Chapter 5

The air in the living room turned to lead. The only sound was the quiet, rhythmic dripping of Corbin's blood hitting the floorboards.

Standing by the front door, Alex Stone gripped his earpiece, his thumb hovering over the button to call the medical team. He was terrified of what Corbin might do next.

Alana looked up at Corbin. She saw the heavy walls of defense and the frantic, paranoid madness swirling in his black eyes. Her chest ached with a dull, throbbing pain.

In her past life, her stubbornness and his need for control had built a prison of mutual torture.

She was not going to build that prison again.

Alana took a deep breath. She bent her knees slightly, physically lowering her line of sight so she was looking up at him from a submissive angle.

She reached out with both of her pale, clean hands. She didn't hesitate. She grabbed Corbin's large, bleeding, glass-filled hand.

The warm, sticky blood instantly smeared across her palms, staining her flawless skin.

Corbin's entire body jerked. His instinct was to rip his hand away. He didn't want to dirty her. He didn't want his blood on her.

But Alana held on tight. Her thumbs gently stroked the uninjured knuckles of his hand, avoiding the glass.

She looked up at him. Her usually cold, distant eyes were swimming with moisture, making her look incredibly fragile and innocent.

"Corbin," she whispered. Her voice was impossibly soft, laced with a tiny hint of a plea.

The sound of his name, spoken like that, acted like a sledgehammer to his psychological defenses.

"Take me with you, please," Alana said softly. "I promise I will stay right by your side. I won't go anywhere else."

It was the first time in two lifetimes she had ever spoken to him with such raw dependence.

Corbin's breathing completely derailed. His Adam's apple bobbed hard against his throat.

He stared intensely into her eyes, searching frantically for the lie, the manipulation, the trap.

He found nothing. Only clear, absolute reliance.

The violent rage inside him evaporated, sucked out of the room in an instant. In its place, a dark, twisted, possessive satisfaction bloomed in his chest.

He flipped his hand over, ignoring the glass, and grabbed her wrist. With his other arm, he hooked her by the waist and yanked her hard against his chest.

Corbin lowered his head until his nose brushed against hers. His voice was a harsh, raspy whisper.

"If you're lying to me," he threatened, his breath hot against her lips, "I will break your legs and lock you to my bed forever."

Instead of pulling away in terror, Alana relaxed. she rested her forehead against his solid chest.

"Okay," she murmured against his shirt. "Whatever you say."

That simple surrender was the final lock clicking into place. The beast was chained.

Corbin closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the scent of her shampoo.

He opened his eyes and looked over her head at Alex. The cold, authoritative CEO was back.

"Get the car ready," Corbin ordered. "Have the medical team waiting inside."

Alex let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He gave Alana a quick, incredulous look before spinning around and practically running out the door.

Corbin grabbed a clean towel from the side table. He wrapped it carelessly around his bleeding hand. With his good hand, he grabbed Alana's waist and guided her toward the front door.

Alana walked obediently beside him. As she looked toward the driveway, the corner of her mouth twitched upward into a cold, invisible smirk.

The game had officially begun.