19. Mila
MILA
I t couldn’t be.
This wasn’t happening.
I wasn’t catching feelings for my own fucking captor.
Cipher was everything I hated in a man—dominant, calculating, a master manipulator who bent others to his will without breaking a sweat. He may have been a detective but he was still an outlaw, and he was no better than Yulian. Maybe worse, because he didn’t just chain your body; he chained your mind and soul, too.
And yet, God help me, his touch didn’t feel like a violation. It felt like salvation. Like the only anchor I had in a world that was spinning too fast for me to keep up.
His cock stretched me so perfectly, filled me in ways that made me forget everything but him. Every thrust shattered another piece of my resolve, each ragged moan tearing through my lips like a confession I couldn’t stop.
I hated him.
I needed him.
My hands pressed to his chest, my fingers curling into his skin like I could hold onto something solid, something real, but it wasn’t enough to stop the storm brewing inside me. Something snapped—a raw panic that gripped my chest like a vice and refused to let go.
“I can’t,” I whispered, my voice trembling as the weight of everything crashed down on me.
Cipher’s hands tightened on my waist, his grip steady, his cock pulsing inside me, grounding. His dark eyes bore into mine, unreadable, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of concern.
“Mila…” His voice was low, a warning and a plea all at once.
But I couldn’t. Not anymore.
I slipped off his lap, his hard cock sliding out of me, my pussy clinging onto it, betraying me as I tried to get away. The sudden emptiness between my thighs as a harsh reminder of what I’d just given away. My legs moved before my mind could catch up, carrying me out of the room, down the hall, like I could outrun the heat of his touch.
“Mila!”
His voice was sharp, commanding, but I didn’t stop. I stumbled into my room, slamming the door behind me with shaky hands. My chest heaved, my pulse racing as my back pressed against the wood.
This was wrong. All of it.
I pressed my palms to my temples, trying to silence the war inside my head. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want him. But my body… my body craved him in a way that made me sick to my stomach.
The sound of heavy boots on the stairs jolted me. My heart slammed against my ribs as the footsteps grew louder before the door flew open with a deafening crack, the lock snapping like a twig. Cipher stalked into the room, his presence suffocating, demanding. His dick was still hard as anger shone in his face. Those dark eyes locked onto me, and I froze.
I backed up until my knees hit the edge of the bed, my breath coming in shallow gasps.
“Running won’t save you, angel,” he said, his voice low and gravelly, a dangerous edge to his tone that sent shivers down my spine.
“Stay away from me,” I snapped, but my words were weak, trembling, betraying the lie.
Cipher smirked, closing the distance between us. “You don’t want that.”
His hand wrapped around my wrist, tugging me forward with ease until I was flush against his chest. His lips hovered over mine, so close I could feel the heat of his breath.
“Tell me to stop,” he whispered, his voice like a caress.
I should have. God knows I should have. But I didn’t.
Instead, I tilted my head, exposing my neck to him in silent surrender. A part of me hated myself for it, but the rest of me burned for him, craved him in a way that left no room for reason.
Cipher pushed me back onto the bed, his weight pressing me into the mattress as his hands roamed my body, claiming every inch of me all over again. His lips found mine, and this time, there was no hesitation, no teasing. He kissed me with a hunger that matched my own, his tongue sweeping into my mouth like he owned it.
And then he was inside me, filling me with a brutal tenderness that made my head spin. My nails dug into his shoulders as he moved, his pace relentless, every thrust driving me closer to the edge.
“Don’t fight me, Mila,” he murmured, his voice softer now, laced with something raw. “You’re not broken. Not beyond fixing. I swear to you, I’ll make it right. You’ll get your life back.”
Tears pricked my eyes, blurring my vision as his words hit me harder than they should have.
“This isn’t what I want,” he continued, his lips brushing against mine in the softest kiss. “Not like this. But I won’t let you go until I know you’re safe. Until I know you know you’re safe.”
I clung to him, my walls crumbling as his promises wrapped around me like a cocoon. For the first time in years, I let myself feel.
Cipher kissed me again, slower this time, deliberate, like he was sealing his words into my skin. And when he finally pulled away, his forehead resting against mine, I realized the truth I’d been denying all along.
I didn’t hate him.
Not even close.
His forehead pressed to mine, and for a moment, the world outside the bed faded. All that existed was Cipher—his weight on top of me, the steady beat of his heart against my chest, and the fire his words lit deep inside me.
“You’re mine, Mila,” he murmured, his breath warm against my lips. “Whether you want to be or not.”
Something inside me cracked. Maybe it was his voice, low and gravelly, or the way his hands gripped me like he was afraid I might disappear. But when he pulled back and started to move inside me again, it wasn’t panic that surged through me—it was need.
Raw, desperate need.
“Cipher,” I gasped, my hands clutching at his shoulders as he drove into me.
He leaned down, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss, his tongue tangling with mine. His movements were relentless, each thrust pushing me closer to the edge of reason.
My body responded to him in ways I couldn’t control. Every stroke, every grind, ignited something inside me that I couldn’t extinguish. My thighs trembled, my back arched, and the heat in my core coiled tighter and tighter.
“Say my name,” he growled, his voice rough, demanding.
I whimpered, my nails dragging down his back. “Cipher… oh God, Noel!”
“That’s it, angel,” he said, his pace quickening. “Let go. Let me have you.”
And I did. The tension snapped, the release rushing through me like a tidal wave. My body clenched around him, and I cried out his name, the sound raw and unrestrained.
Cipher groaned, burying his face in the curve of my neck as his own release followed. I felt him shudder, his arms tightening around me like he was holding onto more than just my body—like he was holding onto my soul.
We stayed like that for a moment, tangled together, our breaths mingling in the quiet. Slowly, he eased out of me, leaving me with an ache that wasn’t entirely physical.
Cipher pulled me to his chest, his arms wrapping around me as he settled us on the bed. His fingers brushed through my hair, stroking gently, a stark contrast to the firestorm he’d unleashed moments before.
I didn’t know what to say. The silence was heavy, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was… safe.
“He’s hiding,” Cipher finally said, his voice breaking the stillness.
I tensed, my head lifting to meet his gaze. “Yulian?”
Cipher nodded, his expression darkening. “He knows I’m looking for him. Knows what the I and my brothers are capable of.”
Fear crept into my chest, icy and unwelcome. “And what are you capable of, Cipher?”
His eyes locked onto mine, a mix of honesty and steel. “Whatever it takes to keep you and the club safe. Even if it means putting a bullet in his skull.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling over me. I should’ve been terrified, but instead, I felt… reassured. Yulian had haunted my life for so long, and here was a man willing to stand between us.
“It scares me,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “What could happen. What you could do. What he could do.”
Cipher’s hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin. “I’ve seen both sides of the world, Mila. The law and the chaos. Being a biker, being a detective—it’s given me an edge most people don’t have. But it’s also made me…” He trailed off, his jaw tightening.
“Made you what?” I pressed gently.
“Alone.” His voice was quiet, but the word hung heavy in the air. “I’ve been alone for so damn long. It’s easier that way. No one to hurt. No one to lose.”
My chest tightened, an ache blooming there that I didn’t understand. “Cipher…”
He pulled me closer, his lips pressing to my forehead. “I don’t want to be alone anymore, Mila. Not with you. You make me want things I didn’t think I deserved.”
Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, and I buried my face against his chest, letting his steady heartbeat soothe me.
“Do you mean that?” I asked, my voice muffled against his skin.
“Every damn word,” he said, his arms tightening around me. “You’re more than just a job, Mila. More than a responsibility. You’re my fucking salvation.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. But as I lay there in his arms, his hands stroking my back, I realized something.
Maybe Cipher wasn’t the villain I’d made him out to be.
Maybe, just maybe, he was my salvation too.