15. Camille

Chapter 15

Camille

I continued to glare at Kage as he lifted his face and rested his elbows on his knees. "Before my dad died, he made it clear I needed to be married to take my place as head of the family. To ensure this, he set me up to marry the daughter of a rival to unite our families."

"So, it’s a political marriage?" I whispered, my voice hollow.

"Yes," he confirmed, his gaze steady on mine. "The wedding is planned for after I graduate. If I don't marry Daniella, it could start a war. I don't want this marriage, Camille, but I can't be the reason my father's legacy crumbles or people die unnecessarily."

Anger and hurt warred within me, his words a bitter pill. "So, what? I'm just supposed to accept that?"

Kage's expression hardened. "It's not about what we want. It's about duty, about preventing bloodshed. God knows we’ve all done shit we don’t want to for the sake of our family...”

I stared at the ground. Despite the anger coursing through me, a part of me understood the weight of the burden he carried. But understanding doesn’t always mean acceptance.

“This…us,” Kage began. “It was never supposed to be forever, Rebel. We were having fun, remember?”

I raised my head. “I know that,” I shot back, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. “But you should have told me about her before I fell in love with you.”

“I didn’t think you would love me,” he replied, his voice hollow.

I almost laughed. “You didn’t think I would love you?” I replied, tossing my arms in the air. “After...after everything we shared, you didn’t think I would fall for you? When you treated me like nobody else ever has before? How could I not fall in love with you, Kage? You knew what you were doing...”

“It’s not like that,” he muttered. “We’re from different worlds.”

“Right. No room for a mafia man to fall in love or God forbid, be monogamous. So that’s it. I can’t do this anymore, Kage. I can’t be with you anymore knowing we have an expiration date. You need to let me go,” I said, my voice breaking as tears threatened to flow.

“That’s not happening.” He stood, strode toward me, and gripped my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his. “You promised me until graduation, so that’s what I’m taking.

He wasn't going to accept what I was saying, no matter how many times I said it, so why bother. "I'll consider what you're saying," I lied. "But only if you go back to the hospital."

He narrowed his eyes, assessing me. Then he smiled, a flash of the cocky charm that had drawn me to him in the first place. "See, you do care about me. You love me, remember?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest. "I care about your wound opening up and getting blood all over Dante's couch," I retorted.

His response was dark, laced with a hint of something else. "I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot more of my blood," he said, his tone dropping, sending a shiver down my spine.

"What does that mean?" I asked, caught off guard by the sudden shift.

"Just that I'd die to protect you," Kage replied, his gaze intense. "Don’t ever doubt it."

The solemnity in his voice made my heart ache. Plus, I didn’t doubt it. He’d already taken a bullet for me "I don't want you to die for me, Kage."

He reached for my hand, his grip firm. "I know. But it's the truth."

As soon as he touched me, I felt a rush of heat flash through my veins. I could tell he sensed it too. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, the physical draw between us was impossible to hide from. He lifted my hand to his mouth and brushed his lips across that sensitive spot at the center of my palm.

My lips parted. No, I needed to stop this . We were at Dante’s house, and I’d had sex with him just last night. I couldn’t let anything happen here. Not with Kage. And yet...

And yet, when Kage’s hand moved to my waist to pull me in close, I somehow found myself not resisting.

He planted his mouth against mine hungrily, his tongue slipping past my lips like he had been waiting for this moment from the second he’d laid eyes on me. I knew I should have stopped it, but I couldn’t. I sank into his arms, my need getting the better of me, lighting me on fire and sending all-consuming shockwaves of need through my system.

"Fuck, Rebel," he growled against my mouth. He pushed me back against the wall, his hand sliding down to my thigh. He kissed me for a long time, stealing my breath and my resolve. His fingers dug into my leg like he wanted to mark me. Did he know, on some level, that I had been with Dante, and now he was trying to claim me as his again?

He kissed me again, his teeth catching on my bottom lip before he stripped off my pants and panties, moving his hand between my legs and cupping his fingers around my blazing-hot pussy.

"See how wet you are for me already, baby?" he murmured. I could only moan in response. He brushed his fingers against my soaking slit then brought those same fingers to my lips, glazing my mouth with my own wetness. I tasted the muskiness of my pussy on his skin, the sheer filthiness of it sending another shockwave of need through me causing me to wrap my legs around him.

"You want me to fuck you, don’t you?"

I shook my head in desperation. “Fuck the girl wearing the ring you bought her.”

“I didn’t buy that ring. She bought it for herself.”

“It still means you’re hers.”

“I’m yours . It doesn’t matter what happens after us. I will always be yours.”

All my good sense was screaming at me to stop this, but I was overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of his vow and my need for him. He hadn’t bought Daniella that ring so maybe it was all business. Maybe he didn’t have feelings for her at all. Would I really always be his—not in body but in his heart? Because I knew that no matter what happened, part of him had burrowed inside my soul and I would die if I tried to extract him completely.

“Will you… will you fuck her?”

“No.” He said it without hesitation.

My mouth twisted. “But you’ll fuck others.”

“And so will you, Rebel. The only difference is, if I fuck someone else, I will always be imagining it’s you .”

I hated the idea of him being with anyone else. Could I really let him go tonight without feeling him inside me again? Without feeling what he would give to others, even if he was thinking of me?

One last time, I thought. I'll end it, but not before I get one more taste, one more touch, one more orgasm.

One more piece of him to hold in my broken heart forever.

“You win, Kage. I want you to fuck me. But then we’re over.”

At my words, Kage’s expression darkened. Despite his injuries, it took him no time at all to slide on the condom he pulled out of the packet that had been in his back pocket, his efficient movements only making me burn hotter.

He grasped his hard on and guided it towards my waiting pussy. I watched, breath tearing out of my lungs, as he planted himself at the entrance to my slit. Slowly, he fed his cock into me, his eyes pinned on mine as he took in my reaction.

"Oh, fuck," I moaned, and he grinned as he thrust the last few inches of his cock deep inside me.

"See?" he murmured. "You really think you could live without this, Rebel?”

I couldn’t think straight enough to get words out. Even if I could, I knew I would be a fool to answer him. Just because he wanted me to admit it didn’t mean I was going to. And right now? Right now, the only thing that mattered was feeling him inside of me like this.

He began to move in long, deep strokes, taking me hard right there in Dante’s house. All it would have taken was for Dante to walk back in and he would see Kage buried to the hilt inside my pussy. Just like he'd seen Kage go down on me while I was splayed out on the hood of a Lamborghini after Casino Night. Fuck, why did that thought turn me on so much?

I gripped Kage’s strong arms, wondering how the hell he could feel so solid and sturdy after he had just walked out of the hospital. His forehead was pressed to mine, our breath mingling as I heard his low growls of pleasure with every thrust. I needed to feel him finish inside of me, needed to believe that despite everything that had happened, he still wanted me more than anything.

I kissed him frantically, our tongues clashing together as he continued to move inside me. I felt the pleasure building to the point of no return, and I wanted nothing more than to give in to it. In the chaos of everything that had happened, the feeling of being able to just forget it all and focus on how perfect we felt together...it was everything I needed. Everything I wanted.

I pushed my hips forward, taking as much of him as I could. He slammed his cock deep inside of me, filling me with every thrust, his tongue circling mine. It was like he had something to prove – like despite his bravado and confidence, he understood that in the end he might lose me.

But here, now, he had me. And I had him.

It was that thought that pushed me into my climax. The insides of my thighs twitched as my pussy clenched around him, squeezing hard, the pleasure coursing out from between my legs to consume my whole body.

"Yes, that’s it, Rebel," he breathed against my mouth. "Come on this cock. You remember how good we are together."

I only moaned in response, the sheer intensity of my orgasm rendering me speechless. He stilled inside me, like he was just savoring the feel of me coming for him, but the sensations of my pussy pulsating around him took him over the edge and into his release.

He bottomed out deep inside me, his cock throbbing inside me. He brushed his tongue along my lips once more, as though there was so much he wanted to say to me, but didn’t quite know how.

And then, as the pleasure began to lift, I came crashing back down to earth.

What were we doing?

How would Dante feel if he saw us together? He'd been the one to care for me. To give me what I needed.

Kage was engaged!

Self-hatred made me nauseous. I planted my hands on his chest and pushed him away. My legs shook as I quickly got dressed.

"Cover yourself up!” I hissed.

“Are you sure you want that?” He gestured to his glistening cock, his piercings calling to me as if they were sirens and I was a sailor lost at sea.

“Yes!”

Slowly, he tucked his cock back into his pants.

"You worried we’re going to get caught?" he said, cocking an eyebrow. "You think I couldn’t take Dante if it came to that?”

“I don’t want you to take him. I didn’t want you to take me!” I yelled.

Any amusement left his face. “You’re a liar.”

Suddenly, there was a pounding on the door, and someone shouted Kage’s name.

It was Callum, Kage's younger brother.

He called out again then strode into the living, Dante right behind him.

"It's time to go back to the hospital," Callum commanded, sounding more confident than I’d ever heard him, but I could also hear the worry in his voice. Callum grabbed Kage by the shoulder while Callum’s eyes flickered between us.

Kage brushed him off.

“Damn it, Kage!” Callum’s voice was tense, trying to cut through the thick atmosphere of the room. “You need to get back to the hospital. You’re not in any condition to be here.”

But Kage’s eyes were locked on me, his expression a mix of determination and something far more intense, something that made my heart pound even harder.

“Camille,” he said, his voice low and dangerous, “this isn’t over. Do you remember what I told you in that coffee shop? If another woman comes near me, you fucking stake your claim. That includes Daniella.”

The balls on this guy! "Fuck you, Kage. Daniella can have you."

He took a step closer. “You think you can end things?” He reached out, his hand brushing against my cheek before cupping my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You can try to hide behind Daniella or Dante or even Ty. You can try to run. But I’ll find you, every single time. I'm imprinted on your soul, Camille. Just like you’re imprinted on mine.”

“Kage, please,” I whispered, my heart racing with a mix of fear and something else, something that terrified me even more because of how much I wanted what he was saying.

How pathetic did that make me?

Then again, how much more pathetic could I get after I just let him fuck me?

Kage’s lips twisted into a dark smile as his thumb brushed over my lower lip, sending a shiver down my spine. “What just happened here, Camille,” he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper, “is just the beginning. You run, I'll chase. I will catch you. And then I’ll punish you for trying to leave me. And I promise you, you’ll love every second of it.”

“Kage, stop,” Callum’s voice cut in, more urgent now, but Kage didn’t move. His eyes stayed locked on mine, and I felt like I was drowning in them, unable to pull away.

“Rebel,” he said again, softer now, but no less intense, “I’ll prove to you that we’re not over. That Daniella doesn’t have anything to do with you and me or what we can have. And even if we can’t have it forever, it’ll be worth it.”

He was drawing me in. Weakening my resolve. I felt the walls closing in, felt the weight of his words wrapping around me, pulling me deeper into the chaos that was Kage. And the worst part? Part of me wanted to believe this wasn’t the end, that it was just the beginning.

Finally, Kage stepped back, turned, and strode away. With a worried glance at me, Callum followed.

As Kage and Callum left, Dante stayed where he was, staring at me. I knew his eyes saw everything – my flushed cheeks, my swollen lips. Hell, the room smelled like sin and sex.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked.

I sighed, relieved that he wasn’t throwing accusations or acting jealous. Maybe he really had meant it when he said he’d be willing to share me with Kage. Dante was amazing and far too good for me. "I don't know," I admitted. "Part of me hates him. But…”

“But part of you still loves him.” Dante nodded, understanding.

"I can’t do it. Share him, knowing his ring is on Daniella’s finger. Knowing that he lied to me. Does that make me a hypocrite? Because he’s willing to share me. You are, too…”

“It doesn’t make you a hypocrite, Peaches. Because you never agreed to share him. ”

I swallowed hard. “I’ve never agreed to share you either,” I whispered.

“You don’t have to. You’re it for me, sweetheart.”

And yet, as much as his words touched me, he didn’t approach me or try to touch me . Maybe he was just being considerate or maybe me being with Kage really did bother him more than he was letting on. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming need to be alone. "Is it okay if I ask for some space right now? I want to go home."

Dante clenched his fists and jaw but said, "Of course, whatever you need.”

I wondered, suddenly, if he would ever deny me anything? Was there anything I could ask him for that would cross the line in his mind?

He took me home on the back of his bike, the silence between us as tangible as the roar of his bike's engine, filled with all the words we left unspoken. One thing was for sure—Dante wasn’t my vice, he was my virtue, the one thing keeping my sanity right now.

Once we arrived at the chateau, I hesitated before getting off his bike. "Thanks for everything, Dante," I said, trying to smile.

"Anytime, Camille. Remember, I'm here if you need me," he reassured me yet again, but the weight of my request to be alone hung heavy in the air.

As I watched him ride away on his motorcycle, a pang of regret stabbed through me. The solitude I thought I craved now felt like a prison, cold and unwelcoming.

Inside the chateau, the silence was oppressive, each room echoing with the ghosts of conversations and laughter, now distant memories. I wandered through the empty rooms, my thoughts a tumultuous sea. The realization that I couldn’t truly trust anyone cut deep. Not Kage, with his secrets and obligations. Not Ty, whose actions and words were a maze I couldn’t navigate. And not even Dante, who, despite his goodness, despite his assurances, despite me wanting to hold on to him with everything I had, I feared would pull away, just like he had before.

Sitting alone in the dim light of the living room, I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to ward off the chill of isolation. The events of not just the past few weeks but of the past few years played over in my mind. I'd lost my mother and grown distant from my father. I'd lost Ty and even though he was back, he was a stranger who hated me. My relationship with Bianca was weird, and the guy I loved had lied to me and still planned to marry another woman. And Dante... He had his own life, a life that had existed before me, and I couldn’t expect him to put it aside to deal with my drama. Eventually, he’d grow tired of everything I asked from him, and I couldn’t blame him.