Suddenly, I was able to hear a slight Russian accent, his dark whisper continuing to push me to the edge. I wanted so desperately to tell him no, but just being around him made that impossible. “What if I said no?”

  He cocked his head, his eyes even more penetrating than before. “The choice is yours.”

  “Why the sudden change?”

  “Because I’m not the monster my father intended me to be.”

  There was no way he could understand how much I wanted to believe him. I’d never been drawn to a man this way, the pull as if the sun had caught me in a web, yanking me out of the darkness.

  He eased away from me, removing his jacket and tossing it aside. As he started to unfasten his belt, I pressed my hand across my mouth, still fighting with my answer. I wanted this but was terrified of what it would mean. Even as I continued wavering, he unzipped his trousers, peeling away the material.

  As he’d done before, he spun me around so quickly my breath was stolen. Then he pinned me against the piano, forcing me to study the man behind the keyboard. This was filthy, wrong in every way, but the tingling sensations only continued to increase. The moment he cupped my breasts, I threw my head back, unable to keep from moaning. His hands fit around them perfectly, the roughness of his fingertips adding to the excitement. He pinched my nipples and my back involuntarily arched as I rose onto my toes. An exquisite feeling of pain surged through me, the hunger building to a point I would never be able to refuse him.

  I felt the heat of his body as he ground his hips against mine, shifting back and forth. As his cock pushed between my legs, I lolled my head to the side, losing the rest of my control. He continued twisting my hardened buds for several seconds, keeping the fire burning brightly. I sensed his urgency, a need that he’d never be able to control. I shouldn’t want him, but I couldn’t deny the way I felt.

  The dazzling feeling of being so alive was worth dancing with the devil. When I slipped my hand back, longing to stroke his leg, he issued two hard slaps against my backside.

  “You don’t move unless I give you permission. Is that clear?” Why were his demanding words just as thrilling as the moment of intimacy?

  “Yes.”

  He cracked his hand down again, the gruffness jarring. “I need more, my sweet printsessa. Respect.”

  I was vaguely aware of what he was getting at, but my mind had already shifted to another place. So, I obeyed. “Yes, sir.”

  “Yes,” he elongated. “I like that.” He smacked me four more times then I sensed his desire had breached a level he couldn’t deny any longer. When he pressed his cock against my wetness, I arched my back. Everything about him enticed me, pushing me beyond the realm of reality. I no longer cared if someone was watching us. It simply didn’t matter. They didn’t exist. Only the two of us, the passion, the raging need did.

  As he pressed his shaft inside, I held my breath, expecting roughness. When he took his time, sliding it in slowly, tenderly, the blast of additional sensations was almost too much to take. When he was fully seated inside, he lingered, wrapping one hand around my throat.

  He lowered his head, whispering words in Russian that I didn’t understand, nor did I care what they were. They were beautiful, melodic, even more so than the mournful song. When he started fucking me, the music was lost, only my heartbeat able to filter into my ears.

  As he pounded into my pussy, I was pulled into a vacuum, incapable of thinking clearly. I pushed back against him, meeting every brutal thrust, my moans increasing. Louder. Even louder. I couldn’t care less who overheard us, the pleasure too intense.

  As he brought me closer to an orgasm, I dug my fingers into the piano, my whimpers matching the staccato beat. I was close, so close, the savage thrusts driving me into the edge of the piano.

  Closer still until I couldn’t hold back any longer. The first wave of spasms shook my entire body, electricity crackling through me. As the wave built to an insane crescendo, my limbs started to convulse, my world turning upside down. He kept me pinned in place, refusing to let me go, fucking me like a crazed beast.

  Yet it didn’t seem to be enough. Would it ever be?

  Only when I finally came down from the rafters did he allow himself to move to that moment, fucking me even harder, smashing my body against the piano. The music became louder, the sound overwhelming my primal screams. He wrapped his other hand around my hair, jerking my head as he powered into me. Every growl, every grunt was accentuated by the deep bass.

  When his body started to shake, I squeezed my muscles, clamping down around the delicious invasion like a tight vise. Then he let go, erupting deep inside of me, filling me with his seed. I remained inside a blissful moment, panting as I tried to catch my breath. He collapsed over me, placing his hands on mine. When he nuzzled into my neck, all I could do was smile. I’d been wrong about him. Maybe this could work after all.

  “Remember, printsessa. You belong to me. My property. I will do with you as I want, and you have absolutely no say. This was nothing more than an example of what I will do.”

  Sevastian pulled away completely, leaving me chilled to the bone. Not from the temperature in the room or an added feeling of humiliation.

  From the hard cold reality that he’d just played me like a goddamn fiddle, and I’d fallen for it. I closed my eyes, hearing his chuckle, hating him more and more. By the time I turned around, he’d already adjusted his clothes, raking his hand through his hair before grabbing his jacket. Then he turned his head, giving me a look of disdain.

  He’d managed to use me. I held my head high, grabbing my dress, even managing to smile while I was dying inside. No one had ever treated me so badly. I’d fallen for his seductive grin and the tenderness he’d shown me. I was sick inside, so much so I had to force myself not to race into the bathroom. I couldn’t allow him to win again. Not now. Not ever.

  As I pulled the dress over my head, I couldn’t stop shaking. Then I walked toward the table, moving directly in front of him. As I lifted my glass of wine, still keeping the smile on my face, I sensed he was certain I’d toss the liquid in his face.

  That wasn’t good enough. Only a knife cutting through his handsome features would do. One day, I’d make that happen, but not now. Let him think I wasn’t bothered in the least.

  The hard glare we gave each other was almost fun to play, but I felt the crushing blow of shame crowding in. I wouldn’t be able to keep up the charade for long.

  He finally lowered his gaze, waving toward the chair. Was that a frown on his face? What a shame. At least I’d won that round.

  “Please sit so we can enjoy dinner.”

  I eased onto the chair, taking my time unfolding the cloth napkin, sliding it into my lap. After taking another sip of wine, I realized he was staring out the window, his brows furrowed.

  When he didn’t bother looking at me again, I turned my head, trying to see what he was staring at.

  Sevastian suddenly jerked up from the table, yanking his weapon into his hand. Before I had a chance to ask what was going on, the lights went out.

  Then I heard an explosion.

  Sevastian

  Goddamn it. I’d been a fool to bring her to my restaurant. What the fuck had I been thinking?

  “What is going on?” Giada whispered as she jerked up from her chair. There was smoke coming from the corridor leading to the bathrooms. Whoever the assholes were had cut off the rear exit. I had a feeling they’d exterminated my soldiers directly in the path.

  I grabbed her arm, whisking her toward the other hallway leading to the kitchen. When I pushed her against the wall, she whimpered once, slamming her hands against my chest. Still the rebellious woman. Damn it. Her behavior was getting out of hand.

  “What’s going on is called an attack, an attempt at assassination. Didn’t your dear old Papa Don explain the nuances of our world?”

  “Our world? This is your world. The violence. The murder. Not mine.”

  The girl was fooling herself. A string of gunfire pulled my attention away. I already had my weapon in my hand but that would do little to combat whatever forces had descended on the property. I could rule out the fucking Italians, but there were a half dozen other assholes who would see my foray into enjoying an evening as a weakness. What I didn’t know is who the intended target could be.

  I’d noticed the same car driving past the restaurant at least twice. The third time had been a dead giveaway. Why my soldiers outside hadn’t picked up on the intrusion would be handled later. Right now, I had to figure out how the fuck to get us out of here. The smoke became acrid, whatever chemical they’d used causing my eyes to burn. Not only was my phone ringing but also the one at the hostess stand.

  “Listen to me. Stay right here. Do not fucking move. Do you understand me?” My bark was cut off by another round of rapid gunfire. She was already slipping into shock, which would ultimately lead to panic. People who panicked did stupid things. I couldn’t allow that to happen. I shook her roughly until she finally looked into my eyes. “Do you?”

  She winced, nodding as she cupped her hand over her mouth, already choking from the toxic fumes. I took long strides, grabbing one of the cloth napkins and tossing it in her direction before crouching down, moving along the back wall, rounding the corner and heading to the other side of the window.

  The damn piano player was hiding under the baby grand. I grabbed him by the shoulder, jerking then tossing him backward. “Get in the kitchen and stay down.”

  Before he had a chance to move, the front window shattered, the barrage of gunfire indicating at least three or four men taking the shots. And my damn phone kept ringing. I jerked backward, avoiding getting hit but the piano player wasn’t so lucky. His body dropped to the floor, no movement indicating a kill shot.

  They’d fucking executed the night’s entertainment. That meant they were out for blood, and they couldn’t give a shit who got in their way. The street seemed quiet, the doors of my men’s SUVs remaining open. I’d put myself in a ridiculous scenario, even with four of my best men guarding me. This wasn’t DEA behavior, although given the recent assassination, I wouldn’t put it past them to alter their tactics.

  I finally answered the endlessly ringing phone as I retraced my steps, thankfully finding Giada remaining in the same place. Her look of terror had been replaced with her usual fight or flight mentality.

  “What the fuck is going on?” I snapped into the phone.

  “A fucking ambush. The assholes came out of nowhere,” Sanchez insisted.

  “I noticed the goddamn silver Lexus five minutes ago.”

  “Sorry, boss.”

  “Fuck sorry, Sanchez. I need an extraction plan.”

  “Working on it.”

  When he finally figured out what the fuck to do, the place would be in flames. “Enzo and Marcus?”

  “Gone. The bomb was in the dumpster.”

  Which meant news had leaked prior to my visit. How the hell did that happen? “I need an extraction point.”

  “I’ll meet you on Second if you can get there. There’s at least twenty of them. Five are down, maybe another three more.”

  That left twelve.

  The odds weren’t in our favor. Two soldiers outside, just me and an innocent victim inside. Perfect. “Who are they?”

  “That’s just it, boss. Never seen them before.”

  Fuck. Fuck!

  “I’ll meet you there, Sanchez. Take out as many of them as you can.”

  I pulled her by the hand, dragging her toward the kitchen, darting a look into the room just as another round of gunfire went off, a barrage of shots exploding from an assault rifle, several bullets penetrating the wall next to us. Blood was everywhere from the attack, the kitchen workers screaming for their lives. Goddamn it. We were fucking surrounded. Within seconds, the bastards would overtake the restaurant.

  I didn’t waste any additional time, shoving my phone into my pocket then pushing her head down, crossing under the windows in the door, heading for my small office. I’d had a door installed, no one able to get in through the thick metal plate from the outside. The entrance leading to my office had also been enforced, but it would buy us only so much time, since they had military grade weapons.

  “What is…”

  “Quiet,” I snapped under my breath. “Stay with me.” I jerked her behind me, holding the gun out as I backed us toward my office.

  “This is crazy.”

  “You need to trust me.”

  She laughed softly, the sound grating. She had no idea how close she was to dying. I couldn’t help but wonder once again who the intended target was.

  Something was tossed in through the broken front window and within seconds, flames erupted in the center of the room. From somewhere I heard sirens, which wasn’t good. The last thing I needed was to be caught here when the police arrived.

  A loud crash forced a screech from Giada’s mouth. Even though she slapped her hand across her lips, it was already too late.

  The thunder of footsteps was instantaneous. “Get down,” I hissed then took aim as the door was tossed open, four men racing into the room. Only one of them noticed me, but his slight hesitation was all I needed. I pumped off three in a row, catching him between his eyes. He stumbled forward then slumped to the floor almost instantly, but a second goon was right on his heels, dropping and rolling before getting off at least four rounds. I dove over Giada, twisting my body enough I was able to fire several in a row.

  His anguished grunts acknowledged I’d made a direct hit.

  The fire was rolling, flames already crawling up the walls, licking across the ceiling. The smoke was thick, almost unbreathable, but at least it allowed some cover.

  Another soldier released a firestorm, bullets flying in every direction as he sprayed the room. Either the fucker was terrible at aim, or he wasn’t trying very hard to gun us down. Why were they toying with us, a message?

  A threat.

  “Go. Go. Go.” I pushed her hard, getting her out of harm’s way then shifting to the other wall, pressing my arm against my nose and mouth. There was no chance at focusing, but I took aim, trying to make out any sounds above the roar of the fire.

  There was no way to recognize who they were, but I’d bet my life they weren’t agents of any law enforcement. They were too polished, all wearing expensive suits. Maybe Spanish descent. Maybe not. The smoke was far too thick to determine. A single noise drew my attention. Without waiting, I fired several rounds, a smile curling across my lip in hearing his grunts, the hard thud of his body as it dropped like a lead weight.

  One more left. The fucker was mine.

  The last assassin had remained quiet. Within seconds, I found out why. He lunged forward, tackling me to the floor. The gun flew out of my hand and in the damn smoke, it was impossible to see where it landed. Another blast tossed debris over our heads. It also created additional fuel for the fire. Within seconds, flames surrounded us. We pitched and rolled, the man strong as an ox. I managed to issue sharp jabs, but I wasn’t making any headway. He smashed his fist under my chin, but seconds later I wrapped my arm around his neck, jerking his body backward. He struggled, his body flailing as I squeezed.

  I heard Giada’s sharp scream and my patience was demolished. With a single twist of my arm, I snapped his neck, the hard crack barely heard over the roar of the fire. I shoved him aside, not bothering to search for my weapon. Instead, I yanked the knife I always carried, racing down the hallway.

  She was surrounded by flames, blocking her from the door to the office. “Stay right there.” Goddamn it. I yanked off my coat, shoving my knife into my pocket. I headed for the fire, jumping over the flames. She didn’t fight me as I picked her up, tossing the coat over as much of her body as possible.

  Then I said a silent prayer, which I hadn’t done for most of my life. There was no point in doing so. I lunged through the weakest spot, kicking open the door to the office, putting her down then slamming the door. The emergency lights were on, but that provided nothing more than an eerie red glow.

  “Are you hurt?” I demanded, not wasting any time before heading to my safe.

  “I… I don’t think so. Who were they?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine, printsessa.”

  “What are we going to do?” she asked, her voice shaking.

  “We’re going to get the hell out of here. Then you’re coming with me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

  I took two long strides, yanking her by the arm. “Do you hear the sound out there? Did you pay attention to the gunfire? We are under attack. I don’t give a fuck who’s responsible or why. The idea is to stay alive. We have one chance to get the hell out of here and that one’s dicey at best. So you are going to listen to me and you’re going to do exactly as I say. Do you hear me?”

  When she didn’t answer, I hissed, returning to the safe, my hands so damn sweaty I had trouble getting it open. I could hear distant bellows even over the roar of the flames. I grabbed another weapon and several clips of ammo.

  “How are we getting out of here?”

  I glanced at her and in the crimson glow of light, she still looked beautiful. “As I said, you’ll need to trust me.”

  “Fat chance in hell.”

  “Then you will die. As I said, one chance. Now, come on.” I moved toward the hidden door, praying to God the underground electric lines were still operational. I’d spent a small fortune on providing what I’d thought was top level security. Then this. As soon as the door started swinging open, I snapped the gun into both hands, half expecting several goons to race inside. After taking a quick glance, I threw out my arm. “Grab my hand.”

  “Don’t I get a weapon?”

  “Not a chance, sweetheart.”

  I couldn’t believe she was hesitating. Was she out of her mind? I threw my arm out again, hissing my dissatisfaction. The building was cracking all around us, the door into the hallway expanding from excessive heat.

  She didn’t react right away, acting dazed.

  “Giada!”