Chapter 17
Felix
She shouldn’t matter anymore. Tessa should’ve been another name I forgot, another face I blurred into the crowd. But she clung to me, relentless, and the worst part was I didn’t want her gone.
When she screamed my name, coming hard around my fingers, every part of me burned to unzip my pants and claim her right there against the hallway wall. I still don’t know how I managed to hold back.
The problem was, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could. I wanted her with a hunger that bordered on violent. I wanted to brand myself into her, to fuck her so deep she’d never be able to forget who she belonged to. I wanted her marked, ruined for anyone else. Mine. Always mine.
So, against my better judgment, I was taking her out of the house for the night. She’d been very good—too good, in fact—keeping everything spotless, obedient in ways that made me want to test how far I could push her.
“Here,” I said, passing her a skimpy dress I had picked out for her.
Her wardrobe was lacking, to say the least. Not surprising, given where she came from. Her life had been a relentless cycle of work and caring for her alcoholic father. Every thread of her existence spoke of duty and restraint, and it made me want to protect her and never let anyone else have her.
“What’s this for?” she asked, tilting her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
“We’re going out,” I said, leaving no room for argument.
“Out? But…” she faltered, confusion clouding her face. The only time I had let her leave before was for groceries. And I was always there, always within arms reach.
“You’ve been cooped up long enough,” I murmured, letting the edge in my voice linger just long enough to make her shiver.
Tessa nodded silently, eyes flicking away, and slipped into the bedroom.
The faint sounds of zippers, soft rustling of fabric, and the quiet click of a brush against her hair filled the space.
Awhile later, she reemerged wearing the dress I’d bought her—a skimpy thing that left little to the imagination, yet somehow suited her perfectly.
Her hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, and though she hadn’t used much makeup, the subtle sweep of it only highlighted her natural beauty.
She looked at me hesitantly, as if searching for permission, and I felt that familiar rush of need and possession. Every careful line of her body, every nervous glance, belonged to me, and I couldn’t stop the tight pull in my chest that reminded me just how much I wanted her.
I caught her chin between my thumbs. “Remember what happens if you try to run,” I said, though my words carried less bite than they should have this time.
She bit her lower lip and nodded. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
By the time we were in the car, the city lights glinting off the sleek black paint, she was fidgeting slightly in the passenger seat, clearly unused to the luxury.
I didn’t comment, just watched her, letting the hum of the engine and the soft thrum of bass fill the space between us.
Every glance she shot my way, every nervous adjustment of her dress, tightened the pull in my chest—I wanted her, all of her, and the world outside the tinted windows didn’t exist.
The club itself was innocuous from the outside, a sleek black building with a modest neon sign that simply read Eclipse.
Only the faintest hint of bass and muffled laughter escaped through the tinted windows, enough to suggest something lively inside, but nothing to betray what really waited beyond the velvet rope.
Through a side entrance marked only by a discreet symbol, we stepped into a narrow hallway lined with dark wood panels and soft golden sconces.
The air smelled faintly of cigars and expensive whiskey, a mix that promised danger and indulgence.
A discreet doorman gave me a nod, letting us pass into a hidden elevator that didn’t appear on the club’s main floor plan.
When the doors opened, we were in a dimly lit lounge, velvet drapes concealing private gambling rooms and intimate tables where high-stakes games took place.
The hum of whispered bets, the clinking of chips, and the faint scent of perfume and leather filled the space.
This wasn’t a place for the casual player.
It was for the powerful, the daring, and the dangerous.
The club belonged to the Don I worked for, and I helped manage it, keeping a close eye on the players and the flow of the game.
Tonight, she was stepping into it with me, and every glance around the room reminded me just how much control I had here, and over her.
“What is this place?” she asked, subconsciously grabbing my arm, her fingers tightening just slightly as if seeking both support and permission.
I let my gaze sweep over the lounge, letting her take in the dim lights, the velvet drapes, and the high-stakes tables. “A place where rules are bent, and debts are paid. Or, made.” I said, my voice low, carrying both warning and promise.
“I suppose this is where my father made his,” she muttered, eyes scanning the room. “How did he even get into a place this nice?”
“Idiots like Stefano and Gianni letting them slip through the cracks,” I responded. “He must’ve been a good enough actor—they didn’t bother with the proper background check.”
I let my gaze drop back to Tessa, slow and deliberate, taking in the way her dress clung to her, the subtle flush creeping up her neck. She tried to focus on the room, but I could see her pulse quicken under my stare. She was mine tonight, and every instinct in me wanted to remind her of that.
“Hey, Felix.” Dino seemingly materialized out of thin air next to me.
The man was disgustingly good at it, and I had no idea how—six and a half feet of lanky muscle, all long lines and quiet power.
You’d think someone that tall would be impossible to move unnoticed, but somehow he managed it effortlessly.
Fuck. I did not feel like dealing with him right now.
“Dino,” I said curtly. “Is this an emergency?”
He grinned, tilting his head like he’d just spotted a secret no one else knew. “Emergency? Maybe. Depends on who you ask… or who’s asking,” he drawled, letting the words hang in the air as if teasing me.
I narrowed my eyes, not bothering to hide my irritation. “If it’s nothing, I don’t have time for your games, Dino.” My gaze flicked to Tessa for a moment, sharp and protective, before returning to the lanky man at my side. “And if it is something, then make it quick.”
“Oh, I just thought I would check in to see how you were doing with that information I provided you.” He paused, eyes flicking to Tessa, one of his dangerous smiles spreading across his face. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Dino, but you can call me—”
I stepped slightly forward, letting the subtle shift in my stance do the talking. “—Dino,” I finished for him, leaving no room for his teasing.
“All the other men’s wives call me Tall Dino,” he complained, grinning like it was the funniest thing in the room.
“Felix and I aren’t married, so I guess you’ll have to stay as Dino for now,” Tessa said, her voice light, teasing, but with an unmistakable spark of defiance.
Marriage. The word hit me like fire. My chest tightened, my hands itched to pull her closer, to mark her as mine so completely that no one could ever claim her.
Panic flared, but it was laced with something darker: the thought of waking up to her, seeing her smile meant only for me, feeling her under my control every second of every day.
I couldn’t let anyone else have her, couldn’t let the world touch her.
She wasn’t just mine tonight—she had to be mine always.
But let’s face it. I wasn’t a “marriage” type of guy.
Dark, dangerous, and always prioritizing the cruel world I lived in.
That was who I was. Nothing, not even her, could change that.
And yet, the thought of her, mine in ways no one else could claim, lingered like a dangerous temptation I couldn’t shake.
“Alright, Dino,” I said, my voice leaving no room for negotiation. “I will talk to you later.”
“Ok, ok,” he said. “I hope things are going well with that information I gave you. Let me know if you want any help.”
Just as quickly as he had appeared, Dino disappeared, his body slinking through the crowd as liquid as water.
“That was… interesting,” Tessa said, a confused look on her face.
“Dealing with Dino is like dealing with the human version of the Cheshire Cat.” I let my gaze sweep over her, slow and deliberate, noting the way her cheeks flushed slightly at my tone. “Always grinning, always teasing, and impossible to take seriously.”
“Dino doesn’t seem too scary, for a man in the mafia. Just messing around all the time,” she said, tilting her head.
“You should fear him more than anyone else here,” I said, letting the weight in my voice settle over her like a warning she couldn’t ignore. My eyes flicked to hers, and I saw that spark of curiosity and defiance that made my chest tighten.
She didn’t flinch. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, studying me as though testing the limits of my control. It made my blood burn hotter. If she wasn’t afraid of Dino, if she wasn’t afraid of me, then I’d have to remind her who held the power between us.
I slid a stack of chips toward Tessa, the soft clink breaking the tension. “Let’s play,” I said, my voice low and deliberate. “But not just for money. I want something that matters.”
Her brows furrowed, suspicion flickering in her eyes. “What kind of something?”
“A wager,” I murmured, leaning close enough that my breath brushed her ear.
“One you won’t forget. If you win, you’ll earn yourself something you’ve been wanting.
A little freedom, perhaps. But if you lose…
” I let my gaze drag over her body, slow and deliberate.
“You’ll belong to me for the rest of the night. ”