THE MAFIA BOSS: HIS ONE AND ONLY

Chapter 4: her prison

The door opened again. Mark came back in. No tray this time. Just him. He stopped when he saw her sitting up, blanket clutched to her chest like armor.

"You didn't run," he observed.

"You said not to," Fiona said. Defiant. Even though her voice shook.

Mark tilted his head. Studying her. "Most people lie to me. You don't. Interesting."

"I'm not most people," she said.

"No," Mark agreed. And the way he said it made her shiver. "You're not."

He crossed the room in three strides and picked up the teacup from the tray. He didn't hand it to her. He brought it to his lips first. Tested the temperature. Then, only then, did he offer it to her.

Fiona stared at his hand. At his fingers wrapped around the cup. At the way he was waiting. Patient. Like she was the one with power here.

"You're testing me," she said quietly as she took the cup.

"I'm testing myself," Mark corrected. His eyes dropped to her lips as she sipped. "To see how long I can stand not knowing your name."

The tea was warm. Sweet. But it didn't stop

the heat crawling up Fiona's neck.

"Why do you care so much?" she asked.

Mark stepped closer. One hand came up, thumb brushing over her bottom lip like he was wiping away tea. It wasn't. He was just touching her.

"Because," he murmured, "girls don't end up bleeding in my forest unless they're running from something worse than me. And I'm very curious what could be worse."

Fiona's heart pounded. His thumb lingered on her lip one second too long. Flirty. Dangerous. Possessive.

Outside, a guard shouted something about movement in the trees. Mark didn't even flinch. His eyes stayed on hers.

"Eat," he said finally, stepping back. The moment broke. "Get stronger. I have questions for you when you're ready."

"And if I'm never ready?" Fiona challenged.

Mark smiled. Real this time. Slow and lethal.

"Then I'll wait, little bird. I'm very good at waiting."

He left her with the tea and the shirt and the feeling that she'd just been claimed by a man who didn't believe in permission.

feeling that she’d just been claimed by a man who didn’t believe in permission.

And somewhere in the mansion, his men were digging up her past.

But Fiona? She wasn’t ready to be found yet.

Not until she figured out if Mark Griffon was her prison... or her rescue.