Chapter 27

**ALEXANDER**

Her eyes hardened, and a dark thrill ran through me. My cock throbbed painfully in response, a sharp reminder of just how long it had been since I’d seen defiance like hers. If I weren’t so damn angry for her trying to run, I would’ve already buried myself inside her tight warmth.

I took a slow, deliberate step closer, letting the tension build between us.

“There are rules....Rules that you will follow.”

Her jaw clenched, her voice dripping with challenge. “Or what?”

“You’ll kill me?” She sneered, her tone full of bitterness.

"I've already know that, asshole—if my dad doesn’t cough up the money, you’ll put a bullet in me anyway? So, really, why wait? Go ahead, take your best shot."

There it was. That final thread of defiance, the one I needed to stamp out.

A slow smirk tugged at my lips, but there was no humor in it. Just cold amusement at her naïve little assumption.

"Kill you?" I murmured, tilting my head as I let the weight of my silence stretch between us.

Then I leaned in, my voice dropping lower.

"Oh, Alina… if death is what you’re hoping for, you’re not nearly as smart as I thought." I leaned in, my voice a dark whisper.

"Because that would be mercy… and mercy isn’t something I offer."

I watched as something flickered in her eyes—not quite fear, not yet, but the first stirrings of doubt.

Good.

She thought she knew what was coming.

She had no fucking idea.

My gaze drifted down to the sheet wrapped tightly around her waist, her hands clutching it with a desperation that bordered on pathetic.

"No more wasting time. First, you’ll get on your knees and beg for forgiveness—for even thinking you could run from me."

"Make me."

The challenge in her words was a spark to dry kindling, and I couldn't stop the dark chuckle that rumbled in my chest.

Poor choice of words.

Blood surged through my veins as I closed the distance between us, my hand snapping out to grab the back of her neck. My thumb pressed against the pulsing vein beneath her skin, holding her in place, no chance to escape.

"Let me go!" she snapped, her eyes wide with panic as she struggled against my grip.

My thumb pressed harder, feeling the frantic beat of her pulse, the warmth of her skin under my touch. And for some reason, I found myself noticing the green flecks in her eyes. Why the hell was I noticing that?

She twisted and fought, but it only made me tighten my grip, fighting the urge to pull her into me. I knew I was fucked in the head. I enjoyed this—the struggle, the defiance. It made the chase all the more thrilling.

"Let me go," she seethed, but there was an edge of desperation there, a crack in her bravado.

I let my hand slide into her soft hair, fingers grazing the strands. She smelled like fresh oranges—my fucking favorite scent.

It just made her even more irresistible.

I released her abruptly, watching as Alina stumbled back, catching herself just in time. I didn’t care about the bruises I’d leave on her body—this was only the beginning.

She didn’t see it coming. Before she could react, I pulled the knife from its hidden sheath and with one swift motion, sliced the sheet in half, the fabric falling uselessly from her hands.

Her belly was exposed now, and my cock twitched in response.

The shift in her expression was immediate. Fear and rage flickered over her face, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she scrambled for control.

What I hadn’t expected was the way her body—vulnerable and exposed—had the power to twist something deep inside me.

My eyes roamed, taking in the curve of her breasts, the way her areolas pressed against the sheer fabric.

I swallowed hard, my cock painfully hard inside my pants.

Her fear, the way her body looked, the way she tried to hide it—it was driving me fucking insane.

I had to have her. I needed to have her.

"There are rules, Alina," I repeated, pressing her body hard against the wall. Her soft curves molded perfectly to mine, and I could feel the heat of her skin, her breath quickening as my cock pressed against her stomach. Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t pull away.

"Rules you'll learn one by one," I continued, my voice dark and unyielding.

"Rule number one: You mean nothing to me. Nor does your father."

Arthur Santini’s days were numbered. To the rest of the mafia, he was nothing but a washed-up gambler who had lost it all. The power he once held was gone, just like everything else he’d gambled away.

But me? I had power. The kind that made men tremble. The kind that couldn’t be taken away.

"Your father is nothing but a pathetic old man who gambled away everything he had—his power, his dignity, and now you."

I waited for her to tremble, for her to show some sign of weakness. But she didn’t.

Instead, she lifted her chin, her eyes locking onto mine, defiant and unafraid.

Alina let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Wow, tell me how you really feel. Should I be taking notes, or are you just getting your daily dose of ego-stroking by trash-talking a man who isn’t even here to defend himself?"

I almost respected it, but that defiance wasn’t going to save her. She wasn’t going to be so strong when it was her turn to feel the consequences.

I took a small step back, my finger tilting her chin upward, making her face me fully.

"Rule number two: You belong to me, Princess. No one else."

Her eyes flashed with anger, and she spat out,

"I don’t belong to anyone."

I leaned in, my voice a low growl. "Too bad. Because you already do."

"Why are you so hung up on me, anyway?" she demanded, her voice laced with frustration.

"I'm not worth anything. My dad—like you said—has barely anything left to his name. Why bother with me? You could have anyone you wanted."

I didn’t answer, letting the silence hang between us.

I didn’t even glance at her as I stared ahead, my thoughts steady and cold. Her words were irrelevant.

"Rule number three," I growled, cutting through her questions like a knife.

"You will do exactly as I say. If I tell you to sit, you sit. If I tell you to strip, you strip. Whatever illusion of freedom you had? It’s gone. From this moment on, you belong to me, Alina. Burn that into your fucking memory."

"Like hell I do! You’re delusional. I’ll never be your puppet. No matter what you do, I will never bow to you piece of—"

Before she could finish, I slammed my hand over her mouth, pushing her back against the door with a force that stole her breath. Her eyes widened, but she couldn’t stop me. I moved closer, my face inches from hers, as she tried to push me away with futile strength.

I kicked her legs apart, keeping her pinned to the door, my body pressing into hers.

"Don’t mistake my patience for mercy," I snarled, my voice low and dripping with menace. "If you talk back to me again, I’ll make you regret it."

She glared at me, her eyes burning with hate.

I released her from my grip, and my eyes immediately locked with Nico’s in the doorway. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, as if he found the whole thing amusing.

Fucking idiot!

"David, escort Miss Santini back to my room," I commanded, my tone final, making sure she knew her place.