Chapter 3 Chapter three

~WHAT DOES HE WANT?~

DIANA’S POV

His helmet came off, and my brows lifted in genuine surprise. I had not expected him to look like that. He had a tight buzz cut that suited him perfectly, framing sharp, striking features that made it almost impossible to look away. I swallowed hard as he turned toward me, handing his helmet to one of his guards before swinging a leg off the motorcycle. Up close, he was even more intimidating. He was huge.

As he walked toward me, I had to tilt my head slightly to look up at him. There was something about his presence that immediately set off every warning bell in my head. He carried himself like a man who didn’t need to announce his power because everyone around him already knew it.

He was trouble. That was the first word that came to mind. A very dangerous man with a face so perfect it could make someone forget exactly who they were standing in front of. The sharp pain in my arm pulled me out of my thoughts. I covered the wound with my left palm and looked at him.

“Thank you for saving me, but I have to go.” I turned and started walking.

“You can’t leave.”

I stopped.

“Take one more step, and I will tell your enemies right where you are. I will have my men hold you down until they get here." His calm declaration made me freeze.

Slowly, I turned around, feeling my anger rise.

“Does it look like I’m scared of you?”

A smile touched his lips. He walked toward me, and the closer he got, the more I noticed how cold that smile really was.

“Of course not,” he said. “Because that would only make me doubt the things I’ve heard about you.”

My eyes narrowed at his words. Heard about me? A cold realization hit me that his sudden arrival had not been a coincidence.

“Besides, this is the safest place you can be right now. They’re still out there searching for you.” His gaze dropped briefly to my injured arm. “I’ll let you come inside, have your wound treated, and rest until tomorrow. Then I’ll make you an offer. If you refuse it, I’ll let you go.”

I held his gaze. “Who are you?”

“Alexandro Massimo,” he responded.

The name immediately caught my attention.

Where had I heard it before? I searched through my memories, but nothing came to mind.

“Diana Fox,” I replied.

He gave me an almost amused look. "I know that, Diana Fox. The seductress who knows how to get her job done simply by staring."

My expression hardened. He knew far too much about me.

“You can come inside with me,” he continued, turning away, “or you can walk out that door and get yourself killed by the very people who betrayed you.”

Without waiting for an answer, he headed straight for the front door while his men followed close behind. I stood frozen, watching him go before glancing back toward the exit. Carlos would never quit searching for me, nor would any of the others. They were going to hunt me down, and remembering Nina made it painfully clear what they would do once I fell into their hands.

I had no idea what Alexandro planned to offer me, but I could wait until morning to find out. Whatever proposal he laid out, I was already determined to reject it. I cast one last look down the empty road before turning around and following him toward the entrance of the house.

When I entered the sitting room, I found it surprisingly cozy. There was a faint smell of cigarette smoke mixed with strong cologne, but it didn’t look like he lived here. In fact, it didn’t look like anyone did. It felt more like a hideout. I sat down on the couch feeling my bare feet hurt from running.

One of his men approached with a first-aid kit and placed it beside me. Alexandro gave him a small nod, and the man left without saying a word. I opened the kit and began taking out what I needed.

"You know you could ask for help," he said, still standing right in front of me with an unreadable expression.

“I don’t need it,” I replied stubbornly.

He sat down beside me anyway. "I am not interested in you. Just stay still." He reached for the cotton and rubbing alcohol.

I gave him a look. “You’re not my type,” I blurted out.

His movement froze. Turning his head, he locked his eyes onto mine and remained silent for a long moment. A faint smirk slowly formed on his lips. I immediately shifted my eyes away from him.

“How did you find me?” I finally asked.

"I followed you from the nightclub and saw what you did to that man," he responded, sounding uninterested.

"It is creepy for you to just follow someone like that," I said.

"Well, it saved your ass," he said, “You should be saying thank you, and do not ask any further questions until tomorrow."

He cleaned the wound on my arm and wrapped it carefully. His movements were steady, and he didn’t say another word until he finished.

When he was done, he stood. “Get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Then he walked away, leaving me alone. I watched him disappear down the dark hallway, a sudden prickle of recognition running through me. His name sounded dangerously familiar, but I could not recall where I had heard it before. I lay back on the couch and tried to force myself to sleep, but my mind refused to rest.

Every time I shut my eyes, Nina’s final scream echoed in my head. They killed her because of me. She knew the brutal price of betraying the club, yet she took the risk to save my life, and now she was gone forever. The thought stayed with me until exhaustion finally won.

•••••••••

The morning light came through the windows early, waking me up before the rest of the house. This was my chance. I was not going to sit around waiting for Alexandro to wake up. I already knew my answer to whatever deal he wanted to offer, and the answer was no.

I rose carefully from the couch and scanned the room, which looked entirely different in the morning sun. Making as little sound as possible, I edged toward the front door. Reaching out, I laid my hand on the knob and slowly began to turn it.

“Going somewhere?” His voice came from behind me.

I instantly froze. I closed my eyes for a brief second, rolled them, and then turned to confront him.

Morning light washed over him, revealing every detail I had missed the night before. God, he was beautiful. The early sun cut across the hard edges of his face, making his piercing brown eyes look even darker. It was almost offensive how attractive he was at this hour. Walking over to me with quiet confidence, he stopped just out of arm's reach.

“Leaving before hearing my offer?” he asked. “That’s rude, and I don’t appreciate it.”

The faint amusement from last night was gone. His face had tightened, and there was nothing playful in his expression now.

“For that little act, you’ve lost the privilege of walking out that door if you refuse my offer.”

My eyes narrowed. “You can’t do that.”

"I can," he said, his voice so unnaturally calm that I almost hated him for it. "I could end your life right here and now. I chose to be civil with you, even though it goes against my nature, but that courtesy is officially over." A cold chill ran down my spine. He pointed a long finger toward the couch. "Go sit down." The order was flat, icy, and completely final.