Page 83 of Ruthless Desire

And through it all, Natalie watches, transfixed, her eyes locked on mine, her body trembling with a mixture of fear and something darker, something closer to desire. She’s seeing me in all my glory, witnessing the true extent of my power, and she’s falling deeper into the darkness that binds us together.

Her eyes are wide, her pupils blown with a mixture of something that speaks to the twisted connection we share. She’s horrified, yes.

But there’s also a sick fascination in the way she watches me, the way she can’t look away.

I turn my attention back to Luca, who’s trembling now, his defiance shattered, replaced by the cold reality of what’s to come. I crouch down in front of him, my gaze level with his.

“Did you think you could be her savior, Luca?” I ask, my voice soft, almost gentle. “Did you really believe you could take her from me?”

He tries to speak, but the words catch in his throat, choking him. I smile, a slow, cruel twist of my lips.

“You’re nothing,” I say, my tone hardening. “Less than nothing. And now, you’ll die as nothing.”

With a single, fluid motion, I draw the knife from my belt, the blade gleaming in the dim light. Luca’s eyes widen, a choked sob escaping him as he realizes what’s about to happen.

I don’t give him time to beg.

Luca’s screams fill the room, but they’re nothing more than background noise, drowned out by the roar of bloodlust in my veins. I feel Natalie’s gaze on me, feel the way her breath quickens, her body trembling with a mixture of fear and arousal. She’s horrified, but she’s also fascinated—drawn to the violence, the power, the control I wield. And I’m going to push her even further, make her see that this is what it means to belong to me.

I glance at her, and her eyes meet mine, wide and dark, filled with something that sends a thrill through me. She’s on the edge, teetering between fear and desire, and I’m going to push her over.

“Do you see now, solnyshko?” I murmur, my voice low and dangerous. “This is what happens to those who try to take what’s mine. This is what it means to belong to me.”

Her breath hitches, her chest heaving as she struggles to process what she’s seeing, what she’s feeling. But I don’t give her time to think. I turn back to Luca, who’s gasping for breath, his body trembling with the pain of the cuts I’ve inflicted.

But he’s still conscious, still clinging to life, and that’s exactly what I want. I’m going to make him suffer, make him feel every second of the life draining out of him. And Natalie is going to watch every moment of it.

I drag the knife down his chest again, this time cutting deeper, drawing a thick line of blood that spills down his torso. He screams, his body convulsing in pain, but it’s not enough. I press the blade harder, twisting it as I carve into his flesh, and his screams turn into choked sobs.

“Please,” he gasps, his voice barely a whisper. “Please, Dante…”

But I’m not done with him yet. I turn to Natalie, my gaze locking onto hers, and I see the way her body trembles, the way her breath comes in short, sharp gasps. She’s on the edge, caught between horror and something darker, something closer to lust.

I press the knife into her hand, the blade still slick with Luca’s blood, and guide her to his chest, letting her feel the power in her hands. Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t pull away. Instead, she grips the hilt of the knife, her breath hitching as she feels the life pulsing beneath the blade.

“Do you feel that, solnyshko?” I murmur, my voice dark and seductive. “That’s his life in your hands. You have the power to end it, to take everything from him. Do it. Show me you belong to me.”

She hesitates, her hand trembling as she stares down at Luca, his blood pooling beneath him as I get back to work, pressing the knife to his thigh, slicing through muscle and sinew, and he screams, the sound raw and desperate.

The way her breath quickens, makes my cock twitch. There’s a part of her that’s horrified by what she’s seeing, but there’s another part—a darker, more twisted part—that’s captivated. She’s never seen this side of me, not fully, but now there’s no turning back.

This is who I am. This is what it means to be with me.

I lean closer to Luca, my voice low, menacing.

“You thought you could be her prince charming, didn’t you? Thought you could save her from the monster?” I chuckle, the sound dark and devoid of humor. “But there are no saviors here, Luca. Only men like me—men who take what they want and destroy anything that stands in their way.”

I twist the knife in his side, and he gasps, his body convulsing in agony. But it’s his eyes that I’m focused on—the way the light fades from them, the way his strength, his defiance, drains away, leaving only fear and pain.

“Dante,” Natalie’s voice is barely a whisper, trembling on the edge of breaking. It’s the first time she’s spoken since this began, and it snaps something inside me. I turn to her, my hand still gripping the knife embedded in Luca’s flesh.

“What is it, solnyshko?” I ask, my tone deceptively soft, as if we’re discussing something mundane. Her eyes flicker to Luca, then back to me, and I see the conflict warring within her.

“Isn’t… isn’t it enough?” she asks, her voice cracking. She’s pleading with me, asking for mercy—for a man who deserves none. But what she doesn’t understand, what she needs to understand, is that mercy is a weakness neither of us can afford.

“No,” I say, my voice hardening. “It’s not enough. He dared to touch what’s mine. He dared to think he could take you from me. For that, he’ll suffer.”

I see the realization dawn in her eyes—she’s been pulled into my world, into my darkness, and there’s no escape. I need her to accept that, to embrace it, to understand that this is what it means to be mine.