30. Damian

30

DAMIAN

FIVE YEARS AGO

I hear the frantic pounding on my door and see Mikayla’s desperate eyes as I open it.

“Leave, or I’ll call security to take you away,” I yell at her, anger and fear battling within me.

Mikayla doesn’t flinch, meeting my gaze head-on. “I dare you,” she spits back, defiance written all over her face.

“Dammit, Mikayla!” I scream, grabbing her arm and yanking her inside my apartment. My grip is tight, but my heart is pounding out of my chest. “You can’t come around here anymore! Alexei Popov knows about you. He’d use you to get to me…he’d kill you!”

Her eyes are wide with fear, but she refuses to back down. I’m struck by her courage, even in the face of danger. My hand gently brushes the bruise on her cheek, a reminder of the price she’s already paid for being close to me. Rage boils inside me again, fueled by my need to protect her from the brutal world we inhabit.

“Please, Mikayla, stay away from me,” I beg her, barely managing to keep my voice steady. “It’s too dangerous.”

But her resolve is unwavering. She stares into my soul, and I know she won’t leave without a fight. The passion burning behind her eyes ignites a fire within me, and as much as I try to resist, I’m powerless against the flames.

“Fine,” Mikayla says, determination lacing her words. “But I don’t want to go anywhere without you, Damian.”

I shake my head, refusing to give in. “I can’t be selfish and put your life at risk just because I love you.” My voice cracks, revealing the turmoil inside me.

“Damian,” she whispers, her eyes brimming with tears. “It’s because I love you that I’m willing to risk it.”

“Then you’re not very smart,” I snap, trying to push her away emotionally. But she’s always been stubborn.

She laughs, a bittersweet sound that tugs at my heart. “That’s never changed, has it?”

Before I can react, Mikayla wraps her arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. Her body trembles against mine, but there’s an undeniable strength in her grip. The scent of her perfume fills my nostrils, intoxicating and familiar, as if we’ve done this dance a thousand times before.

“Nothing can touch me when I’m with you, Dami,” she whispers into my chest, her breath warm against my skin. “I know you’ll keep me safe.”

Her words pierce through my defenses, and I can’t deny the truth. I would do anything, face any danger, to protect her. And maybe that’s what scares me the most. But if she’s willing to take the risk, then so am I.

“Alright,” I concede, my voice barely audible. I tighten my hold on her, feeling her heartbeat against my own. “I promise, Mikayla. I will keep you safe, no matter what.”

Her body relaxes in my arms, and for a brief moment, I allow myself to forget the world outside our embrace. It’s just us—Damian and Mikayla, lost in the storm of our love and the promise of a future together, no matter how uncertain it may be.

I blink, the memory of Mikayla fading as I find myself back in the present, my gaze locked on Annalise. She sits submerged in the hot tub, her body so much like her sister’s that it sends a shiver down my spine.

“Enjoying yourself?” I ask, my voice low and controlled, as I step closer to the edge of the hot tub. My dominant nature rises to the surface, fueled by memories of Mikayla and sight of the woman before me who looks far too much like her.

Annalise shifts uneasily, her eyes darting away from mine. “Damian,” she says, her voice shaking slightly. “What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t realize this was your private playground.” I smirk, despite the anger boiling within me. Her resemblance to Mikayla is both a blessing and a curse, stirring up emotions I thought I’d buried long ago.

“Neither did I,” she retorts, her tone dripping with resentment as she stares me down. “But considering how little I’ve seen you lately, I wouldn’t have expected to find you anywhere.”

“Well, here I am.”

“After what you did to my sister, it doesn’t surprise me that you can’t look at me.”

“Your sister?” The words catch me off guard. How does she know about Mikayla?

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” Annalise’s voice trembles with anger as she struggles to maintain her composure. “She trusted you, Damian. And you let her down. You let her get killed.”

“Watch your mouth,” I growl, my anger spiking as I step closer to the hot tub. “You have no idea what happened between us.”

“Maybe not,” she admits, but her eyes never waver from mine. “But I know enough to see that you’re poison, Damian. You destroy everything you touch, and I won’t let you do that to me.”

“Is that so?” I taunt, my possessive nature clawing at my insides. She may resemble Mikayla, but Annalise is her own person—one who clearly doesn’t want anything to do with me. And yet, there’s something about her defiance that makes me want her even more.

“Stay away from me,” Annalise warns, her voice barely audible over the sound of the water lapping against the edge of the hot tub. “I mean it, Damian. If you care about me at all, you’ll leave me alone.”

“Care about you?” I chuckle darkly, my heart pounding in my chest as I stare down at her. “Don’t flatter yourself, Annalise. I loved Mikayla. You’re nothing like your sister.”

The air between us crackles with tension, the heat of our anger and desire intertwining. I can feel the magnetic pull, drawing me closer to her. My hands itch to reach out, to touch her, but I resist.

“Damian,” Annalise breathes, her eyes locked on mine, daring me to cross that invisible line. “Don’t you dare.”

“Or what?” I challenge, my voice low and dangerous. Every muscle in my body is coiled, ready to spring.

“Or I’ll make sure you regret it,” she hisses, her emerald eyes flashing with defiance.

“Is that a threat, Lily?” I smirk, taking a step closer. She doesn’t back down, and I find myself drawn to her courage, her unwillingness to submit to my will.

“Take it as you like,” she replies, her voice steady despite the fear I know she must be feeling.

The space between us narrows, and I find myself unable to resist any longer. In one swift motion, I close the gap, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her forward for an aggressive, possessive kiss. Our lips clash, fueled by the intensity of our emotions—anger, lust, and a dark longing we can no longer deny.

Annalise’s initial shock melts away as she reciprocates the ferocity of the kiss, her nails digging into my arms, her body pressed tight against mine. The heat from her skin sears through me, igniting a wildfire in my veins.

“Damian,” Annalise gasps, her eyes wide with shock and confusion as she stares up at me. “What…what are we doing?”

“Something dangerous,” I admit, my voice raw with need. “Something we can’t control.”

“Then maybe we should stop,” she suggests, her voice wavering, but the fire in her eyes tells me she doesn’t want to let go any more than I do.

“Maybe,” I agree, knowing deep down that we’ve already crossed the line, and there’s no turning back now.

Our bodies press together, chest-to-chest, the heat of the water doing nothing to quell the fire that burns between us. My hands find her wrists, gripping them tightly as I pin her against the edge of the tub.

“Tell me to stop, Annalise,” I growl, my voice low and dangerous. “Tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll let you go. But if you stay silent…then I’m going to take that as your consent.”

Her chest heaves with each ragged breath, her gaze locked onto mine as if she’s trying to decipher the man behind the bratva mask. And then, just as I’m about to release her, she speaks.

“Kiss me again, Damian,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “Show me the truth.”

I waste no time in fulfilling her request, my lips crashing down onto hers with even more force than before. Our bodies press together, heat radiating between us as our mouths dance in a passionate, desperate rhythm. It’s as if we’re both trying to prove something—to each other, to ourselves.

As my hands travel up her arms, I feel her shiver beneath my touch, a mixture of fear and excitement playing across her features. But instead of pulling away, she moves closer, her nails digging into my shoulders as our kiss deepens.