From Alex’s POV
The club lights pulsed low, casting shadows over the room. My whiskey glass caught the faint glow, but I wasn’t drinking. Not tonight. Not when she was here, playing her little games. Isabella sat at the far end of the bar, legs crossed, her dress hugging every damn curve like it had a grudge against my sanity.
She was laughing, head tilted just enough to make the man beside her think he had a chance. Poor bastard. She knew what she was doing-always did.
I ran a hand through my hair, loosening my tie. “She’s testing me,” I muttered.
Luca, my second-in-command, smirked from across the table. “She’s good at that.”
“She’s too good,” I growled, my jaw tightening.
My phone buzzed. A text from Isabella.
Bella: “Enjoying the view, Daddy?”
I clenched my teeth. This woman was going to kill me, one calculated jab at a time.
Me: “Careful, baby girl. You’re in my territory.”
I glanced back at her. Her phone lit up in her hand, and she smiled. Not at the guy, but at me. She wanted this. The chase, the fire. My blood boiled, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of losing control. Not yet.
I rose from the table, buttoning my jacket. Luca gave me a knowing nod. “You sure you wanna play her game tonight?”
“This isn’t a game, Luca,” I said, my voice low. “It’s war.”
I crossed the room, my steps deliberate. Heads turned. They always did. But I had eyes for one woman, and she damn well knew it.
“Having fun?” I asked as I reached her, my voice cutting through the haze of music and laughter.
She didn’t flinch. Didn’t even look up. Instead, she twirled her glass, the ice clinking softly. “Depends,” she said. “Are you here to ruin it?”
The man beside her froze, his eyes darting between us. “This your boyfriend or something?”
I leaned down, close enough for him to feel the weight of my presence. “Or something,” I said coldly.
He bolted, muttering something under his breath. Good choice.
Isabella finally looked up, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You scared him off,” she said, pouting.
“Consider it a favor,” I said, pulling the barstool closer. “He wasn’t your type.”
“And you are?”
I smirked. “You tell me, Bella.”
She tilted her head, studying me. “What do you want, Alex?”
I leaned back, spreading my arms along the edge of the bar. “You. Back where you belong.”
She laughed, soft but sharp. “I’m not a possession.”
“No,” I agreed. “But you’re mine all the same.”
Her cheeks flushed, but she masked it well, sipping her drink. “Bold words for a man who can’t control himself.”
“Control?” I echoed, leaning in close. “Sweetheart, I’ve got more control than you’ll ever understand. But don’t push me. You won’t like where it leads.”
She swallowed hard, her confidence flickering for just a second. But it was enough.
“Dance with me,” I said, holding out my hand.
“What if I say no?”
“Then I’ll make you regret it,” I said, my tone dark.
Her lips parted, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she took my hand, letting me pull her onto the dance floor.
The music slowed, a sultry rhythm that matched the heat between us. I held her close, one hand on her waist, the other resting just above her collarbone. Her pulse thrummed under my fingers, steady but quick.
“You think you’re in control,” she whispered, her breath brushing against my neck.
“I don’t think, Bella. I know.”
She smiled, sly and dangerous. “Then prove it.”
My grip tightened, just enough to make her gasp. “Careful, baby girl. You’re tempting the devil.”
“And you love it,” she shot back.
God help me, I did.
The song ended, but I didn’t let her go. “We’re leaving,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.
“Bossy, as always,” she teased, but she followed me out of the club.
Outside, the air was cool, a stark contrast to the heat between us. Luca was waiting by the car, his expression tense.
“Alex,” he said, his voice low. “We’ve got a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
Luca hesitated, glancing at Isabella before stepping closer. “The Armand deal-it’s a setup. They’ve got leverage. On her.”
I froze, my mind racing. Isabella frowned, her confusion evident. “What is he talking about?”
I turned to her, my expression hard. “You’re going to tell me everything, Bella. Now.”
She crossed her arms, defiant as ever. “Or what?”
“Or I’ll find out myself,” I said, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “And you won’t like how I do it.”
The club was buzzing, alive with shadows and secrets. My world. My playground. Yet tonight, the familiar hum of power didn’t touch me. Isabella wasn’t here.
She’d slipped through my fingers again, like smoke refusing to be caged. Every instinct told me she was testing me, pushing boundaries she had no business crossing. My grip tightened around the crystal tumbler in my hand. The scotch burned on the way down, but it didn’t touch the fire in my chest.
Lorenzo leaned against the bar beside me, his smirk sharper than the knife tucked in his belt. “You look tense, boss. Something on your mind?”
“Don’t start,” I muttered, swirling the amber liquid in my glass.
He chuckled, his tone laced with mockery. “Let me guess-her.”
I shot him a look, sharp enough to cut. “Watch your mouth.”
His grin only widened. “You’re wound up tighter than a noose, Alex. Just admit it-she’s got you by the balls.”
I slammed the glass down, the crack of it echoing over the music. “She’s got nothing.”
But even as I said it, I knew it was a lie.
She arrived an hour later, sweeping into the club like she owned the damn place. Her hair was loose, falling in wild waves over bare shoulders. The dress she wore clung to her curves like a second skin, red as sin, daring anyone to look.
My jaw clenched. She knew exactly what she was doing.
Isabella caught my gaze from across the room, and her lips curled into a smirk-wicked, defiant, tempting. My hands itched to drag her to me, to remind her exactly who she belonged to.
I crossed the room in long strides, ignoring the heads that turned in my wake. She didn’t flinch as I stopped inches from her, the tension between us electric.
“You’re late,” I said, my voice low enough that only she could hear.
She tilted her head, feigning innocence. “I wasn’t aware I was on your schedule, Daddy.”
The word slipped from her lips like poison wrapped in sugar. It was a dare, a challenge. And damn it, I was losing patience.
“You’re testing me,” I growled, leaning closer.
Her smile didn’t falter, but her breath hitched. “Maybe I am. What are you going to do about it?”
The music pounded around us, but in that moment, there was nothing but her-her scent, her defiance, the pulse at her throat that gave her away.
I grabbed her wrist, pulling her through the crowd. She didn’t resist, not fully. She liked this game as much as I did, though she’d never admit it.
We reached the VIP lounge, the door slamming shut behind us. The noise from the club faded, leaving only silence-and her sharp breaths.
I pinned her against the wall, my hands braced on either side of her head. “You think you can walk in here like that? Like you own me?”
Her chin lifted, eyes blazing. “Maybe I do.”
A dark laugh rumbled from my chest. “You’ve got no idea what you’re playing with, Bella.”
Her fingers trailed up my chest, teasing. “Maybe I want to find out.”
My hand shot out, catching her wrist. “Careful,” I warned, my voice dropping. “You’re already in deep.”
“Am I?” she whispered, her lips so close I could taste the challenge in her breath.
The heat between us was molten, ready to consume. I wanted to tear her apart and put her back together, piece by piece, until there was no part of her that didn’t scream my name.
But she wasn’t ready to surrender-not yet.
A knock on the door broke the spell.
“Boss,” came Lorenzo’s voice, muffled through the wood. “We’ve got a problem.”
I didn’t move, my gaze locked on hers. She stared back, her pulse fluttering at her throat like a trapped bird.
“Stay here,” I ordered, my voice like steel.
She grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I said, my tone clipped.
But the look in her eyes told me she didn’t believe me. And as I stepped into the hall, my gut twisted.
Lorenzo’s expression was grim. “It’s Marco. He knows.”
The words hit me like a punch. My brother’s betrayal was inevitable, but hearing it out loud was a different beast.
“How bad is it?” I asked, my voice deadly calm.
Lorenzo hesitated. “Bad enough. He’s coming for her, Alex.”
My blood turned to ice.
Behind me, I heard the door creak open. Isabella’s voice, soft but firm, reached me.
“Coming for who?”
I turned to face her, my mask firmly in place. But the truth was, the storm brewing on the horizon wasn’t one I could outrun.
“Get back inside,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.
Her eyes narrowed. “Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
Lorenzo glanced between us, uneasy. “Boss…”
I ignored him, stepping closer to her. “Bella, I’ll deal with it. But you have to trust me.”
Her lips parted, a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue. But before she could speak, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I glanced at the screen. One word.
Tonight.
I looked back at her, my jaw tight. “Get ready, Isabella. This game just got serious.”