Chapter 33

Chapter 33
Trigger Warning: This chapter contains explicit depictions of non-consensual physical restraint, domestic violence (including slapping), forced sexual acts, and intense emotional manipulation. It also includes graphic sexual content, themes of kidnapping, revenge, and psychological coercion. Reader discretion is strongly advised. This material may be deeply disturbing or triggering for survivors of abuse or sexual assault.

Raelyn pov

I spent the day locked in our room, pacing, my mind filled with Dante's poisonous words and the chilling void of Rafael's absence.

Revenge...obsession...psychopath.

They looped in my head, twisting my fear into something sharper, more desperate. I had to know the truth—not just about Valentina, but about why he'd taken me in the first place. If she was the key to unlocking his secrets.

The door finally creaked open well past midnight, and there he was—Rafael, storming inside like a raging bull, his suit rumpled, eyes bloodshot and wild. Blood stained his shirt cuffs, and the scent of smoke clung to him like a second skin.

He didn't even glance at me at first, slamming the door behind him and heading straight for the dresser, yanking open a drawer to pull out a fresh shirt.

"Where have you been?" I demanded, my voice steadier than I felt as I rose from the bed. My heart hammered, but I forced myself to stand tall, arms crossed. "Chasing ghosts? Or dealing with your 'business' that conveniently keeps you from answering my questions?"

He paused, his back to me, shoulders tensing. "Not now, Raelyn," he growled, low and dangerous, like a warning shot. "Go to sleep."

"No." I stepped closer, my pulse racing with a mix of terror and defiance. Dante's words burned in my chest, but I couldn't let him see that yet.

"You've been avoiding this all day. Tell me about Valentina. Who is she really? Your ex? Your lover? Why is she back, stirring up trouble? And why does Dante think it's because of me?"

Rafael whipped around, his eyes narrowing into slits of fury. "I told you to drop it. She's nothing to you."

"But she's everything to you, isn't she?" I pressed, my voice rising as I closed the distance between us. I was baiting him, using her name like a hook to reel in the real truth.

The one about me, about why he had ripped me from my life. "You get angry at the mention of her, you disappear when she is involved. If she's so unimportant, why won't you just tell me? Unless... unless it's tied to why you kidnapped me. Is that it, Rafael? Am I just some pawn in your revenge game? Against the American mafia?"

His face darkened, a storm brewing in those dark eyes. For a split second, I saw the crack in his armor, the flicker of guilt and rage confirming Dante's words. But then it vanished, replaced by pure, unbridled anger. "You have no idea what you're talking about," he snarled, grabbing my arm roughly and pulling me against him. "Stop pushing, Raelyn. You're playing with fire."

I yanked against his grip, my free hand shoving at his chest. "Then let me burn. Tell me the truth! Why me? Or is that you think I'm some daughter another mafia boss? Rafael this isn't right! Valentina is part of it, isn't she? Tell me, or so help me, I'll..."

The slap came out of nowhere, stinging across my cheek, snapping my head to the side. Stars exploded in my vision, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth from where I bite my lip.

I gasped, shock freezing me in place as tears welled up unbidden. "You... you hit me," I whispered, my voice breaking, hand flying to my throbbing face.

Rafael's chest heaved, regret flashing briefly in his eyes before it was swallowed by the madness. "You don't listen," he hissed, his voice rough, almost pained. But there was no apology instead, he lunged forward, his mouth crashing down on mine in a forceful kiss that was all possession and no tenderness.

His lips bruised mine, demanding, devouring, his hands tangling in my hair to hold me still as I tried to twist away.

"Rafael—stop!" I mumbled against him, panic surging as I pushed at his shoulders, my nails digging into his skin.

The kiss deepened against my will, his tongue invading, tasting whiskey. I resisted harder, kicking at his shins, my body arching in protest. This wasn't passion; it was punishment, a claim staked in violence.

With a frustrated growl, he broke the kiss just long enough to shove me back onto the bed. I scrambled to get up, but he was on me in an instant, his weight pinning me down. "You want the truth?" he murmured darkly, his breath hot against my ear as he yanked off his tie with one hand. "Fine. But you're not running from it or me."

Before I could scream or fight back, he grabbed my wrists, forcing them above my head. The silk tie wrapped around them in a swift, tight knot, binding me to the headboard.

I tugged desperately, the fabric biting into my skin, but it held fast. "Rafael, untie me! This is insane—let me go!"

He hovered over me, his eyes gleaming with a possessive fire that sent chills down my spine. "You asked for this, Raelyn. You pushed. Now you'll hear it all while I remind you exactly who you belong to." His hand trailed down my side, rough, as the room spun with a terrifying mix of fear, anger, and the unwanted spark of heat his touch always ignited.