Chapter 4
Damian
The moment I saw the scars on her wrist, everything shifted. It happened last night, while I was untying her from my belt.
I felt sick the sickened I realized.
They weren’t new—faint and pale, barely visible against her smooth skin—but I’d seen scars like that before.
On my mother… on women I’d pulled out of some crackhouse’s den.
My initial fury, the suspicion that she was a threat to my empire, dissolved into something darker and it should’ve pissed me off that I hadn’t found my spy. But it didn’t.
“Who hurt you?” I repeated, my voice sharp.
Jade’s back pressed against the wall, her breathing shallow, her wide eyes darting between mine as though searching for a way out. “I told you, it’s nothing,” she snapped, her voice frayed but defiant.
I’d made her like that when I accused her of something she hadn’t done—but if I’d known about the scars, I would’ve done things differently anyhow.
“Don’t lie to me,” I growled, grabbing her wrist again and holding it up. Her pulse fluttered wildly beneath my thumb. “These are from handcuffs, Jade, and it takes a shit ton of abuse to get them to scar like this. Who did this to you?”
She jerked her arm free, clutching it protectively to her chest. “You don’t get to ask me that,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “You don’t get to—”
Her words faltered, and for a moment, I thought I’d broken through. But then the walls went up again, her chin lifting in stubborn defiance.
Damn it, Jade.
I stepped closer, crowding her, my body blocking her escape. “You’re hiding something, and I’m done waiting for answers. I’ll find out whether you tell me or not.”
Her lips parted to argue, but before she could speak, my phone buzzed in my pocket. The sound snapped through the tension like a whip. I fished it out, not breaking eye contact as I answered.
“Riley,” I barked, my tone clipped.
“We dug into Calloway’s past,” Riley said, his voice cautious. “And we found something. She’s been using aliases, moving every few months, and her records show restraining orders—three of them, all filed against the same guy. Evan Hunt. He’s bad news, boss. Real bad.”
Evan Hunt. The name burned into my memory. I’d never met him before, but I could easily guess what kind of a man attracted a younger, naive Jade. Probably one of those smug, golden-boy types who thought his power and money made him untouchable.
“Where is he now?” I demanded, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper.
“Looks like he’s in Jersey, boss,” Riley replied. “Or he was a week ago, if his bank statements are telling the truth. That’s not all though…” he trailed off, muttering something to himself. “He’s been in and out of NYC.”
He was looking for her.
“Thanks,” I muttered, ending the call.
I turned back to Jade, who stood frozen, her arms wrapped around herself like a shield. It didn’t sit right with me… it looked too much like the girl who begged me for a job a few months ago.
“Evan Hunt,” I said, watching the way her face paled at the name. “You’ve been running from him, haven’t you?”
Her eyes widened, panic flashing across her features. “You don’t understand—”
“I understand plenty,” I cut her off, my voice a low rumble. “You’ve been hiding, lying, and trying to handle this on your own. And now he’s close. Too close.”
She shook her head, taking a step back. “You can’t fix this, Damian. He won’t stop—”
I grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “He won’t touch you again,” I said, my voice like steel. “But you have to tell me the truth this time, sweetheart.”
Her laugh was bitter, her gaze dropping to the floor. “You don’t get it. You can’t keep me safe, Damian.”
My grip tightened, and I leaned in, my face inches from hers. “Then you’ll stay here until you change your mind.”
Her head snapped up, her eyes blazing with fury. “You don’t get to decide that!”
“I already have,” I said firmly, my tone brooking no argument.
Jade tried to push past me, her hands shoving at my chest, but I didn’t budge. The defiance in her was intoxicating, fueling something dark and possessive inside me.
“You’re not leaving,” I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl.
Her hands slammed against my chest again, this time out of frustration rather than force. “You can’t just—”
I cut her off, my lips crashing down on hers in a kiss that silenced her protests. She froze for a moment, and then she melted, her resistance crumbling as I claimed her mouth. My hands slid down to her waist, gripping her tightly as I backed her toward the bed.
“Damian,” she gasped against my lips, her voice a mix of anger and desperation.
“Tell me to stop,” I challenged, my voice rough as I nipped at her bottom lip. “If you don’t want this, say the word, and I’ll stop.”
She didn’t say it. Instead, she pulled me closer, her fingers tangling in my hair as her body pressed against mine.
I pushed her onto the bed, following her down and pinning her beneath me. My hands roamed her body, claiming every curve, every inch as mine. She’d figure it out eventually.
Her breaths came in soft pants, her body arching into my touch as though it couldn’t help but respond.
“You’re mine now, Jade,” I murmured against her skin, my lips trailing down her neck. “Every part of you.”
Her fingers clawed at my back, her head tipping back as a soft moan escaped her lips. “Damian…”
Her body yielded to me even as her mind resisted. I knew I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe—to keep her with me.
Because Jade Calloway wasn’t just someone I wanted.
She was someone I couldn’t live without.
Jade trembled beneath me, her body both resisting and yielding as if caught between fight and surrender.
The fire in her eyes had dimmed to something softer, more vulnerable, but I could still see the battle raging inside her.
She wanted to believe me—wanted to trust me—but I’d shattered that fragile connection we had before.
I couldn’t afford to make that mistake again.
Sliding my hand to the nape of her neck, I held her gaze, letting her see the raw, unguarded truth in mine. “You don’t have to run anymore,” I said, my voice rough but steady. “I’ll deal with him. I’ll end this.”
Her breath hitched, her fingers loosening their grip in my hair as uncertainty clouded her expression. “Damian, you don’t know him,” she murmured, her voice wavering. “He’s—he’s dangerous in a way you aren’t.”
I almost laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. Dangerous? She thought Evan Hunt could scare me? Could outmaneuver me?
“I’ve faced worse than him, sweetheart,” I said, my thumb brushing the soft curve of her jaw. “If he’s stupid enough to come for you, he’ll regret it.”
Her eyes searched mine, flickering between disbelief and hope, her lips parting as if to say something. But instead, she looked away, shaking her head. “You don’t understand,” she whispered, curling into herself as if she could shield herself from her memories.
“Then make me understand,” I pressed, my voice firm but not unkind. “Tell me what he did to you.”
Her silence was deafening, but it was the stammer that followed which really broke me. “It doesn’t matter what he did, h-how he hurt me. What matters is that he’s the son of a governor, Damian. And not even you can get away with h-hurting him.”
My eyes narrowed, and I watched as she blinked back tears, her hands fiddling with the sheet, her knuckles white. She was unraveling, piece by piece. I couldn’t stand it. Jade was a storm—beautiful, untamed, and unpredictable. But just one fucker’s name had her breaking down.
“Jade.” My tone softened, my hand shifting to cover hers. “You’re safe here. No one will touch you again. I promise.”
Her laugh was sharp, bitter, and it cut through me like a blade. “This isn’t going to keep me safe, Damian,” she said, pulling her hand away. “If he finds me, it won’t matter where I am.”
I leaned back, my jaw tightening. “You don’t have to trust me,” I said, my voice low, “but you don’t get a choice in this. You’re staying here. Permanently.”
Her head snapped up, fire reigniting in her eyes. “You can’t decide that for me!”
“I already have,” I shot back, my tone brooking no argument. “You think I’m going to let you walk out of here with him breathing down your neck? Not a fucking chance.”
“You can’t control me,” she spat, her defiance flaring brighter.
I moved closer, my hands braced on either side of her as I loomed over her. “I’m not trying to control you, Jade. I’m trying to protect you.”
She shoved at my chest, but I didn’t budge. “I don’t need your protection!”
“Then why are you running?” I growled, my patience fraying. “If you could handle him, you wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place.”
Her cheeks glistened as a fresh wave of tears ran down, and for a moment, I thought she’d lash out again. But then she broke, her shoulders sagging as the fight drained out of her.
“I’m tired,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder. Of waiting for him to find me.”
I cupped her face, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Then stop running,” I said, my voice softer now. “Stay here, with me. Let me take care of him. Let me take care of you.”
Her lips trembled, her eyes searching mine for something—answers, reassurance, hope. And when she didn’t push me away, I knew I’d cracked the wall she’d built around herself.
I kissed her then, slow and deep, pouring every unspoken promise into the connection. She whimpered against my lips, her hands gripping my shirt as though she were afraid to let go.
When I pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, her breaths uneven. “Damian,” she started, but I silenced her with another kiss, this one more urgent, more demanding.
“You’re precious, Jade,” I murmured against her lips, my hands roaming her body, claiming her anew. “And no one—no one—will ever hurt you again.”
Her resistance crumbled, her body softening beneath me as she surrendered to me, opening her legs wide to receive my cock. And as I made love to her, watching her hair fan out like a twisted halo, I knew one thing with absolute certainty: I’d burn the world to the ground to keep her safe.
And Evan Hunt?
He was already a dead man walking.