Luca stood frozen as Damien leaned back against his chair, the dim lighting casting shadows over his sharp, unreadable expression. The air was thick with danger, with the kind of suffocating possessiveness that made Luca’s skin crawl and his stomach churn in an unsteady mixture of fear and something unnameable.

Damien had just returned from another bloody encounter—his suit still stained with remnants of whatever poor soul had crossed him. His gloves were off, his bare fingers tapping against the armrest, slow and deliberate, as if savoring the moment before striking.

"Come here, Luka," Damien’s voice was a silken command, dark with an edge of something lethal beneath the surface.

Luca hesitated, but he knew better than to defy him now. Taking tentative steps forward, he found himself trapped in the intensity of Damien’s gaze—those sharp, predatory blue eyes that saw through every flicker of hesitation, every inch of resistance Luca tried to muster.

A strong hand gripped his wrist, yanking him forward until he was standing between Damien’s legs, caged in by his presence. Luca swallowed hard, his pulse hammering in his throat as Damien’s fingers trailed up his arm, over his shoulder, before stopping at his neck. He traced the line of Luca’s jaw with his thumb, his touch deceptively soft.

"You did well today," Damien murmured, tilting Luca’s face up with an almost tender grip. "Not pushing me too far. Not testing my patience." His lips curled into something that could almost be a smile—but it wasn’t. It was something far more dangerous.

Luca’s breath caught in his throat when Damien’s grip tightened just slightly. It wasn’t painful, not yet, but it was a warning.

"You’ll see your family," Damien continued, his voice low, almost affectionate. "But you won’t tell them anything, will you?"

Luca shook his head quickly, feeling the tension coil in his stomach as Damien leaned in, his breath ghosting over his lips. "Good boy." The words sent an unwanted shiver down Luca’s spine, and Damien must have noticed because his smirk widened, dark amusement dancing in his gaze.

"But tell me, Luka," Damien whispered, his fingers trailing lower, gripping Luca’s waist. "What will you do when they look into your eyes and see what I’ve done to you? When they see that you belong to me?"

Luca clenched his fists at his sides, struggling against the overwhelming sensation of Damien’s presence, of the heat in his gaze. "I’ll—I'll keep my promise," he forced out, barely recognizing his own voice.

A satisfied hum rumbled in Damien’s throat before he pulled Luca onto his lap in a swift, effortless motion. Luca barely had time to react before Damien’s arms locked around him, his gloved fingers digging into his hips.

"Such a perfect little liar," Damien murmured against his ear, his lips barely brushing his skin. "But you can’t lie to me, Luka. I own every piece of you. Your body, your mind… your very existence is mine to shape, to break, to put back together as I please."

Luca stiffened as Damien’s grip tightened, the possessiveness in his voice leaving no room for argument.

"One wrong word, one slip of the tongue, and I’ll erase every trace of them from this world." Damien’s tone was calm, almost casual, but the sheer weight of his threat sent a cold dread crawling down Luca’s spine. "You understand that, don’t you, lyubov moya?"

Luca nodded, his breaths uneven. "I understand."

Damien’s lips curved into a dark smile before he pressed a slow, lingering kiss to the corner of Luca’s mouth, claiming him with nothing but a simple touch. "Good. Now be a sweet boy and remind me why I should reward you."

Luca’s breath hitched as Damien’s hands roamed lower, the dangerous promise in his gaze making it clear—this was not just about obedience. It was about ownership, about breaking him apart piece by piece until there was nothing left but Damien’s will carved into his very soul.

And Luca was powerless to stop it.

Damien’s lips curved into a smirk, but there was no humor in his expression. His thumb brushed over Luca’s lower lip, his voice deepening into something dangerously soft. “And what will you give me in return, hm? You’re always taking, little one. Always begging.”

Luca felt his cheeks flush, his heartbeat hammering in his chest. He knew what Damien wanted. He saw it in the way his dark eyes devoured him, in the way his grip tightened possessively.

He hesitated for only a second before stepping closer, pressing his small hands against Damien’s chest, feeling the warmth of his body through the bloodied shirt. He let his fingers trail lower, his touch feather-light.

“I’ll give you… what you want,” Luca murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. His lashes lowered as he glanced up at Damien through them, a hesitant but unmistakable invitation in his expression.

Damien inhaled sharply, his pupils dilating. He wrapped an arm around Luca’s waist, pulling him against his hard, unyielding body. “Careful, angel,” he warned, his voice like silk over steel. “You have no idea what you’re offering.”

Luca let his fingers toy with the collar of Damien’s shirt, emboldened by the way the man’s breathing had become heavier, rougher. “Then show me,” he challenged softly.

A low, predatory growl escaped Damien’s throat before he claimed Luca’s lips in a kiss that was anything but gentle. It was possessive, consuming, a silent declaration that Luca belonged to him. Luca whimpered against his mouth, his fingers curling into Damien’s shirt as the kiss deepened, as Damien’s grip tightened.

Damien broke the kiss only to whisper against Luca’s lips, “You’re mine. And if you dare to break our deal, there will be consequences.” His voice was dark, dangerous, but laced with something deeper. Something unspoken.

Luca shivered, nodding slowly. He had gotten what he wanted. But at what cost?

---

The next day, Luca sat anxiously in the backseat of one of Damien’s luxurious cars as they pulled up to his family’s home. His heart pounded as he saw the familiar front door, the windows he had looked out of so many times growing up.

He barely had a moment to react before Damien’s fingers wrapped around his wrist, his grip firm but not painful. Luca turned to face him, finding those dark, dangerous eyes watching him intently.

“Remember what I told you, little one,” Damien murmured, his voice low and possessive. “You tell them nothing. You smile, you act normal, and you return to me. Understood?”

Luca nodded hesitantly. He had no choice.

Damien leaned closer, his breath warm against Luca’s ear. “And when you return, I expect you to make good on your promise. I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

A shiver ran down Luca’s spine as he stepped out of the car, his heart pounding. This was his one chance to see his family. But even in their presence, he knew he was no longer free.

He belonged to Damien Volkov. And there was no escaping him now.