by Ella Miles
“I promise to keep your love safe.”
I nod. And then I force my legs to walk. I walk backward so I can see Enzo in the night.
“Goodbye, Enzo,” I whisper into the night when I can barely see him.
“Goodbye, stingray.”
I don’t know how I’m not bawling like a baby when I leave Enzo. It will be the last time I see him. The last time I kiss him. The last time I fuck him. And the first and last time I tell him I love him.
My heart and emotions are raw and out in the open. Probably not the best place for them to be when I’m about to face my greatest enemy. But I think my emotions like this are the only way I’m going to be able to truly do what I need to do next.
I step into the club that is clueless to the darkness that has just entered and is about to take place here. The music is lively and pounding fast, matching the speed of my heart when I was with Enzo only moments before, but now, now I’m steady as a rock. My heart thuds, slow and dependable. And I know I’ve never been doing the right thing more than I am right now.
I’m not exactly dressed in club attire. My T-shirt, jeans, and boots are not revealing or tight enough. But it’s what I need to be wearing when I face Milo.
I’m early, but I don’t want to savor my last few minutes of freedom by myself. I don’t want to spend my time drinking at the bar pretending I’m going home tonight. I’m here to save Enzo, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
I walk up to one of the bouncers. “Show me to the VIP section.”
His eyes go up and down my body. “And you are?”
“Here to see Milo Wallace.”
At the mention of Milo’s name, the man changes. “Right this way, Miss Miller.”
I didn’t tell him my name, but the bouncer must have been told about me. I follow him through the crowded tables. I glance over at the dance floor where people are grinding and sweaty, oblivious to me and what I’m about to do. I’m saving them too. If it were up to Milo, he would take every woman in this club for himself. He’d torture and rape them. I’m giving myself, so he won’t do it to them.
I expect to go down into a dark cave, but instead, we go up. The nameless bouncer leads me up a flight of stairs to the VIP room, but it’s more like a floor than a room. And the floor opens up to the club below. It’s private and not, at the same time. I could scream for help, and as long as I was louder than the music below, people could hear me. It seems risky for Milo, but I know it isn’t. He knows I’m going to give myself to him willingly.
“You’re early,” comes Milo’s voice as I step onto the floor.
“I didn’t want you to think I wouldn’t show up.”
He chuckles and stares at me as if he knows a secret—my truth. I showed up early so Milo would take me before Enzo found a way to break free and stopped this.
“Search her,” Milo says from his throne of a chair he is sitting on. The two men flanking him approach me and as much as I don’t want to be touched; I hold out my hands and stare straight ahead at Milo.
The men run their hands all over my body, searching for weapons. They will find none but the sharp shards of what is left of my heart I plan on using to stab Milo in his sleep.
I tense at their touch. Unwelcome touch still feels like knives being shoved into my skin. But I don’t show my pain. I won’t let myself whimper, retreat, or shed a tear—no weakness.
The men step away satisfied. And Milo’s eyes turn darker. He can’t read me as well as Enzo can, but I must have shown some look of pain at their touch as much as I tried not to, because he smiles at the torture running through my body.
“Take a seat,” he says as the two men disappear, leaving us alone.
I don’t want to follow his orders. I don’t want to sit. I want to run. But I won’t let myself. I will follow orders until he takes me back to Italy. Until I know Enzo is safe. Only then will I fight back.
I take a seat on the large couch opposite Milo.
“Good girl,” he says like I’m a dog.
“When do we leave?” I ask, wanting to get out of here and protect Enzo as soon as possible. I threw the key down a gutter. The phone reception around the club is spotty. It should take him a while to get free from the handcuffs, but I don’t want this to linger. I want this done.
“In a hurry?”
“No, I just want the deal finished.”
He shakes his head. “You can’t save him. Even if I take your deal, eventually I will get him.”
I growl. “No, you won’t. It’s part of the deal. If you choose me, then you leave Enzo alone.”
“Who says I’ve chosen you over him?” Milo asks.
“I have. I’m here; he isn’t. I’m the only option you have.”
Milo’s eyes drift up, and a slow evil grin plasters on his face. And I already know who is standing behind me—Enzo.
I turn and see his dark twinkling eyes burning with a fiery gaze at me.
Fuck.
2
Enzo
When I walk into the room, Kai’s heartbeat, breath, and life stop. The devastation on her face at seeing me here will stay with me forever. She thought she had won when she handcuffed me to that pipe. She thought she played me and finally won. And she probably would have if I wasn’t so determined to keep her safe.
Langston was nearby. I made sure he came with me to help me stop Kai from going with Milo. If it came down to it and Milo tried to take her, Langston and I would have fought his entire army just the two of us. There is no way Milo is taking Kai from me.
I made a promise to her that I would always protect her.
I made a promise to Zeke’s memory that I would never let another hurt her.
I will break neither promise.
So I called Langston, and he set me free. And now I’m here, ensuring Kai doesn’t throw her life away to keep me safe. I don’t deserve her sacrifice. She’s an angel; I’m a demon. If anyone deserves to go to hell, it’s me.
“Let her go so you and I can talk, Wallace,” I say, but still staring at the woman on the couch. How could it be that only minutes ago my cock was filling her, her mouth was devouring mine, and her legs wrapped around my waist? I thought that was happiness, but then she declared her love for me, and I realized what happiness really is. Happiness is being loved by another. Happiness is realizing your feelings are the same. Happiness is forgetting the rest of the world exists.
But I’m not happy anymore—I’m pissed.
Kai outsmarted me. She used my horny cock against me. And then used handcuffs, meant to keep her safe, on me.
I stare unblinking at her as I pour all the words I can never tell her into her body.
You won round one. But you won’t win this round. This round is mine.
PS—I love you.
God, I’m in so much trouble. I no longer want to save Kai because I made some twisted promise to her. I want to save her because I’m selfish—because I love her.
“Nah, I think she is going to stay. You both are,” Milo says.
My head snaps in his direction. Milo Wallace sits alone. He doesn’t have any other men with him, but he had his guard pat me down when I entered. His man found and took my gun, but none of my knives. I could attack now and kill Milo before any of his men got here. But that would put Kai at risk and wouldn’t really solve any problems.
Milo’s successor would take over his empire. Milo’s allies he’s gathered would attack. And we would fight a battle we aren’t prepared for. When we fight, we need the strength of our allies on our side. We need to understand everything about Milo and his organization. And Kai needs to be somewhere safe, so what happened with Zeke won’t happen again.
It takes everything in me not to charge Milo. If it were just me, I would have already attacked. I would have avenged Zeke’s death. I would have risked everything, but I won’t risk Kai—not now.
I block out the emotions Kai is screaming out without saying a word to me. Jesus, I can feel every fucking em
otion she feels. I can hear her silent screams for me to turn around and run in the other direction. And I can feel every bit of the torment circling her heart.
Instead, I walk over to her couch and take a seat. I kick my leg up onto my knee and lean back, resting my arms on the back of the couch. I act like I’m sitting down to watch a football game instead of to negotiate with a man I plan on killing as soon as I find a way to keep Kai safe.
Milo chuckles, glancing back and forth between the two of us. “You both are pathetic.”
I narrow my eyes. I don’t care if he calls me pathetic, but don’t push it when it comes to Kai. She is the beauty of the world. She is everything magical, sparkling like the only diamond in a world of coal.
“You are fools, and soon I’m going to show the world just how weak the Black name is. When I take your empire from you, I won’t just rule it; I will watch as it crumples until no one remembers how great the Black empire used to be. You used to have the largest domain, with the most employees, most riches, and best technology. You ruled with fear, but now, no one will cower before you.”
“Ruling with fear didn’t make the Black empire great; it made it weak. Ruling fair with compassion, like Enzo has done, actually earns the respect of the men you rule over. They are loyal to him to a fault. No one would ever turn on him. No one would ever follow you, no matter if you took the empire or not. They would all rebel,” Kai says.
But it just makes Milo happier to see her defending me.
“I guess we will see. But first, I must decide how. Which should I choose?” Milo looks back and forth between the two of us, acting like he hasn’t already chosen who he is going to pick. He has. And he will pick me.
I’ve never been so sure of something in my life. Milo likes pussy. He likes fucking. He likes raping and mutilating and hurting women. But he can get that easily. He will take me because it gives him the best chance of the empire. And then, once he has me and my empire, he will try to take Kai. Too bad he’ll be long dead before it comes to that.
“I want the strongest, of course, the one most likely to win your silly game to become the heir,” Milo says.
“That’s me,” Kai and I both say at the same time. Not because either of us thinks we are stronger than the other, but because neither of us wants the other to get hurt.
Milo laughs. “You two are both so eager to die to save the other.”
I watch the wheels turn in his sick, twisted mind.
“Let’s make this more interesting. Let’s play some games. The winner gets a one-way ticket to my home,” Milo says, his dark stare deepening. “I want the strongest, and the only way to determine the strongest is by competing. Best of five rounds wins.”
I like games—at least, I like Kai and I’s truth or lies game. But after having to compete with Kai in the most fucked up game of all that our fathers created, I don’t want to play another game again, especially not one created by a monster like Milo.
“Fine,” I say agreeing. I won’t show weakness to Milo.
Kai’s eyes grow determined as she looks at me. She’s going to give this game everything she has.
“Excellent,” Milo says, standing up and walking over to Kai. “Now, for quite a while, I thought you were the strongest, my beautiful Kai.” Milo extends his hand to her, waiting and taunting her to take it.
I stiffen, forcing myself not to react and make this worse for Kai. But I can’t.
I growl and launch myself over, swatting Milo’s hand away. “Don’t. Touch. Her.”
Milo chuckles in his annoying way, like this is all just a game to him. Like he isn’t playing with our lives. Like he isn’t playing with his own life. Because everything he does to me, I will do in return.
“Take my hand, sweetheart. Prove you can overcome your little weakness. It’s just my hand.” Milo leans down and whispers, but I hear every fucking word. “Prove to me if I take you, you can handle my touch, because you will be touching a lot more than just my hand. My cock is going to own every inch of you. Every hole. Prove to me I should choose you.”
I snap.
I start for Milo, no longer caring I’m going to have to fight my way out of this club and will most likely get shot, leaving Kai no protection.
Kai realizes I’m losing it and grabs Milo’s hand without hesitation or pain. Like my almost outburst pushed away the pain.
Stop fucking saving me, I tell Kai with my mind.
Kai nods, telling me she’s okay as Milo helps her up like she can’t possibly be able to stand on her own.
Kai may not realize it yet, but she’s already lost. Milo will take me. He’s just playing with us now. Seeing how strong our feelings are for each other. And then when he’s driven the knife deep into both our hearts will he drive the dagger deeper into one of us, while ripping it out of the other.
Milo pulls her to his body as he sniffs her hair. “How is it you always smell like the sea, Kai?”
Milo sweeps her hair over to one side of her neck, and there is no missing the amount of pain on her face at the gesture.
Stay; she’s got this. She doesn’t need your help.
“Remove your hand,” Kai says.
Milo does the opposite. He grabs her hips and jerks her body to his until I’m sure she can feel any erection he has on her ass.
I’m going to kill him.
I jump off the couch like my ass is on fire.
But Kai grabs Milo’s balls and from the twisted, white look on his face, I know she’s torturing him as he tried to torment her.
“If you want to touch me, you have to agree to a deal with me. Otherwise, keep your hands off me, and I’ll do the same to you. Understood?” Kai says.
Milo tries to fight through the pain and act like she isn’t hurting him, but her grip is strong.
I fold my arms across my chest as I smile watching the exchange. I never thought I’d be happy seeing Kai touch another man’s balls. But this makes me happy.
Milo nods, and she releases him. The hunger in his gaze is undeniable as he watches Kai walk away from him. It’s the same feeling I have all the time when I’m around her. And maybe it was a mistake letting Kai handle Milo—he saw her strength in that moment—how fucking incredible she is. How she will fight for everything. How if he takes her, she won’t let him touch him without a daily battle.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
If Milo takes her, I will die. I won’t let it happen. He needs to want me, not her. He needs to think I’m the only way to get the Black empire. Even though after the first two rounds of our game, I know Kai is equally capable of running the company.
No, he’ll choose me. He thinks I’m his best chance of winning. But it won’t stop him from regretting his decision when he’s alone with his dick in his hand.
“Let’s get these stupid games over with. What’s the first one?” I growl as Kai composes herself again while maintaining her adorable glare.
Milo looks at Kai like he wants to get payback. I hate that look.
“Strength. Let’s see who is physically stronger.” Milo devours Kai with his stare that says he both wants her and she is a pathetic weakling at the same time. It’s not a smart move on his part. If he thought her grabbing his balls was as bad as it could get, then he’s an idiot. She’ll find a way to castrate him and watch him slowly bleed out and die.
“Arm wrestle,” he says with a wicked grin.
I roll my eyes. This isn’t a fair fight, and he knows it. “If you want me to win so badly, just take my deal and move on with it. Don’t play these stupid games with us.”
Kai clenches her teeth, determined not to let that happen.
Milo pouts his lips. “Kai has a chance to win, if she’s strong enough.”
Kai walks over to the table, stomping as she walks, clearly pissed she is going to lose the first game without a chance at winning. She puts her hand on the table. “Let’s go,” she says to me.
I walk over and put my elbow on the table. And then I wait for our
hands to connect.
She holds her hand in the air just over mine, excited and terrified of what will happen when we touch. Fucking in the alleyway was supposed to be our goodbye, but it won’t be—this twisted game will be.
Our eyes lock, and I wait for her to move the final millimeter. After Milo touched her without her permission, I don’t dare force my touch on her now, even though I know she would welcome it. She needs to feel some bit of control.
She wraps her hand around mine, and it’s like a shot right to my balls. The tingling from our touch always shocks me. No single touch should feel this fucking incredible.
I suck in a breath relishing this feeling. How her tiny hand feels in my large one.
Milo walks over to the table standing between us. Will there always be someone between us? If we ever figure out how to kill him and take down his entire empire and allies, will there always be something between us?
“Three…two…one…go,” Milo says.
I tighten my grip on Kai’s hand, feeling her much weaker hand push against mine. But we both know her thin muscles have nothing compared to my bulky bicep. I could win this in two seconds. But I don’t want to. I want to feel her hand in mine for as long as possible.
Milo laughs. “Maybe you aren’t as strong as I thought, Enzo.”
I don’t let him taunt me.
Kai looks at me with large puppy dog eyes, begging me to let her win. I would. I want to put Milo in his place and let him know Kai is plenty strong. Sure, her muscles are smaller than mine, but her heart is more than strong enough to make up for any lack in muscle size. And the games for Black aren’t like this game. Physical strength isn’t the most important factor.
I want to give in to Kai. I always want to give in to her. I want to give her the world. But I can’t let her win this. I don’t know what other twisted game Milo has in mind, but I need to win this as fast as possible. Milo will not get Kai.
So I suck in a breath, warning her with my gaze, and then I push her hand down onto the table.