a privileged, damaged girl from Georgia who had worked hard to earn her place at a prestigious university. My whole life had been about getting a good education and making my father proud. Then, Joseph came into my life, and my world shifted to revolve around him. I’d yearned to have him back, but now that I was with him again, everything was horribly wrong.
Mafia. Joseph is a mobster.
The concept could barely penetrate my consciousness. Not only was it abhorrent, but I’d been convinced that the man I loved was gentle and good, despite his fierce protective streak.
I blinked hard to clear the tears from my vision, searching for Joseph’s gaze. He was watching me, his jaw tight and his fists still clenched at his sides.
“I’m so sorry, angel,” he rasped.
I latched onto his contrition. “You don’t have to do this,” I pleaded. “You don’t want to hurt me. I know you don’t. Just take me back to school. I won’t tell anyone about this. I swear. Just let me go.”
His chin lifted, and his eyes blazed with a possessive light I’d seen before. In the past, it had made my toes curl. Now, the depth of his obsession made my stomach drop.
“I can’t do that. I won’t.”
“Finally, the truth,” Marco said, smugly satisfied.
“You can’t keep me here!” I railed. “I don’t want to be part of this. Just let me go back to my life.”
“Marco already explained that we can’t do that,” Joseph said, his resolve hardening to match his friend’s. “You’re staying right here. With me.”
He reached for me, but I shoved at his chest. “I don’t want to be with you!” I shouted, my tears falling faster as my heart broke all over again. I could taste the lie on my tongue, but my head knew better than my heart. It didn’t matter that my body still longed for his touch. Joseph was toxic, every bit as dangerous as Marco. I just hadn’t been able to see it before.
His expression darkened, his jaw ticking. He stopped hunching in shame, sitting up to his full, impressive height. This was the powerful man who’d made my mouth water and my panties damp. Even now, my sex heated in response to the sudden shift in his demeanor.
My helpless response caused rage to surge alongside my panic. Before I knew what I was doing, my hand cracked across his face.
I instantly regretted it. Not only did my palm smart where it had connected with his sharp cheekbone, but his expression darkened further.
My animal brain kicked in my flight response, and I tried to scoot away from him.
I didn’t make it to my feet before he was on me. He easily caught my wrists as his body settled over mine. His weight pinned me down, his vastly superior strength keeping my hands trapped above my head.
My rage and fear left me on a defiant shriek, and I writhed beneath him. I felt his cock stiffen against my thigh, and my sex grew slick for him: an ingrained response.
I should’ve been terrified that he might violate me, but that thought never registered. Deep down, I knew Joseph would never hurt me. He wasn’t capable of it, no matter what kind of violent lifestyle he led. Even now, he held me carefully, restraining me firmly without causing me pain.
But I couldn’t stop fighting. He’d denied my instinct for flight, and fight was all I had left.
I turned my head and sank my teeth into his forearm. He cursed and jerked his arm away, but he didn’t back off. Keeping his hold on my wrists, his free hand settled over the front of my throat, his long fingers wrapping around my neck. He didn’t apply any pressure, but the act of dominance shocked me into silence. My screams stopped abruptly, and I went still beneath him.
He stared down at me, a dark satisfaction in his eyes that I’d seen before but never fully understood. He liked overpowering me. I’d thought it was a kinky game when we’d engaged in this kind of play.
But Joseph wasn’t playing. He was demonstrating his absolute power over me, showing me that there was no point in fighting him. He would always win, and he would enjoy subjugating me.
My lower lip quivered, and Joseph leaned in to press a gentle kiss against it.
“Don’t cry, angel,” he cooed. “I’ll keep you safe.”
His calloused fingertips stroked the column of my neck, lighting up my sensitive nerve endings. I bit back a moan