The Mafia King’s Wife

The cold night air brushed against Aly’s skin the moment Damon carried her out of the villa.

Music still thundered behind them.

Laughter.

Drunken screams.

Pool water splashing.

But everything already sounded distant inside her head.

Blurry.

Heavy.

Parang lumulutang siya.

Her arms instinctively wrapped around Damon’s neck habang buhat-buhat siya nito palabas ng party.

“Mm…” mahina siyang natawa habang nakapikit. “You’re really strong.”

Damon looked down at her.

“You’re really drunk.”

Napangiti siya nang mahina.

“Maybe.”

Maybe?

Hindi na niya halos maramdaman ang sarili niyang mga paa.

The alcohol burned warmly through her veins while her thoughts became slower and slower.

Pero kahit ganoon…

Ramdam na ramdam niya ang init ng katawan ni Damon.

The steady strength of his arms around her.

The scent of expensive cologne mixed with whiskey.

At lalong hindi nakakatulong ang paraan ng pagtitig nito sa kanya.

Parang siya lang ang nakikita nito sa buong mundo.

Pagdating nila sa driveway, agad bumukas ang pinto ng isang matte black luxury SUV.

A man in a black suit stepped out.

“Sir.”

Tumango lang si Damon.

“Prepare the penthouse.”

“Yes, sir.”

Halos hindi na iyon napansin ni Aly dahil abala siya sa paglaro sa collar ng black shirt ni Damon.

“Ang sungit mo,” bulong niya habang natatawa.

His eyes darkened slightly.

“And yet you keep touching me.”

Napatingin siya sa kamay niya.

Oo nga.

Naglalaro ang mga daliri niya sa dibdib nito.

Oops.

Instead of stopping…

Mas lalo pa siyang napangiti.

“You smell nice.”

The driver instantly looked away.

Damon remained calm.

Too calm.

Pero humigpit nang bahagya ang hawak nito sa hita niya.

Dangerous.

Possessive.

“Careful, Aly.”

“Why?”

“You won’t like what happens when I lose patience.”

She blinked slowly at him.

Then suddenly laughed.

“You sound like a movie villain.”

A faint smirk touched Damon’s lips.

“If only you knew.”

Pagpasok nila sa sasakyan, maingat siyang inilapag nito sa leather seat.

Pero sa halip na umupo nang maayos

Napadikit siya rito.

Half on his lap.

Half tangled against his chest.

At dahil wala na siyang maayos na sense of boundaries dahil sa sobrang kalasingan…

Hindi niya iyon inisip.

The SUV started moving.

City lights flashed outside the tinted windows habang tahimik lang ang loob ng sasakyan.

Too quiet.

Except for Aly.

Because drunk Aly apparently had endless energy.

“Are you always this serious?” tanong niya habang nakatingala rito.

“Yes.”

“That sounds boring.”

“It keeps people alive.”

Napakunot-noo siya.

“Wow. Dramatic.”

Damon stared at her for a long moment.

Then

“You should stop talking before you say something you’ll regret tomorrow.”

She grinned lazily.

“What if I never regret anything?”

“That,” he said quietly, “is exactly your problem.”

Napanguso siya.

“Rude.”

A low chuckle escaped him.

At parang tumigil sandali ang mundo ni Aly.

Because that was the first time she heard Damon laugh.

Soft.

Deep.

Dangerously attractive.

“Holy shit…” bulong niya habang nakatitig dito.

“What?”

“You’re hotter when you smile.”

Silence.

Even the driver nearly choked.

Pero si Aly?

Wala nang pakialam.

Lasing na lasing na siya.

Damon slowly leaned closer.

“How drunk are you?”

She narrowed her eyes playfully.

“I can still fight.”

“Fight?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Then suddenly

Tinulak niya nang bahagya dibdib nito.

Weakly.

“I still think you’re arrogant.”

His gaze dropped to her lips.

“And yet you kissed me first.”

Her brain struggled to process that.

“Did I?”

“You did.”

She blinked.

Then groaned dramatically.

“Oh God…”

A dangerous amusement flickered in his eyes.

“You don’t remember?”

“No…”

But somehow…

A vague image flashed in her head.

His lips against hers.

His hand on her waist.

The way the entire world disappeared.

Heat crept slowly up her neck.

“That’s embarrassing.”

“For you maybe.”

Napatingin siya rito.

“And for you?”

Damon’s thumb brushed lightly against her bare thigh.

Aly’s breath hitched.

“For me,” he said softly, “it was the best part of the night.”

Her heart skipped violently.

Stupid alcohol.

Stupid handsome mafia king.

Stupid dangerous tension.

Bigla siyang napatawa para takpan kaba niya.

“You flirt too much for a criminal.”

“I don’t flirt.”

“Then what are you doing?”

His eyes held hers.

“Claiming.”

Biglang nanuyo lalamunan niya.

The way he said it

Like a promise.

Like a warning.

Like he meant every word.

Humiga siya nang bahagya sa dibdib nito habang umiikot pa rin ang paningin niya.

“You’re scary.”

“And yet you’re still here.”

“Too drunk to escape.”

His jaw tightened slightly.

“You won’t need to.”

Hindi niya naintindihan iyon.

Or maybe…

Hindi na kaya ng utak niyang intindihin.

The city lights continued passing outside habang mas lalo siyang inaantok.

But every few minutes, bumabalik siya sa pagiging makulit.

Like now.

Bigla niyang hinawakan panga ni Damon.

“You’re unfairly handsome.”

The driver visibly froze again.

Damon grabbed her wrist gently.

“Aly.”

“What?”

“You need sleep.”

“Not sleepy.”

“Liar.”

“Maybe a little.”

She leaned even closer until their faces were inches apart.

Then she whispered dramatically

“You have very pretty eyes for someone who probably kills people.”

The SUV became deathly silent.

Even Aly felt it.

That sudden dangerous shift in the air.

Oops.

Slowly, Damon tilted his head.

“And what makes you think I kill people?”

Her drunk brain completely ignored the warning.

“You have murder eyes.”

“Murder eyes?”

“Yes.”

A pause.

“Very sexy murder eyes.”

The driver almost swerved.

Damon stared at her for several long seconds.

Then suddenly

He laughed again.

Low and genuine.

At hindi alam ni Aly kung bakit parang achievement iyong pakiramdam niya.

“There she is,” Damon murmured.

“What?”

“The first woman who’s ever called me sexy and terrifying in the same sentence.”

Napangiti siya nang tamad.

“You’re welcome.”

The SUV finally stopped in front of a towering skyscraper.

Luxury.

Power.

Untouchable wealth.

Aly slowly looked up through the window.

“Where are we?”

“My place.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“Oh.”

Tahimik siyang bumaba habang inalalayan siya ni Damon.

Pero dahil hilo na hilo siya

Napatid agad siya.

“Shit—”

Mabilis siyang nasalo nito.

Automatically, napahawak siya sa leeg nito.

And then

Without thinking

She kissed him.

Again.

This time longer.

Slower.

Mas deliberate.

Napatigil si Damon.

Completely still.

Parang siya mismo hindi inasahan iyon.

Pero si Aly?

Hindi na niya alam ginagawa niya.

The alcohol blurred every decision.

Every consequence.

All she knew was

She liked kissing him.

Too much.

Her fingers slid into his hair habang mas lalo siyang lumapit.

At sa pagkakataong iyon

Damon completely lost control.

Hinila siya nito palapit.

One hand gripping her waist possessively while the other cradled the back of her neck.

The kiss deepened instantly.

Intense.

Hungry.

Dangerous.

Parang matagal nitong pinipigilan ang sarili.

Aly whimpered softly against his lips without realizing it.

Big mistake.

Because Damon’s restraint snapped even further.

“Aly…” he warned darkly against her mouth.

Pero imbes na tumigil

Mas lalo pa siyang kumapit dito.

Drunk.

Warm.

Completely unaware of what she was doing to him.

“Don’t stop,” she whispered.

That nearly destroyed his self-control.

Damon pressed his forehead against hers, breathing heavily.

“You have no idea what you’re asking for.”

She only smiled lazily.

“Maybe I like dangerous things.”

His eyes became darker than the night around them.

“You won’t survive me.”

Aly laughed softly.

“Too late.”

At hindi niya alam

That was the exact moment Damon Mondragon decided he would never let her go.

Not tomorrow.

Not ever.

The elevator ride toward the penthouse felt suffocating.

Not because of silence.

But because of tension.

Aly leaned against the mirrored wall habang nakatitig si Damon sa kanya.

Intently.

Like he was memorizing every inch of her.

Her wet hair.

Her swollen lips from kissing him.

The tiny black swimsuit barely covering her body.

At lalo lang lumalala ang sitwasyon dahil hindi pa rin siya tumitigil sa pagtitig pabalik.

“You stare too much,” she teased weakly.

“And you tempt too much.”

Napangiti siya.

“Can you blame me?”

“Yes.”

The elevator doors opened.

A luxurious penthouse greeted them.

Floor-to-ceiling windows.

City lights everywhere.

Elegant black interiors.

Cold.

Expensive.

Very Damon.

“Whoa…” bulong niya habang papasok.

But before she could walk farther

Bigla siyang nahilo ulit.

Mabilis siyang nabuhat ni Damon.

“Ako na.”

Napatawa siya habang nakasandal sa dibdib nito.

“You carry me a lot.”

“You fall a lot.”

“That’s because of you.”

His brow lifted.

“How exactly is this my fault?”

“You’re distracting.”

That earned another dangerous look from him.

Pagdating sa bedroom, maingat siyang inilapag nito sa edge ng massive bed.

Soft black sheets.

Dark elegant room.

At doon lang bahagyang natauhan si Aly.

Wait.

Bedroom?

Napakurap siya habang nakatingin kay Damon.

“You’re not gonna murder me, right?”

Silence.

Then Damon slowly removed his watch.

“You ask very strange questions.”

“Is that a yes or no?”

A faint smirk appeared.

“If I wanted you dead, sweetheart, you’d already be dead.”

She stared at him for a moment.

Then suddenly nodded.

“Fair.”

Napailing si Damon habang tila pinipigilang matawa.

“Sleep.”

“But I’m still talking.”

“You’ve been talking nonstop for an hour.”

“Do you hate it?”

His gaze softened just slightly.

“No.”

Her heart did something stupid again.

Then slowly…

She lay back against the bed.

Everything spinning.

Everything warm.

And before darkness completely consumed her

She looked at Damon standing beside the bed.

Watching her.

Like something precious.

Something dangerous.

Something already his.

Then her eyes slowly closed.

Completely unaware…

That the diamond ring still rested perfectly on her finger.

Or that the marriage contract she signed tonight was real.

Very real.

And by morning

Her entire life would belong to Damon Mondragon.