contract with the devil

First Blood

Gunfire and soft hands do not belong in the same nightmare, but that is exactly what my new life gave me.

The morning after our second night together, I woke up sore and alone in Alessio’s massive bed. My body still remembered every thrust, every moan, every way he had claimed me. I pushed those thoughts away and reached for my phone. I needed to talk to my family. I needed answers about Sophia and what she had done to me.

I dialed my father’s number first. It rang and rang before going to voicemail. I tried again. Nothing. Then I called my mother. Same thing. Finally I dialed Sophia’s number, even though anger burned in my chest. The line went straight to a disconnected message.

“What the hell?” I whispered.

I tried three more times with different family numbers. Nothing worked. A cold feeling settled in my stomach. I found one of the maids working in the penthouse and asked her to help me reach my family.

The young woman looked nervous. “I am sorry, Mrs. Romano. Your sister Sophia left the country last night. No one knows where she went. Your father has gone into hiding because of the scandal.”

Sophia had disappeared. Just like that. The sister who drugged me and threw me into this hell had run away. I sat down on the edge of the couch, my hands shaking. “She betrayed me and now she is gone? Just like that?”

I felt tears coming but I forced them back. I would not cry over her. Not yet.

Before I could process what this meant, chaos exploded outside.

Gunshots shattered the quiet afternoon. Glass broke somewhere below us. Men started shouting orders. I jumped up and ran toward the window, but strong arms grabbed me from behind and pulled me down to the floor.

“Stay down!” Alessio growled in my ear.

More bullets ripped through the air. The sound was deafening. I could hear his men returning fire. The entire penthouse floor shook as something exploded downstairs.

“Who is attacking us?” I cried out.

“Victor Kane,” Alessio answered, his voice hard. He kept his body over mine, shielding me completely. “Rival. He smells weakness after the scandal. Stay close to me.”

I could feel his heart beating fast against my back. Another round of gunfire erupted, closer this time. A bullet shattered the window above us, spraying glass everywhere. A sharp pain stung my arm and cheek.

Alessio cursed and lifted me in his arms. He ran low through the hallway, barking orders at his guards. “Get her to the safe room! Cover us!”

One of his men took a bullet in the shoulder right in front of us. Alessio pushed me behind a thick pillar and returned fire with his own gun. I had never seen anything like it. He moved like a machine, calm and deadly.

A stray bullet grazed his left arm. Blood soaked through his white shirt instantly.

“Alessio!” I screamed.

“I am fine,” he snapped. “Keep your head down.”

The fight lasted only fifteen terrifying minutes, but it felt like hours. Eventually his men pushed the attackers back. The shooting stopped, replaced by the sound of sirens in the distance and men shouting reports.

When it was finally safe, Alessio carried me back to the master bedroom. His arm was still bleeding, but he ignored it.

“Let me see your injuries,” he said, setting me down gently on the bed.

I had small cuts on my arm and face from the broken glass. They stung but were not serious. What shocked me more was Alessio himself. The cold, ruthless man who had forced me into marriage now sat beside me with surprising care.

He disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a first aid kit. He cleaned my cuts with soft, careful movements. His touch was gentle as he wiped away the blood and applied ointment.

“This might sting a little,” he warned before pressing a bandage on my arm.

I winced but stayed still. “Why are you doing this? You got shot because of me.”

He looked up, his dark eyes softer than I had ever seen them. “You are my wife now. I protect what is mine. Even from my own enemies.”

For the first time, I saw something real beneath his icy exterior. Not just possession, but actual concern. It confused me more than anything else had.

After he finished bandaging me, the mood in the room shifted. The adrenaline from the attack still coursed through our bodies. Alessio’s eyes darkened as he looked at me. I felt the same pull, even though I did not want to admit it.

He leaned in and kissed me slowly at first. Then the hunger took over. His hands moved over my body with urgency.

“I need you,” he said against my lips. “Right now.”

I did not fight him. After everything that had happened, I needed to feel something other than fear. I kissed him back hard.

Alessio stripped me quickly and laid me back on the bed. He kissed down my neck, sucking on my breasts until I moaned loudly. His hand slid between my legs and found me already wet.

“So ready for me,” he growled.

He pushed two fingers inside my p***y, pumping them fast while his thumb rubbed my c**t. I arched my back and cried out in pleasure.

“Please, Alessio,” I begged.

He removed his clothes. His thick c**k stood hard and ready. He spread my legs wide and thrust into me in one powerful stroke. I gasped at the deep stretch. He felt even bigger than the night before.

“f**k, Liana,” he groaned. “Your p***y is so tight.”

He f****d me hard and deep, his hips slamming against mine. The bed creaked under us. I wrapped my legs around him, taking every inch of his c**k. The pleasure built fast and wild.

He flipped me over suddenly and pulled my hips up. He entered me from behind, pounding into my p***y with raw force. One hand reached around to rub my c**t while the other gripped my hair.

“Yes!” I moaned loudly. “Harder.”

Alessio gave me exactly what I asked for. He f****d me like he owned me, because he did. My second orgasm hit me like a wave. My p***y clenched around his c**k as I came hard, screaming his name.

He kept thrusting through my climax until he buried himself deep and came with a loud groan, filling me with his hot c*m.

We collapsed together, breathing heavily. For a few minutes, he held me close. His fingers gently traced the bandage on my arm. The tenderness surprised me again.

Later that night, I woke up suddenly. The bed beside me was empty. I sat up, my heart racing. Low voices drifted from down the hallway. Two men were arguing.

Both voices sounded exactly like Alessio.

I slipped out of bed quietly, pulled on a silk robe, and crept toward the door. My pulse pounded in my ears as I listened.

One voice said, “She is mine. Stay away from her.”

The other answered, “We both had her that first night. You cannot keep her to yourself.”

I froze in the darkness, fear and confusion flooding through me.

There were two of them.

And they both sounded exactly like my husband.