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He emerged from the room, his dark eyes locking onto mine. The intensity of his brooding gaze sent an involuntary shiver down my spine, a mix of fear and . . . something else I didn’t want to name.

“You think I’m lying to you, Demi?” he queried as he stalked toward me, each step deliberate and predatory.

I forced myself to hold his gaze, chin lifted in defiance. “I think you’re full of shit. You’re a cartel boss, not some savior to your people.”

A cold smile played at the corners of his mouth. “And you’re the daughter of a Chicago kingpin. So, unless you popped out of Mother Teresa’s pussy, I don’t think you’re the expert on who needs saving.”

His words struck a nerve, and I felt my temper flaring. “I know enough to recognize a manipulative psychopath when I see one.”

Ozias chuckled, and the sound was devoid of humor. He leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear. “Oh, little fire. You have no idea the type of heat you’re dealing with.”

I tried to suppress the shudder that ran through me at his proximity, but I knew he felt it. Damn him. I hated how my body betrayed me, how a part of me responded to his dangerous allure even as my mind screamed in protest.

“Then educate me,” I dared, meeting his gaze head-on. “What exactly am I dealing with, Ozias?”

He pulled back slightly, studying me with those intense brown eyes and long, sweeping lashes. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of vulnerability before it was masked by his natural cold amusement.

“You’re dealing with a man who has more enemies than friends, Demi. A man who’s been betrayed by those he trusted most,” he explained, his voice soft, but there was an edge to it that spoke of barely contained rage. “And us, our union benefits us both greatly. It benefits our survival.”

I scoffed, even as a part of me wondered at the sincerity in his tone. “And why the hell should I care about your survival?”

Ozias’s large, tatted hand came up, fingers ghosting along my jawline. I hated myself for leaning into his touch, even as I told myself it was just to throw him off guard.

“Because, my fierce little fireball, your survival depends on it too. You have no idea how many men want you just to kill you. How they want to get under your father’s skin by killing his only heir, ending his line in the process and changing the order of succession.”

The words sent a chill through me, and I felt my heart rate quicken.

Anger, fear, and a traitorous spark of excitement warred within me.

I wanted to slap his hand away, to scream at him for daring to fucking touch me.

But another part of me, a part I was desperately trying to ignore, wanted to lean in closer.

I settled for glaring at him, mustering all the contempt I could. “You’re clinically insane if you think I’d ever help you.”

Ozias responded with another dark and rich laugh that sent unwelcome shivers through me. “We’ll see, Demi. We’ll see.”

I narrowed my eyes, studying Ozias’s face for any sign of deception. The intensity in his gaze unnerved me, but I refused to let it show. Instead, I forced myself to focus on the situation at hand.

“You’re cocky as hell.”

“I see it as healthy arrogance.”

I lifted my chin rebelliously while rolling my eyes. “My father is going to come for me. Like you said, I’m his only child. He’d never abandon me.”

Ozias belted out another low and humorless laugh. “Ah, the naivety of youth. You’d be surprised what even the most devoted fathers are capable of when the stakes are high enough.”

His words sent a chilling ripple through me, but I pushed the doubt aside. I knew my father. I knew what he was capable of. And I knew he wouldn’t stop until he found me.

“You’re wrong,” I insisted, more to convince myself than him. “He’ll find me. It’s only a matter of time.”

As I said the words, a comforting thought occurred to me—the tracker. Of course. My father, ever paranoid, had insisted on it years ago. A tiny chip embedded just below my nape. I protested at the time, but it could’ve been my last chance at salvation.

I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. Ozias noticed, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Something amusing, Demi?”

I trained my features into neutrality. “Just imagining how satisfying it will be to watch my father’s men drag you away in chains.”

Ozias’s laugh was genuine this time. “Oh, mi amor . The delusional bubble you live in is truly captivating. But I’m afraid you’re in for a rude awakening. If your father comes for me, I’m chopping him down. No question.”

I said nothing, content in my secret knowledge. Let him think he’s won. Let him believe he has the upper hand. My father will find me, and when he does, El Diablo will learn what true power looks like.

All I had to do was bid my time and play along until rescue came. I could do that. I was a Malone, after all. Deception was in my blood. The tension in the cabin thickened as Ozias’s dark orbs bore into mine. I refused to back down, meeting his gaze with boldness burning in my chest.

“How much longer did you say we have until we land?” I inquired innocently.

“About another hour or so. Why?”

My eyes pinged around the enclosed space before landing on a box of playing cards. “You play poker?”I asked, recalling the deck of cards I’d spotted earlier.

He shrugged. “It’s been a minute, but yeah. I do. You?”

“Yes. Play me. No chips. No cash. But if I win, when we land, I’m a free woman.”

“And if I win?”

I paused, unwilling to automatically accept defeat. “You tell me.”

“I’ll tell you after I win,” he boasted.

I scoffed. “We’ll see about that.”

The tension in the air was thick as Ozias and I sat across from one another. I wasn’t even sure if I was in the right frame of mind to play at my best, but I didn’t care. My freedom was on the line. My bones crackled with anticipation, knowing the stakes were higher than ever.

Ozias shuffled the card deck with ease. I watched him closely, convinced I’d find his tell, and when I did, it would be all over for him.

“Ready to lose?” he inquired, right eyebrow arched toward his crisp hairline.

“You’re too cocky for your own good, y’know that?”

“You’re only mad because when you look at me, you see the parts of yourself you try to pretend aren’t there,” he replied before delivering a knowing smirk. “You like the darkness, Demi. I bet it makes that pussy drip, doesn’t it?”

My heart fluttered as I picked up the two cards he dealt. He was trying to throw me off my game. I couldn’t let him get inside my head.

“You know,” I said, my voice dripping with venom as I tried my best to turn the tables, “I don’t understand why my father would ever agree to let me marry a monster like you in the first place.”

Ozias’s expression hardened, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

For a moment, I thought I’d struck a nerve, but then his lips curled into a smirk.

“You love that term, monster. Tell me, Demi, what makes a monster? Is it the blood on one’s hands?

The power they wield? Or perhaps it’s the fear they instill in others? ”

I swallowed hard, fidgeting with the nape of my neck, an anxious habit I’d picked up over the years as I fought the urge to shrink back into my seat. “All of the above,” I retorted.

Ozias nodded slowly as if considering my words. “Then, by your definition, your father is as much a monster as I am. Yet you don’t seem to view him that way.”

His words hit me like a slap. I parted my lips to argue my point, but he continued before I could speak.

“The truth is, Demi, I have more foes than friends these days. Your father included.” He leaned back, his gaze never leaving mine. “This arrangement . . . it’s not about love or even alliance. It’s about survival, whether you choose to believe it or not.”

I blinked, caught by surprise by the unexpected vulnerability in his tone. “Survival?” I probed, listening more.“This is the second time you’ve mentioned that now.”

“In our world, you’re either predator or prey,” Ozias explained as his left eyebrow twitched. “I’ve made choices—some I regret, others I’d do again—but they’ve all led me here. To a point where I need your father as much as he needs me.”

I struggled to process the information. Is he manipulating me, or is there truth in his words? The calculating part of me wanted to dismiss it as a ploy, but something in his eyes made me hesitate.

“I don’t believe you,” I protested, but there was less conviction in my tone than before.

Ozias shrugged as a ghost of a smile played on his lips. “You don’t have to. But consider this—in a world full of monsters, sometimes the wisest choice is to align yourself with the devil you know.”

I narrowed my eyes, studying his handsome face for any sign of deception. “You’re lying,” I declared, but the words came out less certain than I intended.

“I’m not going to mistreat you, Demi,” Ozias said softly, his voice rough with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. “My intentions with you are see-through,” he confirmed, reaching underneath the table to grip my left thigh.

My limbs instantly froze. With one simple touch, Ozias had the power to make my body come alive with desire.

The sincerity in his tone caught me off guard.

I felt my walls breaking down, and a surge of anger and lust washed over me.

How dare he try to manipulate me like this? I won't fall for his act.

“Bullshit,” I hissed, my hands clenching my cards.

“Things are simple with me. If you wanna die, run. If you wanna live, stay with me where you’re safe.”

“Safe? How could I ever be safe with you? You murdered my friend! I’ll never like you, respect you, let alone love you.”

“I don’t care if you don’t love me, princessa . I’ll cut a hole in your heart and live in it if I fucking have to. One way or another, you’ll be mine,” he declared, words searing into my brain as his hand slipped between my thighs.

My breath hitched as I swatted his hand away. “Keep your fucking hands off me!”

The game progressed alongside our conversation, each card flip more intense than the last. That was when I saw it again—a subtle twitch of his left eyebrow. He was bluffing. I couldn’t hold back my confident smirk. I had the game in the bag.

Finally, it was time for the showdown. The space was silent enough to hear a pin drop as we prepared to reveal our cards. I was sure I’d caught him bluffing, and my confidence had my pulse racing as I prepared to claim my triumph over him and my freedom.

“Ladies first,” Ozias insisted.

“Straight flush,” I confirmed, revealing my hand of sequenced diamonds to him. “Looks like I win.”

Ozias’s eyes danced with amusement as he slowly laid out his hand one by one, revealing an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of hearts. “Better luck next time. Papi’s got a royal flush.”

My mouth gaped open in disbelief. “Wait. What?” I asked as frustration clouded my features. I thought I knew his tell, but clearly, I was wrong. I hated how he was able to knock me off my square effortlessly. “I-I can’t believe it,” I mumbled, voice dragging with defeat.

He leaned in closer. “You played a good game. Maybe next time, I’ll let you be the one on top.”

I scoffed as I pushed myself up from my seat, hating the fact that deep down, I’d found a newfound respect for his poker skills and charm.The world tilted suddenly, and I stumbled. My legs felt like jelly beneath me, and I grabbed onto the nearest surface to steady myself.

Ozias’s mocking laugh filled the cabin. “You should sit back down, mi amor . You’re in no condition to be up and about.”

I gritted my teeth as fury coursed through my veins. “Don’t fucking tell me what to do,” I growled, taking another unsteady step.

My foot caught onto something—the edge of the seat maybe—and before I had sense enough to catch myself, I was seconds from hitting the ground. The floor rushed up to meet me, but his strong arms caught me before I collided.

A light chuckle reverberated through his chest as he held me against him to still my movements. “I know about the tracking chip your father implanted in you.”

My breath hitched as I froze. “W-what? You knew about the chip this entire time?”

“Relax. Of course, I knew. The sedative you were given before our flight blocks the signal. It’s untraceable now.”

My eyes widened in surprise, and a chilling mix of confusion and fear washed over me.

The longer I was in his presence the more I realized I knew nothing about him and he seemed to know everything about me.

The last thing I expected was for him to know about the tracking chip, let alone take steps to deactivate it without my knowledge.

How long had he been watching me? How much did he know?

“I-I don’t understand.”

“I told you; the medication is still in your system. You should really listen when I give you advice,” he insisted, his breath hot against my ear.

“Your father isn’t coming. At least not yet.

He’s building an army against me first. But you’re all the armor I need.

For now, you don’t have to worry about being monitored by anyone but me. And I don’t require a chip, bella .”

I struggled weakly in his grip, hating how my body betrayed me. Whenever he was too close, his touch sent tingles across my skin, and I couldn’t tell if it was from revulsion or something more sensual. The game may have been over, but there was something between us that was only growing stronger.

Don’t listen to him.

Don't trust a single fucking word that comes out of his slick-ass mouth.

But as he helped me back to my seat, his hands surprisingly gentle, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that there may have been more to the man they called El Diablo than what met the eye. And that terrified me more than any threat he could ever make.