Now, that’s something.

I chuckle, pulling her by her waist until her body is pressed against mine. “You’re dangerous,” I murmur, my arm slipping around her waist.

She laughs softly, pressing a kiss to my chest. “Only when I want to be.”

I hold her gaze for a beat, and that familiar ache settles in my chest. She’s everything I shouldn’t want, yet I do. I want her… I’d burn the whole world down if it meant keeping her safe.

“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask…” she trails off, breaking the silence as she traces circles over the scarring bullet wound on my arm. “What do your tattoos mean?”

I lift a brow at her, amused. “You want one?”

“Stop it, I’m serious.” A blush rises up to her cheeks as she playfully swats my thigh, her lips curving up in a smile.

I pause for a second, then give in. “The dragon…” her fingers trail the vicious creature inked from my neck to my chest, “...represents loyalty and my will to survive.”

She nods, her eyes furrowing into one of concentration. “And these?” She intertwines our fingers, pressing the back of my hand to her lips.

My gaze follows hers, landing on the Roman numerals etched between my knuckles.

I feel a tightness grip my chest, the weight of the memory pressing down harder than usual. I take a shaky breath before speaking.

“It’s the day they died.” The words barely leave my lips.

Her sharp intake of breath is all that fills the room before her eyes soften. Slowly, she moves closer, both of her arms stretching to pull me in a warm embrace.

“Your daughter, what was her name?” Her question surprises me.

I haven’t said their names out loud in over ten years. No one has asked, and a situation has never come up until now. “Her name was Vittoria.”

“Vittoria,” she tests the name on her tongue.

“And…” she hesitates, nuzzling my neck, “…your wife?”

“Silvia,” I say, and she hums in response.

I let out a quiet exhale and snake my hands around her, sinking into her comforting embrace.

We lay like that, a comfortable silence settling over us. She shifts a little, head on my chest, as she traces my tattoo with an index finger.

“You know,” she begins softly, her voice almost a whisper, “I’ve been wondering… how did you get into… those things?”

Looking down at her, my brows knit in confusion. “What things?”

She blushes, her fingers idly trailing across my chest. “You know… the things you do that… pleasure me. In bed.” Her voice drops lower, more hesitant.

Realization dawns on me, and I smirk. “Oh… those things.”

She nods, biting her lip as if unsure if she should push further. I think for a moment, my smile fading as the weight of her question settles in.

I pause, considering how to answer. The memories creep back in, dark as usual. “It’s not something I really thought about before. At least, not like this.”

She stares up at me, her gaze curious but patient, waiting for me to continue.

“For a long time, after everything that happened…after I lost my family, I felt like my life was spinning out of control.” My jaw clenches as the familiar weight in my chest sets in. “They were taken from me. Ripped away by people I couldn’t stop. And it left me… powerless.” The feeling still haunts me.

Raven’s hand tightens around mine, gently squeezing as she listens.

“When we’re together, when I tie you up, blindfold you…it’s not just about pleasure.” I force myself to continue. “It’s about control. Not just over you, but over the chaos around me.”