Chapter 4

Lorena

I stared at him, unable to believe he'd actually agreed to something this barbaric. I never would have imagined he was capable of this when I helped him. If I'd known saving him would land me in this situation, I would've driven right past that dirt road. I would've left him there to die.

"I'm so sorry, Lorena..."

"Stop talking, you piece of shit. Stop apologizing—that's all you know how to do. Why didn't you think about me before walking into that casino? Why didn't you offer yourself instead of me?"

He hung his head, clearly regretting everything. My poor husband, deserving of a nice pat on the back... no, a beating to wake him the hell up.

"I'm not an object for you to say I'm yours. I'm leaving, and you're not coming after me."

The moment the words left my mouth, the casino owner raised a gun and pointed it at Jorge's head. He looked at me with a smile, flicked off the safety, and waited.

"He owes me five hundred thousand, and I'm getting that money one way or another. So you have two options: sign this marriage contract, and we get married as soon as the divorce is finalized—or I blow his brains out right now and you marry me as a widow. Either way, you're staying, because I've already decided you'll be mine, and here, my word is law."

I walked to the desk and planted both hands on it, glaring at him with so much rage it burned. Forcing me to do something against my will was the worst choice he could make.

"Even if I sign this, even if he walks out of here alive and divorces me, I will never be yours. I will never lie in your bed, and I will never let you touch me. Is that the kind of relationship you want?"

"For now, what matters is that you're with me. As for letting me touch you... don't worry. One day, you'll be begging for it."

That smug smile made my blood boil, because it showed he was getting exactly what he wanted. Jorge might have proven tonight that he was worthless, but the bastard didn't deserve to die for his own stupidity.

I drew a deep breath, let out a long sigh, and with no way out, I picked up the pen and signed the contract. I could already picture the hell my life was about to become. This man probably wouldn't even let me work. After I wrote my name, he pulled the paper toward himself and signed too. Jorge dropped to the floor, kneeling at my feet, but I stepped back, pulling away from him.

"Thank you, Lorena. Thank you for not letting him kill me."

"I never want to see your face again, Jorge. I regret every single day that I married you. You didn't just destroy your life—you destroyed mine. I hope you regret this every day for the rest of yours, and I hope it teaches you to stop gambling before it finishes you off for good, because I won't be around to pay for your mistakes anymore."

I watched Ravi hold up a hand and pass Jorge a check. I smiled, shaking my head. He hadn't just traded me for a debt—he'd sold me. My chest ached so badly I wanted to scream. I took a few steps toward Jorge and slapped him across the face so hard my palm burned.

"Get out, Jorge." Ravi looked at the guards. "I want extra security. Don't let him set foot in any of my casinos ever again." Jorge left the room with his hand on his cheek, and I watched until he disappeared through the door.

"I..." I turned to face Ravi. "I should have let you die on that dirt road."

"I agree. And since you didn't, you ended up with an obsessed mafioso who'll do anything to have you." He came out from behind the desk and started walking toward me. I backed up, unsettled by the intensity of his gaze. "Everything I want in this world, I get. Doesn't matter what it is or how big the obstacle. In the end, I always get what I want."

"You don't have me." My back hit the wall, but he kept coming. "Don't you dare touch me."

He smiled when he stopped right in front of me, and I swallowed hard. He placed a hand on either side of my head, pinning me completely.

"I'm a patient man, Lorena. I know how to wait. One day, you'll tell me you love me and give yourself to me."

"Never."

He smiled again and brought his face closer to mine, our lips almost touching. I felt his breath on my skin, and a strange sensation spread through me at the closeness.

"Never is a very strong word—almost eternal. And you're mine. All mine." He pressed a few soft kisses against my lips, and when he tried to deepen the kiss, I turned my face away, sending his mouth to my cheek. "I'll use that word differently," he murmured near my ear. "I will never leave you. I will never abandon you. And I will never stop trying to win you over. It could take days, months, or even years—I don't care, as long as you're with me."

He held my chin and stole a long, slow kiss while I tried to pull back, practically willing myself through the wall to escape the suffocating closeness. Then he stepped away with a satisfied grin, took my hand, and led me to his chair. He sat down and pulled me onto his lap, keeping his eyes locked on mine.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Lorena, and a woman like you deserves to be treated right by her husband. What did that guy have to offer you? No financial stability, no dignity, and he didn't even seem to appreciate you. You were married for five years and never had a child. Why?"

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