It Hurts, Ruins & Kills Me

(Sienna’s POV) "Run, or stay and ruin yourself." His voice curled across my ear like a dare. Hot. Hazardous. Fatal. Swallowing hard, my heart pounded against my ribs. I ought to run. But his hand moved down my arm, slow and certain, and my body... froze. Dominic Reign The guy was very cautious. I said back, "I don't run from devils." He chuckled softly, like dark silk. You will, my dear. Everyone does." I wrenched away, ignoring the dizzy fire filling my veins. Focus, Sienna. You’re here for Ava. You’re coming to destroy him. Not to melt at his feet. I forced my chin higher. "You’ve got the wrong girl." "Have I?" His mouth curled into something devilish. "Then why are you shaking?" I was. Dammit, I was trembling like a leaf in a hurricane. Because I hadn't anticipated him to act like this. Not only dangerous—but gorgeous. Not just cold—but magnetic. Dominic’s attention darted to the server dish still clasped in my palm, my disguise for tonight’s auction. "You don't belong here," he replied quietly. "And you do?" A flicker of something—pain, maybe—crossed his features before he disguised it. "I make the rules here." He leaned in so close I could smell the expensive fragrance on his skin. Something dark. Addictive. "And rule number one: no lies under my roof." I met his gaze, feigning a smirk. "Funny. I heard you founded your empire on falsehoods." For a minute, the air crackled between us, sharp and scorching. Then he grinned, slow and wolfish. "Come upstairs with me," he urged. My stomach flipped. "Why?" His fingertips stroked my wrist, soft but hard. "Because you're in over your head, Sienna Vale." My true name. The tray toppled to the ground. Gasps swept across the masked audience. Eyes turned. Guards strengthened. I backed up rapidly, heart thumping. "How do you know—" Dominic grasped my hand. "No more games. You have a choice: come with me calmly, or depart in pieces." I should shout. I should run. Instead, I let him take me into a concealed door behind the bar, pulse roaring in my ears. We dashed up a tiny stairway. Gold chandeliers, velvet rugs, walls whispering secrets. Everything smelled of power and danger. He threw open a dark door and pulled me inside. The room was vacant but for a large glass window overlooking Manhattan’s neon light. A single table. Two chairs. And him, standing between me and the exit like a goddamn king. He flung a file onto the table. "Sit." I crossed my arms. "No." He grinned grimly. "I respect your spirit. I’ll love wrecking it." "You can try." I spit. He went so fast I hardly noticed him. One second he was across the room. The next, his palm was on my chin, tilting my face up. His touch burned. His gaze trapped me like a butterfly to a board. "You came looking for secrets," he replied, voice low and deadly. "Be cautious, dear. Some secrets pull people apart." I attempted to jerk away. His fingers tightened just a little. "I’m not afraid of you," I growled. "You're lying." He leaned closer. "So tell me, Sienna Vale. What are you truly here for?" My throat closed up. For Ava. For retribution. But the words stuck. His thumb stroked my lower lip in a slow, deadly sweep. "You’re playing a dangerous game," he murmured. "And you just became my pawn." I swatted his hand away, wrath surging through me. "You think you can control everyone?" "No," he answered, flashing that horrible, deadly smile. "Just you." I raced toward the door. He seized me effortlessly, spinning me back into the chilly wall. His body enclosed mine without touching. His breath was warm on my cheek. His smell wrapped around me like a chain. And God help me… I wanted him. "You’re mine now," he murmured, voice gruff. "Two months. You work for me. You reside beneath my roof. You obey my regulations." "I’d rather die." He smirked like he already had my soul. "Not an option." He moved back, putting a black card into the floor at my feet. It glittered beneath the faint light. An address. A time. Midnight. "If you’re smart," he added, heading toward the door, "you’ll show up." "And if I’m not?" He peered over his shoulder, eyes flaming. "Then you’ll find out exactly how cruel I can be." He went without another word. The door clicked shut. And I collapsed to my knees, breathing hard, hands clenched. I had a choice. Walk away. Stay safe. Or walk farther into the lion’s lair. My phone buzzed. A single text. UNKNOWN NUMBER: If you care about your sister, you’ll be at the address. Alone. A picture attached. Ava. Tied to a chair. Terror in her eyes. My stomach sank. No way out now. Hours later, I stood in the downpour outside a huge glass structure. Midnight. My heart thundered in my chest as I swiped the black card over the security scanner. The doors slid open. A man in black brought me to a private elevator. Top floor. The elevator dinged. The doors opened right into a penthouse soaked in shadows and gold. And there he was. Dominic. Standing at the window, a drink of whiskey in one hand, the city lights haloing his black body. He turned slowly. His blue gaze froze me in place. "You came," he replied, voice low. I swallowed hard. "I’m not here for you." He laid his drink down, stalking toward me like a predator. "No," he responded, grinning. "You’re here because you belong to me now." "I’ll never belong to you." He halted inches away, heat pouring off him. "We’ll see about that." Without unexpectedly, he grabbed my waist and pushed me into him. I gasped. His lips were very near. His body is so firm, so heated. I shoved at his chest. He didn’t move an inch. "You hate me," he replied gently. "You want to destroy me." His fingers crept up my spine, sending thrills through me. "But your body betrays you." "No," I muttered. "Lie to yourself, sweetheart," he muttered, pressing his tongue against my ear. "But don’t lie to me." His lips caressed my jaw. My fists fisted in his shirt. One second of crazy. One second of plummeting. Then he kissed me. Hard. Furious. Devastating. I should’ve pushed him away. Instead, I kissed him back. The kiss intensified, passionate and rough. His hands wandered over my body like he had every right. I tore at his jacket, craving more, hating myself for it. He pulled me onto the nearest table, knocking down a crystal vase. Water and glass showered down. I didn’t care. I couldn’t think. All that existed was him. His mouth. His hands. His heat. He tore his lips from me, breathing hard. "This is going to ruin you," he rasped. "Maybe I want to be ruined," I gasped. He grinned grimly. "Good." His lips slammed upon me again. I didn’t care about the falsehoods. The danger. The fight between us. For one night, I just wanted to feel. And Dominic Reign made me feel everything. The world crumbled around us. Clothes hit the floor. Hands and tongues entwined. He made me forget my name. Forget why I came. Forget everything but him. Hours later, I awoke tangled in silk sheets. My body hurt in ways I never imagined possible. Dominic sat across the room, bare-chested, staring at something on his phone. His face went to stone. I sat up fast. "What is it?" He didn’t answer. Instead, he flung the phone onto the bed. I grabbed it up with shaky hands. The screen flashed with a video stream. Ava. Blindfolded. Screaming. And standing behind her— Was Victor Vale. My uncle. My blood turned to ice. Dominic’s voice was a whisper of doom. "You’ve been played, Sienna." I opened my mouth to speak— And the screen went black.