Chapter 5 - Shadows of the Past
The peace couldn't last. In Damian’s world, weakness was an invitation, and his enemies had noticed the new, pretty addition to the Kell household.
The Moretti family, a rival syndicate fighting Damian for control of the shipping ports, began to circle.
It started with small things. A black sedan trailing Nora and Sofia on a trip to the private aquarium. A dead bouquet of black roses left at the estate gates.
Damian doubled the security, his temper growing volatile. He restricted Nora and Sofia to the estate grounds, practically locking them in the fortress.
"You're suffocating her," Nora argued one afternoon in his study, slamming her hands down on his mahogany desk. "Sofia needs fresh air. She needs routine. You can't keep us locked in a cage."
Damian stood up, his eyes flashing with raw fury. He rounded the desk, trapping Nora between his body and the heavy wood. "I keep you locked up because there are men out there who would skin you alive just to send me a message! You don't know the monsters I deal with!"
"I know you!" Nora shot back, her chest heaving. "And I know that hiding in fear means they've already won!"
Damian stared at her, breathing hard. The anger in his eyes suddenly morphed into something desperately hungry. Before Nora could process the shift, Damian’s hands were in her hair. He crushed his mouth against hers in a bruising, desperate kiss.
May you like
Nora gasped, her hands flying to his chest, but she didn't push him away. She gripped his lapels, pulling him closer, returning the fire. It was a kiss built on weeks of tension, fear, and an undeniable, magnetic pull.
When he finally broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, his voice a hoarse whisper. "If anything happened to you, Nora... I would burn this city to the ground. I will take you both out tomorrow. But I am coming with you."
