Devoted: A Dark Mafia Romance (Beneath The Mask Series Book 3)
Devoted: Chapter 7

Turning my attention to the monitor, I kick back in my chair and sip my scotch.

Rosa, Rosa, Rosa.

She fascinates me. She hasn’t even flinched. She hasn’t cried or screamed.

I underestimated her strength.

That tight little black dress is showing off all of her curves. She won’t be able to wear that for as long as I keep her.

Musing what it would be like to have my hostage naked, I send Keller a quick text asking to borrow some clothes from his wife for my guest.

I’m glad he doesn’t ask; I don’t know if I’m ready to fill him in on this little adventure quite yet.

Taking a drag of my cigarette, I watch as she tilts her head back, letting her dark tresses flow over the back of the chair. I had to go and kidnap the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. When her breath tickled against my cheek in the club, my dick was throbbing.

The door opens, which catches my attention. Flicking my ash in the ashtray, I sit upright in my chair and watch.

Ramos stalks towards her, and she doesn’t move. Her eyes are still on the ground.

I haven’t asked him to check in on her. I only came upstairs to get changed before releasing her from the basement. Two hours is more than enough time for her down there. She isn’t a threat to me.

I sit forward, propping my elbows on the oak desk and turn the sound up.

“I told you I’d be back for you, pretty girl.”

She tugs at the binds on her wrists. It’s the first response I’ve seen from her.

He leans over her, trailing a finger along her cheek. Pulling on her long hair to face him. But she doesn’t; she looks straight past him to the camera and straight into my soul.

Pure fear radiates from her features.

Her chest heaves and all the color drains from her tanned skin.

Snatching my gun up from the desk, I rush down the stairs.

“Please don’t. I’m begging you. Do anything to me but this. I won’t survive this again.” I can hear her as she screams hysterically through the door.

Again.

Tightening my grip around the gun, I push in the code to open the door to the basement.

I have to get to her.

How did he get her untied so quickly?

All I can see are her legs as he straddles her while fumbling for his zipper.

“Shut the fuck up,” I can hear him grumble as he puts his weight against her shoulder, driving her harder against the floor.

Her scream rips through the small room and fills my ears until they’re ringing.

Rage completely consumes me.

“Get the fuck off her. Now!”

Ramos spins his head around to me with a shit-eating grin. Rosa’s legs thrash as the scream turns to sobbing. This overwhelming need to protect her kicks in.

“Boss, I’m just having some fun. You can’t bring a little thing so beautiful and not let us have a taste. The slut has been begging for it. I mean, look at that little dress she has on.”

I stride towards him, my gun behind my back.

“Stand up,” I command. Rosa falls completely still beneath him.

He does as I say, his loose pants hanging low on his hips, revealing his bare ass.

“Boss, what the hell? It’s just a whore.”

That does it.

I pull the gun out and aim it between his eyes.

“No man in my organization treats women with such disrespect. Men like you don’t deserve to walk the streets.”

He opens his mouth to respond, and I pull the trigger. Blood splatters up the wall. I give him a hard shove and he thuds to the ground.

Piece of shit.

I throw my gun to the ground and it clatters against the concrete floor. I put my hands up in surrender and walk towards Rosa. She’s huddled against the wall, tugging up the front of her dress.

“I’m sorry about him.”

Her piercing brown eyes meet mine and all the oxygen is sucked from my lungs.

As I approach her, she doesn’t flinch. Her eyes scan me up and down.

“Can I help you up?” I hold out my hand, palm up, and wait for her acceptance.

She stares at my extended fingers for a moment before slowly reaching out and placing her cool hand in mine. Electricity jolts through me as she stands. Damn, he must have really tugged on her. I unconsciously rub the red marks on her wrists. She snatches them away and pulls up her dress, covering her black lacy bra.

“Don’t touch me,” she sniffles.

I take a step back and hold up my arms again in a sign of peace.

“You can trust me, Rosa. I won’t hurt you. I swear on my life.” I place my hand across my heart and smile at her.

Those chocolate-colored eyes narrow as she stares at me. “Right… coming from the guy that kidnapped me in the first place.”

I shrug.

“But I did just kill one of my men for you.” I let my arms drop, gesturing to the embarrassment to my organization that now lies stiffening beside us.

She looks down at Ramos’ lifeless body on the ground and back at me and rolls her full lower lip between her teeth. Her brows furrow as her wary gaze meets mine.

“Why?”

“Because he tried to hurt you. He touched you without your permission,” I answer honestly, leaning against the doorframe.

She hugs her arms over her torn dress until her fingers dig into the soft skin above her elbows. “And what’s to say you won’t hurt me? I can’t trust you.”

I don’t know why I am bothering arguing with her over this. I could just pick her up and take her upstairs. Yet, something stops me. The way she screamed ‘not again’ has my mind reeling. My gut is telling me I have to tread carefully with her.

When I run a hand through my hair, she flinches as I lift my arm. What the fuck happened to her?

“Well, how about this? I only need you long enough for Marco to agree to stop dealing with the Capris. While you’re here, you can live in my house. What’s mine is yours. I’ll make it up to you for what that asshole did. You’ll be the most pampered captee ever.” I try to flash her my most charming smile.

“Or you could let me go home?” She bats her lashes and gives me a coy smile.

“You know I can’t. You know how this life works, Rosa.” Her name rolling off my tongue sounds so natural.

She throws one hand up in a wave.

“Pfft. My dad’s obsessed with power. He won’t stop until you’re dead. He’s not interested in me.”

I can sense the pain in her voice. I know what it’s like to be unwanted. It must be a theme for the children of mafia bosses.

“Noted.”

She bends and picks up her shoes, letting them dangle at her side. Without the heels on, she is tiny in comparison to me.

“Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.” I offer her my hand again and she accepts, placing her manicured hand in mine and damn, my cock twitches.

She throws one more glance at Ramos before I lead her out of the basement.

“I can’t believe you just did that to him.” I can feel her shudder through her palm.

“I meant every word. Any man who treats women like that deserves to die. Earlier on, you said you couldn’t survive this again?”

I stop short as she plants her feet into the ground, slipping her hand from mine. I turn to face her and her eyes are shining with tears.

Shit.

“Hey, it’s okay. If you don’t want to talk about it, we won’t. No more tears today.” I close the distance between us.

She sniffles and smiles at me. I can’t help but smile back at her as I hold my hand back to her.

She grabs it and my heart skips a beat. What the fuck is this?

I lead her through the grand hallway and through to the lounge. My place has the highest security known to man. She isn’t getting out of here. So, it’s not going to make a difference if she’s in the basement or roaming around the house.

“Go take a seat. I’ll make some coffee.” My hand feels naked without the heat of her fingers. A part of me wants to keep dragging her with me. But the shakiness in her steps tells me she needs to relax.

“Got anything stronger?” she calls out after me.

I ignore her. Grayson warned me about her habits. I don’t know what she’s running from. I have every intention of replaceing out. I need to make up for what Ramos did, and part of me wants to protect her. I owe her.