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My chest heaves with each breath, my mind racing with frustration and fear. For a brief moment, I’m torn between my need for control and my desire to prove that I’m not the monster they all think I am. But in the end, the need for control wins out, and my grip on Isabella’s wrist only tightens.
If Annalise is anything like her sister, I know where she is.
I release Isabella and start heading toward her.
30
DAMIAN
FIVE YEARS AGO
Ihear the frantic pounding on my door and see Mikayla’s desperate eyes as I open it.
“Leave, or I’ll call security to take you away,” I yell at her, anger and fear battling within me.
Mikayla doesn’t flinch, meeting my gaze head-on. “I dare you,” she spits back, defiance written all over her face.
“Dammit, Mikayla!” I scream, grabbing her arm and yanking her inside my apartment. My grip is tight, but my heart is pounding out of my chest. “You can’t come around here anymore! Alexei Popov knows about you. He’d use you to get to me…he’d kill you!”
Her eyes are wide with fear, but she refuses to back down. I’m struck by her courage, even in the face of danger. My hand gently brushes the bruise on her cheek, a reminder of the price she’s already paid for being close to me. Rage boils inside me again, fueled by my need to protect her from the brutal world we inhabit.
“Please, Mikayla, stay away from me,” I beg her, barely managing to keep my voice steady. “It’s too dangerous.”
But her resolve is unwavering. She stares into my soul, and I know she won’t leave without a fight. The passion burning behind her eyes ignites a fire within me, and as much as I try to resist, I’m powerless against the flames.
“Fine,” Mikayla says, determination lacing her words. “But I don’t want to go anywhere without you, Damian.”
I shake my head, refusing to give in. “I can’t be selfish and put your life at risk just because I love you.” My voice cracks, revealing the turmoil inside me.
“Damian,” she whispers, her eyes brimming with tears. “It’s because I love you that I’m willing to risk it.”
“Then you’re not very smart,” I snap, trying to push her away emotionally. But she’s always been stubborn.
She laughs, a bittersweet sound that tugs at my heart. “That’s never changed, has it?”
Before I can react, Mikayla wraps her arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. Her body trembles against mine, but there’s an undeniable strength in her grip. The scent of her perfume fills my nostrils, intoxicating and familiar, as if we’ve done this dance a thousand times before.
“Nothing can touch me when I’m with you, Dami,” she whispers into my chest, her breath warm against my skin. “I know you’ll keep me safe.”
Her words pierce through my defenses, and I can’t deny the truth. I would do anything, face any danger, to protect her. And maybe that’s what scares me the most. But if she’s willing to take the risk, then so am I.
“Alright,” I concede, my voice barely audible. I tighten my hold on her, feeling her heartbeat against my own. “I promise, Mikayla. I will keep you safe, no matter what.”
Her body relaxes in my arms, and for a brief moment, I allow myself to forget the world outside our embrace. It’s just us—Damian and Mikayla, lost in the storm of our love and the promise of a future together, no matter how uncertain it may be.
I blink, the memory of Mikayla fading as I find myself back in the present, my gaze locked on Annalise. She sits submerged in the hot tub, her body so much like her sister’s that it sends a shiver down my spine.
“Enjoying yourself?” I ask, my voice low and controlled, as I step closer to the edge of the hot tub. My dominant nature rises to the surface, fueled by memories of Mikayla and sight of the woman before me who looks far too much like her.
Annalise shifts uneasily, her eyes darting away from mine. “Damian,” she says, her voice shaking slightly. “What are you doing here?”
“Didn’t realize this was your private playground.” I smirk, despite the anger boiling within me. Her resemblance to Mikayla is both a blessing and a curse, stirring up emotions I thought I’d buried long ago.
“Neither did I,” she retorts, her tone dripping with resentment as she stares me down. “But considering how little I’ve seen you lately, I wouldn’t have expected to find you anywhere.”
“Well, here I am.”
“After what you did to my sister, it doesn’t surprise me that you can’t look at me.”
