Impure Love (Dark Mafia Duet #2)

15. Aliyah

15

ALIYAH

T he ultimatum he just gave me crashes over me like a tidal wave. Go with him, or he’ll kill Sophia. My mind reels, struggling to grasp the reality of my situation. his body presses against mine, his erection an unignorable fact pinning my hips to the bed. His breath is hot on my neck, and his cologne fills my senses confusingly with danger and desire.

“Why are you doing this?” My voice trembles, barely above a whisper.

“Because I can.” His lips curve into a predatory smile, eyes dark with amusement.

I try to think, to find a way out of this, but his presence overwhelms me. “You don’t have to hurt her. She’s innocent.”

His fingers trail down my arm, sending shivers through my body. “And you think you’re not?”

“Please,” I beg, hating the desperation in my voice. “Let her go.”

He laughs softly, a sound that sends a chill down my spine. “You don’t get to make demands, Aliyah.”

The way he says my name, like it’s a possession, makes my skin crawl. I need to keep him talking, to buy time. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to understand,” he says, his tone turning serious. “You belong to me now. Your life, your choices, everything.”

I shake my head, tears blurring my vision. “This isn’t fair.”

“Fair?” He scoffs, leaning closer, his lips brushing my ear. “Life isn’t fair. Get used to it.”

My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing the fear coursing through me. “And if I go with you, Sophia stays safe?”

“She’ll be as safe as you make her,” he replies, his eyes locking onto mine. “Your actions will determine her fate.”

I can’t wrap my head around the twisted logic he’s presenting. “You’re a monster.” I glare at him, every fiber of my being filled with rage and fear. "I don't even know your name," I spit out, my voice trembling but defiant.

His smirk widens, arrogance clouding his features. "The name's Dante, sweetheart."

Before he can say anything more, adrenaline surges through me. With a burst of energy, I push him to the side, making him growl in surprise. Rolling from under him, I scramble to my feet, my bare skin hitting the rough, shitty hotel carpet. I run for the door, heart pounding like a drum in my chest.

"Aliyah!" His voice is a dark, menacing roar behind me.

My fingertips graze the cold metal of the door handle, hope surging within me. But then, strong arms wrap around my waist, yanking me back. I crash against a wall of muscle, my back pressed to his chest. His grip tightens, fingers digging into my skin, and I gasp.

"Thought you could run?" His voice, low and dangerous, slithers into my ears, sending shivers down my spine. His breath is hot against my neck, and I can't help the tremor that runs through me.

"Let me go!" I thrash against him, but it's like trying to move a mountain. His arms are iron bars, unyielding and immovable. Panic surges, and I claw at his hands, desperate for freedom, but he doesn’t even flinch.

“You won’t get that chance again,” he whispers in my ear, each word laced with menace. His breath is hot, and the proximity makes my stomach churn with fear and something else I refuse to acknowledge.

“You’re sick,” I spit out, still struggling. My heart pounds, adrenaline coursing through my veins, but I can’t break free. He’s too strong, too relentless.

His laugh rumbles through the air, dark and amused, sending a chill down my spine. It’s a sound that makes my skin crawl, as if he finds my fear entertaining, a twisted game he’s eager to play.

I struggle against Dante, my strength ebbing with every futile attempt to break free. Tears stream down my face as the reality of my situation crashes over me. My body goes limp, the fight leaving me completely. Defeated. I hear Dante hum in approval, his grip on me tightening momentarily before he turns me around to face him.

The room’s shitty lighting casts eerie shadows across his face, accentuating his chiseled features. I take in the sharp jawline, the dark, piercing eyes, and the dangerous allure that twists his handsome face into something monstrous. It’s a jarring juxtaposition—his attractiveness marred by the sheer darkness of his soul.

Dante cups my face, his touch strangely gentle given the circumstances and the ultimatum hanging over us. My heart races, caught between confusion and defeat. His hands hold me delicately, forcing me to meet his gaze. Those dark eyes bore into mine, searching for something I can't fathom.

“Why are you doing this?” My voice trembles, but I manage to keep it steady enough to demand an answer.

He studies me, his thumb brushing against my cheek in a gesture that feels almost... tender. “Because you fascinate me, Aliyah.”

“Fascinate?” I repeat, incredulous. “Is that your justification for ruining my life?”

His lips curl into a smirk. “Ruining? I’d say I’m improving it.”

“By threatening my best friend? By stalking me?” I bite back, my fear momentarily giving way to anger. “You’re delusional.”

His grip tightens just enough to remind me of his strength. “Careful,” he warns, his voice low and dangerous. “You don’t want to test my patience.”

My anger fizzles, replaced by a cold dread. “What do you want from me?” I whisper, my voice cracking.

His gaze softens slightly, but it’s more unsettling than comforting. “I want you to understand your place.”

I shake my head, tears threatening to spill. “I can’t... I won’t live like that.”

“You don’t have a choice,” he says simply, as if stating a fact. “Accept it, and things will be easier for you.”

A shiver runs through me at his words. “And if I don’t?”

“Then you’ll suffer,” he replies, his tone devoid of any emotion. “And so will Sophia.”

The mention of Sophia twists the knife of fear deeper into my heart. “Please, just leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with it.”

His eyes narrow. “She has everything to do with it. You care about her, which makes her leverage.”

I close my eyes, trying to block out the reality of his words. “You’re a fucking monster.”

“Perhaps,” he murmurs, his thumb still caressing my cheek. “But I’m a monster who fucking owns you.”

I open my eyes, meeting his gaze with a defiance I barely feel. “You don’t own me.”

He chuckles, a dark, humorless sound. “Oh, but I do. You’ll come to see that soon enough.”

His words settle over me like a dark cloud, suffocating any remaining hope. I’m trapped, and the worst part is, he knows it.

My voice shakes as I force out the words, each one a heavy weight on my tongue. "I'll go with you."

Dante's eyes light up with satisfaction. "Good girl," he murmurs, his fingers trailing down my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

It's for Sophia, I remind myself. She has no part in this nightmare, and I can't let her suffer because of me. Dante has backed me into a corner so tight there's no room to breathe, let alone escape. And even if I managed to run, he'd find me. He went through lengths to get to me like it was nothing. He means it when he says he'd kill her.

Dante's grip on my arm tightens, pulling me closer.

I don't want to find out what happens if I try to run again. No. This is the only way to keep Sophia safe, and some part of me realizes that it was always going to come to this. Dante’s grip on my arm is firm, and I can feel his eyes on me, watching my every move, reading my every thought.

I glance at him, my heart pounding in my chest, each beat echoing the fear and confusion swirling inside me. "Where are we going?" I ask, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound calm.

He raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips that sends a shiver down my spine. "You'll see," he replies, his tone dripping with a mix of amusement and menace. The uncertainty of his answer only heightens my anxiety, making me feel even more trapped in this nightmare.

I stare into Dante’s piercing eyes, just like I did that first night. I saw too much. The grin that spreads slowly across his face makes him look even more psychotic. A shiver runs down my spine.

"Why are you smiling?" I demand, trying to mask my fear with defiance, though my voice wavers.

"Because, Aliyah," he says, his voice dripping with amusement, "you’re finally understanding your place."

"I’ll never understand you," I retort, glaring up at him, my eyes narrowing. "You’re insane."

He chuckles, a low, dark sound that makes my skin crawl. "Insanity is a matter of perspective, darling."

I grit my teeth, anger bubbling up inside me, fighting against the fear. "Stop calling me that.”

His grin widens, a predatory look that sends another shiver down my spine. I swallow hard, trying to steady my breathing. "I don’t belong to you."

His eyes bore into mine, and I can almost feel the intensity of his gaze physically pressing down on me. I take a step back, but he mirrors me, closing the distance again.

His hand reaches out, fingers brushing against my cheek in a mockingly gentle caress. I flinch but force myself to hold my ground, refusing to show weakness. "Oh, but you do," he murmurs, his voice a dark promise. "Every breath you take, every thought you have—it’s all mine now."

I can’t tear my eyes away from the intensity of his dark gaze. His smirk never falters, as if he’s daring me to defy him, to challenge his absolute control over me. Every fiber of my being screams to fight back, but the fear is paralyzing, locking me in place.