Chapter 10 The First Time

Echo slightly closed her eyes and replied, "You, Ryan, the boss of the Dark family, need to worry about escaping?"

Hearing the subtle sarcasm in her voice, Ryan pulled her closer and bit down hard on her injured neck. The pain made Echo let out a soft whimper, but she couldn't resist and had no choice but to endure Ryan's bite.

After a while, Ryan finally let go, glancing at the faint blood on Echo's neck.

He coldly said, "Letting your guard down is the beginning of your death."

In the underworld, where lives were constantly at risk, being the boss didn't guarantee you a longer life. Often, it made you an even bigger target.

Echo, who hadn't lived in the world of organized crime, couldn't fully grasp this reality. Although there was only a slight difference between stealing and robbing, the implications were worlds apart.

When Echo opened her eyes, she saw that Ryan's gaze was full of killing intent, though it wasn't directed at her. The pain in her neck served as a constant reminder that this man was a monster-morality, principles, and laws didn't restrain him. He could do whatever he wanted if it pleased him.

Gritting her teeth, she said, "Aren't you afraid I'll sell you out?"

Ryan responded with a bloodthirsty smile, gently rubbing the bite mark on her neck. With a chilling tone, he said, "Only if you have the ability."

Seeing Ryan's arrogance, Echo shot him a glance before slowly closing her eyes. Provoking a monster was a foolish move; it was better to keep her thoughts to herself for now.

Ryan watched Echo close her eyes in a resigned manner, seemingly surrendering to him, and he nodded in satisfaction.

Pulling her closer, he coldly said, "Obey me, and maybe I'll consider sparing Skye's life."

Echo was instantly shocked and tried to lift her head, but Ryan held her firmly by the back of the neck, forcing her to keep her face buried against his shoulder. Panic set in as she clung tightly to Ryan's waist.

Damn it, how could she have overlooked this? If she's been captured, then the people in her crew must be in deep trouble too. Skye, her partner, won't have an easy time either if the Dark family gets their hands on her.

She's only being kept alive because Ryan has some use for her, but Skye... her situation is dangerous.

Echo cursed silently.

"You let her go, and I'll do whatever you want," Echo said in a raspy, muffled voice as she lay against Ryan's neck, unable to lift her head.

Skye was the only person Echo cared about in this world, more important than any family. Skye was the one person who mattered most to her, a presence more meaningful than any blood relation, the only color in her life.

There was no response for a long time. The only thing Echo felt was the tightening grip around her waist, squeezing the breath out of her.

Echo understood-Ryan was silently telling her that she had no right to negotiate with him.

Gritting her teeth, she finally murmured, "I'll do what you want. Just don't hurt her." As she slowly released her grip on Ryan's waist, she hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around him instead.

No reaction.

Half an hour passed, and Ryan, who was still holding her, hadn't made a move.

Echo had already conceded, so what was he waiting for?

Curiosity got the better of her, and she slightly raised her head to catch a glimpse of Ryan's expression.

The moment she moved, Ryan frowned and tightened his arms around her, impatiently saying, "Sleep."

Echo was so surprised that she didn't dare to move again.

It was a frustrating night. Lying awake in Ryan's arms until nearly dawn, Echo realized that all he'd done was hold her while he slept. Although he kept shifting her around like a body pillow, he hadn't done anything more.

Confused but unable to resist the pull of sleep any longer, she finally drifted off, setting aside her worries and confusion.

At daybreak, the rare quiet of the villa was shattered by a cold voice from the master bedroom, "Get up."

The voice was ice-cold, laced with suppressed anger and its usual cruelty.

Echo was deep in sleep, completely ignoring the annoying noise. Annoyed, she buried her head deeper into the warm pillow.

After a night of restless sleep, trapped in Ryan's iron grip, she was finally comfortable. If anyone dared disturb her now, she'd kill them.

"Let go."

So noisy. And her wrist hurt, too. Echo reluctantly opened her eyes, irritated by the pain that felt like her wrist was about to snap, forcing her awake.

She looked up and met Ryan's cold gaze.

Stunned, Echo blinked in confusion, then glanced down at her aching wrist, which Ryan was gripping tightly. No wonder it hurt so much. Her other hand was wrapped around Ryan's neck. So, she had been holding onto Ryan while sleeping?

The realization hit her hard, bringing her fully awake. She pulled away, letting go of Ryan without any expression, as the memories of the previous day came flooding back.

"Boss, we've completed the investigation into yesterday's incident. When would you like to review the findings?" Hawk's steady voice came from the doorway, clearly prompted by the sounds from within.

Ryan frowned and said, "Handle it yourself."

"Yes, Boss. The original plan for today was to go to H City. When should we depart?" Hawk responded briskly, not even questioning whether the day's schedule should be canceled after yesterday's events. He clearly understood Ryan's nature and had complete confidence in the strength of the Dark family.

Ryan glanced at his watch and replied in a deep voice, "In twenty minutes."

With that brief answer, Hawk's barely audible footsteps faded away, while Echo had already retreated into the bathroom.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Echo frowned at the rare sight of her weary face and the bruises marring her skin. Splashing water on her face, she looked out at the vast world beyond the window, listening to the birds chirping from the treetops in the distance.

Clenching her fists, she slammed one into the water. She would leave this place. Sooner or later.

"Come here."

Fresh out of the bathroom, Echo saw Ryan sitting on the edge of the bed, water dripping from his hair. He was only wearing a towel, with nothing else on. Next to him, there was a neatly folded set of clothes.

Echo walked over, grabbed a towel, and began to dry his hair. If there was one thing she'd learned in this life, it was how to read the room.

Ryan instinctively clenched his fist, ready to strike, but then he slowly relaxed. Over the years, plenty of people had dressed him, but his head-his most vulnerable spot-was off-limits. It couldn't withstand any attack.

Yet Echo's touch was gentle, carefully drying his hair. His naturally sensitive nature, normally on high alert, had been softened by the night they spent together. The usual sense of danger was absent, and Ryan, surprisingly, allowed her to continue.

Echo had no idea how close she'd come to real trouble.

After drying his hair, she reached for the clothes and hesitated slightly before unwrapping the towel from around Ryan's waist. His naked body instantly made her face flush. This was the first time she had ever seen a man's naked body up close.

Seeing that Ryan remained still, waiting for her to dress him, Echo steadied her nerves and began. As she dressed him, her eyes couldn't help but notice the scars crisscrossing his tanned skin-small, round marks and long, jagged lines covering his chest and thighs. They were almost the same color as his skin, but they stood out in their brutality.

She raised an eyebrow, realizing that Ryan hadn't just been handed his position as boss-those scars told a silent story of the harsh past he had endured.

Once she finished dressing him, Ryan left the room without a word or a glance, heading straight out.

Echo quickly straightened her clothes and followed.

From today on, her focus wasn't on escaping; it was on finding out where Skye was.

Counting on Ryan to let Skye go was harder than hoping for rain in the desert.