Chapter 11
I immediately regretted running my mouth.
Damian was already laughing. He grabbed my hand, lifted it over my head, and slammed it against the wall.
“You said it yourself. I didn’t make you.”
I was so mad that I felt dizzy. Instinctively, I kicked and punched him.
But he laughed harder, rubbing his head as he pulled me into his arms.
“That’s more like it. Look at what Alaric’s done to you, turning you into this soft little thing. If you’re not happy, fight back. That’s the real Nicole.”
Fight back. That’s the real Nicole.
The words hit me hard. My eyes burned as I buried my face in Damian’s neck. But somehow, I felt a sense of peace I hadn’t expected.
He helped me back to my room, gently patting my head and murmuring, “Sleep. I’ll take care of everything.
I gave a small hum in response, unsure of what to say. As he turned to leave, I suddenly felt like the moment was unreal.
I blurted out, “Just like that?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how wrong they sounded I was hoping he’d do something else.
I quickly buried myself under the blankets, hiding for a while. I figured
11
he must’ve already left. Slowly, I peeked out from under the covers.
But just as I breathed in fresh air, I felt a shadow fall over me, and his lips silenced me.
Then, out of nowhere, a storm of kisses hit me.
Damian’s voice was low and husky but firm. “Nicole, I won’t let you
lose.
“Ive been waiting for this day for a long time.”
Amidst the tangled breath and heat, Damian whispered so many sweet things in my ear that I couldn’t remember.
But I could feel his determination and passion–every part of him. pouring into me, fierce and relentless.
Later, with my efforts helping, Damian took down everything Alaric had built.
Years of bloody battles, sweat, and blood just to grab that turf, gone in the blink of an eye.
Alaric knew exactly who was behind it.
Some of his people even turned on him, giving Damian the intel on his
every move.
And in the villa’s basement, where Damian and Alaric had their final. showdown, Damian found Amara, broken and used up.
I couldn’t help but feel a little satisfied, karma at work. The bad guys. always get what’s coming to them.
When I saw Alaric one last time, he was locked up in a dungeon,
ragged and filthy. He looked like a shadow of the man I once knew.
He stuttered, struggling to get a sentence out, and then just stared at me, shaking his head in misery.
“Nicole, I’ll finally see you again.
“All the things I did before, they were all my fault. I really regret it. Please, forgive me. Can you forgive me?”
Looking at the once powerful, decisive man–the big shot of the underworld, Alaric–I didn’t know how to react.
He put on this whole emotional act, but could he really erase all the pain he caused me?
This was the first time he cried before me, ever since Amara came into the picture.
