Bound by Blood and Desire: A Mafia Dark Romance

Ruthless

~Camilla~

My eyes snapped open, and I shot up from the bed with a scream. “Get away from me!”

But it was too late.

Memories from last night flashed through my head—being forced into the car, the auction. And then... him. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to think about what happened after he bought me.

The raw, searing pain between my legs was a brutal reminder of how violently he had taken my virginity. I sucked in a deep breath, fighting to keep the tears from spilling over.

I wasn’t supposed to be weak. I was raised in blood, in chaos—I should be stronger than this.

Quickly, I forced myself to shower, scrubbing every inch of my skin as if I could wash away the shame and fear. I grabbed the only clothes I could find in the wardrobe, still unsure where I was. My thoughts raced, searching for any plan, any way out of this nightmare.

Just as I turned around, the door creaked open. And there he was.

Axel.

The memories came crashing back, the screams that ripped from my throat as I begged him to stop. He stared at me for a moment, his expression unreadable before he finally spoke. "We’ll be leaving soon. To my estate. Make yourself more presentable."

His voice was so detached as he took a step further into the room, as if nothing had happened between us last night. As if he hadn’t destroyed me.

Before I could stop myself, the words escaped my lips. “You raped me.”

He paused mid-step, his body stiffening before he slowly turned to face me. His eyes darkened, cold as ice. “What did you just say?”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding against my ribs. “You... you forced yourself on me. You raped me.”

Axel’s mouth curled into a cruel smile, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He took a deliberate step toward me, forcing me to back up instinctively. “Last I checked,” he said, his tone almost mocking, “you’re my wife. I’m entitled to you. And I consummated our marriage.”

I shook my head, disbelief crashing over me. How could someone be this cold, this detached from humanity? Was he born like this, or did something ruin him along the way?

Axel’s eyes followed mine to the bloodstain on the sheets, and he drawled. “You should be grateful you're still breathing after that stunt you pulled.” His eyes narrowed, flashing with anger. “I still have fragments in my leg.”

I ignored his fury, the violent heat radiating from him, and whispered, “You had no right... to do what you did to me.”

He took another step closer, the distance between us almost vanishing. His presence suffocated me. “In case I didn’t make myself clear before, I’ll say it again. You belong to me. I own you. I’ll use you however I see fit, and you’ll learn to be grateful that I’m choosing to let you live. Or...” His voice dropped, his tone deadlier than before. “You’ll die trying. Do you understand?”

There was no way I could live like this. Death seemed like a kinder fate.

“Then do it,” I spat, stepping forward, closing the gap between us. “Kill me. Because I will never stop trying to escape from you. I will never stop fighting to make sure I never bring a child into this world to be raised by a monster like you.”

My voice shook as I unleashed the last words, venom coating every syllable. “Because that’s what you are—a vile, cruel monster who’s going to die alone and end up in the pits of hell.”

His reaction was immediate. In a flash, his hand shot out and wrapped around my throat, cutting off my air. I gasped, clawing at his fingers as his grip tightened.

"Then let me do us both a favor," Axel growled, his face inches from mine. His hand squeezed harder, and my vision began to blur.

I thrashed in his grip, my heart racing as panic set in. My thoughts scrambled for something—anything to save myself. And then, I felt it.

The gun. His gun.

Without thinking, I reached for it, my fingers barely grazing the handle as I struggled for breath. In one desperate move, I yanked it from his belt and fired. The bullet hit his leg, and he released me, staggering back.

Gasping for air, I stumbled away from him, the gun shaking in my hands. I pointed it at his head, my finger trembling on the trigger. “Don’t come any closer,” I warned, my voice hoarse. “I’ll kill you. I swear, I will aim for your head . My father taught me how to shoot, and I never miss my mark.”

Blood poured from his leg, but Axel didn’t fall. He stood there, eerily calm, watching me with those cold, calculating eyes. The blood soaked through his pants, but he seemed unfazed.

"I’ll give you three seconds to drop the gun," he said, his voice even, almost bored.

I shook my head, my hands trembling as I kept the gun trained on him. My heart pounded so loudly in my chest I was sure he could hear it. “Stay back,” I warned again.

“One,” Axel began, his eyes never leaving mine.

I tightened my grip on the gun, trying to ignore the panic rising in my throat.

“Two.” He took a step forward, blood dripping onto the floor, his eyes hard and unyielding.

My finger hovered over the trigger, my whole body trembling. I couldn’t let him win. Not again.

“Thr—"

In a blur, faster than I could comprehend, Axel lunged. Before I could react, the gun was wrenched from my hand, and suddenly it was pointed back at me. My eyes widened in shock, my body frozen.

I stared at the barrel of the gun, my breath catching in my throat. Axel’s expression was stone cold, his lips pressed into a hard line. His eyes—dark, empty—bored into mine as if he was staring right through my soul, seeing every ounce of fear I was trying to hide.

The fear that was bubbling up faster than I could suppress it.

“You keep reminding me that you’re a really stupid person, Camilla,” he said slowly, each word dripping with boredom. “And worse, you keep getting on my nerves.”

I swallowed, trying to fight back the terror rising in my chest, but it was no use. I was stuck in this nightmare, trapped with a man who had no remorse. I could barely think straight as panic coursed through my veins, and then, without warning—BANG!

He fired the gun, the bullet whizzing inches above my head. I screamed, a high-pitched, raw sound escaping my throat before I could stop it. My body froze, every muscle locked in place as I stood trembling. He didn’t flinch, didn’t blink, just stared at me like I was nothing more than a nuisance.

How was he still standing?

Blood poured from his leg, soaking his pants, pooling beneath his feet. He should have collapsed by now, but no—he was still towering over me, immovable.

Like a machine.

Axel lowered the gun, his voice a low growl, “You’re right, Camilla. I am a monster. But you should know something—I’ve been to the pits of hell, and even the devil knows better than to cross me.”

The way he said it sent a shiver down my spine. There was no bravado, no exaggeration. Just cold, hard truth. He was beyond redemption, beyond reason.

He took a step back, eyes narrowing. “I will f**k you every night until I have my heir. The more you resist, the more difficult I’ll make it for you.”

My heart pounded so violently in my chest that I thought it would burst. The thought that this was my life now, that I was trapped with him, made bile rise in my throat.

I forced the words out, my voice shaking, “I’ll sue you. It doesn’t matter if we’re married. Forcing yourself on me without my consent is rape.”

He laughed—a deep, harsh laugh that echoed around the room, sending another wave of terror through me. “You really are naive, aren’t you?” His tone was mocking. “I killed a nurse, Camilla. I killed her, and no one even blinked. Do you really think the law applies to me? I am the law. In this country, I decide who lives and who dies.”

The weight of his words hit me like a freight train. I’d heard rumors but I never believed anyone could have that much power.

No one should.

He turned as if to leave, but then—almost casually—he raised the gun again, quicker than I could react.

“One more thing,” he said, and before I could process what was happening, the gun went off. The pain hit me like a tidal wave. Searing. Blinding. I screamed, clutching my hand where the bullet had pierced through. The world around me spun, and I collapsed to the ground, my body trembling uncontrollably from the pain.

Axel crouched down to my level, his face inches from mine as I writhed on the floor, barely able to catch my breath between sobs. He looked amused, almost as if he was enjoying the show. “I’ll give you two options,” he whispered, his voice calm and steady, as though we were discussing something trivial. “One, you swear on the Moretti name that you’ll behave from now on—no more displays of stupidity. Or two, you refuse... and I leave you here to bleed out.”

Swearing on the Moretti name was like a blood oath. Once taken, it couldn’t be broken. I had been raised in a world where family names meant everything—where loyalty and duty were sacred. I could barely keep my eyes open, the pain so intense that my vision blurred at the edges. Blood soaked the floor beneath me, and I knew I didn’t have long before I passed out completely.

“I could walk out of here without you,” he finished, his voice soft, almost kind, as if offering me some form of twisted mercy. “Or... I could take you to the hospital. The choice is yours, Camilla.”