Galen (Savage Arrows #3)

Chapter Five

Bianca ’ s heart raced as she stepped into Galen ’ s apartment, her unease heightened by the gangster who shut the door behind her with a soft click.

The sound echoed in her mind, reinforcing the gravity of the situation. She was alone with Galen Arrow, the man responsible for abducting her and her father. The man who held their fates in his hands.

“Bianca,” Galen greeted her, a smile playing on his lips. It was a smile she couldn’t trust, and it sent a shiver down her spine. He gestured to the nearby sofa. “Let’s talk.”

She hesitated, looking around the spacious, elegant apartment. It was clear this wasn’t just any place, it was his domain, his sanctuary.

The decor was refined, with dark wood furniture, leather couches, and expensive artwork adorning the walls. Yet, it felt cold, devoid of any warmth—a reflection of the man who lived there. Trying to mask her fear with defiance, she met his gaze, tilting her chin up.

“What is this place?” she asked, deciding to play along.

Her father’s desperate words echoed in her mind: “Give him whatever he wants. Don’t bother fighting him.” But Bianca had always been a fighter. She wouldn’t surrender easily, not even to a man like Galen.

She moved to the annoyingly comfortable leather couch, her movements tense. As she sat down, she couldn’t help but notice the way Galen’s suit fit him perfectly, accentuating his well-toned body.

His broad shoulders, muscular arms, and the way his shirt stretched slightly across his chest all caught her attention. His dark hair was perfectly styled, framing a face that was both handsome and intimidating. His eyes were a striking blue, cold yet somehow mesmerizing.

Stop it, she scolded herself. It didn’t matter how attractive he was. What he had done was wrong. No amount of good looks could change that.

“Do you know why you ’ re here? ” he asked, casually resting one leg over his knee, his posture relaxed as if this were just another business meeting.

“Mario screwed you and your family over … but that’s his problem, not mine,” she replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. “It’s not too late to let me go. I won’t call the cops.”

Galen laughed, the sound deep and rich, with a hint of danger that made her pulse quicken. His laughter was warm, but there was something predatory beneath it, something that sent a wave of heat through her body.

Damn it, she thought, hating how much his voice affected her. What was this man doing to her? Had he cast some kind of spell on her?

“The cops in this city belong to us,” Galen said with a casual shrug. “If I ask, they’ll just bring you back to me.”

His words sent a chill down her spine. It was only then that she fully realized how much power Galen and his brothers wielded over the city. What had Mario been thinking, making enemies of this man?

Bianca swallowed hard, feeling the walls of the apartment close in around her. She was trapped, and she knew it. “What do you want?” she asked, her voice softer now, laced with uncertainty.

Galen’s eyes darkened as he looked at her, a hungry gleam in them that made her stomach flutter. He swept his gaze over her, and she was painfully aware of how she must look—messy hair, pajamas, and all. Yet somehow, the way he looked at her made her feel … desirable.

“I’ll let your father live, on one condition,” he said, his voice low and filled with promise.

She didn’t need to ask what the condition was. It was written all over his face, in the way his eyes lingered on her. And, to her own shock, the idea didn’t disgust her. There was something about him, something raw and dangerous that pulled her in, even as she tried to resist it.

“What’s the condition?” she asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew.

“Can ’ t you guess? ” he replied in a teasing voice, his eyes glinting with amusement.

“What makes you think I’ll do anything for Mario?” she retorted, trying to hold onto her defiance. “He was barely a father to me.”

“You care,” Galen said softly, and the tenderness in his voice caught her off guard. “You claim you barely know him, but you comforted him in the cell just now when he was breaking apart. You ’ re really something else, Bianca. A treasure. ”

His words hit her harder than she expected, leaving her breathless. How could he see so much? How could he understand her so well when they had just met? Bianca ’ s resolve wavered, her anger and fear mingling with an unexpected attraction that made her pulse race.

“You don’t know anything about me,” she whispered, but even to her own ears, it sounded like a weak protest.

“I know enough,” he countered, leaning forward, his eyes never leaving hers. “I know you’re strong, even when you’re scared. I know you’d do anything to protect the people you care about. And I know that right now, you’re wondering what it would be like to let go. To stop fighting and just … feel.”

His words were a challenge, and Bianca felt the tension between them thickening. She knew she should be scared, should be running as far from him as possible, but instead she found herself leaning closer, drawn to the darkness in him, the danger that thrilled her even as it terrified her.

“Is that what you want, Galen?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “For me to just let go?”

He didn’t answer, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. He wanted her, and the realization sent a thrill of excitement through her.

She had always been in control, always known what she wanted. But here, now, with him … she wasn’t so sure. And that uncertainty, that loss of control, was exhilarating.

Bianca knew she was playing with fire, but for the first time in a long time, she didn’t care. The heat between them was undeniable, and she was tired of fighting. Maybe, just maybe, she could let herself burn.

His hand was warm against her cheek, and despite the fear that coiled in her chest, Bianca couldn’t suppress the shudder that ran through her at his touch. Galen’s palm was rough, callused from a life of violence, yet it felt oddly comforting. She didn’t understand why his touch stirred something deep inside her, something primal and undeniable.

“Let go,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing, as if he could sense the storm raging within her.

The words were more a command than a request, but they held a strange promise—a promise of release, of surrender, of something she had never allowed herself to feel.

Before she could process what was happening, Galen leaned forward, closing the distance between them. His lips brushed against hers, tentative at first, as if testing the waters.

The contact was electrifying, sending a jolt of heat through her. Instinctively, she responded, her body betraying her mind as she kissed him back with a fervor that surprised her.

That was all the encouragement Galen needed. His grip on her cheek tightened, and he deepened the kiss, taking control. His mouth moved against hers with a demanding hunger, and she found herself yielding to him, letting him lead.

Her nipples tightened under her pajama top and her panties became moist with want. It was dizzying, overwhelming, and when he finally pulled back, her heart was racing, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

She stared at him, trying to make sense of what had just happened, but her thoughts were a chaotic mess. It was terrifying how this man—a stranger, really—had tilted her entire world with just one kiss.

But there were still details to iron out. Despite the undeniable attraction, Bianca wasn ’ t about to lose herself completely to this madness.

“You’ll let go of my father if I agree to be yours for one night?” she asked, needing to clarify the terms of this twisted deal.

Galen ’ s response wasn ’ t what she expected. His gaze was steady, his expression unreadable as he said, “Not just one night. Bianca, I want you to be my wife.”

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She recoiled, shock written all over her face.

“What? Your wife? You ’ ve got to be joking. We don ’ t even know each other, ” she blurted out, her voice tinged with disbelief.

She had been wrong about Galen Arrow. He wasn ’ t just dangerous—he was crazy. And just when she thought she might understand him, might even feel some twisted connection, he revealed himself to be a psychopath.

Who proposed marriage to someone they barely knew? Especially under these circumstances?

But Galen ’ s expression didn ’ t waver. He was completely serious, and that terrified her more than anything else. “I ’ m completely serious, ” he said, his voice calm and even. “Why? Would being married to me be such a nightmare?”

His hand moved from her cheek to her hair, his fingers curling around a lock of it. He tugged lightly, just enough to send a strange thrill down her spine. She hated how her body reacted to him, how every touch ignited something inside her she didn’t want to acknowledge.

“You’re insane,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “You can’t just decide to marry someone like this. It’s absurd.”

“Is it?” he countered, his tone challenging. “I know what I want, Bianca. I don ’ t need months or years to figure it out. You ’ re the one I want. ”

His certainty was unnerving. She had always prided herself on being rational, on making decisions based on logic and reason. But here was Galen, turning everything she believed in on its head, making her question herself in ways she never had before.

“But why me?” she asked, desperate to understand. “There are plenty of women out there who would jump at the chance to be with you. Why choose someone who doesn’t even want to be here?”

“Because you’re different,” he said simply, as if that explained everything. “You’re strong. You don’t back down, even when you’re scared. I admire that. And there’s something about you, Bianca. Something I can’t quite explain, but I know it’s real.”

His words left her speechless. This was madness—complete and utter madness. And yet, there was a part of her, deep down, that was tempted. She had spent her whole life being careful, making the right choices, avoiding risks.

Look how that turned out. She thought Tom was the right choice, a safe choice. In the end, he ended up betraying her. But Galen was still a risk, a huge one. And the thought of taking that risk, of throwing caution to the wind and diving headfirst into the unknown, was exhilarating.

But it was also terrifying. “This is crazy,” she said again, as much to herself as to him. “You don ’ t even know me. ”

“Then let me get to know you,” he replied, his voice softening. “Let me show you that this doesn’t have to be a nightmare. It could be something else, something … better.”

He was close now, so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body, smell the faint scent of his cologne. His hand was still in her hair, his fingers playing with the strands, sending shivers down her spine.

It would be so easy to give in, to let him pull her into his world, to see where this strange, dangerous attraction might lead.

But could she really do it? Could she really marry a man like Galen Arrow, a man who had kidnapped her and her father, a man who was capable of unspeakable things?

“I don ’ t know if I can do this, ” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“You can,” he said, his voice firm, reassuring. “You ’ re stronger than you think, Bianca. And I ’ ll be right here with you, every step of the way. ”

His words wrapped around her like a warm blanket, soothing the fear that gripped her heart. And as she looked into his eyes, she saw something there that surprised her—vulnerability, a hint of uncertainty that made him seem almost … human.

Maybe, just maybe, there was more to Galen Arrow than she had thought. And maybe she was willing to find out.