All Chapters of Tear Me Apart (An M/M Dark Romance): Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The door closed with a loud thud. For a moment, the echo lingered in the corridor like a fading heartbeat. Then silence settled over the cell again. I leaned back against the cold stone wall, chains pulling tight above my wrists as the movement stretched the cuts along my ribs. The pain flared sharply, hot and immediate, before settling into a slow, familiar burn.My lips curved faintly despite the ache. The Don of the Cortes empire was far more careful than his temper suggested. Blood slid slowly down my side, warm against the chill of the underground air. I shifted slightly, testing the metal biting into my wrists. The chains rattled softly, their sound echoing through the small chamber.I closed my eyes and focused on the noise around me. I heard only footsteps of men walking outside and hush voices of commands. I have a feeling that I am in an underground cell. Most probably in the Casa Cortes in Rome, Italy. I tilted my head back against the wall and closed my eyes briefly, repla

“Ibram.”My voice echoed through the corridor as I climbed the staircase leading out of the underground cells with Leandro as Antonio already excused himself since he has work to do. The air grew warmer the higher I went, but the chill beneath my skin refused to leave.Something was wrong. The feeling had been gnawing at the back of my mind since the night of the attack, but seeing Nikolai chained in that cell had sharpened it into something dangerous. Footsteps approached from the opposite hallway. Heavy. Controlled. Familiar. Ibram stepped into view.Massive shoulders and lean body. Eyes sharp and alert as always that resembles his father but has my temperament. He stopped immediately when he saw us. “Zio.” Uncle“Where were you Nipote?” I asked. Nephew“Security briefing.”I nodded once. “Good. Then you can answer a few questions.” Ibram’s gaze darkened slightly.“About him?”“No,” I said.“About that night.”Silence stretched between the three of us. He understood immediately. Wit

Blood. So much blood.It soaked through my hands, warm and slick, spreading across the stone floor in a dark crimson pool. The metallic scent clawed at my lungs, thick and suffocating. My fingers trembled slightly but not from fear, but from the thrill of control, the raw intensity of holding life and death in my grip.Nikolai’s body sagged heavily against me, head tilted back against the cold wall. Pale skin, grayish now, stretched tight over sharp bones. His breathing was shallow, ragged, each exhale a rasp that pricked something inside me. I pressed harder against the wound in his stomach, trying to stem the relentless bleeding.“Stay with me,” I hissed. No response. His eyelids fluttered weakly. Didn’t open. Didn’t fight. Didn’t beg. My jaw tightened.“Doctor,” I barked, voice low and predatory, echoing down the corridor. “Ora!” Now!Leandro had already disappeared down the hall, dragging Antonio behind him. The gunshot still rang in my ears. My brother’s screams faded, irrelevant.

Pain woke me slowly. It seeped into my bones like winter cold, heavy and relentless, reminding me with every breath that Antonio’s knife had not been kind. For a long moment I lay still, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling while my mind assembled the fragments of the previous night.The knife. The gunshot. Alejandro’s voice. My lips curved faintly. Apparently, I was difficult to kill. How inconvenient.I shifted slightly against the pillows and it was a mistake. Pain flared through my abdomen like a blade twisting deeper, forcing a quiet breath through my teeth. I glanced down at the thick bandages wrapped around my torso. Whoever had stitched me up had done a clean job. It was professional and careful.My gaze drifted slowly around the room. Polished wooden furniture. Tall windows covered with heavy curtains. A marble table beside the bed. No chains. No guards inside the room. Interesting.So the Don of the Cortes family had decided his prisoner deserved better accommodations. I wond

“You are mine, Fuoco Mio.” For a second, the room went quiet. Alejandro’s arms were still around me, his breath warm against the bite he’d left on my neck. The sting pulsed faintly with every beat of my heart, a sharp reminder of just how far the Don of the Cortes empire had crossed the line.Mine. My lips curved faintly. The arrogant bastard had finally said it out loud. I could feel the tension in his body, the way his grip lingered at my waist as if letting go wasn’t even an option anymore. Possessive. Territorial. Dangerous. God. I liked it.Alejandro’s hand shifted slightly against my side, his thumb brushing the edge of my hip in a slow, absent motion. Not rough. Not restrained either. Testing. Claiming. My breath left me a little slower this time.“Careful, Alejandro,” I murmured quietly, tilting my head just enough for his mouth to hover near my neck again. “You’re starting to sound attached.” His fingers tightened instantly. Exactly the reaction I expected. Alejandro leaned cl