The Devil Who Claimed Me

The question hung heavily inside the car. For the first time, Dominic had no easy answer.

The car sped through the dark street, engine humming softly. But the silence between them thickened with each passing second.

Her heart pounded harder and harder. She stared at him, waiting for his answer.

Lucas looked at them in the rearview mirror and sighed. "You should just tell her."

Mila’s gaze darted between them, her anxiety growing. "Tell me what?"

Dominic clenched his jaw before forcing himself to relax. He finally spoke. "My name is Dominic – Dominic Russo."

The air inside the car seemed to freeze. Mila instantly remembered her conversation with Lara on the phone.

’Dominic Russo is still alive.’

Her lips trembled. "You...you are Dominic Russo – the mafia king?"

Dominic remained silent for a second. Then he nodded slowly. "Yes."

Mila didn’t breathe. She couldn’t process what she had just heard.

"No..." She shook her head frantically. "This is not true. This can’t be."

The man beside her – the one who held her hand gently, who smiled at her, who kissed her – was a dangerous mafia lord she had casually dismissed on the phone.

"That’s impossible. You are lying."

But Dominic didn’t deny it. His silence confirmed her worst fear.

The truth hit her like a blow. She had not liked an ordinary billionaire. She had fallen for a ruthless killer.

Terror flooded her veins.

"Stop the car," she cried suddenly.

Lucas glanced at her in confusion but kept driving.

’STOP THE CAR. RIGHT NOW.’ Her voice rose hysterically.

"We can’t stop," Dominic replied calmly.

The words made Mila freeze. She slowly turned to him, eyes filled with fear.

"What do you mean you can’t stop?" she barked. "I want nothing to do with you. I don’t want to go anywhere with you. Stop the damn car right here."

Lucas paid no attention to her cries. He continued driving at the same speed.

Mila felt as if the walls were closing in on her. "I don’t want to be with you. You are a criminal, a murderer. I don’t want to do anything with you. Stop here. I am leaving."

Dominic’s expression darkened, but he didn’t interrupt her.

She grew even more desperate when he didn’t respond. She reached for the door handle and tried to yank it open. It wouldn’t budge.

Her panic intensified. She pulled harder. Her breathing turned erratic. She pulled again and again, but it remained locked.

Frustrated, she yelled in a frenzy, "I’ll jump out. I swear I’ll jump out."

"Mila, stop this," Dominic hissed. "You can’t leave now."

That only pushed her further to the edge. "You locked me in. Are you kidnapping me?"

Desperate, she tried to open the door again. When that failed, she leaned forward and grabbed Lucas’s shoulder.

"Stop the car," she shouted. "Stop it right now."

Lucas gritted his teeth as he tried to keep the car steady. "Miss, calm down."

"Don’t tell me to calm down," she screamed, reaching for the steering wheel.

Lucas flinched when she tried to push him. "You are going to cause an accident," he muttered, trying to shove her away.

Dominic quickly pulled her back. "Mila, that’s enough." His arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Let go of me." She struggled wildly in his grip like a caged animal. Her fists pounded against his chest.

Dominic didn’t release her. He tightened his hold, trying to restrain her without hurting her.

"I hate you. Let me go." She pushed against his chest, hitting him with all her strength.

"Listen to me first," he said softly, his tone persuasive.

But she wasn’t listening. She kept struggling, hitting, and crying. Her hair had fallen messily around her face, and her eyes were red with tears. She looked utterly terrified.

"Mila, babe, calm down, will you?"

"No. I won’t." She looked like a woman who had lost her mind. All she wanted was to run, to get away from this man who had suddenly felt like a stranger.

Lucas glanced at them through the rearview mirror. He grabbed a bottle of water and handed it back.

"Give her this."

Dominic took the bottle. "Mila, drink some water." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"I don’t want anything from you," she shouted, her voice cracking.

Dominic didn’t lose his patience. He explained calmly, "Those men are still after us. If we leave you, they might find you."

At that, Mila quieted down.

"They could hurt you."

She stiffened. Her lips trembled. Tears continued falling from her eyes.

"Once we reach a safe place, I’ll let you go."

She looked at him through her tear-filled eyes. She didn’t believe him. But the thought of those armed men chasing her made her stomach twist in dread. For now, she had no choice.

Slowly, her struggling stopped. Her body went limp in Dominic’s arms.

"Take some water and relax," he cooed.

Reluctantly, she took the bottle and took a few sips. The cold water eased the dryness in her throat. Within minutes, her eyelids grew heavy. Her vision began to blur.

She frowned slightly, rubbing her eyes. "Why...why do I...feel so tired?" Her words slurred.

Mila blinked as she tried to stay awake, but her body refused to cooperate. Her head slowly drooped. In a few moments, she drifted into deep sleep.

Dominic watched her with concern. A deep frown creased his brow as he turned his sharp glare at Lucas. "What did you give her?" he asked coldly.

"Sedative," replied Lucas. "I knew she would cause trouble. So I prepared the water especially for her. She will sleep for several hours. She won’t wake up until we reach the safe house."

"You – how dare you drug her?" Dominic muttered, displeased.

"It’s the only way to keep her safe."

"I could have calmed her down," Dominic retorted.

"Yes, I saw it. You could barely keep her quiet."

Dominic looked at Mila in his arms. He couldn’t deny that he had failed to control her. If it had not been for the water, she would still be struggling.

"She needed to calm down," said Lucas. "Her panic would have made things worse for us."

A trace of guilt flickered across Dominic’s face as he watched her. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I warned you," Lucas continued. "She wouldn’t accept our reality, our world. Now you have seen it yourself. She is terrified of you. How are you going to deal with her?"

Dominic didn’t deny it. He had guessed that she would be furious, but this... He had not anticipated she would react so violently. Keeping Mila beside him wouldn’t be easy.

But letting her go...that was never an option.

His expression darkened.

’She is mine now and will remain mine – whether she likes it or not.’