Marrying the Mob Prince

CLAIRE Fuck men.

On dating apps, every man was a gentleman until sex. Then they did a one-eighty and made me feel like shit...or they turned into psychopaths like Cainan. I should've known better than to get involved with him, but I honestly thought Cainan was different.

In reality, his warmth was an illusion priming me for this con job, and it fucking worked. The façade he'd maintained seemed to be gone. His eyes glowed, but there was no light. Only amusement from leaving me with a damp spot between my legs.

Once I pulled on the skimpy pink dress he'd fished out of my suitcase, he marched me out of the bedroom. The cabin door opened, and a fragrant humidity rolled inside. I stood in the narrow row as Cainan had words with the captain. "Appreciate it, James." Cainan shook his hand, and when he moved away the pilot slipped a wad of cash into his pocket. "Have a lovely holiday."

I tuned out their voices and assessed the situation. We'd landed in a small airport surrounded by massive green cliffs. As I followed Cainan outside to the descending staircase, a team of rifle-bearing men in fatigues arrived in a military jeep. My senses blazed high alert. Dread bottomed out my stomach as soldiers stepped out of the vehicle, accompanied by a man in khaki shorts and black short-sleeved shirt with a white floral print. A broad smile blossomed over his wide jaw, dazzling against his olive skin. He ripped off his sunglasses and tucked them in his collar, revealing a handsome face with striking features. His thick eyebrows sat low on his eyes, which, like Cainan's, seemed to probe my body as though he owned me. Glossy, dark brown hair framed his angular jaw. Unlike Cainan, he looked like he'd spent a lifetime on the beach. His skin had a leathery, tough quality, so tanned that he could've been any race. He appeared younger than Cainan, but not by much.

He barked with laughter, arms outstretched. "You fucking dog. Come here!"

Cainan descended, his pale complexion stark against that of the mystery man, who vaulted up the boarding stairs and grabbed Cainan in a back-slapping hug.

"Brother. It's been too long." He pounded Cainan with an enthusiasm that made me flinch. "I can't wait to hear all about your adventures in Boston. How many weeks are you here for this time?" Cainan smiled. "All of them."

"You're joking?" The man's beaming grin faltered as Cainan disengaged from his embrace, nodding. "Well...that's great. Dad's getting old and could use more help. Just don't let Dad rub your nose to the grindstone. You need to live a little." Cainan's head jerked in my direction. "I've got that covered."

"Ah." The man removed his sunglasses, squinting. "I see you brought a toy for yourself. Come down, honey. Let's have a look at you."

Somehow Cainan sensed me inching further into the plane. He turned around and snatched me. Then he yanked me down the steps until I stood in front of him, bringing me face to face with another monster. Who is this?

I didn't dare give my fear a voice, but it curdled in my stomach like food poisoning. Cainan rubbed my shoulder as I returned the man's unsettling stare. "This is my brother, Rylan."

"Hello there." Rylan strolled into my personal space, his sandals nudging my feet as he peered at me like an enthusiast at an art gallery. "Nice. Where'd you get her from?" "Boston. Dad's expecting her."

"Indie Starling," Rylan murmured with a poisonous hiss, startling me. "So you're the one causing all this trouble."

"No. This is her sister, Claire." Cainan tightened his hold on my shoulders. "But she causes plenty of drama of her own."

"I'm sure she does." Rylan whistled as he studied me from all angles. "Are you...attached to her? She has a vibe I'm into." He let out an appreciative groan that sent a chill down my spine. What a disgusting man. "I would rather run backward through a cornfield than touch you."

Rylan laughed, exchanging an amused look with Cainan, whose mocking drawl set fire to my skin. "Your loyalty to me is inspiring."

"Y-you're crazy," I stammered as a bright mockery invaded Rylan's stare. "Both of you."

Rylan sneered. "Why is this bitch talking?"

"She's a work-in-progress," sighed Cainan, pushing me forward to continue our descent. "Something tells me I'm going to have my hands full."

"Give me one night, and I'll train the disobedience out of her." Rylan's self-assured smirk pitted my stomach with nausea. "Although I can't guarantee I won't leave any marks on her."

Cainan stepped onto the tarmac, gripping my arm tightly. "I can handle her myself."

"Oh, come on," his brother pouted. "I'll let you have a ride with any of mine."

Cainan released me and wheeled around to face Rylan, his voice like the growl of a dragon. "The answer is no. Do not ask me again."

"All right. Fine."

My mind spun in a thousand directions. Why were they treating me like a dog? And why was Cainan glaring at him like he'd done him a personal wrong?

I could've flinched against the promise of violence in Rylan's gaze. His demeanor darkened with a frightening severity, and I backed away from the furnace, only to collide with Cainan's hard body.

"Well, you must be exhausted. Let's get you home and settled in." Rylan faced the guards idling by the jeep and blasted a whistle. "What are you waiting for? Grab their shit." "Sorry, Mr. Sandor."

The soldiers retrieved our luggage. Cainan nabbed the passenger-side seat as Rylan slid into the driver's side. I dragged behind them, gauging the distance between the jeep and the airport. Should I run for it? Panic welled in my throat as a guard nudged me with the butt of a rifle.

I broke into a wild sprint. The car cut off my escape with a screech of wheels. Rylan's laughter boomed as I hurtled over the hood and took off in the opposite direction, toward the plane. The world rushed past me in confusing shapes. My lungs burned. I sprinted under the wing, where they couldn't follow. In a whirl of lush green and concrete, I spotted the mobile stairs completely unattended.

I dove into the little seat facing the wheel and sat on it, baffled by the controls. I shoved my thumb in a button. The crane whirred as the stairs descended. I smashed my forearm across switches and slammed my foot into the pedal. The mobile stairs zoomed from the jet with an agonizing shriek. I wheeled it around. The wheels spun before they gained traction, but it was too slow. The speedometer was barely above ten kilometers per hour.

I screamed my frustration as someone leapt onto the platform. I jerked on the wheel. The car swung in a wide arc. Cainan wavered and gripped my seat. The jeep crashed into us with a devastating crunch. The impact threw me forward, but a hand balled in my shirt saved me. Cainan crushed me against his chest and cut off the power, stopping my escape. He sighed roughly as he glanced at the jeep's slightly bent hood. "Fuck!" Rylan bashed his fists on the dashboard. "Look at what that bitch did!"

Cainan curled his fingers in my hair and dragged me toward the car, where a soldier inspected the damage. I twisted and tore at him until he seized my wrists, ending my struggle with a rough yank. "Stupid fucking cunt!" Rylan seethed. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry it didn't burst into flames!" I bellowed, straining against Cainan's grip. "And you're a shit driver!"

The reproving shake of Cainan's head contradicted his glowing eyes. Rylan, on the other hand, looked close to grabbing the knife strapped to his waist. He stepped out and slammed the door, shaking with rage. "Give her to me right now." I flinched, and Cainan fitted his mouth to my ear. "Relax, little Starling. He doesn't decide what punishment you'll get. He's not your master. I am."

A dark thrill struck the base of my spine. Would he beat me? Did he get pleasure from other people's pain? I tried to imagine Cainan's closed fists raining on my back, but the vision kept breaking before it made a solid outline. I couldn't accept

it. I looked into his eyes and wondered, but there was no promise of violence in those charcoal depths. No anger for my disobedience. And underneath his steel embrace, the softest touch grazed my wrist. It was like being held in fire and ice. Too tender to belong to a human trafficker. And it was completely hidden from Rylan.

Who was still having a tantrum. He'd walked up to Cainan, whose arms tightened around me in a protective reflex. Rylan didn't seem to notice.

"If she breaks the rules in front of me, I'm entitled to smack around that little bitch. And I will. That's my right, and there's not a damned thing you can do about it!"

Cainan's glare hardened as his attention snapped to his brother. "Well, that's not true. I can retaliate in many ways. Like for instance, cutting off the fingers that touched my property."

Rylan flushed. "That's a bit extreme."

"Do I need to remind you of the consequences when someone touches my slaves?" Cainan seethed. "I am her master. You are nothing. Touching her is a privilege you will never get. Understand?"

Rylan's jaw tightened, but he said nothing for several moments. Then he let out a tense stream of air. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this."

"We don't bruise the fruit on display." Cainan flashed his brother a sneer as he put his body in front of me. "It's an easy concept to grasp. And despite that, you always ruin the pretty ones."

"Cainan, that one needs a beating." Rylan pointed at me, his teeth gnashed in an ugly grimace. "Look at her! She's defiant."

Cainan did with a casual toss of his head, then turned back to Rylan. "You and I have very different methods. Mine has finesse. Yours is the poster child for domestic violence."

"But it works."

"Of course it works. That's not the point. We are running a business. Nobody wants to fuck a girl covered in bruises. Except you, I guess."

Rylan bristled. "Fuck off."

Cainan nodded. "As always, brother, I'm blown away by your wit."

One of the guards laughed. Rylan flinched and flushed a deep red, his gaze flicking to the soldiers watching the two brothers face off, and then narrowing on me. His burning eyes held me still. They were terrifying, black and fathomless. Our silent exchange told me that he wouldn't forget this humiliation. He'd find some way to hurt me.

My stomach clenched as Cainan faced me, taking me in his arms again. His warmth was so bracing. So male. It disarmed me thoroughly, and then he pushed me toward the jeep, speaking in a ruthless snap.

"We don't tolerate runaways. Nor the destruction of property."

His about-face was like jumping into an ice-cold pool. I swallowed hard, not sure whether he was helping or hurting me.

"Running is a serious offense. We discourage it for obvious reasons. It agitates the girls. They start to get dangerous ideas." Cainan tutted, as though thinking was a dangerous pastime. "Hope is a virus. It needs to be isolated and wiped out, or it spreads."

Was he serious? Everybody seemed to swallow that pile of bullshit. The guards didn't blink. Rylan's sadistic grin was back on his face, as though his brother was finally speaking in a language he understood.

"The first time I catch you, I'll spank you," Cainan growled, my ears aching at his raised voice. "The second time you run, I'll take you. I'll fill your pussy with my cum. Do you understand?" No, I didn't.

My mouth hung open as I gaped at him, too stunned to reply. Why was he pretending to be brutal? Taking him seriously was a challenge. This was the same man who enjoyed the new Jennifer Lawrence romantic comedy so much he made us rewatch it. He was the one who'd filled the theater with his belly-aching laughter. He hadn't faked that.

Had he?

This ultra-dark side of him seemed like a performance, but how could I be sure? Why shouldn't I believe he was evil? He'd threatened to rape me. A fact that hollowed out my insides and send a dark thrill too low on my belly. My nerves tensed as he wrenched me backward, bumping his hips into mine, allowing me to feel the full length of his erection. I sucked in a breath. Oh God. He meant this. He wasn't lying.

"Do. You. Understand?"

The pulsing knot in my throat erupted. "Cainan, you can't!"

"Why not?" he asked calmly, his mouth lightly skimming my cheek. "What did I tell you on the way here? What is your purpose?"

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To please you sexually.

He squeezed my hips. "Repeat my words."

"I-to please you sexually."

"That's exactly right. You are mine. If I want your pussy, I'm going to take it. Anytime. Anywhere."

My stomach bottomed out. Shock wedged a response in my throat.

"But I am a generous lover. I like to give as much as I take. I can be gentle, but if you run...all that goes out the window." Cainan straightened, his voice hardening. "Now, I want you to apologize to my brother." "I-" I was about to obey, and then a smirking Rylan strolled into view. "I'm not sorry!"

His hand buried in my hair as he shoved me over the hood. I flinched as the hot metal kissed my cheek. Then his body crushed mine.

"Try again."

"Please," I babbled, my eyes widening as his weight kept me from struggling. "Let me go. I won't tell anyone."

Rylan let out a condescending laugh. Cainan's torso lifted from me, but he kept his hand on my head. His thighs trapped my legs. A confusing heat burned my cheeks as his fingers teased the hem of my dress. "When I give an order, you will obey. You will do so respectfully. I know this is new to you and it feels strange. But anything new is unusual until it becomes normal. It won't happen overnight, but you will learn your place." "Good talk there, chief," I said with a forced laugh, wincing from the pressure on my head. "Does it ever work?" I could feel his quiet astonishment that his threat hadn't worked on me.

Cainan's voice seethed with disdain. "You don't want to upset me."

"I care more about the Kardashians than your feelings!"

My heartbeat rocketed as Cainan released me. Then he seized my thighs and stroked. His touch was lighter than a feather, but the audacity of the movement robbed me of breath. I choked on my saliva as he kneaded my thighs. He'd never handled me like this. In our messages to each other there was plenty of innuendo, but he hadn't crossed the line during our dates. Weeks of pent-up sexual tension smoldered in my body. I was acutely aware of the graze of his fingertips, and how much I ached for more. Heat circled my waist as his hips pushed into mine, wedging my thighs apart.

Cainan swept under the curve of my ass cheeks. His light touch split into three soft fingers as he grazed the edge of my thong. Blood rushed at the spots where he caressed me, the pleasant warmth battling my head, which kept telling me to run. Shock wrapped my throat.

I bucked against him, only succeeding in grinding his hips. He let out a groan as a rock-hard column dug into my ass.

Cainan's grip slackened.

I sucked in a tight breath and stopped moving. My chest pulsed against the hood as Cainan crushed me, digging his erection into my ass. Oh my God. My heart somersaulted as he played with something on his waist. Leather slapped through loops as he pulled off his belt.

"Cainan, don't do this." I twisted around, drawing his eager gaze away from my body. "Please."

"You made your bed." Cainan flicked his wrist in a quick snap, and my backside exploded with pain. I screamed, jumping forward. "Beautiful," Cainan crooned as he fisted my dress to my middle back, exposing me to the other men. "Look at that color."

A sensual thrill teased my nipples as he fondled my burning cheek. I shut my eyes, but the backs of my lids burned with an image of me bent over the hood, half-naked, a thong the only thing guarding the growing heat between my legs and a group of rabid men.

"Stop," I begged, licking my lips. "You've made your point."

"I haven't even begun."

"I won't give you what you want!" I shouted, fighting to escape his suffocating weight. "I'm not the type. I won't be your slave girl. What I'll do is make your life a living hell until you strangle me. So if you're going to kill me, get it over with!" "Kill you? After all the trouble I went through to bring you here?" he tutted. "I don't think so."

"I'm not made for this!"

"Oh, I disagree. If you could see yourself from where I'm standing... Legs spread. Pussy on display." The belt rubbed into my skimpy underwear, the hard leather lingering where my clit pulsed. "You'll be my perfect little whore before long." My heart thumped wildly. "I won't."

"You will." Cainan's smile brushed the sensitive patch under my ear. "You're halfway there."

"Not anymore." I cleared my throat, pretending to not be affected. "You broke everything between us."

"If only I did, Claire...but I know you're confused. You have no idea what to make of me. You're hoping I'll turn back into the man I pretended to be. Maybe you're right. Or maybe I'm feeding into that false belief to make you desperate...and dependent on me. I doubt you realize how much of yourself you've given to me. I know your doubts. Your fears. Your secret desires. How you like to be kissed."

I trembled. "Stop."

"What makes you come," he continued mercilessly, my skin prickling with desire. "We've discussed that in detail. Haven't we? You confided in me your most delicious fantasies. I can make them happen, Claire."

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He spoke so quietly, I doubted anyone could hear him, but his seductive purr blared in my head. I could listen to nothing else. It was overly intimate, as though we were locked in a private room.

"I don't want you," I whispered, tears flooding my gaze. "I hate you. I will never feel anything for you."

"But you already feel something for me."

I shuddered. "You're wrong."

"So if I stroke your pussy, you won't be dripping?" His palm moved between my thighs, engulfing me with his heat. "Shall I put that to the test?"

"No."

"You sound worried."

"I'm not!" A note of hysteria entered my voice as he massaged me. "Don't."

I slumped on the hood, overcome with lightheadedness. My clit throbbed from his pleasant movements. Slowly, he pulled my underwear aside, baring my sex.

As soon as the balmy air touched my wet lips, I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt him pull me apart and hold me open. And then his thumb slipped in the river of my arousal. "That is... the most ready pussy I've ever seen. God, you're such a perfect girl."

He said it with such a loving caress that I gnawed on my lip, fighting to keep the bliss it brought me from working through me. He rubbed me from side to side, a traitorous spark building in my core. I gasped. There were no words to describe my torment. He'd stolen my power. Now he humiliated me by turning my body against me.

"Cainan," I wheezed, raising my torso. "Don't!"

"It's too bad you've been such a naughty girl, because I could make you come."

A hot ache grew in my throat. "Stop it!"

"I'll let you pick. Pain..." He slapped my ass hard enough for the sting to bite deep into my flesh. Then he chased the blooming sting with his thumb on my clit. "Or pleasure?"

"Neither."

"If you don't choose, I will." His finger rammed inside me. He inserted himself all the way to his knuckle.

I sputtered an unintelligible word as my walls gripped him. He pulled out too soon, spreading the wetness over my clit. Heat consumed my body like a sauna.

"Pain, you asshole."

Cainan sighed, winding the belt around my wrists. Pressure returned to the middle of my back as he forced me to bow, and then he ripped the thong to my knees. More than one appreciative groan murmured through the group. Shame flooded my cheeks as I pictured them gawking at my bare ass and pussy. My pulse throbbed as I waited, hating myself for trembling. I looked behind me.

Cainan's palm lifted and whirled down.

Pain bloomed across my ass cheek. He landed another blow before I drew breath, knocking the scream from my mouth. He lashed at me, the agony returning. I leapt forward, trying to get away from the fierce bite of his palm, but he wouldn't let me go. He grasped my wrist and held me still as the blistering sensation spread from cheek to cheek. He fucking hit me. It hurt, but the humiliation of a man I'd dated, whom I thought was a good person, stung so much worse. The blows weren't the love taps. They were painful, open-palmed swings. He struck me so hard that tears brimmed in my eyes. I dug into my hands to keep from crying.

Then he stopped.

Cainan stroked the raw flesh as I trembled on the hood.

"Apologize," he commanded. "Look at my brother and apologize."

"N-no."

I braced myself, but Cainan's fingers brushed my inner thigh. Once again, the light touch set me aflame. He continued to spank me with his hand rubbing my clit. With each strike, he was bolder, sliding up and down my slit. "No," I burst, my voice hoarse. "I want you to hit me."

"Tell me you're sorry." Cainan's soft reproach made heat bloom in my body. "Or I'll make a real liar out of you."

I bit my lip when another swift blow radiated to my pussy. "Please stop."

"I will when you apologize."

I gritted my teeth against the unwelcome desire in my belly. "I'm sorry."

"Look at him and say it."

I whirled around, but didn't see Rylan. I saw myself standing in his place, mouth agape in shock. A rush of self-loathing claimed my cheeks at my utter powerlessness. I'd caved after a few minutes, and only because I'd enjoyed it too much. "I'm sorry," I mumbled incoherently. "I'm really sorry."

The vision warped into a teary blur as Cainan's palm patted my smoldering behind. He rolled the dress over my back as I blinked away tears. They tracked down my cheek as the others returned to the car.

He opened the door for me, ushering me in the backseat. This time, he sat beside me. As Rylan threw himself in the driver's seat and turned on the radio, I slowly faced Cainan.

His gray orbs danced over my face. "Welcome to Hell."