53. Devils Bargain

CHAPTER 53

Devil's Bargain

ILEANA

Wren’s voice fills the darkness of the woods, his words breaking the silence, and I fight not to shiver at the hunger in that single word.

“You come into my woods, wearing my dress, and demanding answers.”

He circles me slowly, like a predator sizing up prey that’s crossed his path. I stand my ground, refusing to back away. His fingers graze my bare shoulder, and electricity shoots through me.

“That’s either very brave or very stupid.”

The dress feels too thin, the tears exposing more than I’d like. His eyes track every movement as he steps back into my view, his gaze dragging over me, searing my skin. I lift my chin, meeting his gaze head-on, refusing to let him see how he’s affecting me, how he’s pulling me into his orbit.

“You said you had proof.” My voice is steady … barely. “About my father. About?—”

“About why he’s so desperate to keep you hidden?” His breath on my skin sends shivers down my spine. “Do you want to know what he’s afraid of?”

Each word draws him closer, until his chest is touching my back, until the warmth of him wraps around me like a cage. His hands settle on my waist, his fingers splayed wide. The touch is possessive, and it burns through the thin fabric.

“Oh, pretty Ballerina. You have no idea what you’ve walked into.”

“First, you need to understand exactly what you’re asking for. What kind of devil’s bargain you’re making by coming here.”

He turns me, guiding me backward, one hand firm against the small of my back, the other still gripping my waist. Each step deeper into the woods feels like a choice I can’t undo, like a pact I’m signing with every inch of ground I give him.

“One spilled drink.” His voice is low, intimate, close enough that I can feel the heat of his words against my neck. “That’s all it took. I always noticed you. The way you kept to the shadows, how you followed the rules, how careful you were never to stand out. But that drink …” His fingers stroke up my spine, igniting a trail of heat that makes my breath hitch. “It shattered all of that. Made me see you differently. Made me see the cracks in the mask you wear.”

My heart pounds in my chest, his words pulling at something buried deep inside me. His hand moves higher, pausing between my shoulder blades, and I arch into his touch.

“While you were searching for me ...” His fingers curl under my chin, tilting my head up so he can meet my eyes. His smile is razor-sharp, predatory . “I was digging through your past. Peeling back every lie your parents wrapped around you.”

My heart is pounding in my chest, the fear mixing with a darker emotion, something that draws me closer to him.

“What did you find?” The question falls from my lips before I can stop it, the need for answers outweighing the warning bells screaming in my mind.

“Do you really want to know?” His voice is silk, wrapping around me, seductive and tempting.

“Yes.”

“That’s what I thought.”

He spins me, pressing me against the rough bark of a tree. The contrast of the cool air against my flushed skin sends a shiver through me as his thigh shoves between my legs, pushing up just enough to make my pulse quicken.

“You want answers.” His lips hover over mine. “So, I’m going to give you exactly what you asked for.”

His fingers find the hem of the dress, tugging it higher. “ Your father isn’t who you think he is. The life he built for you, for your family, it’s all based on lies. On the ruins of an empire he destroyed.”

The words twist in my mind, each one dragging me deeper into a truth I’m no longer sure I want to hear.

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?”

His fingers slide higher up my thigh, and I gasp at the sensation.

“Think about it. The way he hides you, the way he’s trained you to stay invisible. You’ve wondered before, haven’t you? That there’s something you’re not being told.”

My fingers curl into fists at my sides. “Tell me!”

His smile widens. “Are you willing to pay for it?”

His head lowers, teeth grazing my throat as he drags my dress up another inch. My breath stills, heart hammering against my ribs.

“Yes!”

His smile is wicked as his fingers move higher, pushing the dress up. “Then, let’s begin.”

His lips hover above mine. “Your father betrayed powerful men. Men who don’t forget. Men who don’t forgive.”

“Who?”

He doesn’t answer, not directly.

“For every truth I give you, you’ll give me something in return.” His fingers stroke along the edge of my panties. “Do you understand?”

My pulse stutters, my body arching into him as my mind struggles to process the words.

“Yes.” The word is breathless. A plea.

“He went undercover, deep cover, and fell in love with the boss’s wife.” His fingers brush over the front of my panties, and the sensation sends shockwaves through me.

His fingers delve beneath the cotton, finding my clit. I gasp, my body reacting despite my brain’s struggle to keep up, my hips pressing into his touch.

“Shhh.” His lips curve against my skin. “Let me tell you everything they never wanted you to know.”

His fingers push inside me, and I bite back a moan, fingers fisting at my sides. His other hand grips my chin, forcing me to look at him while he speaks, while he fucks me with his fingers.

“Your father stole you away. Stole your mother. They disappeared the same night Victor Rossi’s empire crumbled.” His thumb strokes over my clit, bringing a new wave of sensation. “He created a new life for you. New identities. But none of it was real.”

I whimper, my nerves in sensation overload as his words tear through me and his fingers push deeper. Pleasure winds through me, tight and overwhelming, and I hate how much I need it.

“Do you want more? Do you want every truth, Ballerina?”

“Yes … please.”

His mouth crashes down on mine, the kiss hard and demanding, a reminder that I came to him willingly. That I chose this. His fingers curl inside me, his thumb pressing harder against my clit, and I moan into his mouth, my body shaking as pleasure overtakes me.

When he finally pulls back, I’m gasping for breath, my entire body thrumming with need. He studies my face, a smile curving his lips.

“Remember, you chose this. You made this choice. You came here instead of waiting until tomorrow.”

The words echo in the darkness, a promise that tightens my nipples.

He pulls his fingers free from my body, and moves his hand to the back of my dress, finding the zipper. “Let’s strip away every lie your father ever told you.”

“What—” But the word breaks into a moan when his fingers pinch my nipple, and his teeth bite gently into the base of my throat .

“Money started appearing in offshore accounts.” His thumb circles my nipple through the dress. “Enough to buy new identities. New lives. Enough to keep a family hidden for at least sixteen years.”

The dress loosens as he tugs the zipper down, his knuckles caressing bare skin.

“For every inch I reveal, I’ll give you another truth. Another secret Daddy tried to hide.”

He pauses, the dress barely clinging to my shoulders.

“I’ll give you one last chance to walk away. Go home to your cage of lies. Or you stay. But if you do, then you need to understand that everything will change. I’m going to strip away every protection your father ever built around you.”

I lick my lips, take in a deep breath, then nod. “I want to know.”

His eyes darken, his smile pure triumph as he pushes the dress off my shoulders.

"Remember, pretty Ballerina. You chose this."

The blue fabric pools at my feet like surrendered armor, leaving my breasts bared to his hungry gaze.

"Now," he breathes between kisses that leave me dizzy, and presses me harder against the tree. The feel of the hard length of his erection sets off butterflies in my stomach.

His hands skim over the bare skin of my hips, a finger runs along the waistline of my panties and his mouth finds mine again, swallowing my gasp as his fingers dip back beneath the elastic.

"Your mother's name wasn't always Maria Moreno." He strokes a thumb over my nipple. "Her medical records show a different name. Different details." His finger strokes between my legs, and my hips arch forward. "Annetta Rossi—Victor Rossi's wife who disappeared the night his empire crumbled."

His mouth claims mine again as his fingers graze over my clit, and keep going, until they’re back inside me. I can't stop a whimper.

"The operation spanned years. Deep cover." Each revelation is matched with the slow thrust of his fingers, each one pushing deeper. "Your father got too close."

"Please."

"Please what?" His voice is dark velvet. "Please tell you why your father checks the locks? Why he's so afraid?" A third finger adds a delicious pressure, making my knees weak. "Or please don't stop?"

His lips kiss a path along my jaw as he continues talking. "Your father built this perfect facade, didn't he? James Moreno, the careful, protective father." The fingers inside me curl, hitting a spot that sends my heartbeat rocketing. "But Agent Charleston's mission was never supposed to end like this—stealing away with Victor Rossi's wife and heir."

"Tell me." I have to force the words out. They sound weak, needy. His mouth finds that sensitive spot below my ear.

"Yes." He steps closer, circles his fingers around my wrist and presses my hand against his erection. "You’re the lost princess of a fallen empire. Hidden away the night your real father's world burned."

It's hard to connect the dots of what he's saying, when he's touching me the way he is, but eventually I figure it out. The implications make my blood run cold, but his touch burns hotter.

"You're lying?—"

"Am I?" He pulls back just enough to meet my eyes. "Then why do you have no hospital records? No baby photographs? Nothing to prove you existed before your family appeared here?"

His thumb sweeps over my clit, and it's all I can do to stop my eyes rolling back. There are lights dancing behind my lids, someone is sobbing, gasping for air. My legs give way with the intensity of the orgasm, and an arm wraps around my waist, fingers dig into my ass, and I'm hauled against a hard chest.

"Your mother's medical records stop abruptly. Your birth certificate is from a closed hospital. Everything about your early life is fiction. "

My breath comes out ragged as I try to focus on his words, try to grasp the truth beneath them. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

"Because I know you, pretty Ballerina. I know how desperately you want to be seen, to understand who you are beneath the lies they've told you.” He pulls his fingers free from my body, and I immediately want them back. His fingers wipe over my lips. "Lick." My tongue comes out, tasting myself.

His smile is dark, possessive. "I'm the only one who truly sees you."

His mouth claims mine again, fingers tangling in my hair to hold my head still.

"You're mine now. And I'm going to show you exactly who you were meant to be."