Trapped By My Ruthless Billionaire Ex

Annette screamed.

The sound was instantly cut off as she was violently shoved backward. Her spine slammed against the rough, freezing brick wall of the alley. The jagged bricks scraped painfully against her shoulder blades.

A heavy, suffocating scent of expensive cedarwood cologne mixed with raw tobacco flooded her lungs.

The faint red glow of a distant neon sign flickered, illuminating the face of her attacker.

It was Declan.

His tie was ripped loose. The top three buttons of his crisp white shirt were torn open. He looked like a feral animal that had finally snapped its chain.

Annette panicked. She shoved her hands against his hard chest, trying to push him away.

Declan didn't even flinch. He grabbed both of her wrists with one massive hand and pinned them forcefully above her head against the wet bricks.

He stepped into her space. His tall, broad body completely caged her in. He forced his knee between her thighs, spreading her legs slightly to press his hips flush against hers. He cut off every single avenue of escape.

His chest he heave. His hot, ragged breath washed over the sensitive skin of her neck, sending violent, involuntary shivers down her spine.

Annette's brain short-circuited. Five years ago, on a fire escape just like this, he had kissed her with so much devotion it made her cry.

But there was no devotion in his gray eyes now. There was only a dark, violent need to destroy.

"You don't regret it?" Declan hissed, his voice vibrating against her skin. "Then why can't you even look me in the eye, Annette?"

Annette turned her face away. She clamped her lips shut. Her eyes burned with unshed tears.

Her silence shattered the last thread of his sanity.

Declan released her wrists. His hand shot up and gripped her jaw. His long fingers dug into her cheeks, forcing her face forward.

Before she could gasp, his mouth crashed down onto hers.

It wasn't a kiss. It was an assault. It was a violent collision of teeth and rage.

He bit down on her bottom lip. Hard.

The sharp pain made Annette gasp, and he used the opportunity to force his tongue into her mouth. He devoured her, stealing all the oxygen from her lungs.

The taste of copper exploded in their mouths. He had bitten her lip so hard it was bleeding.

Annette thrashed against him. She shook her head wildly, but his grip on her jaw was like iron. He swallowed her whimpers, kissing her deeper, punishing her for every day of the last five years.

The raw, masculine heat of his body pressed against her freezing, wet clothes. The contrast was agonizing.

A single, hot tear escaped Annette's eye. It rolled down her cheek and dropped onto the back of Declan's hand.

The tear was scalding. Declan's entire body went completely rigid.

For a fraction of a second, his grip loosened.

Annette didn't hesitate. She bit down on his tongue with all the strength she had left.

Declan let out a deep, guttural groan of pain. He tore his mouth away and stumbled half a step back.

Annette slumped against the brick wall. Her chest heaved violently as she gasped for air. She lifted the back of her trembling hand and wiped the smear of blood from her swollen lips.

Declan stood in the darkness. He wiped his own mouth with his thumb. He looked at the blood on his skin, then looked up at her. His eyes were pitch black.

"Playing the victim again?" Declan sneered, his voice dripping with absolute disgust. "Or did that old man you sold yourself to just not train you right?"

The words were a physical blade. They gutted her. They sliced through her stomach and shredded her dignity into bloody ribbons.

Annette let out a choked cry. She raised her hand and swung at his face with everything she had.

Declan caught her wrist in mid-air. His grip was brutal.

He yanked her forward, leaning down until his mouth was a fraction of an inch from her ear.

"Get out of my city," Declan whispered. The deadly calm in his voice was more terrifying than his yelling. "Get out of my sight. Because if I see you again, I will make you wish you were dead."

He dropped her wrist like it was infected.

He turned around, kicked the heavy fire door open, and walked back into the bright, warm hallway without looking back.

The heavy metal door slammed shut.

Annette was left completely alone in the freezing darkness. Her legs gave out. She slid down the brick wall and collapsed onto the rusted iron grate, curling into a tight, shivering ball.