Page 20 of Hunted to the Altar (Caputo Crime Family #3)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

S amuel

The room still carried the faint metallic tang of blood, despite the diligent cleaning.

My men worked swiftly, scrubbing and mopping, but the air hung heavy, oppressive.

I stood in front of reinforced windows, wishing I could stare at the sprawling city below.

Lights flickered like dying embers, casting a dim reflection on the glass.

The weight of the night pressed against my chest, but I shoved it down, as I always did.

The woman who haunted every corner of my mind was behind me, likely pacing or glaring at the furniture like it had offended her. Nina’s presence filled the room even when she was silent, her defiance radiating like a beacon, daring me to look at her. But I couldn’t. Not yet.

The guilt gnawed at me, sharper tonight than usual.

She didn’t know—she couldn’t—what my actions had cost her.

What I’d let happen. I clenched my jaw and adjusted the cuffs of my shirt, stained and rumpled after the events of the night.

My hands itched to grip something—anything—but I couldn’t allow myself that luxury. Not when she was watching.

“Are you going to keep standing there, or are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?”

Her voice cut through the stillness, sharp and demanding. I turned slowly, taking her in. Nina’s dark curls flew wild and untamed. Her skin, so rich and smooth, glowing. And those eyes—God, those eyes. They burned with an intensity that could undo a lesser man. But I wasn’t a lesser man.

“You’re safe now,” I said simply, my voice calm and even.

She crossed her arms, her defiance almost amusing. “That’s not an answer. Safe from what? And for how long? Because it seems like the walls of this gilded cage aren’t exactly bulletproof.”

I stepped closer, closing the distance between us. Her posture stiffened, but she held her ground. Brave, even when she was terrified. It was one of the many things I admired about her, though I’d never admit it out loud.

“Safe from the men who would use you as a pawn,” I said, my tone softening. “Safe from Picone. And safe from anyone else who dares to think they can touch what belongs to me.”

Her lips parted slightly, and for a fleeting moment, I thought she might say something biting. But instead, her expression shifted, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“Picone,” she repeated, her voice quieter now. “Why does he care about me? I… I’m nobody.”

The words twisted in my chest like a knife. Nobody. If only she knew how wrong she was. I exhaled slowly, raking a hand through my hair.

“You’re not nobody,” I said, stepping even closer. “You’re leverage. Your friendship with Dr. Maya leaves you open to become a unique hostage. To Picone, to my enemies, to anyone who knows what you mean to me.”

Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t back away. Instead, she squared her shoulders, the fire in her gaze reigniting. “I mean nothing to you. I’m just…just some woman you caged like a fucking animal.”

The words stung more than they should have, but I let them roll off me. “You’re much more than that,” I said, my voice low. “And you’ll realize it soon enough.”

Her laugh was bitter, a sound that sliced through the tension. “You’re delusional.”

I didn’t respond immediately, letting the silence stretch between us.

Finally, I turned and walked to the bar, pouring myself a drink.

When she fought me like this, I couldn’t help the fire racing through my veins.

The amber liquid caught the light as I swirled it in the glass, my thoughts drifting to the memories I’d locked away for so long.

“You think I don’t know guilt?” I asked suddenly, my back to her. “You think I don’t carry the weight of my choices every damn day?”

She didn’t answer, but I could feel her eyes on me. Waiting.

I turned to face her, the glass in my hand trembling slightly. “I know what it’s like to lose someone because of a choice you made. Because you were too weak or too blind to see the danger coming.”

Her expression faltered, the defiance cracking just enough to reveal the vulnerability beneath. “What are you talking about?”

I took a sip of the whiskey, letting the burn ground me. “My sister,” I mumbled. “She was…taken. Because of me. Because I trusted the wrong person.”

The words hung heavy in the air, and for once, my little bunny didn’t push. She just watched, her brow furrowed as if she was trying to piece together the puzzle of who I was.

“Did you get her back?” she asked after a long pause.

I shook my head, the memory searing through me like a brand. “No. By the time I found her, it was too late. She was…gone. ”

Nina’s gaze softened, and for a moment, the tension between us shifted into something quieter. Something almost tender.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The sincerity in her tone caught me off guard. I’d expected mockery or indifference, but not this. Not the understanding that shone in her eyes. My chest throbbed with an unfamiliar feeling. I downed the rest of my drink, setting the glass on the bar with a sharp clink.

“Don’t be,” I said, my voice hardening. “I don’t deserve your pity. And I’ll be damned if I let the same thing happen to you.”

She stepped closer, her movements tentative. Like she was approaching a wounded animal. “Samuel…”

The sound of my name on her lips sent a jolt through me, but I shoved the feeling aside. I couldn’t afford to be weak. Not now. Not ever.

“You don’t understand what kind of man I am,” I said, my voice low and measured. “I’ve done things—terrible things—to protect the people I care about. And I’ll do them again if it means keeping you alive.”

Her eyes searched mine, and I could see the war waging within her. Fear, anger, confusion—it was all there, swirling in those expressive depths. But there was something else, too. Something I couldn’t quite name.

“I don’t want to be a reason for you to kill,” she whispered.

I reached out, my hand brushing against her cheek before I could stop myself. “You don’t have a choice, Nina. You’re already my reason.”

My little bunny stared deep into my soul. Her doe eyes begged for me to let her go. As she looked for her answer, she realized I meant business. I recognized the signs before she turned tail and took off.

I tried to resist my baser instincts, but it took five seconds flat for me to pursue her. My cock grew in my pants, begging for her to satisfy my darker urges. I ran as fast as I could, hoping to catch her before she got to an exit.

All that mattered in my mind was catching my little bunny and fucking her until she understood who was in charge. I wasn’t thinking any further than that. I should probably feel bad for all the unhinged and dirty things I wanted to do to her, but I didn’t.

She could slip away if I don’t act fast. I hopped over the banister and landed on my feet with nary a tremble. Leg day saved my life once again. I stopped to check the video notifications watching her run through the halls and try the doors.

I flipped through a few screens to see where she was headed. It looked like one of the staff was going to take a smoke break and they left the door propped open. I sprinted toward my little bunny with my phone clutched in my hand.

I let go of all my control.

A primal chase through the estate was exactly what I needed. The stakes were high knowing that her freedom was just in reach. I could feel her terror the closer I got to her location. She saw the door up ahead.

My little bunny was fast, but a demon like me remained faster.

I lunged forward, wrapping my hand over her mouth to smother her screams. She kicked her feet in the air, trying to use her weight to throw me off.

I slammed into the wall, protecting her from getting hurt.

She fought harder, trying to claw at my hand so she could beg for help.

The sharp shatter of a vase hitting the floor broke our struggle.

I grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head, straddling her hips. She bucked and hissed beneath me.

“Keep fighting,” I growled in her ear, pressing my weight against her squirming body, letting her feel how rock hard I was for her. “It only makes me harder.” I nipped her ear even as she tried to pull away from me .

She whimpered when she realized she couldn’t escape and expended too much energy trying to. I shifted my grip to hold both her wrists in one hand. I took my free hand and trailed it slowly down her body.

My fingers slid between her thighs, cupping the heat there.

She was soaked. She may be fighting me with her mouth and her fists, but her pussy didn’t lie. My little bunny was aching for me.

“You filthy little liar,” I rasped against her ear, breathing in her scent like oxygen. “You want this.”

She sobbed, a broken sound, as I tugged her shorts down her hips–not tearing them, a courtesy I didn’t have to afford, making her feel every humiliating inch of skin exposed to me.

Her legs thrashed until I trapped them beneath mine again, caging her completely. I could feel her pulse hammering against her throat when I pressed my nose there, inhaling deeply.

“I will fuck you right here,” I muttered, dragging the denim over her ass, leaving her bared and vulnerable. “Maybe I’ll let all my men see you taking my hard cock deep so they know you’re mine.”

She gasped when my hand slid lower, stroking between her lips, teasing that sensitive bundle of nerves there. She squirmed trying to get away from my touch, but her hips jerked against me, betraying her.

Good.

I wanted her mind to scream no while her body begged for more. I rubbed her slow, taking my time, punishing her for thinking she could leave me. When my fingers were dripping with her slick, I finally peeled the denim completely off her body, tossing it aside.