His to Ruin

Blood Never Lies

Alec's hand still gripped my wrist. It was cold, strong, and unwavering. I could feel his hot breath on my face and see the fire burning behind his hazel eyes.

"You think I'll be fooled?" his voice was so low it was almost a growl. "Whose child did you bring here?"

I didn't answer. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt in my chest. I tried to pull my hand away, but his grip grew tighter, almost painful.

"You're absolutely revolting." Alec’s cold gaze flicked to Abraham, who stood quietly beside me, his tiny hands gripping my jacket like a lifeline. "You vanished without a trace five years ago, and now you waltz back into my life with another man's child? Do you think I'll care?"

My blood rushed. "You don't know what you're talking about," I whispered.

Alec's expression turned cold, sharper than before. "I know more than enough," he said, his tone full of contempt. "I know you're a traitor. I know you're a murderer." His fingers rose to my chin, forcing me to look at him. "And now, you're just a desperate woman running back to the man who hates you the most, because there's nowhere else you can go."

My hands were shaking, but I should not show my weakness. I looked directly into his eyes. "I'm not afraid of you, Alec."

His smile widened. "Liar."

He moved closer, close enough that I could smell his signature scent, a mix of bourbon and fine tobacco that always got me drunk. But this time, I'm no longer swept away.

"Who's the boy's father?" he demanded, his voice sharper than before.

I opened my mouth, searching for words to get us away from this destruction. But before I could answer, a small but firm voice stopped everything.

"Don't talk to my mom like that."

Silence hung in the air.

Alec froze. I was just as surprised.

Abraham stood where he was, but now his eyes stared at Alec unflinchingly. A piercing gaze, full of courage that a four-year-old boy shouldn't have.

I looked at Abraham, he frowned, his flat face making it look like he was unfazed by the burly men guarding Alec or even... Alec.

"You're being mean,"

I held my breath.

No one talks to Alec Romano like that.

No one would dare to challenge a man who could destroy someone with just one command.

But Abraham didn't know who Alec really was.

The silence hung too long.

Alec's gaze rested on Abraham, his expression unreadable, a rare flicker of something almost human in his eyes. It was as if, for the first time in his life, someone was standing before him, unafraid.

Abraham didn't budge. His small shoulders remained upright, his chin slightly raised.

Alec finally moved. He lowered his hand from my face and turned, looking at Abraham more closely. His eyes swept over the boy from head to toe, scrutinizing every detail like a predator assessing the threat before him.

"What did you say?" asked Alec.

Abraham didn't shy away. "I said you're being mean."

A silence.

Then Alec raised an eyebrow. "And what are you going to do about it, boy?"

"I'm going to make you stop." Abraham looked directly into Alec's eyes, his face showing absolutely no hesitation.

Something inside my chest twisted.

I wanted to pull Abraham behind me, to protect him from the man standing before him, but my body was frozen. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and could only watch as my son stared at Alec Romano like he weren't someone who could bring the world to its knees with just one sentence.

Alec laughed softly. Not a light laugh, but a dark one filled with something I couldn't understand.

"Are you sure you can stop me?"

Abraham nodded. "Yeah."

Without thinking, the boy stepped forward, closer to Alec, until only a few inches separated them.

Surprise flashed in Alec's eyes.

Abraham straightened his back, and in a voice full of confidence, he said, "Because only cowards scare girls."

I saw Alec's entire body stiffen. His jaw hardened, and his eyes narrowed. At first glance, I thought he would lose control and say something that would ruin everything.

But surprisingly... he didn't.

Alec moved. Slowly. His eyes were still fixed on Abraham, but his expression had changed. I'd known him long enough to know that something was working inside his head, calculating, weighing.

His lips curved, but it wasn't a smile. It was more like a lazy grin, one that didn't really reach his eyes.

"So you think I'm a coward?" His low voice sent electric shocks through my body.

Abraham didn't back down. "If you were brave, you wouldn't talk bad to women. Especially when you're bigger than them."

Alec's chest rose and fell slowly, his jaw tightening.

I should have stopped this and pulled Abraham behind me before something happened that I couldn't take back.

But I held back as Alec squatted before Abraham, equalizing their height. He tilted slightly, staring at Abraham as if appraising something he had just discovered.

"I'm not used to challenges, boy." Alec's voice was still low, but there was something in it. It was not sharp and cold, just playful. "Especially from a kid."

Abraham didn't care. "Probably because no one was brave enough to challenge you."

I held my breath, not knowing if I should be proud or scared.

Alec laughed.

It wasn't a dark, threatening laugh. Not the laugh he used to intimidate. But a faint low laugh, something closer to amusement.

I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

Alec stared at Abraham for a while longer before finally standing back up. "Guess you're not that easy to scare."

Abraham lifted his chin. "I'm not."

Alec stared at him for a few more seconds before finally turning back to me. That gaze changed in an instant.

Cold, demanding.

"I will give you protection." His voice was firm, non-negotiable. "But it's not just about your son. You're also mine now, Daniella."

"What?"

Alec's eyes turned to me in invisible shackles. "You can't just ask me for a favor and then walk away." He moved closer, ignoring Abraham's presence between us. "If you want protection, you'll get it. But on my terms."

I knew this would happen. I knew Alec would never give something without asking for more.

But I wasn't ready to hear it.

I wasn't ready when he lowered his voice and said, "You're coming back into my life. And this time, you're not going anywhere."