SOFIA POV

I couldn’t move.

My legs are still shaking. His cum is dripping down my thighs. Yet, I stared at the man who could get me killed.

Alessio Volkov adjusts his cuffs like he didn’t just fuck me into heaven. Like he doesn’t know I’ve figured out who he is.

But he does know. I can tell by the way he’s watching me. Waiting.

“You should get going,” he says. Voice calm. Too calm.

I grab my ruined panties off the floor. Try to stand. My knees almost give out.

He catches my elbow. Steadies me.

“Careful, little girl. Wouldn’t want you to fall.”

The nickname makes my stomach flip. Lord have mercy.

I removed my arm.

“Don’t touch me.”

His smile is slow. Dangerous. “You weren’t saying that five minutes ago.”

Heat floods my face. I hate him. I hate that he’s right.

I moved toward the door. My hand is on the handle when he speaks again.

“Sofia.”

I freeze.

Damn.

He knows my name.

I turn slowly. He’s leaning against the couch, arms crossed, looking at me like I’m a puzzle he just solved.

“How long have you known?” My voice shakes.

“Since the second time you ordered a drink.” He tilts his head. “You have your father’s eyes. And your brother tells you when you lie.”

My heart stops. “There was no second drink. This is our first..”

“No, “Mamacita”. This is our fourth meeting.”

The room spins.

Fourth?

“That’s impossible. I’ve never..”

“Three weeks ago. Different clubs. You wore a red mask. I danced with a man in a gray suit.” His eyes darken. “That was me.”

No. No, I would have remembered.

“Two weeks ago. Coffee shop on Sunset. You were reading. I sat two tables over.”

Oh God.

“Last week. The gallery opening your cousin dragged you to. I was the buyer who asked about the Monet.”

I remember that. I remember thinking the buyer was attractive. Thinking I wished I could talk to him without Luca’s guard breathing down my neck.

“You’ve been stalking me.”

“I’ve been studying you.” He pushes off the couch. Walk toward me. Each step measured. “Your brother keeps you locked up like Rapunzel. But even princesses need to breathe. I just had to wait for you to run.”

He planned this. All of it.

“The bartender,” I whisper. “He works for you.”

“Everyone here works for me. This is my club, Sofia.”

My back hits the door. He cages me in. One hand beside my head. The other trailing down my bare arm.

“So tonight wasn’t random,” I say. “The mask. The rules. You let me think”

“I'll let you feel free.” His thumb brushes my bottom lip. “And you were. For a few hours. Wasn’t that worth it?”

I should slap him. Scream. Run.

Instead I ask the only question that matters.

“What do you want?”

His smile is all teeth. “You. Obviously.”

“Why?”

“Because your brother took something from me.” He leans closer. Lips brushing my ear. “And I always collect my debts.”

_ _ _ _

ALESSIO POV

She’s terrified. Good.

Fear keeps people sharp. Keeps them from doing stupid things like trying to run when there’s nowhere to go.

Sofia Vecchio is even more beautiful up close than in the surveillance photos. Flushed cheeks. Swollen lips. Eyes like whiskey in sunlight.

And she tastes like revenge.

I’ve been planning this for six months. Ever since Luca Vecchio put a bullet in my cousin’s head and dumped him in the harbor. Marco thought I didn’t know. Though he covered his tracks.

But I know everything.

And now I have Luca’s most precious possession trembling against my door, my cum still leaking out of her, my mark on her throat where I sucked too hard.

“Let me go,” she whispers.

“No.”

“My brother will kill you.”

“Your brother doesn’t know you’re gone. Yet.” I check my watch. “But he will in about twenty minutes when Marco does his midnight check.”

Her eyes go wide. “How do you..”

“I told you. I know everything.” I pull out my phone. Show her the screen.

It’s a live feed of her bedroom. Empty bed. Open window.

She makes a small, broken sound.

“I have cameras in every room of that house except Luca’s office,” I say. “I’ve been watching you for months, “little girl”. Watching you touch yourself at night. Watching you cry into your pillow. Watching you plan this pathetic little escape.”

She looks like I just gutted her.

Perfect.

“You’re a monster.”

“Yes.” I slide my phone back into my pocket. “But I’m the monster who’s going to save you.”

“Save me?” She laughs. It sounds hysterical. “You just told me you’ve been spying on me like some sick…”

“Your brother wants to fuck you, Sofia.”

She goes silent.

“He’s obsessed. Has been since you were sixteen. I have footage of him standing outside your shower. Your bedroom. Touching himself while you sleep.”

A tear slides down her cheek.

“Marco knows,” I continue. “He’s tried to stop it. But Luca’s getting worse. Bolder. In six months, maybe less, he’s going to stop waiting and take what he thinks belongs to him.”

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?” I pulled up another video. Her bedroom. Two nights ago. Luca sitting on her bed. Stroking her hair while she pretends to sleep. His other hand down his pants.

She turns away. Covers her mouth.

“So here’s the deal,” I say. “You work for me. You tell me everything about Luca’s operations. His shipments. His meetings. His weaknesses.”

“No.”

“Yes. Because the alternative is I send you back to that house and let nature take its course.”

She’s shaking now. Full body tremors.

“And if I refuse?”

I grip her chin. Force her to look at me.

“Then I’ll make sure Luca knows exactly where you were tonight. Who you were with. What you let me do to you.” I lean in. “How many times you came screaming ‘Daddy’ while I ate your pussy. How you begged me to fuck you. How tight you were when I filled you up.”

Her breathing is ragged.

“He’ll kill you,” she whispers.

“Maybe. But first he’ll punish you. And we both know how creative Luca gets when he’s angry.”

Checkmate.

She knows I’m right. I can see it in her eyes. The moment she realizes she has no choice.

No freedom.

No escape.

Just a different cage with a different monster.

“What do you want first?” Her voice is flat. Dead.

“A kiss.”

She blinks. “What?”

“Kiss me like you mean it. Like you’re mine.”

“I just…we already..”

“That was fucking. This is different.” I thumb her bottom lip. “This is you choosing me.”

“I’m not choosing anything. You’re blackmailing me.”

“Semantics.” I smile. “Kiss me, Sofia. Or I'll make the call.”

For a long moment, she just stares at me. Hatred burning in those pretty eyes.

Then she rises on her toes and presses her lips to mine.

It’s soft. Tentative. Almost sweet.

I fist her hair and deepen it. Take control. Bite her bottom lip until she gasps. Swallow her moan.

When I finally pull back, we’re both breathing hard.

“Good girl,” I murmur.

She looks like she wants to stab me.

I pull out a burner phone. Hand it to her.

“This is your new lifeline. I text. You answer. Always.”

She takes it like it’s a snake.

“Now go. Back through the tunnel. Climb into bed. Pretend tonight never happened.”

She turns to leave.

“Oh, and Sofia?”

She looks back.

“Don’t shower. I want you to smell like me when you crawl back into that virginal white bed. I want you to remember who you belong to now.”

She opens the door. Steps into the hallway.

“One more thing.”

She doesn’t turn around this time.

“Tomorrow night. Nine PM. There’s a warehouse on Fifth and Main. Come alone.”

“And if I don’t?”

I smile at her back.

“Then everyone you love dies. Starting with your sweet cousin Gianna.”

She goes rigid.

“How do you know about..”

“I know everything,” I repeat. “And Sofia? If you tell anyone about tonight, about me, about this arrangement…” I pause. Let the weight of it sink in. “I’ll make sure Luca gets a very detailed video of you riding my cock. With your face fully visible.”

She runs.

I watch her disappear into the crowd. Then I pull out my phone and dial.

“Nikolai. She’s heading back. Make sure she gets there safely.”

“And after?”

“After, we prepare. Luca Vecchio is about to lose everything.” I light a cigar. Blow smoke toward the ceiling. “And he doesn’t even know it yet.”

I ended the call.

Pour myself a drink.

My phone buzzes. A text from an unknown number.

Unknown: I hate you.

I smile.

Me: See you tomorrow night, piccola. Wear something easy to take off.

Three dots appear. Disappear. Appear again.

Unknown: Go to hell.

Me: Already there. You’re just joining me.

I down my whiskey.

Phase one complete.

Now the real fun begins.

SOFIA POV

I came back to the tunnel at 12:47 AM.

My dress is torn. My thighs are a little bit sticky. I can still feel him inside me.

I climb through my bedroom window and freeze.

Someone’s in my room.

“Where were you?”

Luca.

He’s sitting in the chair by my vanity. Still dressed. Arms crossed. Face blank.

My heart stops.

“I…I couldn’t sleep. I went to the garden.”

“In that dress?” His eyes drag down my body. Slow. Lingering on the torn hem. The marks on my neck. “Interesting choice for a midnight stroll.”

Think. Think.

“I was going to change but”

“But what, Sofia?” He stands. Walk toward me. “You decided to climb out your window instead? Crawl through dirt? Ruin a two-thousand-dollar dress?”

He’s three feet away now. I can smell his cologne. The whiskey on his breath.

“Tell me the truth.”

“I am.”

His hand shoots out. Grabs my jaw. Not hard enough to hurt. Hard enough to warn.

“You’re lying.” His thumb brushes my bottom lip. Presses. “Your pulse always speeds up when you lie. Right here.” He touches my throat.

Right where Alessio sucked.

Luca’s eyes drop to the mark. His whole body goes rigid.

.

“No one. I…”

“WHO. TOUCHED. YOU.”

His voice is ice.

I’ve never seen him like this. Wild. Barely controlled.

“I fell,” I whisper. “In the garden. Hit my neck on a branch.”

He stares at me for five long seconds.

Then he releases my jaw and steps back.

“Go shower. You smell like…” He stops. Breathe in deep. His eyes darken. “You smell like sweat.”

And sex. He means sex.

Does he know? Can he tell?

“Luca, I…”

“Shower. Now.” He walks to the door. Pauses. “And Sofia? From now on, Marco will be doing checks every hour. Not just midnight.”

The door closes.

Locks from the outside.

I stand there shaking.

The burner phone in my bra buzzes.

Unknown: Good girl. You made it. Now shower. You’ve earned it.

I had the urge to throw the phone across the room.

Instead I text back.

Me: He knows something’s wrong.

Unknown: He suspects. He doesn’t know. There’s a difference.

Me: What if he figures it out?

Unknown: Then I’ll kill him before he touches you. Problem solved.

My hands shake.

Me: I can’t do this.

Unknown: Yes you can. Because if you don’t, Gianna dies. Your choice, piccola.

I throw the phone on the bed.

Walk to the bathroom.

Turn on the shower.

And cry.

_ _ _ _ _

ALESSIO POV

The next day drags.

I spend the morning in meetings. Afternoon reviewing shipments. Evening planning the Vecchio takedown.

But my mind keeps drifting back to her.

The way she felt. The way she tasted. The fear in her eyes when she realized she belonged to me now.

Perfect.

Nikolai knocks on my office door at 8 PM.

“She’s on her way.”

“Good. Is everything ready?”

“The warehouse is clear. Guards posted outside. No witnesses.”

I nod. “And the package?”

He slides a folder across my desk.

Inside are photos. Documents. Shipping manifests. All with the Vecchio family crest.

“Luca’s moving a shipment through the harbor tomorrow night,” Nikolai says. “Weapons. Enough to supply a small army.”

“And he’s meeting the buyers personally?”

“Marco confirmed it.”

I smile. “Then that’s where Sofia comes in.”

_ _ _ _ _

SOFIA POV

The warehouse smells like rust. Yuck.

I step inside. The door closes behind me.

“Hello?”

My voice echoes.

Footsteps. Then Alessio emerges from the shadows.

He’s in jeans and a black shirt tonight. Sleeves rolled up. Forearms on display. He looks less like a Don and more like a..

“You came.” He sounds pleased.

“You threatened to kill my cousin. What choice did I have?”

He circles me slowly. Predator assessing prey.

“Did Luca suspect?”

“He knows I left. I told him I went to the garden.”

“And he believed you?”

I hesitate.

“He saw the mark on my neck.”

Alessio stops. “And?”

“He asked who touched me. I said I fell.”

Silence.

Then he laughs. Actually, I laugh.

“You’re a better liar than I thought.”

“I’m not…”

“Yes you are. You’ve been lying to your brother your whole life. Pretending to be the perfect sister. The obedient daughter. When really…” He steps closer. “You’re just a girl who wants to be fucked like she matters.”

Heat floods my face.

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what? Tell the truth?” His hand slides up my throat. Gentle. Possessive. “You liked it last night. Liked being owned. Used. Filled.”

“Stop.”

“Make me.”

I shove him.

He doesn’t move.

Instead he grabs my wrists. Spins me around. Press my front against a metal pillar.

“Here’s how this works,” he growls in my ear. “I will give you a job. You do it. You report back. And if you’re good…” His hips press against my ass. I feel him. Hard. Ready. “I will reward you.”

“I don’t want your freaking rewards.”

“Liar.” His hand slides under my skirt. Cups me through my panties. I’m wet. Already. “Your body doesn’t lie, Sofia. It knows who it belongs to.”

I bite my lip to keep from moaning.

“Tomorrow night,” he says. “Your brother is meeting buyers at the harbor. Pier 29. Midnight.”

“How do you know that?”

“I told you. I know everything.” His fingers slide under the fabric. Tease. “You’re going to plant a tracker on one of the crates.”

“I can’t”

Marco will be there. The guards…”

“You’ll figure it out.” He pushes one finger inside me. I gasp. “You’re smart. Resourceful. And motivated.”

He adds a second finger. Pumps slowly.

“Alessio”

“Say it right.”

My face burns.

“Daddy,” I whisper. “Please…”

“Please what?”

“Please stop.”

“You want me to stop?” He stills. “Really?”

I’m panting. Aching. Hating myself.

“No.”

“Then ask for what you want.”

I close my eyes. Surrender.

“Please make me cum.”

“Good girl.”

He fucks me with his fingers. Hard. Fast. His other hand covers my mouth when I scream.

I come so hard my knees give out. He holds me up. Keep going. Draw it out until I’m sobbing.

When he finally pulls his fingers out, he brings them to my lips.

“Taste.”

I open. Suck them clean.

“Perfect.” He releases me. Steps back. “The tracker is in the bag by the door. Plant it. Text me when it’s done. Understood?”

I nod. Don’t trust my voice.

He walks away. Pauses at the door.

“Oh, and Sofia? Next time I won’t be so gentle.”

The door closes.

I collapse against the pillar.

My phone buzzes.

Unknown: By the way, Luca’s planning something. I don’t know what yet. But I’d sleep with one eye open if I were you.

My blood runs cold.

I look at the bag by the door. The tracker inside.

Tomorrow night. The harbor. My brother’s deal.

My first mission.

My first real betrayal.

I picked up the bag.

Walk outside.

Behind me, hidden in the shadows, I hear a sound.

Footsteps.

Someone was watching.

Someone knows.

I run.

_ _ _ _

LUCA POV

I watch Sofia sprint down the street from my car.

Marco sits beside me.

“Should I follow her?”

“No. Let her run.”

“But sir”

“She met with Alessio Volkov.” I light a cigarette. Take a long drag. “My baby sister is fucking my enemy.”

“How do you know?”

I hold up my phone. Show him the photo I took through the warehouse window.

Sofia pressed against a pillar. Alessio’s hand up her skirt. Her mouth opened in a silent scream.

“Because I’ve had her followed since last night.” I flick ash out the window. “The question is what do we do about it?”

Marco shifts. Uncomfortable.

“We could kill him.”

“No.” I smile. Cold. “We use her. She wants to play spy? Fine. Let her think she’s fooling me. Let Volkov think he’s won.”

“And then?”

I take another drag.

“And then I kill him slowly. Make her watch. Show her what happens when someone touches what’s mine.”

My phone rings.

Unknown number.

I answer.

“Mr. Vecchio?” A woman’s voice. Familiar. “This is Katya Volkov. Alessio’s… associate. I believe we have a mutual problem.”

I smile.

“I’m listening.”