Sadie
The words caught in my throat. I wanted to tell him everything, to pour out all my fears, but standing in front of him, the words felt childish and insignificant. He was a man who handled multinational corporations and federal investigations. How could I tell him about a man in a beat-up sedan? But then I saw the possessive gleam in his eyes, the look that promised to incinerate anyone who dared to touch what was his. And I knew that this was exactly the kind of problem he wanted to hear about.
"I… I think I have a stalker," I said, the words a breathless whisper.
His smile vanished. His face, which had been a mask of cold amusement, became a sheet of icy fury. The air around us seemed to chill, and I saw a couple of men in suits who hadn't made it to the elevator yet give us a wide berth.
"Someone has been following you," he stated, his voice now a low, dangerous rumble. It was not a question. "Who is it?"
I swallowed, my eyes filling with tears of fear and relief. "I don't know who he is. He drives a brown sedan. I saw him outside my apartment, and then again when I was walking home." I described the man with the nervous twitch, the way his gaze lingered. "He's always there, Zane. It feels… It feels like a threat."
Zane's grip on my chin tightened, and I flinched, but he didn't notice. His eyes were burning with a cold, terrifying fire. The anger was not directed at me, but at the thought of someone else daring to infringe on his territory.
"A threat?" he said, his voice a low, chilling whisper. "He's not a threat, princess. He's a mosquito. A nuisance. He will be handled."
He released my chin, his hands dropping to my waist, and he pulled me against him. I let him, a strange sense of comfort washing over me. Being in his arms, with his immense power as a shield, felt like the only safe place in the world.
"I'll have my team check on him," I said, trying to be helpful.
He let out a low, dangerous laugh, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "No, princess. You won't. I've already dispatched my men. They will find him." He looked down at me, his gaze intense. "I told you, you're mine. I will protect you from the shadows, and you will not have to lift a single finger. This… insignificant… pest has made a mistake. A very, very costly mistake."
He leaned in, his lips a whisper from my ear. "He should have known. You're not his to touch. You're mine."
I looked up at him, and I knew, with absolute certainty, that this man would burn the world down for me. And the most terrifying part of all? I wanted him to.