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I’m not even sure how I’m containing the anger as it surges through my veins like a tsunami of poison, but I am. For her.

There’s not a shadow of doubt in my mind that if I reacted how I wanted to that I’d push her away when I so desperately want to keep her. I know what my girl needs, and what she needs is for me to rein in my fury and comfort her.

“Tell me, how did you get the bruise, Little Red?” I gently coax.

Her sparkling hazel eyes meet mine, the green in them flashing as she flicks them over my face, searching for a reason to hold back the information.

I remain impassive.

I’ve spent years training to be the man I am today. One capable of violence, manipulation, and torture, and when I get my hands on whoever touched her, then my mask of indifference will slip, and I will unleash my fury tenfold. For now, I will protect my girl.

She swallows, and I follow the motion. My cock takes this opportunity to throb with excitement at the prospect of stuffing her small mouth and pushing myself deep inside her throat. As if hearing my thoughts, she wiggles beneath me.

I grasp her chin between my fingers. “Don’t try distracting me, Little Red.” Her pupils widen at my heavy hand but not in protest—no, my little red likes me treating her roughly.

“Tell me,” I bite out, annoyance overtaking me, causing me to feel like a bomb ready to explode.

“Gerrard cornered me when you left,” she whispers, and I suck in a sharp breath of air and close my eyes to try to control the red haze overtaking me.

My body tightens to the point of pain, and I snap my eyes open when Hallie slips from my arms and onto the mattress.

“You can’t do anything,” she states.

I flex my fists and scoff, then slice my eyes toward Hallie.

“You can’t,” she whispers, with tears in her eyes.

“He bruised you,” I spit out, getting to my feet. “He bruised you, and you expect me to do nothing?” The venom in my tone is at full force.

She blows out a deep breath. “He’s Matty’s father, . He’s also the police commissioner’s son. He’s a police officer.”

I rear back and scoff. “I know who the fuck he is.”

It’s her turn to scoff this time. “Of course you do,” she snipes out. “But you don’t realize how much power he has.”

“He has power?” I hold her gaze, then lower myself so I’m leaning over her. “Sweetheart, Gerrard Davis is a fucking bug I intend on swatting.” My deadly tone creeps in.

“He’s Matty’s father,” she repeats, making me chuckle at her lame attempt to save the prick from my revenge.

She shakes her head. “, please. You don’t understand what he can be like.”

I straighten. “Oh, I understand, all right, and he’s about to learn the full wrath of my family.”

“Wha-what do you mean?”

Past giving a damn about disguising my identity, I decide to unleash the truth on her. “I mean, my family is who keeps Gerrard Davis and all his little fucking minions employed. We’re the underground of society. The villains, so to speak.”

Her mouth falls open, and I ignore it.

“But let me tell you this. We never hurt innocent women, and we don’t touch kids.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t understand.”

“My father is a Mafia don, Hallie. Harrison Davis has been trying to put him away for years.”

“The Mafia?” Her lip trembles. “Our families are enemies?”

“No! Not our families. You’re mine. The sooner we get married, the fucking better.” A need like never before overcomes me. “You’re my family.”

It’s always been part of my plan to marry her, but now I feel it with a newfound urgency.

She knows who I am. By now, Gerrard would have figured it out too, and that means Matt is about to discover how much his father truly hates me.

It’s time to move my plan forward.