I am the Mafia Boss' prisoner now and under his protection from those trying to kill me. I must obey him. I am a gift to him from my father, the man I never knew. There is no escape from my new life even if I really wanted it. I am to be his bride and will carry his child and heir as soon as he wishes it. With him, I will want for nothing except perhaps, my freedom, now I am forced to be his. “Enough, little one. You are like a child, a naughty little girl I must discipline. If you behave and lie still, I will tell you the story of your parents and why you were given away to others. Or . . .” “Or what?” she challenged. His grip on her throat tightened even more and she found herself whimpering. “Or, little one, I will confine you in a cage and lock you away just as Damien Borovkov did to your mother until you learn to obey me without question. You will take a vow of obedience as my bride so it is wise to start now and get used to the idea. I own you, Astor. And there is nothing you can do about it.” She opened her mouth to rebuke him but he roughly lowered his lips and wrestled her tongue to gain dominance and kissed her hard, squeezing his hand around her throat to make her capitulate. A part of her was excited by the Mafia Boss’s rough handling and another outraged. The rational part screamed at her when she relented and gave in to his kiss. She couldn’t even remember the last time a man had shown such passionate interest in her. They were always frightened of her strength and intelligence as a new successful Barrister and backed away when the going got tough or complicated. After her sister’s murder, the need to feel wanted and safe in robust male arms was going to win whether she wanted it or not. “That’s better,” he whispered raising his mouth before capturing hers again and sucking on her bottom lip. Astor tried to calm herself. She would find a way to escape and get control again at some point. This was all very cosy and safe but she couldn’t allow herself to be railroaded into doing what she was told by Alarico, even if he threatened to lock her in a cage. She wasn’t that type of girl and he was going to learn fast. There would be no vow of obedience or even a damn marriage. But damn, it felt good to be underneath him. He smelt so good, pine, mandarin and cedarwood. Heaven. Damn it, get yourself together. He’s a Mafia Boss. A killer. And if you let him, he’ll keep you prisoner with him forever. Astor looked up to see Alarico smiling down at her, his eyes communicating his amusement as if he could see her thoughts warring with each other. “Now, do you want to hear the story, little one? Are you going to behave or do I have to ring downstairs for that cage?” he grinned. Prisoner is the second book in the Dark & Ruthless Series. Trapped is the first. Part III will be released soon. If you would like to see me write a separate book detailing Damien & Ophelia's story, connect with me on social media and let me know. Connect with me on Instagram, @ArabellaKingsleyNovels, on Facebook at @ArabellaKingsleyEroticNovels, BookBub as Arabella Kingsley and on my website www.astorsteeleauthor.com (My YA Paranormal Romance (High School Vampire Boy Swords Bully Romances) pen name). Join in the immersive writing experience as I write my novels, releasing my progress so far in shorts in a series until the full book is written. If you do not like reading series books, please wait until the full book is finished and released separately. Series to enjoy on Amazon, Dark & Ruthless, Lucien's Conquest, His, Protector & Owned. Check my Author page for details of all of my other novels. What would you like to see me write next? Who are your favourite characters? Want to know more about Ophelia and Damien?