The cell reeked of blood and bleach. Old echoes clung to the walls like mildew—whispers, screams, chains rattling, memories Axel didn’t want to unpack. He’d been here before. But never as the prisoner. Now, cuffed to the rusting pipe bolted into the far corner, stripped down to his undershirt and blood-streaked pants, Axel waited in the thick silence of the underground. No windows. No clocks. Just shadows and the low hum of generators above. He didn’t know how long it had been since Slade dragged him down here like a rabid dog. The drug had worn off hours ago, but his body still felt heavy, slowed. He tried to escape when he could. Pulled at the cuffs until his wrists bled. Screamed once, just to hear his own voice. Then fell quiet again. He was used to pain. He wasn’t used to feeling powerless. Knowing Mia was still here, not protected and possibly in danger. Not like this. He wasn’t used to being this pathetic. Not when Mia was out there. His Mia. He ground his jaw
The hotel room was warm with the lingering scent of sex—musk, skin, and heat, curling in the air like incense. The sheets beneath Mia were a rumpled mess of cotton and sweat, her thighs still trembling from everything Daniel had just given her… and taken. She lay on her back, legs sprawled open, glowing in the aftermath. Her skin still tingled. Her mouth ached from the kisses, her body soft with satisfaction, her mind spinning with something dangerously close to contentment. Daniel lay beside her, his face pressed into her stomach like he never wanted to leave. His arms wrapped loosely around her waist, protective, reverent. Neither of them spoke for a long time. He was quieter now, different from the man who’d moaned her name as if it was prayer. During sex, Daniel had worshipped her with every inch of himself. Every kiss, every thrust, every whispered breath had been full of devotion and hunger. But there was always restraint in him. A desire to please that sometimes warred
The elevator ride to Daniel’s suite was quiet. Too quiet. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her dress, nerves prickling beneath her skin, but not from fear. From want. Anticipation coiled low in her stomach, every inch of her body still humming from the tension she’d carried since the moment he texted. She hadn’t made her decision—not fully. But she was done running from what her body craved. Tonight, she would make her choice. Let her body decide what her heart hadn’t yet dared to name. The doors opened with a soft chime. He was already there—leaning against the doorframe of his suite like he’d been waiting a lifetime. Loose black shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled, dark eyes locked on her like she was his last breath of air. “Mia,” he said, her name already a confession. She didn’t answer. Just stepped in. The door closed behind her with a hush, and before either of them could say a word, Daniel was on her. His mouth crashed into hers, hands
The city outside her window was alive with neon flashes and the constant hum of distant traffic. The Vegas Strip stretched in a glittering river of lights, a chaos of temptation and possibility, but inside the hotel room, the atmosphere was heavy, almost suffocating. She wanted answers. She wanted what she deserved, after years of abuse, neglect and disrespect. She wanted to be cared for in a way only both of them could. Mia sat curled on the edge of the worn-out sofa, her legs tucked beneath her, still dressed in the clothes from her day with Daniel. The conversation between them replayed relentlessly in her mind, swirling with confusion and an ache she couldn’t shake. Her body still buzzed with the aftershocks of desire—longing not just for Daniel, but for Axel too, tangled up in a restless hunger she wasn’t sure she could ever satisfy. She absently traced the rim of her takeaway coffee, the warmth barely touching her chilled skin. Lauren sat opposite her, legs stretched out and
The afternoon sun poured through the sheer curtains of the Airbnb, casting soft golden light across the floorboards. Mia stood by the small mirror in the hallway, adjusting the hem of her pale blue dress. It was simple, soft—nothing like the black or red silk she’d worn for Axel. But it felt like her. The version she used to be, before ruby necklaces and mafia secrets. Lauren padded out of the bedroom, bare feet, a slice of leftover pizza in her hand. “You look nice,” she said, chewing. “Very virginal. Planning to sacrifice Daniel to the gods of forgiveness?” Mia rolled her eyes. “It’s just breakfast.” Lauren raised an eyebrow. “Sure it is.” She walked over, then leaned against the wall beside Mia. Her tone changed—less teasing, more curious. “You’re really torn, huh?” Mia met her gaze in the mirror. “I just… I don’t want to choose wrong. They’re so different.” Lauren shrugged. “Then don’t choose.” “What?” “I’m serious.” She took another bite of pizza. “Ask the
The city glowed beyond the glass, a million lights painting the sky like neon constellations. Vegas never slept—but Mia wished it would. Just for a moment. Just long enough to let her heart settle. She turned to face the ceiling again, the shadows above shifting with the soft sway of the curtains. Sleep didn’t come. Not really. Every time her eyes closed, she saw Axel’s face. Not the version from the booth—wild, ravenous, wrapped in velvet shadows—but the one afterward. Soft. Cautious. His thumb grazing her hand like she might shatter. His mouth brushing the shell of her ear as he whispered, “I love you.” How could someone like him love at all? And why did it feel like she believed him? She didn’t want to. Not entirely. Not after everything he’d done. The lies. The kidnapping. The control. The way he had stolen her life and forced her into his world like a caged bird he didn’t know how to free. He’d made her fall for him in a way that felt like drowning—terr