up from his chair. He walked around the table and leaned down until his face was level with mine. "Besides, instead of staring at fucking paperwork all day, I'd much rather sit outside a dressing room and watch you try on clothes."

He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound, and pressed a firm kiss against my flushed cheek. "Goodnight, Love. Sleep well," he murmured, pulling back to leave the dining room. "We have a very long day ahead of us tomorrow."

I sat perfectly frozen in my chair, my heart doing frantic somersaults in my chest. Oh, God. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day indeed.

---

I was wide awake before my alarm even went off the next morning. My stomach was tied in knots of nervous excitement. I was thrilled to finally get out and go shopping, but the reality of Danzel tagging along terrified me. I practically skipped out of my bedroom, but my steps faltered on the stairs when I caught sight of him waiting in the foyer.

He was dressed in a fitted black t-shirt and dark denim jeans. It was the first time I had seen him out of a tailored suit, and my mouth went instantly dry. He looked incredible.

He looked up, catching my lingering gaze. "Ready?"

"Absolutely," I grinned, recovering quickly. He shook his head in amusement and led the way out the front door.

The moment we stepped outside, I stopped dead in my tracks. A sleek, heavily tinted black car was idling in the driveway. It was the exact same car that had stalked me for weeks before the kidnapping. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

"Come on, Angel. We don't have all day," Danzel called out, holding the passenger door open. Pushing down my unease, I hurried over and slid inside.

"So, how many dresses are you planning on buying today?" he asked casually once we were cruising down the highway.

"Uh, I don't know," I mumbled, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I really don't have that much money."

Danzel shot me a dark, warning glare. "You don't ever need to worry about money with me, Angel. You can buy the entire mall if you want to."

"Okay," I surrendered quietly. There was clearly no point in arguing with a stubborn billionaire.

I kept my gaze fixed on the passing scenery, a sudden, heavy wave of homesickness hitting my chest. I missed Lexi. Shopping was our favorite thing to do together. Instead of laughing with my best friend, I was sitting next to the terrifying mafia boss who had forcefully abducted me.

"Tell me what's going on in that little brain of yours," he murmured, sensing my shift in mood.

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

Danzel immediately stiffened beside me. His jaw clenched tight, and he stared straight ahead, offering no comfort or response. We rode the rest of the way in tense silence until he finally parked at the mall. I hopped out quickly, my mood instantly lifting when I saw the giant, bright orange 'SALE' banners hanging across the storefronts.

"Let's go," Danzel commanded. Without warning, he reached out, seamlessly intertwined his fingers with mine, and led me inside.

He refused to let go of my hand, even as we navigated through the crowded department store. I tried my best to ignore the warm, comforting sparks shooting up my arm from his grip. It was impossible not to notice the sheer number of female eyes tracking our every move. Or, more specifically, tracking him. A few women even shot me venomous glares of pure jealousy.

What? He's a kidnapper, not my boyfriend! I wanted to yell at them.

Danzel remained completely unaffected by the attention, casually instructing me to pick out whatever caught my eye. As I browsed the racks, I would frequently peek over my shoulder. Every single time, I found his intense blue gaze already locked onto me.

Once I had an armful of hangers, I walked back over to where he was waiting. Apparently, Danzel had been doing some shopping of his own. He handed me a few expensive-looking garments and ordered me to try them on. I politely hated almost everything he picked out, except for one piece. It was a stunning, emerald-green dress that stopped daringly high at my mid-thigh. The diamond-shaped neckline plunged deep, tastefully but dangerously exposing the swell of my cleavage.

I smiled at my reflection in the fitting room mirror; it fit like an absolute dream. I cracked the door open and called his name. The second Danzel's eyes landed on me, his pupils blew wide.

I shifted nervously under the sheer heat of his stare. Without a word, he stood up, stepped into the tiny fitting room, and kicked the door shut behind him, trapping me against the wall.

His eyes slowly dragged down the length of my body, igniting a hot, tingling sensation wherever his gaze lingered. Under the harsh fluorescent lights of the stall, his blue irises looked predatory.

"You look fucking delicious in this," he growled, his voice thick with raw need. "I want to rip it completely off and fuck you senseless right here."

I gasped at the blunt, vulgar confession, instinctively shrinking back until my spine hit the cold glass of the mirror. Danzel slammed his palms flat against the glass on either side of my head. He leaned in, capturing my lips in a hungry, bruising kiss.

My eyes fluttered shut as one of his hands moved to tightly grip my jaw, angling my face perfectly. He bit gently down on my lower lip, pulling a soft moan from my throat. His arm snaked around my waist, lifting me flush against his hard chest and pinning me securely to the mirror.

I finally pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss when my lungs burned for oxygen. I took a few ragged breaths before slowly opening my eyes to look at him.

"God, I missed your lips," he whispered, his thumb lightly tracing my kiss-swollen mouth. "Take it off and get dressed. I'll wait outside." He leaned in to press one last, surprisingly tender kiss to my lips before slipping out of the stall.

Once I was back in my regular clothes, Danzel wordlessly took the emerald dress from my hands and headed straight for the cash register.

"Can I run to the washroom really quick?" I asked him quietly.

He paused, eyeing me suspiciously. "Yeah," he agreed. "Just don't try to do anything stupid."

"I won't," I promised, swallowing hard.

After using the restroom and washing my hands, I stepped back out into the quiet corridor leading to the main mall. Suddenly, a hand clamped securely over my mouth. Before I could even scream, I was violently yanked backward and dragged right back into the ladies' room. My eyes widened in absolute panic as I thrashed wildly against the tight grip.

"Shhh, stop! It's me."

I froze. The moment the muffled voice registered, my eyes snapped open in pure shock. My face drained of all color as the person spun me around. Staring back at me, his blue eyes wide with desperate worry, was the boy I had crushed on since high school. It was my classmate.

"Thomas!"