My heart didn't just beat; it slammed against my ribs like a caged animal. I tried to take a step back, but my heels caught on the stone edge of the terrace. Behind me was a hundred-foot drop. In front of me was a man who looked like he could snap my neck without spilling his drink.
"I don't know who you think I am," I said, my voice shaking just enough to ruin the act. "But I'm leaving."
I tried to brush past him, but he didn't move. Instead, his hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around my upper arm. It wasn't a gentle grab. It was a claim. He hauled me forward, my chest crashing into his. The heat coming off him was a shock—he smelled like expensive cedar and cold rain.
"You're not going anywhere, Valentina," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "Not until I've seen what else you've tucked away in that dress."
"Let go of me," I hissed, clawing at his hand. His skin was like granite. He didn't even flinch.
"Is that a command?" He let out a low, dry laugh that sent a shiver straight to my core. "You're in my house. At my gala. Stealing from my associates. In this world, I am the only one who gives commands."
He spun me around, pinning my back against the cold marble railing. He didn't let go of my arm; instead, he used his other hand to grip my waist, his thumb digging into the soft skin just above my hip. He crowded into my space, his heavy, muscular frame making it impossible for me to breathe.
I looked up at him, my breath hitching. Up close, he was terrifying. His eyes weren't just cold—they were possessive. He looked at me like I was a piece of property he had finally tracked down.
"You think you're so smart," he whispered, leaning his head down until his lips were inches from my ear. "A little ghost moving through the shadows. Did you really think I wouldn't notice a girl like you? You're too loud, Val. Even when you're silent, your skin screams that you don't belong here."
"I can give it all back," I gasped, my head spinning from his proximity. "The watch, the ring... just let me go. You'll never see me again."
"Oh, I'm counting on that," he said, but his grip didn't loosen. Instead, his hand moved from my waist, sliding slowly, agonizingly up my side. His palm was hot, marking me through the thin silk of my gown. "But I don't want the jewelry. That's pocket change. I want to know who sent you."
"Nobody sent me! I work alone."
His hand reached my neck, his thumb tilting my chin up so I had no choice but to look at him. The intensity in his gaze was suffocating. He looked at my lips, then back to my eyes, his pupils blown wide.
"A liar and a thief," he murmured. "A dangerous combination. You've cost me a lot of face tonight, Valentina. The Senator is going to realize his watch is gone any minute. When he does, he'll call the carabinieri. And we both know what happens to girls like you in an Italian prison."
He leaned in closer, his chest crushing mine, forcing the air out of my lungs. I could feel the hard lines of his body, the absolute power he held over me in this moment.
"I have a better idea," he whispered, his breath ghosting over my skin. "I'm going to give you a choice. You can walk out of here in handcuffs and spend the next ten years in a cell... or you can stay here. With me."
"Stay here? As what? Your prisoner?"
"You chose the wrong ghost to haunt tonight," he whispers, his lips inches from my ear. "Everyone in this room is terrified of me. And by the time the sun comes up... you will be, too."
One of the waiters rushes over, bowing low. "Mr. Vanguard, the board is ready for you."
My heart stops. Vanguard. ---
His lips curved into a dark, mocking smirk. He leaned down, his mouth brushing against the pulse point on my neck, making my knees go weak.
"As my debt," he rasped. "You wanted to play with the big boys, Val. Now you're going to learn what happens when you lose the game."
He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye, his hand sliding down to grip my jaw.
"Tonight, you died. Valentina the thief is gone. From this moment on, you belong to the Vanguard Estate. You eat when I say. You sleep when I say. And you don't breathe unless I give you the air to do it."
I tried to spit a curse at him, but he caught my lips with his thumb, pressing down hard enough to silence me.
"Don't," he warned, his eyes flashing with a sudden, dark hunger. "I'm an arrogant man, Val. And I'm very, very possessive of what's mine. If you fight me, I'll just make the cage smaller."
Before I could respond, he hooked an arm under my knees and lifted me off my feet. I gasped, my arms instinctively flying up to wrap around his neck to keep me from falling.
"Put me down!"
"Get used to the view," he said, his voice cold and final as he started walking toward the private elevators. "Because this is the last time you'll see the sky without my permission."