Page 57 of Love Me in the Dark
“Get your fucking hands off her,” I snarl, my voice low and lethal.
Alina’s head snaps toward me, her eyes wide with surprise and—maybe—a flicker of relief. “Rafe, I—” she starts, but I cut her off.
“Are you okay?” My voice is sharp, my gaze not leaving the man beside her.
Her words stumble. “Y-yes… he just wanted to talk.”
“Didn’t your mother teach you not to touch what isn’t yours?” I growl at him, my tone venomous.
The man’s false bravado cracks under the weight of my stare. “I wasn’t doing anything wrong,” he stammers, glancing between us. “She was the last one to see my brother alive.”
“No, she wasn’t.” My lips curl into a sneer as I step closer.
“I told you before, I don’t know where he went,” Alina says, her voice firmer this time.
The bastard scoffs, his voice rising. “You claim he hurt you, but I don’t believe it! He wouldn’t?—”
Her spine stiffens, and I see the anger flash in her hazel eyes. “I didn’t lie.”
“That’s enough,” I say, my voice cold. “Walk away. If you leave now, I’ll let you live.” That’s a lie.
The room seems to hold its breath. For a moment, it looks like he might comply, but then he reaches for the knife hidden in his waistband. A fatal mistake.
In one fluid motion, I disarm him and press the barrel of my gun to the back of his skull. The shot rings out like thunder, silencing the room. His body crumples to the floor, the pool of blood spreading fast.
The weight of the silence is suffocating, broken only by the whispers of horrified onlookers. I turn to Alina, her face pale, her chest heaving with adrenaline. There’s fear in her eyes, but also something else—something darker. Satisfaction.
“Let’s go,” I growl, grabbing her arm and pulling her from the scene. Over my shoulder, I bark at my cousin, “Clean this up.”
Alina doesn’t resist as I lead her outside, but her silence is heavier than words. I feel the tension in her body, her pulse racing beneath my grip. Once inside the car, she sits stiffly, her hands twisting together in her lap.
I steal glances at her as we drive, trying to read her expression, but her face is unreadable. My jaw clenches, frustration gnawing at me. The silence in the car is suffocating, thick with everything she isn’t saying.
When we reach the penthouse, the air between us practically crackles. The moment the door closes behind us, she spins on her heel, her hazel eyes blazing.
“Are you satisfied now?” she demands, her voice sharp. “You’ve killed a man, dragged me here, and made it perfectly clear how much power you hold over me. Does it make you feel good?”
I shrug, my calm exterior barely masking the chaos inside. “I didn’t drag you here. You agreed.”
Her arms cross over her chest, her chin lifting in defiance. “I didn’t agree to this,” she snaps, her voice trembling with both anger and fear. “You’re a monster, Rafe.”
My jaw tightens, and I step closer, forcing her to tilt her head up to meet my gaze. “Call me whatever you want,” I say, my voice low and deliberate. “But don’t forget why you’re here. Your dad made his choices, and now you’re paying for them.”
Her defiance flickers, but she doesn’t back down. “Is this what you do?” she spits. “Use people like pawns and destroy everything in your path?”
“None of us are innocent, Alina.” My tone is sharp, unyielding. “We all make choices. Sometimes those choices come with consequences.”
“Like killing a man?”
I lean in, my breath ghosting over her ear. “Exactly like that.”
She stiffens but doesn’t pull away. Her pulse flutters wildly in her throat, betraying her bravado. “Monster,” she whispers, but her voice has lost its edge.
Something inside me snaps. I cup her jaw, forcing her to look at me. “Is that what you think of me?”
“Yes,” she breathes, but there’s hesitation in her eyes, something deeper she’s trying to bury.
“Then you should hate this,” I rasp, before my lips crash against hers.
