Chapter 5
Jade
The faint metallic scent hit me before I even opened my eyes. Coppery. Sharp. It teased the edges of my consciousness, pulling me from the shallow depths of sleep. My head throbbed, and I winced, pressing my face into the pillow.
Then I felt it—an itch at the edge of awareness, something wrong.
When I sat up, the first thing I saw was the bed. Sheets rumpled from where Damian had been lying. They were icy to the touch, indicating he’d been gone awhile. Then I noticed the trail. A dark smear leading from the bedroom door across the pristine floor.
Blood.
My chest constricted as I scrambled out of bed, my pulse pounding loud and frantic in my ears. Barefoot, I followed the trail, my heart sinking with every step. It wasn’t a single smear but a collection of crimson droplets, stark against the pale floor.
“Damian?” My voice cracked as I whispered his name.
There was no answer.
I gripped the wall for support as I approached the bathroom door. It was ajar, and light spilled out, highlighting the blood trail that ended abruptly at the threshold.
I hesitated, swallowing hard against the panic rising in my throat. My mind raced with possibilities, each one worse than the last. Had Evan found him? Hurt him? Killed him?
The thought turned my stomach, and I shoved the door open, bracing for the worst.
Instead, I froze.
The sound of running water filled the air, and through the glass partition, I saw him. Damian stood under the stream, steam curling around his broad shoulders and obscuring his face. He was alive. Whole. Unharmed.
Relief hit me so hard that my knees buckled, and I clutched the wall for balance. Tears welled in my eyes, spilling over before I could stop them.
“Damian?” I choked out, my voice trembling.
He turned at the sound of my voice, his piercing blue eyes meeting mine through the glass. His brows furrowed, and he pushed the shower door open, stepping out as water dripped down his sculpted frame.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone sharp with concern.
I couldn’t speak. My gaze dropped to his hands, slick with soap but clean. No blood. No wounds. Just Damian, standing tall and unshaken, his presence as commanding as ever.
He followed my line of sight, then glanced at the trail of blood leading into the bathroom. His jaw tightened, and something dark flickered in his expression.
“I’m sorry, I meant to clean that before you woke,” he said simply, as though that explained everything.
My stomach twisted, a knot of dread and disbelief tangling inside me. “Whose is it?” I whispered.
He stepped closer, his wet hands cupping my face as he studied me. “It doesn’t matter, Jade. You’re safe now.”
The weight of his words sank in, and I pulled back, shaking my head. “No,” I murmured, my voice rising. “You didn’t—”
“I did,” he cut me off, his tone unapologetic.
Just like that, my legs gave out. I stumbled, but Damian caught me, his strong arms anchoring me in place.
“You killed him?” My voice trembled, barely audible.
“I eliminated a threat,” he corrected, his gaze cold and unflinching.
My chest heaved, torn between relief and horror. He’d done what I couldn’t. I should’ve been glad, but yet, the weight of it settled heavily on my shoulders.
“I don’t know if I should thank you or hate you,” I whispered, tears streaming freely down my cheeks.
His lips curled into a dangerous smirk, and he leaned in, his voice low and possessive. “Thank me, Jade,” he said, his breath warm against my skin. “Because now, you don’t have a reason to run away from me.”
Something inside me snapped at his words—not fear, not anger, but surrender. The fight I’d clung to for so long crumbled under the weight of his devotion, twisted and dark as it was.
“Fine. I’ve decided. I hate you,” I murmured, though the words lacked any real conviction. My trembling fingers traced the lines of his jaw, my body betraying me as I leaned into his touch. “I hate you so much, it hurts.”
His eyes burned with triumph as he pulled me closer, his grip unyielding. “You’re saying it wrong, Jade,” he demanded, his tone low and commanding. I just wanted him to keep saying my name like that. “You love me so much it hurts.”
I choked on my laugh. The audacity of this man. “I love yo-”
The word was barely out of my mouth before his lips crashed against mine, fierce and consuming. His hands roamed my body, stripping away the thin layers of fabric as though claiming me anew. I let him take what he wanted, meeting his intensity with a hunger of my own.
When he lifted me onto the counter, my legs wrapping around his waist, I didn’t resist. I welcomed it—the heat, the fire, the possessive way he held me as though I was the only thing that mattered.
“You belong to me,” he growled, his teeth grazing my neck. “Say it again, Jade.”
“I love you,” I repeated, my voice breathless as he pressed in between my legs. He gripped my thighs, spreading them wide as he positioned himself between them. The head of his cock nudged at my entrance, and I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped my lips.
The world blurred as he moved, each thrust a declaration, each touch branding me in ways words never could. I clung to him, to the strength and certainty he offered, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself believe I was safe.
“Say it again,” he demanded, his breath hot against my ear.
“I love you,” I cried, my nails digging into his shoulders as he thrust into me, filling me completely.
The sensation was overwhelming—pain and pleasure blurring into something raw and primal. Damian’s movements were unrelenting, each stroke a declaration, each thrust driving me closer to the edge.
“You’ll never have to worry again,” he murmured, his voice a low growl as his hips moved against mine. “No one will ever touch you, hurt you, or take you away from me. I won’t allow it.”
My breaths came in shallow gasps, my body trembling as he pressed deeper, his grip on my thighs bruising but grounding. “Damian,” I whimpered, the sound swallowed by his lips as he kissed me fiercely.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered against my mouth, his hands sliding up to cradle my face. “Always.”
The knot of tension in my core tightened, building with every thrust until it snapped, sending waves of pleasure crashing over me. I cried out, my body clenching around him as I shattered in his arms.
Damian wasn’t far behind, his movements growing erratic as he buried himself deep inside me, groaning my name as he came.
For a moment, there was only the sound of the water and our ragged breaths, the steam curling around us like a cocoon. Damian pressed his forehead against mine, his hands still cradling my face as he gazed at me with an intensity that stole my breath.
“I love you,” I whispered, the words breaking free before I could stop them.
His eyes softened, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before it was replaced with something deeper, something unshakable. “I loved you first,” he murmured, his voice rough but certain.
The tears I’d been holding back spilled over, and I let out a broken sob, burying my face in his chest. Damian held me close, his arms wrapping around me as though he could shield me from the world itself.
“You’re safe, Jade,” he said again, his voice a low growl. “Nothing will ever change that.”
I clung to him, my heart aching with the weight of his words and the truth they carried. Damian Blackwood was dark, dangerous, and possessive, but he was also mine. And for the first time, I didn’t feel trapped—I felt free.
Bound to him, yes. But free.
THE END.