Page 90 of Once A Villain

“I’m not going to hurt you, Rory,” he repeats, panting.

“Axe,” I whisper, “I’m so sorry.”

His eyes soften. “Let’s go home.”

I let him guide me into the car. It feels surreal, like a nightmare I can’t wake up from.

The past fewdays have been a fucking mess. Between Rory’s abduction and the Dolore threat, sleep’s been a luxury I can’t afford. I’m running on fumes, and exhaustion is starting to bite. At least the Sovereign’s been forced to negotiate.

Isaac called an emergency meeting with the East Sovereign Commanders—and me. Griffen insisted on coming, which turned out to be a good move. When Conrad showed up, the rage was instantaneous. I went straight for him. Took four Sovereigns and Griff to pull me off.

The meeting was a damn powder keg. Accusations, threats—it was chaos. But the bottom line was clear. The Sovereign won’t touch Conrad’s dealings with the Dolore. His Bond’s personal, not their problem. So, Conrad and I are on our own for protection from the Dolore. I’m not worried about myself, but Conrad should be.

The East Coast Sovereign is split down the middle. Some want Conrad to pay for offering Death Bonds on suicide missions. Others just want things to stay the same, ignoring his fuck-ups. It’s a shit show.

But Rory is mine. Isaac made it clear that no one can touch her. She’s a Bond payment and must be returned. That’s final.

Conrad refused to explain why he issued Marco Deluca’s Bond, but he had to know the fallout. The fact he didn’t inform the Sovereign puts him in a vulnerable spot. I need to dig into his actions. I knew taking the Bond was risky, but he’s hiding something big.

You don’t fuck with the Dolore without a damn good reason. It’s reckless, dangerous. Whatever his reason is, I need to uncover it.

After the meeting, I went back to the Hamptons to retrieve Rory. I wouldn’t let another night pass without her. Spencer was instructed to release her without a fight, but I knew he’d resist. He’s a stubborn bastard, so I decided to pay him a surprise visit.

The second I stepped into that house, my anger flared. Seeing him triggered something primal in me. I was a wild animal, the need for blood taking over. All I could think about was how he kept Rory from me.

The crunch of his nose beneath my knuckles, his pain...it felt good—really fucking good. Then she appeared.

Her screams cut through the haze of my rage. Seeing her terrified, begging me not to hurt him, made me realize I had a choice. I could choose violence, embrace the monster I am, or I could choose something else—her.

She looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes, and all I could think about was how much I wanted her.

Her drunken confessions about her past gnawed at me. I shouldn’t give a damn. She’s a pawn, nothing more. So why the fuck can’t I stop thinking about it? My father beat the shit out of me at the slightest hint of weakness. Any emotion other than rage or anger, wasn’t just forbidden—they were punishable.

I don’t form attachments. I don’t show mercy. I can’t. It’s not who I am.

But now...now, I’m feelingsomething. And that’s a problem.

It’s dangerous.

If I can feel, then I’m vulnerable.

If I’m vulnerable, I’m weak.

And if I’m weak, I’m dead.

She messaged the masked man repeatedly. I never responded, but I read every single one. She was desperate, pleading for him to come back, begging to be fucked, to forget.

I watched her every night—every time she touched herself, every time she came. I watched her drink until she was numb and cry herself to sleep.

I was there. Always there. But she never knew.

The car hums, the only sound filling the air as we drive. Her head rests against the window, lost in the silence between us. I can’t admit it—can’t bring myself to confess that I’m the masked man she’s been begging for, the man she craves.

She hates me, but she doesn’t hatehim. And I’m not ready to lose that yet.

So, I’ll keep up the act. I’ll pretend for now. I need her to needhim. I want her to need me.

I’ve seen something in her now, something deeper, a vulnerability I can’t shake. I want that too. I want all of her—her hate, her desire, her pain, her pleasure, her darkness.

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