Did she have a fucking death wish? My body is built up with aggression and anger. She will be lucky if I don’t kill her tonight. I rip my suit jacket off, throwing it against the wall. How dare she try and tell me what I can and cannot do!

You’re more than this, Figlio… my mother’s voice enters my mind. Fuck. I can’t handle this…

She still shouldn’t have defied me. She should have listened. Kept herself quiet. Now I’m forced to teach her a lesson.

Pulling my slacks and dress shirt off, I slip into a pair of jeans and head down to the dungeon. My steps are heavy with anger, madness even. I am not sure if I want to fuck her into submission or kill her.

I grip the key in my hand tightly, begging for the pain to release some of the anger I have within me.

Sliding the key into the door, I scrutinize her. The anger I felt moments ago disappears. It is still there, but it has eased. She is lying on the bench seat, her dress clinging to her.

I take slow and steady steps toward her. I’m still not sure if I will hurt her or not. I want to. I want to shake the hell out of her for making a fool of me in front of my men, in front of the people who owed me and my family money.

Her face is turned toward me, and it is then I see the bruise on the side of her face. It is black and blue and against her creamy skin, a dark reminder of what I am capable of doing.

My stomach sinks as realization dawns on me. I did this to her! Suddenly, I want to laugh. I have killed women, countless ones, ones who were mothers, daughters, aunts, it didn’t matter. I ended their lives, but the mere thought of blemishing Bree’s skin in any way has me sinking to the ground on my knees.

This is fucked up, and I am fucked up for thinking such thoughts.

A cut marks her top lip, and I know if I look at other parts of her body, I will see more bruises.

Gripping my hair, I take a step back. I am feeling conflicted. I have never in my life felt conflicted. I always know what to do. There is never a doubt in my mind if someone deserved to die if someone deserved pain.

A whimper leaves her lips, and I find myself kneeling down by her face before I can even stop myself. I cup her face in my hands. The blank look in her eyes and that bruise make something in me snap.

I wonder if she can be the exception to it all. She is paying a debt, though. I remind myself. I have never allowed anyone to get close to me. No one. Not since my mother. Losing her was the nail in my coffin; it closed the door to my heart.

But she has to pay for what she has done… It is weak of me to think this way, to want to keep her and do things with her that are not like myself. I hope she learned her lesson tonight. Forcing myself from her angelic face, I stand. She will have to pay.

Turning, I walk out, shut the door and lock it. She will learn no matter how much she tries to sway me from evil or tells me that I can’t do something, I am damned and will be this way forever.

It has been four days since I have gone and checked on Bree. I force myself to stay busy with business, but it does me no good. My mind still wanders to her…

“She’s begging that we release her,” Mack explains, entering my office. I don’t look up from my computer.

“She was begging yesterday, too.” For the past four days, she has begged and pleaded to be released. I am not sure if she thought she would get away with what she did, but this is teaching her otherwise.

“She screams and cries every time we go down there.” There is a sappiness to his words, and when I finally looked up, he looks kind of heartbroken.

“When did you grow a heart?” I joke. Mack has been one of the most ruthless of my family friends. That’s why he is still here and no one else is. In this business, you can’t bless someone with mercy because if you do, they will take it and run. Plus, if you do it for one person, you have to do it for everyone.

“I didn’t grow a heart. I’m just not immune to a beautiful woman’s cries.” The smile he shoots at me sends a rage deep within me to the surface. Does he want her too? She is mine, and I won’t have any problem putting him in his place.

“Are you attracted to my debt?” I demand an answer. We won’t be leaving this office until I got one.

“No, sir… I didn’t mean it…” I cut him off, not wanting to hear his stuttering.

“Good. Leave her be. I will go down there in a few and take care of her.” Along with dealing with her and obtaining payment for debts owed, I have to contact Luccio and ask him if he has found anything out about my mother.

I slam the laptop closed and pull myself from the office. I can hear her pleas as I draw closer to the basement. If she doesn’t want to be punished, why the hell does she act out in ways that she knows will get her punished?

I push the key in the lock and throw the door open. She has hit a nerve. My eyes land on hers, and her pleas stop immediately as her eyes widen. She drags herself to the far wall of the cell as if she is repulsed by my presence.

“I heard your pleas and my cock came to fulfill them,” I announce, smirking at her. I take a step closer and watch her body shake. She is afraid of me, as she should be.

“You’re a sick asshole…” Her words are flung at me with such intensity, I can practically feel her anger against my skin.

“I already know all those things. You’re not the first to say it and won’t be the last.” I am being a cocky bastard because her pissed off and angry demeanor makes me want to fuck her into oblivion.

“Don’t. Touch. Me,” she snarls. There is a fire in her eyes, something I have never seen before. If I were a betting man, which I am, I would bet she is slightly turned on.

“You tell me not to touch you, but your body says differently…. Your body says fuck me. Long. Hard. Strokes.”

I didn’t come down here to fuck her, but if the situation is right…

“I want nothing to do with you. Nothing. What you did to me…to those people…” Her eyes glaze over as she is reliving the whole scene. I am sorry for hurting her the way I did, but I am not sorry I did my job. People had to die. She doesn’t understand the business, and I am starting to understand where her distaste comes from, but she isn’t me and she needs to understand there are rules that must be obeyed.

“Those people made a deal with me. I have explained how this works many times…” I stop myself from calling her ‘little one.’ “Bree. I understand that you can’t comprehend any of this, and that’s fine. But you had to be punished for your actions. My job is simple. I’m a leader. If I didn’t follow my own rules, no one else would. There would be mass chaos, and more people would have to die.”

I am trying to be gentle, which is new to me. Her face lightens just a bit as if she is finally digesting what I am saying. Her bruise is lighter, and it looks like she is using the creams I had sent down with Mack. Even though she is being punished, I make sure she has clean clothes and food every day.

“You still killed people. People who had families, who could have been working hard to pay you off. People who come to you are in dire need. You’re their only hope. Just like my father…” Tears well up in her beautiful, brown, doe eyes. My chest constricts as I take another step forward.

“I don’t have to justify my….”

“You’re right. You don’t,” she agrees, cutting me off. “But you shouldn’t just go around killing people. You shouldn’t kill people without knowing their struggle.”

“Their struggle isn’t my problem. Not everything in this world is rainbows and fucking sunshine, Bree. Sometimes life is hard. Life is a bitch and no matter how many times you hit it, it gets back up. I could guarantee that none of those people would have my back if our roles were reversed. No one out there has your back as much as you do.”

She sniffles, her eyes filling with more tears, “I don’t fucking care. Kill me or let me go. I refuse to stay here with you. You’re a mindless, disgusting bastard who gets off on bloodshed, and that’s not okay with me. I didn’t sign up to be shacked up with some lunatic.”

I laugh, because, well, it’s funny, and if she thinks I’m crazy, she should see some of the sick bastards who walk freely in the world.

“You didn’t sign up for this? Well, neither did I, darling. But I can tell you now, your father did sign for money, and he made a blood oath to pay it back. You’re the payment. So, no, you cannot go, and no, I won’t be killing you… Yet. What good is money if it’s dead?”

I smirk because I am a fucking prick like that. I watch as her eyes skim the cell. There is nothing for her to throw at me. Her bed is shackled to the wall. The small toilet and sink can’t be moved, and she wasn’t given any sharp objects.

“Then I’ll just do it myself…” She lunges forward as if she is going to do something. Except I am faster and more experienced when it comes to fighting. If a fight is what she wants, she doesn’t stand a chance.

I grab her, my touch gentle. She struggles against me, her elbow coming to land on my stomach. It doesn’t affect me, though. I have been shot at, punched, kicked, and beaten many-a-time.

“Stop,” I demand, pushing her back onto the bed. She squirms even more as if she thinks she can actually get away. She needs to stop—she is making me hard with every scrape of her thigh against my cock.

Since she won’t stop, I decide to take matters into my own hands. I push my weight onto her, which in turn pushes my cock against her thigh. A gasp leaves her lips as her heart races under her shirt. I can hear it even without being against her chest.

“Get off me!” she cries out. It sounds like a cross between need and hate. It’s as if she wants me at that moment, but at the same time, wants me to go away. If that’s the case, I completely understand.

“I know you want it. You want me as much as I want you. You want my cock inside your tight pussy, don’t you?” I push my arousal against her again, thrusting my hips in an upward motion.

She shakes her head no, but with every small thrust, she sighs as if it alleviates some of the pressure deep within.

Her eyes darken, and her tongue dips out onto her bottom lip. She wants me. I know it, and she knows it. It’s getting there that is going to be the hardest part.

“Let me fuck you… Let me satisfy all those desires deep inside that pretty little head of yours.” My hands caress her as I leave a kiss against her neck.

“You’re demented,” she hisses. She is on the edge, at the point where she wants it, but she doesn’t. I just need to give her that last push into wanting…

“Yes, I fucking am,” I murmur against her ear as I suck it into my mouth. I hear her cry of pleasure, and I’ll be damned if my heart doesn’t speed up a little bit.

“This is wrong…” she utters between pants. I know why she thinks it is wrong, but I don’t care. She will have to understand and learn if she ever plans to make it in this life.

“Nothing is wrong. It’s merely your perception of what you believe is right and wrong that has you confused.” I push her down, parting her legs with my own. Devouring her neck and ear, I wait for her to say the final words.

I may be a bastard, a ruthless killer even, but I am not one for taking women against their will. There is always a tight, warm pussy that wants my cock. There is no need to take when it can be given by others.

She shudders, her hips gyrating against my own. She whimpers again, her eyes opening. They shine brightly back at me as I slide my hand down to her sweatpants, cupping her there. Her head falls back, and her eyes close for a brief second.

“We can’t,” she states, fighting against it. I will admit, she is strong, but I am stronger.

“Then I’ll taste you… I’ll have you begging to ride my cock…” I murmur in her ear as I pull myself off her. Gripping the hem of her shirt, I pull it off in one swift movement. Her pants follow suit, and she lies before me in nothing but a black thong.

“It was wrong. What you did was wrong.” Her words are real, and the force of them stop me dead in my tracks.

“I never said my actions were right. In my world, that is what happens when you don’t pay a debt.” I whisper against her skin. She smells completely delectable. I am holding back from taking a bite of her.

I bend down to press my lips against hers when I hear a throat clear behind me. “Sir… You’re needed upstairs. There has been a break in.” Mack’s voice hits my ears, but it takes a moment before what he says registers in my mind. Shit.

“I’ll be right up,” I respond, clearing my throat. I’m flustered, and as I look down at Bree, I see she is too. At least I’m not alone in the need for pleasure.

“I need to go up there and see what the problem is.” Her eyes search mine as if she’s looking for something, like a missing piece to who I am. I’ve seen many women look at me with that same look, but most of the time it disgusts me. Disgust isn’t something I feel right now, though.

“Okay…” Her voice is meek.

“Stay here. I will come for you later.” Pulling myself off her takes every ounce of my willpower, and it’s even worse when I come to a standing position. My cock is aching painfully in my pants while she’s just lying there as if she’s on the menu for dinner.

“You aren’t releasing me?” Her eyes plead.

“We’ll talk when I come back,” I promise, walking to the door and closing it behind me. Her warm eyes are on me the whole time, and I know she’s down. She’s sad, broken, and confused and leaving her here is the last thing I want to do, but in the grand scheme of things, I haven’t a fucking clue as to what to do with her.

I take the stairs two at a time, and at the top, Mack greets me to give me a report.

“What happened?” I furiously demand. I’m back in mob boss mode.

“Someone jumped the fence in the back yard. The silent alarm went off,” Mack explains, his eyes never leaving mine.

“To the office. I can’t believe you weren’t watching the fucking cameras,” I growl. There should be no reason to need me, I train these men to deal with these issues.

“We were sir, we didn’t see…”

“Then you go out there and check it out. There isn’t any reason you should need me unless you don’t have the situation under control?” I question him, wondering if he really has the situation under control. Luccio’s words ring in my ear to watch my back, to protect myself.

“Sir…” Mack tries to get in, but I turn on him. In a second, my hands are wrapping around his throat. He might be bigger than I, but I am faster.

Leaning into his face, making sure he can hear and see every word coming from my mouth, I spit at him, “You have one job, Mack. One job. If you can’t do your job, then what fucking good are you to me or this family?”

I have known him a long time, yet have never before seen the anger that is now showing in his eyes.

“If you would just fuck the bitch in the basement and then kill her, maybe your head would be where it’s supposed to be.” My hand clenches tighter around his throat as my patience for bullshit flies out the window.

“She is mine to do with as I please. I wasn’t aware that you had a problem with her. Do you have a problem?” My eyes narrow as his face grows blue in color. I know if I don’t let up soon, he will be out. It doesn’t matter how big you are, if you lose air supply, you will be out for the count.

When he doesn’t answer me, I squeeze harder, my fingers digging into his flesh. Nothing matters to me anymore, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. His eyes bulge out of his head and I can hear his body gasping for even the tiniest shred of oxygen. The noise pulls me from my mind, and I release him. I am a monster, a horrible person, but I am above killing my own kind.

He sucks in a breath and then another as he stands there, the life coming back to his eyes.

“Would you have really killed me over such a pathetic question?” he asks in between breaths. I ignore his question and head straight to the security room. No one is manning the desk. Fiery rage fills me. What is the use if no one is here to fucking do as I say?

Letting it go for the time being, I focus my attention on the monitors. The cameras don’t show a disturbance, but the alarm is going off which means even if the intruders aren’t seen, they are still out there.

“Fuck…” I pound my fist against the table. Mack is right. She is getting under my skin. She is distracting me. Making me think crazy fucking things. Things that I can never, nor should I ever, be thinking about.

I need to handle this on my own. Hitting myself on the head a few times, I feel as if everything is finally back into place. I head toward the back door and out into the darkness. I am a hunter searching for his prey. My eyes adjust to the darkness, and my body fills with tension as I ready myself for a fight.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are…” I demand, my voice that of someone I don’t even know. The wind blows, and the moon shines brightly down on me as I stare up at it. How confused and fucked up am I?

A twig snapping in the distance brings me from my thoughts, and it is then that I see the shadow of a man looming by the perimeter wall. If he thinks he is getting away, he has another thing coming.

With precise movements, quietly and stealthily, I sneak up on him. His frame is large, but from his heavy breathing, I can tell it isn’t muscle he is carrying around.

The moon illuminates the sky, but not enough for me to get a good look at the guy. Crossing the short distance that stands between us, I reach out and grab his shoulder, turning him around quickly and pushing his body against the brick wall.

Reaching for my gun on reflex, I realize I have forgotten to grab it. I never forget to grab it. Her.

Ah. Fuck it. Hand to hand it is. Looking at the guy, I am not really worried. His face is heavy, and his eyes hold a secret that I plan on getting out of him.

“Who the fuck are you?” I growl. I am six…five…no, about one second away from ripping his fucking face off.

“I…” he stutters. I can see the fear, and feel it coming off him. I may have even got a whiff of piss.

“Did you just piss your pants?” I yell in his face. Spit escapes my mouth and clings to his face. He doesn’t even move to wipe it away.

A whimper escapes his lips, but that isn’t good enough for me. A whimper isn’t an answer.

“I’m going to ask you nicely one more time. WHO THE FUCK SENT YOU?” My words vibrate within me. My teeth clench as my body begs to unleash hell on this fucker’s ass.

“I work….” Well, we are making progress - two fucking words is better than one, but it isn’t the answer I want.

Gripping him by the throat, I rip the knife from my ankle where I always keep it and press it firmly against his throat. Blood trickles from the cut, but I am not done. I will be bathing in his blood by the end of this if he doesn’t provide me with answers.

“Tell me…” I snarl, pushing the knife in with more force. His eyes wide and his breaths become pants. He is going to have a heart attack if I don’t kill him soon.

“Luccio,” he says the name as if it is one he knows well. I narrow my eyes at him, trying to determine if he is in fact telling the truth. Luccio had been the very person to warn me… Could he be the person who set me up to begin with?

“What about him? Tell me everything or so help me fucking God, I will cut your throat open and watch you suffocate.” Each word is something I mean. I don’t make promises, I just do it.

“I work with him…” Tilting my head at him, I grip his shoulder harder. “What are you doing on my property?”

“I can’t tell you…”

“Well, that’s a shame then…” Taking the knife, I slide it across his throat. Blood pools from him as if he is a leaky faucet. I watch the life leave his eyes as his last breaths are nothing but gurgles. Then I bend down, place a kiss against his forehead and go on with my way. I will find out who it is he worked for and what they wanted.