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As I load her onto the helicopter, my mind is already racing with thoughts of our future.
I turn to the pilot, my command absolute. “Take us to the chapel. Now.”
I pass her a headset so we can talk over the noise of the rotor blades. She looks terrified. It’s my fault. I brought her into my world, and already she’s watched someone die.
I should let her walk away. How could a relationship work when she’s half my age?
I’m too obsessed to let her go. The idea of her ever being with any other man brings murderous thoughts to my mind.
I’ll marry her, protect her, and in time, she’ll learn to love this life – and me. I can hardly wait to corrupt that innocence, to get her pregnant, to claim her fully as my own.
As the helicopter ascends, the noise is deafening, but I lean in close to Emily, ensuring she hears every word through her headset. She sits beside me, her body rigid with tension, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and confusion.
“This is a temporary measure,” I tell her, my voice a mix of reassurance and command, even though I know deep down I’m lying.
This isn’t temporary. I’ve wanted her for too long, and now that she’s within my grasp, I’m never letting her go.
She’s still processing everything, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words come out. Finally, she finds her voice, her question innocent yet laced with fear. “Why did that man want to kill you?”
I pause, my gaze fixed on her. “I’m a mafia boss,” I confess. “Peter Orlov is the head of the Russian Bratva here in New York. We had a deal. He wanted something I refused to give him. Now he’s trying to take me down. But I won’t let him. I’ll eliminate him soon enough. Until then, you need to be my wife. It’s the only way to keep you safe.”
“How will being married to you keep me safe?”
“Orlov will kill you on sight. But his people know how powerful I am, even if he’s too dumb to realize it. They know they risk the deaths of their entire families if they harm my bride.”
“Why did you have photos of me on your desk?” Her voice struggles to rise above the helicopter’s hum, a mixture of fear and curiosity evident in her tone.
I turn to her, locking my gaze with hers. “I’ve been watching you since you turned eighteen. I tried to resist, to make do with just glimpses. But that wasn’t enough.”
Her eyes widen, a flicker of disbelief flashing through them. “But why? What’s so special about me?”
I lean in, lowering my voice to a whisper, almost lost against the backdrop of the helicopter’s roar. “I’m obsessed with you.” I pause, the admission weighing heavily on me. “I made sure the wine shop manager gave you the job. Didn’t you find it odd, getting hired with no experience?”
“This is scary,” she admits, her voice quivering. “You’ve been stalking me.”
“I’ve been watching you, keeping you safe,” I reply quickly, my tone laced with an intense protectiveness. “Three times you were nearly mugged, and I... I took care of the men who tried to hurt you. I will kill anyone who threatens you.”
“What if you’re the one threatening me?” Her question comes as a soft whisper, loaded with fear.
“I will never hurt you,” I assure her, my voice firm and unwavering.
She looks out at the city lights, her expression conflicted. “Being stalked scares me, but the idea of you protecting me all this time... it makes me feel good. Did you know I had a crush on you?”
I can’t resist smiling. “That’s interesting.”
“No more photos of me, okay?” she demands, a newfound assertiveness in her voice. “Please.”
“I have the real thing now. So much better.” I reach out, touching her leg gently, eliciting a gasp from her that gets swallowed by the helicopter’s roar as my fingers move higher.
The helicopter banks sharply, casting a wave of vertigo over us. Below, the city sprawls like a living, glittering organism.
I lean closer to her, the closeness nearly suffocating. “Once Orlov is dead, we can annul the marriage. I’ll even pay you a million dollars for your troubles.”
The words taste bitter in my mouth. A million dollars is nothing compared to what she means to me. I can’t let her go.
She’s like the drugs Orlov sells. She’s my addiction. My doom. The reason I refused to marry Orlov’s daughter. I could never marry anyone but Emily. From the first moment I saw her, I’ve never had eyes for anyone else.
As the chapel comes into view below us, I see her body tense, ready to flee.
