Chapter Seven
Adrian
I was in a dream within a dream—Inception style.
Back in my cell, Malik loomed over me as I stirred awake. His expression was the same as always—a mix of twisted camaraderie and mockery.
“Get up, you piece of shit,” he scoffed, his voice grating like nails on metal. “You were moaning her name again—‘Ugh, Scarlett…’”
“Fuck off, Malik,” I muttered, but the smirk on my lips told him I didn’t care. There was no way I could keep that kind of obsession a secret for long.
But then the bars dissolved, fading into nothing, the hard cot beneath me softening into the familiar plushness of my king-sized bed. A sliver of sunlight slipped through the curtains, grounding me in reality.
I wasn’t back there.
Thank God.
Reaching over, I searched for her warmth.
She was gone.
My chest tightened. No note. No sign she’d ever been there. My jaw tightened, anger rising in me like a storm.
Then, the buzz of my phone cut through the tension. Victor’s name glowed on the screen, and I forced myself to breathe as I answered.
“Victor,” I said, forcing composure into my voice.
“Adrian,” came his smooth, velvet Italian accent. “I’m very pleased with your latest delivery. You’re handling the clients well.”
I sat up, rubbing the back of my neck.
“Thanks. I told you I could handle it.”
“You’ve proven yourself,” Victor continued, his tone sincere before sharpening. “I’m putting you on the Rothko job.”
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. My breath hitched. This was it. The job I’d been working toward.
“Thank you, Sir,” I replied, keeping my voice level despite the adrenaline humming in my veins.
“It won’t be easy,” he warned.
“How much?” I asked, impatient.
He dropped the number like a bomb. “Ten million.”
The phone almost slipped from my grip.
Ten million dollars.
The words echoed in my head, sparking a vision of her and me together—a life she deserved. We could have everything—mansions, travel, freedom. Was that what she wanted?
“I’m in,” I said without hesitation.
Victor rattled off the logistics.
“You’ll work with my people, but I want that friend of yours involved again. He was good. You’ll pay him out of your cut.”
Leo.
Exactly what I’d been planning. His expertise with tech was critical. My mind was already mapping out the details, piece by piece.
When the call ended, I leaned back on my arms, staring at the ceiling.
A new life. A fresh start. And Scarlett.
She’d run off. I’d scared her away. It wasn’t exactly surprising. I hadn’t planned to take her on our first night together. But when she mentioned she was seeing someone else, something in me snapped. That rage, always simmering just beneath the surface, clawed its way free. A beast I couldn’t contain. But she needed to see that side of me, to understand what I was. If we were going to be together, she had to know.
I’d waited so long for her. Five years of silence. I didn’t even send the letters I poured my soul into while I was locked up. They were my only outlet for the feelings I bottled up—the raw, animal lust I felt for her.
Even back in high school, I knew she’d submit to me, eventually. I knew she’d be mine. Once she was ready, once she stopped fighting it, she’d understand.
She had to know I was never going to be gentle.
The first time our eyes met, I saw it. Desire—mixed with fear. That fear shot straight to my core, electrifying me. She was like a helpless doe stuck in the headlights.
But it was more than that. It was the way she didn’t seem to belong there. Not at that preppy lacrosse-loving school, where everyone wore Vineyard Vines and spent Christmas skiing in Aspen. A far cry from the school I’d spent the previous four years—where they installed metal detectors and searched lockers at random.
She didn’t belong there. Neither did I.
In prison, I learned patience. Emotional regulation, the shrink called it. Watching the other inmates lose their minds taught me how to control mine. I had to focus on what really mattered. Had to keep my head down, play the long game.
Get out.
So I could get to her.
My hand drifted lower, gripping my cock as my thoughts lingered on her. The moment I pushed inside her—it was sweeter than anything I’d ever known. Better than the day the release door opened. Better than the sun hitting my face as I walked out. Knowing I could have that feeling whenever I wanted it.
I was free.
That’s what it felt like—sliding into her.
Freedom.
Absolute bliss. All those years of longing, of wanting, finally coming to a head as I buried my cock so deep inside her tight little body. My hand moved faster, the memory searing hot in my veins. The way she arched beneath me, the way her tits bounced wildly as I fucked her.
My head fell back, groaning as I relived it.
She’d taken me—every inch. A smirk crept across my lips. Her pussy was so fucking tight, but somehow, it felt like she was made for me. She took me so well. Even if she said she didn’t want it. I knew better. But the way she pushed back, resisting, her sharp tongue cutting through the tension when I least expected it—that was new. She used to freeze whenever I was near, tensing up like a cornered animal, refusing to even look my way. She wasn’t the quiet little girl she used to be.
And it only made me want her more.
I stroked faster, the sensations of last night flooding back. The way she screamed—her pain slowly giving way to an all-consuming pleasure when her orgasm ripped through her.
“Fuck, Scarlett,” I moaned, my release hitting hard as I spilled onto my abs.
My jaw clenched, her beautiful face burned into my mind—those intense blue eyes, wide with shock and fear. Her perfect pink lips, parting at my command.
Waiting.
Waiting for my cum.
I cleaned myself off, but she stayed in my head. Always there. Always haunting me. She’d be mine soon—mine for real this time. I wouldn’t have to force her. She’d submit willingly—let me take her in every way I wanted. And if she didn’t?
I smirked. I had my ways.
I grabbed my phone and dialed.
“Adrian,” Leo answered, his voice buzzing with energy like always. “You finally ready to let loose? Let’s hit the strip like old times.”
“Soon,” I said, leaning back. “I’m focused right now.”
“Did you get the job?” he asked, and I could almost hear him holding his breath.
A slow smile spread across my face.
“It’s happening.”
Leo let out a whoop loud enough to rattle his upstairs neighbors. I pulled the phone away from my ear, shaking my head as he kept shouting.
“You done yet?” I said, laughing despite myself.
“So, you’re hiring me, right?” he asked, clearing his throat, a hint of vulnerability seeping into his voice.
“I need the best hacker in the 860, don’t I?” I said, letting the praise land before my tone turned serious. “But Leo, if I bring you in, there’s something I need from you.”
He sighed, long and slow, like he’d been expecting it. “What is it?”
“I want her tracked.”
A heavy silence fell.
“You’re still stuck on her, huh?” he muttered.
“Always,” I said, my voice like steel.
Leo hesitated, but didn’t say no. He never said no to me.
“Fine,” he said at last. “But I’m warning you, man. This won’t end well.”
I smirked, already picturing Scarlett’s face when she realized there was nowhere to run.
I was too far gone to turn back now.