She cried out, her willowy body rocking in my grip. I firmed my fingers around her throat, restricting her ability to breathe. She could do nothing to resist me, nothing to deny my claim over her entire being. I controlled her body, her breath. I fucked her mercilessly, her tight channel squeezing me with velvet heat that made pleasure gather at the base of my spine. I gritted my teeth and shoved it back. This wouldn’t end so quickly.

She released little whimpers with each of my harsh thrusts, squirming in my ruthless hands. I reached around her and ground my thumb against her clit, keeping a firm hold on her neck as I rubbed her in a rhythm that I’d learned she liked best.

She shattered on a scream, the ecstatic sound holding an edge of pain as I forced the orgasm from her helpless body. Her inner walls contracted around me, squeezing my dick and triggering my own release. I tipped back my head and released an animal roar, spilling my cum deep inside her, marking her.

My wife. My Nora.

“Mine.”

11. Nora

Chapter 11

Nora

“Nora!” My sister’s arms closed around me, and the fear that’d plagued me since Luca had left my side melted away.

“I’ve missed you,” I confessed, allowing some of my vulnerability to spill out now that I was safely with Giana. I would be strong for her—I didn’t want her to worry about me—but I couldn’t help returning her hug with a fierce embrace.

She stepped back so that she could study my face. “How are you, really? I can’t believe Father wouldn’t let me come to your reception. I’ve been dying to see you.”

I squeezed her hands in both of mine. “Me too.” At least Luca had provided me with my own phone, so I’d been able to talk to Giana every day since I’d been forced into this marriage. Still, nothing compared to being in her presence, to see that she was safe and whole.

Giana’s chocolate brown eyes were wide on mine. “I heard Luca talking to Father before he left. Did Dante really send men after you yesterday? Are you hurt at all?”

I tensed. I hadn’t intended to tell my sister about the kidnapping attempt that’d taken place in our own home. It was why Luca had brought me here, to my father’s house. While my husband was out consolidating power and reaffirming alliances against Dante, he wanted me to be somewhere nearby but well-guarded. His estate had been breached, so he didn’t want to leave me there while he was in the city. My family home was the closest option, and Luca had secured my father’s loyalty through our marriage.

“I’m okay,” I promised Giana before she could spiral deeper into anxiety. “Luca protected me.”