The mansion was quiet now, the echoes of violence replaced by a charged intimacy that was almost unbearable. I found myself standing before the Don, my pulse still racing, every nerve on edge.
"You could have died tonight," I whispered, voice trembling. "And yet… you saved me."
He stepped closer, hands brushing my face gently, possessively. "I would die before letting anyone touch what is mine," he murmured. His lips hovered near mine, eyes dark and intense. "Do you understand that?"
I shivered, heart pounding. "Yes… I do."
He smiled faintly, slow and deliberate. "Then you understand the claim. The truth of it. My past, your father… and everything in between."
I nodded, though my chest was tight with fear, desire, and a longing I could no longer ignore. "I… trust you," I admitted, voice barely above a whisper.
"Good," he murmured, finally closing the distance, lips pressing to mine in a possessive, electrifying kiss. It was more than desire—it was a claim, a promise, a warning wrapped in intimacy. I surrendered, just slightly, feeling the heat, the danger, the thrill of being his entirely.