“He looks at me like I’m his
He makes me feel like I'm his
And somewhere inside me
I also feel like I'm his.”
TARA JINDAL—
The moment I felt him that close, panic took over. My finger jerked on the trigger and the gun slipped from my shaking hands. I squeezed my eyes shut, hands flying to my ears as the shot thundered through the room.
For a few seconds, a suffocating silence settled over the room, then his voice broke it. “Not bad. My girl’s got guts.”
Sighing, I forced my eyes open, only to meet his gaze, standing mere inches away, head tilted as he studied me.
Shock hit as my eyes fell to his shoulder, drenched in blood. And still, he stood unmoved, as if it were nothing but a scratch.
“You—You’re bleeding,” I stammered, the words barely making it past my lips. My heart slammed against my ribs as adrenaline surged through me.
His shoulder was blood-soaked, my eyes didn’t even blink as a deep, stabbing guilt twisted inside me at the thought that I’d caused it.
I didn’t intend to hurt him, not once, I just wanted to scare him and get away. But this—
I scrambled off the bed and rushed to him. I could feel his eyes still on me, but I didn’t care.
My gaze darted around the room until it landed on the side drawer, hopefully where the first-aid supplies were.
I stepped toward the drawer, reaching for it when suddenly his hand closed around my arm, yanking me back and pinning me against the wall.
I looked up, and his eyes burned into mine, dark with raw possessiveness.
I blinked, my gaze drifting over his face, his hair falling across his forehead, his dark blue eyes holding both the calm of the ocean and the fury of a storm. His slightly pointed nose brushed against mine, his jaw clenched, lips a soft shade of berry... like something carved out of a myth. He might be every girl’s dream… but not mine.
Ugh, not now.
Our bodies were pressed flush against each other, my chest brushing against his bare, taut one as he stared at me like a predator eyeing its prey.
“Don’t you fucking dare pretend to care.” His breath ghosted over my skin, voice low and dangerous. “Don’t try to be the cure of my pain.”
My throat felt dry, fighting to stay unaffected by his words… and his closeness, but I countered anyway. “I’m not a monster like you, I have feelings and I do care.”
My eyes dropped to his shoulder again, still bleeding. I turned my face away, I didn’t have the courage to look at anyone like that, not with this close.
His jaw was tight, every muscle strained, and I could tell he was holding himself rigid... only making the bleeding worse.
“Please, stop—you’re already bleeding. Let me treat you… please,” I pleaded, my voice unsteady.
“You want to treat me?” he asked, one brow arching.
I met his gaze instantly, restlessness and a hint of disbelief colliding in my eyes as I tried to fathom what his words held.
He loomed over me, his face dangerously close, his gaze trapping mine, dark with passion and obsession. I gave a slow nod, and a smirk curved his lips. Before I could make sense of it, his hand gripped my neck and he slammed his lips onto mine, my eyes snapping wide.
What. The. Hell.
He devoured my mouth with a consuming intensity, as if he couldn’t get enough. My lids bent, fingers tangled in his hair, overwhelmed by the passion I felt. I didn’t kiss back, didn’t push him away either. I just stood still.
Tilting my neck, he deepened the kiss, his tongue invaded my mouth, savoring every corner. It wasn’t gentle at all, it was rough, desperate, like he was an addict and I was the only addiction.
That’s when my eyes fluttered open, our mouth still fused together, his eyes, they weren’t shut, not for a moment. He was devouring me both with his gaze and lips.
I pushed weakly against his chest, my lungs burning as I fought for air, a broken gasp slipping past my lips.
I was breathless, completely.
He bit on my bottom lip hard, then finally, pulled back just enough for his forehead to press against mine.
Here I was struggling for every breath, while his gaze remained fixed on my lips.
What was this man? I mean… was he even real? I won’t deny it—I couldn’t resist him. Why? I didn’t know. But something pure… something like love? For this monster? Never. Maybe I sound conflicted, but this was the truth.
I kept looking around, restless, trying to calm my breathing. I didn’t want to meet his eyes, while his as always, stayed on me.
“Eyes here,” he murmured, his voice low and deadly as his grip on my waist tightened.
Against my will, I turned to face him.
“You know what, I hate you,” I said, irritated and furious all at once.
“Hate me or curse me,” He rubbed his thumb against my bottom lip sensually. “Doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine.”
Why did he have answer for everything?!
“And next time, if you ignored me,” He added, cupping the side of my neck. “I’ll tie you to the bed and fuck you until the only thing remains in that little mind of yours is me, and only me.”
I opened my mouth to retort just when my eyes landed on his shoulder again, and I paused. I was uncomfortable just seeing it, and this man, wasn’t he feeling any pain?
I sighed. “Now please will you let me cover it?!”
He rolled the bleeding shoulder once, “Let it bleed, I want to feel it deeper. After all, you’ve given it.”
I shot him a ‘Are you mad?’ look.
But before I could utter a single word, his phone rang. He glanced at me once, then walked to the nightstand to pick it up. My eyes stayed on him, he hadn’t even spared a glance at his injured shoulder.
“Everything is not to be told, Aiden. Use your own brain.” he said coldly into the phone. Meanwhile, I remained rooted to the spot. He moved toward the closet, and I dropped onto the bed in frustration.
I wanted to scream, to break everything around as too many thoughts crowded my mind. I hadn’t seen my brother or my father for almost a day and a half. I knew they must have turned New York upside down looking for me, they’d find me soon.
But what was I doing? Sitting here like I was some helpless bitch? That wasn’t me. I wasn’t helpless.
The villa, this wasn’t normal. It was guarded by towering metal gates secured with passwords and biometric locks. Motion sensors, smart panels, sleek driveway, discreet surveillance cameras positioned at every possible angle. And many more things I didn’t even know about. The servants, they all acted like trained robots.
How could I run?
There was no way.
My world was complete different, like a fairytale, where everything felt perfect. My father and my brother never let a single tear fall from my eyes. They shielded me from every sorrow, every harsh reality. And now, the darkest nightmare of my life has become real... one I’m forced to face every second.
A faint sound snapped me out of my thoughts, and my gaze shifted to the closet as he emerged.
My eyes dragged over him, from head to toe. Black on black, an elegant shirt tucked perfectly into fitted trousers, a long overcoat adding to the sharp, commanding look. A Breitling watch rested on his wrist. He looked dangerously handsome… but it meant nothing to me.
The moment he turned to leave, I rushed toward him and grabbed his coat. My jaw tightened as I forced the words out, “You want to marry me because I’m just a physical desire to you, right?”
“Or I’m your enemy’s sister, and you want to use me against my brother?”
Unhurried, he grabbed my hand and entangled his fingers with mine. His expression turned icy, dark. “Wrong, amour,” He said. “I’m marrying you as I’m addicted to you in ways that aren’t healthy—for you.”
“And I want you by my side,” I was confused with the patience in his tone this time. “For now. And for ever.”
He was playing with my mind, though his words did affect me, my heart did flutter.
Fuck you Tara. Just fuck you.
I knew he was just obsessed, not out of need or love, but lust.
How could someone like him love anyone? Neither did he deserve to be loved.
I let go of his coat and exhaled, while his attention remained fixed on me, watching every expression and movement.
And maybe, just maybe this was the chance.
“I’m ready to marry you, Aayansh,” I muttered quietly, not sure about how it sounded.
“Monster to direct Aayansh, nice progress,” He didn’t spare me a glance, folding his black shirt’s sleeve, his toned tinged with sarcasm.
“But I have a condition,” There was no moment to hesitate, so I put forward what I wanted. “You’ll let me meet my brother before that, then I’ll marry you.”
A dark shadow passed through his eyes.
His thumb came up, rubbing against his left brow, his eyes shut for a dead moment. I didn’t understand the meaning of this gesture.
Then, he looked at me. His gaze was icy, scary. “You’ll meet your brother very soon,” He said, “... and exactly how I want.”
That sent a strange dread through me.
He left concluding himself, leaving me alone in this monstrous place.
I didn’t know why, I felt something very wrong was about to happen. I didn’t trust this man, not even a little, but I trusted my brother. He would come. He wouldn’t let anything wrong happen.
And marriage with this monster? Never. I only wanted to win his trust... I don’t even know if I succeeded. But one thought kept echoing in my mind: I would run. I’d escape this marriage. It wouldn’t be easy… but I wouldn’t lose myself.
It was evening already.
My mind was ready for every possibility, either to save myself from this hell… or to lose.
And anyway—“If it meant to be, it will be.”
AAYANSH OBEROI—
“You know,” his aged voice let out a rough chuckle as he shifted in his seat, “there’s a rule in the underworld—only one rules. The rest bows or… dies.”
Andrew Carson. Former head of Omerta and a powerful drug trafficker, he sat across me and gave a subtle nod to one of his men.
“I don’t just rule, carson,” I cut in, leaning back smoothly. “I conquer and rule.”
He grinned, his pale eyes though, were up to something else. “Interesting. I like your confidence. But what if I—” His words hung in the air as his son Aaron Carson aimed his gun directly at me. “kill you right now.”
I smirked, not even bothering to glance back at his son. Relaxed, I pulled a cigar from my coat and placed it between my lips. I knew these motherfuckers would do something stupid like this as carson had always wanted his son to sit where I do, on the throne of the underworld.
“Try, Carson. Just try,” I lit up my cigar.
“So you don’t fear death?” His brows arched, half amused, half shocked.
I looked up and exhaled the smoke. “I don’t fear anything.”
His expression flipped with the realisation, before he instructed his son to drop the gun.
Then, he exhaled, controlled and careful. “You’re marrying. Well, I have two benefial offers for you.”
I tilted my head, watching him with the same cold face.
“Marry my daughter and I’ll—”
“Next one.” I interrupted, clearly uninterested.
The wickedness on his face returned. “Seems like you’re deeply in love with your fianceè, so how about I target—”
“Be careful with your words, Carson,” I didn’t let the motherfucker continue. “I have a childhood habit of ripping throats.” I added, my tone was a clear warning. A warning that I would tear the skin away from his filthy form just as he dared to complete those words.
His demeanor cracked.
Then, he offered. “We can kill AJ together.”
I didn’t react.
“He’s not just your enemy,” He said firmly. “He is our enemy.”
“And what makes you think I need you to end AJ?” I pressed calmly, knowing what exactly was forming in his mind.
“If I say I can help you reaching singhania?”
Virendra Singhania, an organ smuggler, the one who hid behind shadows to protect himself from me.
I exhaled once last drag from the cigar, then agreed. “Offer accepted.”
I walked out, Aiden and Rivaan trailing behind me.
“Bhai, you’ve already killed singhania, then carson—”
“He thinks he’d use me,” I stepped into the car and sat as Rivaan tensed out. “Let him live the fantasy... until I break it.”
“Do you even realise what you have done, son?” The middle-aged man standing in front of me spoke, his voice laced with evident tension.
Antassio Romano—the man thought himself of my mentor—simply because he stayed by my side when I was new to this dark powerplay, just thirteen.
And at this moment, meeting him wasn’t just a choice, it was a compulsion.
“The entire underworld knows AJ’s sister is with you. He’s not a normal man. You’ve just declared war by taking her,” he said, his tone low and measured. “He’s calm only because his sister is with you. And I know he’ll come for you the moment he finds her.”
“You do know the consequences of this.”
“I don’t care,” I said, unfazed. “... about any of them.”
He dragged out a long breath.
Then, “So you’re marrying her?!”
“That doesn’t matter here.”
His expression tensed further. “But I do not trust AJ’s sister. She’d create problems for us in the future, or she herself might be the problem.”
I said nothing, letting him spill his intentions himself.
“Marry Carson’s daughter, that would be something beneficial. She’d act like our puppet and besides, all those smuggling routes Carson has owned, would come into our control.”
I kept calm.
From outside.
If it was some other moment, I would have torn his skull with the bullets of his own gun. But, not now.
“I’m not asking you to marry her right now, and about AJ’s sister, if she becomes a problem, you’ll have to—”
“You’re disrespecting my woman.” I reminded him that my patience was about to snap.
And he was clearly not ready for the consequences of it.
“You’re forgetting the rules, my son,” He forced the words out. “Loyalty to the throne comes before anything or anyone else.”
I leaned a little forward, “Let me remind you the other rule. Disrespect gets a brutal end, especially when it’s about my people.”
Every sharp gesture in him faded. What left was the faint courage to mess with me anyway. “You’re right. So you consider her your woman?”
“You heard it,” I finished off, making sure he sees what was brewing behind my eyes.
He gulped, stopped, then murmured in that coated tone of his. “Go ahead, young man. I’m always by your side. To guide you and show you the right path.”
Sure, and I’ll show you the path to hell once I find you were involved in all this.
AUTHOR—
“How long, Luca?” Arsh, who was driving at top speed, asked in an irritated tone. Luca was connected to him via Bluetooth.
“Boss, you’re almost there,” Luca murmured from the other end.
Arsh kept his eyes locked on the road, anger rolling off him in waves as he drove at breakneck speed.
“Boss, you didn’t take any security with you. It’s... dangerous,” Luca said with a sigh from the other end.
“Fuck your security. Once I find Tara… I swear I’ll destroy him. Erase him from existence,” Arsh growled.
As he drove, something ahead caught his attention. Fury darkened in his eyes. He slammed the brakes and stepped out of the car without a second thought.
To be continued~
Write a comment ...