Chapter 31Rhett’s POV“You stay the hell away from her.”After saying that, the next thing I heard was Dominic’s laugh. Deep. Guttural, and fucking infuriating. He went for long till he stopped and leaned back in his chair.“Che cazzo!” he barked, and slammed his hand down against the armrest of the oak chair. (What the fuck!) I watched his lips curve into a cruel smirk as his eyes found mine, gleaming with a mocking light. “Who is her, figlio? You storm into my house with fire in your eyes, barking about a girl. Who is she?Why don't you tell me?” he asked.I scoffed inwardly, refusing to say a word. My silence was as much a weapon as my fists, but the way his grin deepened told me he was already piecing it together.Dominic rose slowly, unhurried. He moved like a predator that knew his prey wasn’t going anywhere. Even now, with years carved into his face, he carried himself with the same power I remembered as a boy, the kind that made men bow without being told. The dim chandelie
Chapter 30Rhett’s POVThe lights flickered once more, and Astrid’s eyes locked on mine with a mixture of fear and fire. Her chest heaved against me, her lips parted, and every instinct in me screamed to claim what had been building between us.Her body was still trembling, not just from fear anymore. I could feel it in the way her thighs brushed mine when she shifted, in the way her gaze lingered on my mouth like she hated herself for wanting me.“Astrid…” I growled low, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.She shivered, and that was it. My lips crushed against hers.The kiss wasn’t sweet. It wasn’t careful. It was brutal, hot, everything I’d been holding back pouring out at once. She gasped, her hands on my chest like she didn’t know whether to shove me away or drag me closer.I didn’t give her the choice.My tongue slid against hers, demanding, tasting, and when she whimpered into my mouth, my control snapped another notch. I pressed her harder into the wall, caging her in
Chapter 29Astrid’s POVThe rain hadn’t stopped pouring when Rhett pulled me into the house. My heart was still a thunderstorm inside my chest. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. From the gash at his temple, the ugly swell on his cheek, to the way his knuckles were raw and red.I should have been terrified after what happened outside, but all I could think was why was he bruised again? Why did he always come back to me battered and bleeding?What exactly the heck was going on?“Are you out of your damn mind?” His voice jolted me out of my thoughts. “Sneaking out? Seriously? What the hell were you thinking?”The heat in his tone made me flinch. But I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My eyes traced the curve of his mouth, and his expression.“Do you even realize–” He cut himself short, raking a hand through his soaked hair, droplets flying. “Do you know what could’ve happened if I hadn’t shown up when I did? Those men would’ve–” His jaw clenched hard enough to crack. “Christ, Astrid, do
Chapter 28Astrid’s POVThe sleepover wasn’t half as terrible as I’d imagined.At first, walking into Talia’s house had felt like walking into chaos–pillows scattered across the living room, bowls of chips overturned, soda fizz fizzing against the floor. Music blared too loud, laughter trailed up the stairs, and girls were sprawled on every available inch of space like it was some kind of middle-school slumber party.But then the games started. Someone found a deck of cards, another girl pulled out a stack of board games, and soon enough, even I was laughing. I’d been roped into Truth or Dare, cornered into eating half a bag of spicy chips, and almost choked from laughing when Layla tried to sing karaoke with a mouthful of marshmallows.It wasn’t bad. Not bad at all.I’d been wrong.I sat with a blanket wrapped around my legs, a soda bottle clutched between my hands, almost comfortable for once until Talia appeared at my side. She tugged at my sleeve, her face flushed and her smile ju
Chapter 27Rhett’s POVThe house was too quiet when I stepped inside.I kicked the door shut behind me, still holding the grocery bag in one arm, my phone pressed to my ear. Micah’s voice filtered through the line, the usual chatter about his work schedule, and the endless checklist of things I didn’t give a damn about. I knew he was lying. Micah Cole worked for my father.“Yeah,” I muttered, my eyes already scanning the living room. “I’ve got it covered. Don’t worry.”Micah sighed on the other end. “I just–look, man, I'll keep appreciating the fact that you're staying with her. But–”“I said I’ve got it,” I cut in sharply. “Focus on whatever the hell you're doing.”There was a pause. Then, “Alright. I’ll check in again tomorrow.”“Sure.” I didn’t wait for him to finish before I hung up, tossing the phone onto the counter.The bag crinkled as I set it down. I pulled out pasta, chicken, and some fresh veggies I’d grabbed on a whim. Cooking wasn’t my thing, but it gave my hands someth
Chapter 26Astrid’s POVThe sound had come from upstairs.My heart thumped as I left the living room and hurried up the staircase. I pushed open the door to my room, the noise was near the window. I trod closer, narrowing my eyes as the faint rattle echoed again. I braced myself, tugging the curtain aside.And then I saw the new neighbor–the girl I’d glimpsed earlier was outside in her yard, fiddling with something that looked like a broken frame against the siding. She looked up at the same time I leaned forward, and our eyes met.Her cheeks flushed instantly. “Sorry!” she called up. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. Just fixing this.”I exhaled a long sigh. My annoyance cooled into resignation. With everything else swirling inside me, I didn’t have the energy to be pissed about a stranger clattering around.I let the blinds fall back into place.When I turned, I half expected Rhett to be there. But he wasn’t.I walked out of my room, padding back down the stairs. But Rhett was nowhere