Chapter 7

Mia explored the hotel floor she had been given, trying to settle her nerves. The luxurious surroundings should have brought her comfort—a freestanding roll-top bath, a waterfall shower, cupboards filled with makeup and expensive skincare. Luxurious towels, neatly folded. Everything was pristine, carefully arranged like it had been prepared just for her. It was hard to feel like a prisoner in a place like this, but the weight in her stomach wouldn’t shift. No matter how beautiful the surroundings, she was still trapped.

She took her time examining the makeup, needing something normal to focus on. After grabbing a towel, she turned on the shower and stepped under the warm stream. She stood still, letting the water wash over her, scrubbing the emotions from her skin, reminding herself of one thing: Stay strong.

Play the game. Survive first, feel later.

After drying off, she slipped into a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved top, choosing comfort over seduction. But the room… she couldn’t ignore it forever. She stared at the black walls covered in weapons and restraints—floggers, crops, leather, ropes. Glittering jewelled handles glimmered softly in the dull light. The glamour of the wardrobe clashed against the brutal honesty of the decor.

There were no windows, only carefully controlled air vents.

A beautiful cage.

Lost in thought, she didn’t hear the soft click of the lock behind her. She spun and crashed into Axel’s chest. His arms were already around her before she could speak, his lips claiming hers hungrily. His tongue parted her lips, stealing her breath, stealing her choice, and yet—something about the kiss… it wasn’t just hunger. There was pain in it, a desperate need, something fractured beneath the surface.

He pulled back, panting, his gaze wild but conflicted. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I’m not gonna hurt you if you behave. But push me… and you’ll see the side of me you don’t want to meet.”

Mia stared him down, even as her heart hammered in her throat. “You haven’t even asked my name,” she managed, voice low. “You don’t even know who I am. What do you want from me, Axel?”

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—hesitation, guilt?—but then the mask was back.

“You’re mine. Don’t make me remind you of that.”

His voice dropped into something darker, colder, and she knew… the evil side was surfacing again.

Mia needed to know what triggered him.

She held her ground. “Give me ten minutes. Talk to me. Let me see who you really are—not just whoever’s wearing your face today.”

Axel stared at her like she’d hit him, like no one had ever asked him that before. The tension between them sparked like static. “You really don’t know what you’re asking for, darlin,” he murmured. “I’m not a good man. The things I’ve done are evil, nothing attractive about it. There’s too much broken inside of me. You're gunna have to accept that eventually, I don’t always know how to play gentle” A glint of something mischievous shot across his eyes as he looked her up and down

“I’ll take my chances,” Mia whispered.

The dangerous part of him liked that. She could see it in the way his lips curled slightly. “You want honesty? Fine. But you’re gonna give me something in return.” He reached for his belt, unbuckling it slowly. “A fair exchange.”

Mia’s throat went dry, but she nodded, teeth clenched. Play the game. Stay alive.

She knelt before him, taking his length in her hand, her cheeks burning with humiliation. The part of Axel that wanted to dominate her watched hungrily, but something softer flickered through his gaze too—a tension between cruelty and something frighteningly close to affection.

“Who are you?” she asked softly, her hand sliding with tentative strokes.

“Axel Morino. Son of Slade Morino. Mafia royalty, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“And why me?” she breathed.

“You walked into my casino, wearing that dress, smiling like you didn’t know the whole world around you wanted to ruin you. I decided you were gonna be mine.” His voice softened slightly, as though the admission made him vulnerable. As his cock flinched in response to Mia’s hand. His hooded eyes laced with desire and lust for her.

But the moment passed quickly as he blinked the softness away and replaced it with evil hunger.

“Now, you’ve got five seconds to pick something lacy from that drawer, or we’re skipping the polite conversation,” he said, his dominant tone snapping back into place. Snapping Mia back to reality.

Mia stood shakily, heart pounding, and chose the red lingerie from the drawer, the one that matched his sharp red accents. Before she left for the bathroom to change, she met his gaze again. And for just a moment, something in him ached to tell her to stop, to run, to save herself from him—but then the darker part smothered it.

When she returned, Axel was gone. The absence confused her, disappointed her more than she expected. Did she want more from him? Could there even be more? She couldn’t decide if she wanted him to chase her, protect her, or simply leave her alone.

She curled up on the bed, pulling a soft robe around her body, and grabbed a random book off the shelf, eyes skimming the words but not absorbing a single one. All she could think about was Axel, that war inside him, and the terrifying suspicion that her presence might be the match setting that fire in his eyes ablaze.

One thing was certain. She wasn’t backing down.