Sobek Copyrighted Wren Snow 2021

This is a work of fiction and is for mature audiences only. Names, characters, businesses, places,
events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. No part of
this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, including electronically or mechanical, without the prior written permission of the copyright
holder.

Cover Artist: Nero Seal

Formatting: Brea Alepoú

 CONTENTS

Warning and Triggers

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16

Author Note
Find more Malicious Gods
About the Author
Also by Wren Snow
 WARNING AND TRIGGERS

This work is dark and bloody. It features Stockholm syndrome,

brainwashing, worship, blood play, torture, and noncon/dubcon. Please
continue forward if this is your cup of tea. There is a twisted HEA
 ABOUT THE SERIES

Welcome to the dark world of Malicious Minds: Egyptian Gods. A

collection of standalone modern tales, both magical and non-magical,
featuring deities from Ancient Egypt. You’ll find reincarnated Gods,
assassins, gangs, madness, and different realities. Expect high heat and
morally ambiguous themes. Seductive and often twisted, they are not
for the fainthearted.
 ABOUT SOBEK

“Obsession can make a man do crazy things.”

Sobek's mother named him after a god. Healing, surgery, changing lives.
That was supposed to be his fate, but how could she know just how twisted
her son would turn out to be?

As The Crocodile, Sobek moonlights for the Romano family, a deadly

group of mobsters that run the city of Detroit. Sobek lives fast, rides hard,
and makes a killing stitching up the murderers he’s employed by.

He has almost everything he’s ever craved. Except for the one person that is
strictly off-limits.

His bosses’ son.

Matteo Romano is next in line for the throne. Blood, death, and fear are his
birthright. But Matteo is usually the one dealing the blows, not taking them.

A deal gone wrong lands Matteo in the hands of Sobek, the one man who
unnerves him.

Matteo has no idea what’s in store for him, but one thing is certain; after
their time alone nothing will ever be the same.
Sobek

D arkness cloaked the city of Detroit. The world settled and shifted until
there was a new subset of the population walking around. Working-class
men and women had retreated and in their place were drug dealers,
prostitutes, the desperate and weary who searched for a world where they
could not only survive but were accepted.

It was quiet. Eight Mile and Gratiot was dead. Businesses were locked up
tight for the night, but an undercurrent of danger and tension lingered.
Everyone waited and electricity hung in the air. Something would change
tonight.

My mother always warned me not to go outside at night. She always

hovered, warning me about the dangers lurking in the dark. But she was
long dead and no one remained to pull me back into the light after I tossed
flowers on her grave and kissed the cool, wet headstone. Maybe that's why I
had taken up with the Romano family, the bloodthirsty men who formed
their own mafia and were ready to enforce its rules. They needed a doctor,
someone to stitch up bullet holes and cauterize their wounds without ever
having to step foot into a hospital.

I was that man.

"Crocodile."

I gazed over at the man calling me, a cigarette dangling from my lips.
Lorenzo Romano stood nearby, his head held high and shoulders back like
proper royalty. Why not? The man was revered. And feared. White
sprinkled through his black hair, showing his age. Of course, he wore an
impressive double-breasted black suit and a blue tie. He looked me up and
down, and while most flinched underneath his piercing blue gaze, I simply
inhaled my cigarette and waited for him to speak.

"Yeah?" I finally questioned, but he still didn’t speak. "Why am I here? No

one's hurt."

"That's the point," he grumbled. "No one's hurt and I want it to stay that
way. The meeting with the Slovak family is important. Things have been
tenuous between us at best, but tonight I have a feeling that everything
might go to hell."

I couldn't disagree with the man, so I nodded. The Russians and the Italians
had been at each other's throats for a solid year and things were rapidly
spinning into chaos. The world was breaking apart as all of us knew it and
there was nothing to do but hold on and wait for it to settle down for most.
But me? I loved a little chaos.

Glancing around at the men climbing out of various black, window tinted
cars, I already knew the end was in sight. An hour ago, I’d been at St.
Francis hospital talking to a young girl about repairing a torn cornea and
restoring her sight. Now, I stood with a bunch of gangsters ready to start a
fight over a little bit of territory.
Pathetic.

All of them are worms. They have no idea how to really use their power.

"I'm here," a familiar voice made me turn around. "What's going on,
Father?"

My heart stopped at the sight of him. Ah, Matteo Romano. The epitome of
beauty, grace, and deadly force. Lorenzo had grown past his prime. It was
time for him to stand down and bow to the successor. His son who was so
easily moldable and able to grow to true greatness.

But that was more easily said than done.

“We’re waiting for the Slovaks. They should be here shortly.”

Matteo nodded and I stared at him admiring the shine on his midnight hair
and those startling green eyes. I could already imagine his soft pink lips
wrapped around my cock, his tongue flicking over my flesh as he gazed up
at me. Taller and more built than him, it wouldn’t be hard to shove him to
his knees.

As if he felt me staring, Matteo glanced my way. I grinned and he

shuddered before he turned around once more and talked to his father. Their
conversation no longer interested me. My gaze roamed over his dark
elegant suit. I could tell by a single glance that it was expensive, at least two
grand, and he wore it well, making it worth every penny.

Matteo.

I closed my eyes and sucked in a long, deep breath. When I opened them
again, both Matteo and his father were staring at me, but I didn’t mind. I
knew what they thought. That I was a weirdo. Good. To them I was nothing
more than a harmless, strange man, but I was so much more than that. I had
been waiting, watching, calculating and finally I was going to have what
was mine. I wasn’t sure where or when, but it would come soon and then
Matteo, the beautiful olive skinned Adonis, wouldn’t know what hit him.

I licked my lips in anticipation of him. How would Matteo taste on my

tongue? Bitter? Salty? Sweet? Possibly a combination of all three. Already I
could imagine lapping at the smooth lines of his muscles and watching him
squirm underneath me as he begs for more.

Be patient.

I had to listen to that little voice in the back of my head, the one that guided
me. No, not a conscience. I had lost that a long time ago. This voice told me
how not to get caught. It had proved useful. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t
had my fair share of partners or perhaps prisoners would be a better word
for it, but none of them could compare to Matteo.

“Crocodile?”

I glanced up and realized my cigarette was burning down to the filter as I

stared at the mafia boss's son. The acrid taste of the filter filled my mouth
and I simply tossed it to the side.

“Boss?” I asked back.

“You shouldn’t be out here when they get closer. Stay back and let me
handle the deal. Only come out if we need you to patch anyone up.”

I grinned. “Sure thing.”

Lorenzo never wanted me in the heat of battle because we both knew I was
too important to catch a bullet. There weren’t many doctors who would
work under the table with the mob, much less a surgeon, but I had no
problem taking patients day or night and fixing them up until they were
good as new. I made a good amount of money and they didn’t die. Win
fucking win. But I was getting bored of being the good doctor and nothing
more. I wanted to rule it all. And I could do it so much better than Lorenzo.

I gave Matteo one more glance and the man scowled at me. Even frowning
he looked good enough to eat. I winked at him and Matteo blinked in
surprise. I wanted to laugh at him, but instead I turned on my heels and
walked back toward a waiting car. There would be plenty of time to screw
with him eventually. One day he would belong to me and me only.

Sitting in the car I leaned back against the plush leather seats and stared out
through the windshield. As soon as I was comfortable, a sleek, black car
pulled up and a man with gray hair stepped out. The head of the Slovak
family. As he walked up to Lorenzo, there was a frown on his face.

This isn’t going to end well.

The tension was off the charts as they faced each other. After months of
fighting, killing, stealing, betrayals, everything had come to a head. There
was no peaceful solution to bruised egos between powerful men. In the end,
they would both demand blood. I grinned. There was nothing better than
chaos. I watched as they faced off and Lorenzo’s fists tightened. The two of
them detested each other.

So, it was no surprise when the shooting started.

Everyone scattered like cockroaches under sudden lights. Bullets flew and I
stepped out of the car but kept my distance. There was something soothing
about fighting, gunshots, and death. As men dropped on both sides, I heard
the yelling and shouting. In the midst of it all, Lorenzo’s voice made my
ears tingle.

“Crocodile! Come here!”

I turned and raced over to him. He was hunched over behind a car with
Matteo on his arm. I’d lost the man in the hailstorm of bullets and I could
see that he was hunched over, panting and groaning as his father held him
up.

“Get my son out of here and fixed up. The bastards shot him!” He growled,
“I need to take care of this shit.”

“I’ll handle it,” I said with a nod as I reached out for Matteo.

“Take Jay with you. He can drive while you check the wound,” Lorenzo
said, trying to hand his son over, but Matteo clung to him. “Matteo go with
The Crocodile. He’ll patch you up. I’ll be fine.”

“No,” the man tugged away from me as I reached for him, nearly falling
over. “I’ll stay here and help.”

“You’re shot and you’re no good to me like this. Go. Now!”

I grabbed hold of Matteo and he sagged against me as he groaned. When I

looked down, blood was dripping to the ground. For a moment, my mind
wandered as I thought about how his blood must taste. I quickly shook that
thought from my head and nodded to Jay.

“You’re with me. Drive.”

We slipped into a car, and as it pulled away from the scene, Matteo groaned.
I sat in the back with him and noticed the blood on his leg. It soaked his
dark suit and seeped into the fabric. My stomach clenched. I had to stop the
bleeding first.

“Are you hit in the thigh only? Anywhere else?”

Matteo shook his head. “I don’t know,” he grunted. “Where’s my father?

We need to go back.”
“If you go back right now, you’re going to bleed out.” I undid his pants and
slid them down his thighs finding the gunshot wound in his thigh. “Shit. I
need you to lie back and calm down.”

My medical bag was on the floor and I quickly worked to stop the bleeding.
Groaning, Matteo’s eyes looked dazed as he muttered something about his
dad. But he was already losing too much blood and I knew he was going to
pass out soon.

Go to sleep. It’ll make things much easier.

“Drive to a new location,” I told Jay as I injected Matteo with a syringe and
watched as his eyelids fluttered closed. A little assisted sleep was what he
needed.

“The boss said-”

“I don’t give a fuck!” I snapped, glaring at the man in the rearview mirror.
“I need more supplies than what I have. Do you want to be the one to tell
Lorenzo Romano that his son died because you wouldn’t listen?”

“N-no, sir. Where am I going?”

I gave him the new address and turned back to Matteo. He was out cold, his
chest rising and falling steadily. I grabbed a pair of forceps and got to work.
The bullet was definitely still lodged in his thigh. He was lucky it had
missed his femoral artery by a few millimeters.

I focused completely on Matteo. There was something calming about

working on a body. The blood, the flesh, the smells. It made my head swim
with the possibilities. I managed to get Matteo fixed up before we pulled to
a stop in front of a house. It was one that I hadn’t visited in months, but it
was home more than any other place could be considered home.
Jay pulled out his phone. “I better call the boss and let him know where we
are.”

I slipped the syringe out of my bag and stabbed it into his neck. Jay’s eyes
widened in the rearview mirror even as his body began to slump as he
fought to stay awake. The phone fell out of his hand and landed on the
passenger seat as he groaned.

“I can’t have you doing that,” I said as I reached around the seat and
covered his nose and mouth. “See, I need some time with Matteo and I can’t
have it if anyone knows where we are. This is between the two of us.”

Jay struggled against my hand but I held on tighter. The sedative worked
fast and I moaned at the fear in his eyes as they started to close. There was
something strangely arousing about someone dying by your hands. And Jay
knowing that he was about to be greeted by nothing but blackess? It made
my heart race. I watched as he tried to fight the drugs, but he couldn’t. Even
when he was out, I kept going, waiting for that final breath. Pressing two
fingers against his throat I held still for a long time waiting for a pulse, but
there was none.

My heart pounded in my chest as excitement crawled up my throat.

Finally.

I had waited for two years to get my hands on Matteo Romano. Now that
the moment had arrived, I had a very short time to get things in order. To
show him the world that he could have with me. It wouldn’t be easy
knowing his feisty personality, but it would be worth it.

Matteo was mine.

Sobek

S urgery is a precise thing . Every stroke of the scalpel has to be right or

you risk damaging too much, and while the human body is forgiving, it is
not invincible. Unfortunately.

Matteo groaned softly around the gag in his mouth, the white cloth stained
red by the blood he'd spit up a little while ago. I'd had to remove it and
clean him up, but the crimson stain remained. As he started to struggle, I
gave him another dose of sedative to keep him asleep. The surgery I was
attempting was very difficult, but one that I had performed many times
before.

If you were careful enough, it wasn't difficult to detach the retina. And once
it was? Well, Matteo didn't need his sight, he could rely on me. And once he
decided that he would behave and do as he was told, he could have his
eyesight back. How long that took or if he gained it back at all was up to
him.

I turned up the music using my elbow on the remote. The speakers hadn’t
been there when I was young, but it was something I’d added later on in
life. Soft, operatic tones drifted through the air and I sighed as I focused on
what I had to do. Even asleep, Matteo was a sight to behold. I had to focus
so I wouldn’t simply stand there and stare at the man that was about to fall
in love with me.

The surgery took two hours, but eventually, I was done. I wrapped Matteo's
eyes in bandages before I made sure he was comfortably strapped onto my
bed. He was asleep once more and I took the gag from his mouth so that he
could breathe more easily. When he woke up, we would have a discussion, I
would feed him, and then we would figure out where to go from there.
Together.

My phone buzzed and I knew it was Lorenzo calling again. He had been
blowing up my phone for hours wondering where his precious Matteo was.
But the man no longer belonged to him. I slipped the sim cards out of both
our phones and Jay's and smashed them. Once they were destroyed and in
the trash, I made short work of ditching the car, getting groceries and
hurrying back home. I didn't want to leave Matteo alone for too long.

"Help!" I could hear his screams as soon as I walked through the door.
"Where am I? What's happening? Help me!"

I chuckled to myself and locked the front door. Well, at least I knew he
hadn't died in my absence. I took my time walking into the kitchen and
poured myself a stiff drink. Scotch on the rocks. I carried the glass up the
stairs to the furthest bedroom on the left and opened the door. Matteo was
squirming, tugging at the leather restraints before he stopped when he heard
me walking through the door.

"Who's there?" he snapped. "I'm going to fucking skin you!"

I laughed. "Is that what you're going to do to me, Matteo? Interesting. Have
you ever skinned anyone before? Do you know how difficult it is?"
Matteo stilled. "Crocodile?"

Smirking, I sat on the edge of the bed, the sound of clinking ice cubes
filling up the silence. "Yes, that's what you all like to call me, isn't it? The
Crocodile. But you know me more than that." I reached over and touched
his leg and he promptly snatched it away with a hiss. "Calm down. There's
still a fresh bullet wound that I had to stitch up on your thigh and if you flail
too much you'll open the sutures up."

"Why am I tied up? Why can't I see?" His breathing picked up, his chest
rising and falling quickly. "Bek?"

Bek. I loved when he called me that. He was the only one who could get
away with it. The name Bek on his lips was like a prayer and my entire
body lit up.

I stayed quiet, watching as he struggled. Telling him a lie would be easy,

but I didn't want to do that. It was much more thrilling to tell him the truth.
To see the look on his face when he knew that his fate was directly held in
my hands and he wouldn't be able to escape. Though I would tell a little bit
of a fib. For now.

"Bek!"

"Still here," I said as I lifted my glass and took a sip of the scotch. "I was
just wondering how I should break the news to you."

Matteo inhaled sharply. "What news?"

I sighed. "Things were a lot more difficult than we thought. Your vision was
affected and I can’t fix it right now. Maybe once the swelling goes down,
I'll be able to operate, but until then you'll have to rely on me."

He took in a shuddering breath. "No, that's okay. Take me home."

"I can't do that."

Matteo tensed. "Why the fuck not?"

I clicked my tongue. "Now, that's no way to speak to the man that saved
your life a few hours ago. Is it?" I slapped his thigh and he cried out. "Is it?"

"What the fuck!"

I slapped his thigh harder and the scream that tore from his lips was even
more satisfying. As he writhed on the bed, swearing and panting, I grinned.
Matteo would learn manners. He'd never been taught properly, but that was
easy enough to remedy. Once he had calmed down I finally stood up and sat
my glass on the nightstand.

"Are you ready to listen, Matteo?"

"Take me home." He sucked in a breath. "Now, Bek. My father will want to

know where I am. We both know he'll find me."

"No, he won't." I reached down and ran a finger over his cheek. When he
tugged away from my touch, I frowned. Everytime he pulled away, it was
like a dagger had been jammed into my chest. "This place isn't common
knowledge. The only people who know about it are you, me, and the dead."

"The dead?" Matteo repeated. "What are you talking about?" He tried to
reach up, but he only strained against the straps before panting. "Bek, why
can't I see? Fix me!"

"Shhhh. I already told you why. We have to wait until the swelling goes
down. Don't fight it."

"Why am I restrained?"

My jaw clicked and it took every ounce of my willpower not to hit him as
irritation set in. Too many questions were coming in too quickly. It wasn't
the way I operated and yet Matteo kept going. I breathed in and out slowly
before I sighed.

"If you pull at your bandages or stitches, you’ll hurt yourself or bleed out.
Relax and I'll remove them. But no more screaming and fighting."

"Fine. As soon as you take me home!" he shouted.

I backhanded him so hard, my hand stung. Pain radiated over my skin and
excitement crawled up my spine. Matteo froze. Once more he was quiet and
I assumed that he had gotten ahold of himself. I grabbed my drink and took
a sip before I sat it back down and stared at him.

"No more yelling. Do I make myself clear? And while we're at it, no more
questions. I don't want to hurt you, Matteo, but I can. If that's what you'd
prefer, we can go that route."

Matteo shook his head sharply, but he didn't speak. Good. If all he was
going to do was whine and complain, I didn't need him opening his mouth
right now anyway. I finished off the rest of my drink and he swiveled his
head back and forth, following my sounds as I walked around the bed. I
checked his blood pressure and oxygen levels. Once I was sure that he was
stable, I finally walked back around and stared down at him.

"Are you ready to be let up?"

"Yeah."

I clicked my tongue. "That didn't sound very confident, Matteo."

He swallowed thickly and answered through gritted teeth. "Yes, I'm ready."

I continued to stare down at him. It would be so easy to touch each and

every inch of him. He squirmed and I wanted to reach out and graze his
bare body. Dark hair spread lightly over the expanse of his chest before it
ran down the middle in a line. I wanted to trace that happy trail and dip
down into his black boxers which were the only thing he was wearing now.
But I wanted to wait for my ultimate prize. Matteo was worth my patience.

However, we couldn't wait too long. Retina detachments needed to be fixed

promptly if the patient wanted to regain their eyesight. We had a few weeks
at most and that was pushing the limits of how quickly I could break
someone. That meant that Matteo was going to get all of my attention and I
would have to take him apart a lot sooner than I had done to others in the
past.

I slowly undid Matteo's ankle restraints. After removing each one, I stopped
and took the time to massage them so that the blood would flow. He
shuddered at my touch and I saw the way that he flinched away from me,
but there was nowhere to go. When I stopped rubbing his skin, he relaxed.
It was forced, but he kept still all the same.

I moved on to his wrists trying to ignore the pit in my stomach at the way
he recoiled from me in disgust. I rubbed his wrist and he took in a
shuddering breath. If he could look at me, I was sure he would be glaring. I
finally released his last arm and once I let him go, he simply laid on the
bed.

"I'm free?" Matteo asked quietly.

"Yes." I smiled at him. "Just be careful. Your thigh is still fragile and tearing
your stitches isn't advisable as I’ve said before." I pushed the restraints
away. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I can get you something to eat. What
would you-"

I blinked as Matteo threw himself off of the bed and fell to the floor. Tilting
my head, I watched as he dragged himself forward. I barked out a laugh in
sheer joy of his tenacity. It was idiocy to the highest degree, but entertaining
nonetheless.

"Where are you going?" I asked, stepping after him.

"Away from you, ya goddamn freak!"

I froze. I was the freak? Matteo really did need to learn some manners it
seemed. I followed after him as he dragged himself, his legs pretty much
useless whenever he tried to stand up. At least that gave me some
satisfaction as the sting of being called a freak spread and grew until heat
swept over my body. I stepped onto his back and ground down when he
tried to keep moving.

"I don't like being called a freak," I said calmly. "Maybe we should try
again. Besides, your legs won't work that well after all of the sedatives I've
pumped inside of you."

"Fuck you!" Matteo growled. "You really are a goddamn freak!"

My eye twitched and I placed a finger on my lid. No, I really didn't like that
term. I wasn't a freak. I was a man with ambition who knew what I wanted.
And I didn't take kindly to being called something that I wasn't. I pressed
my heel against his spine and Matteo whimpered like a pathetic mutt.

Now, that was delicious. I want to hear him make that sound all of the time.

I wanted to hear him make that sound over and over again. As hard as he
tried to pretend he wasn’t, I knew deep down that he was the type that
needed to be led. He was an easy target to sacrifice to that part inside of me
that never died but grew and needed to be fed. Matteo was a fitting meal for
The Crocodile.

"That's not the way we're going to do things." I reached down and pushed
my fingers into his soft, black locks before I clenched my fist and yanked
back roughly. His gasp and painful grunt wrapped around my cock and it
started to harden. "That's right. No one's going to save you here, Matteo.
Daddy has no idea where here even is. And if you want to see again, you'll
do what you're told."

"Let go of me!" he yelled. "I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Sighing, I shook my head. "Well, that's too bad that you don't want to
cooperate. I can be kind or I can be rough. Clearly, you like it rough.”

Matteo protested as I pulled him to his knees. I opened the bedroom door
and led him down the stairs as his hands and knees slid on the worn-out
wood of the floor. We made it through the kitchen to a white door that led to
the basement.

"Stand up or be dragged down," I said simply.

"Fuck you!"

I shrugged and dragged Matteo down the stairs.

“Fuck, stop! Goddamn it,” he growled.

Sooner or later he was going to have to learn that disobeying me came with
consequences. I dragged him over the concrete floor to the very back room,
one that I hadn't been inside of for a long time. I didn't bother turning on the
light which was probably burned out anyway. Instead, I shoved Matteo into
the room and slammed the door after him.

"Bek! Bek!" His muffled voice called to me as I threw the lock. “Don’t do
this!”

Matteo banged on the heavy iron door and I stared at it. I licked my lips,
pushing my fingers through my hair as my heart squeezed. I didn’t want to
hurt the man I cared for. No, I really didn’t. Unfortunately, this was part of
training him. If he couldn't behave himself then it was up to me to show
him how. I was going to protect Matteo from the ugliness of the world that
he had been born into. Even if he hated me for it, I would protect the man
that I loved.

And one day he would thank me for it.

Matteo

I shivered as coldness seeped into my half-naked body. I placed my palm

on the floor slowly. The concrete was freezing and there was no escape
from it. I balled up my fist and slammed it against the heavy door, but it
didn't budge and Sobek didn't answer me. The smell of dampness and mold
filled my nostrils making me dizzy as I fought to draw in a breath. Every
time I did, dust coated my mouth and shot up my nose, forcing me to choke.

"Fuck!"

I had warned my father about Sobek, or The Crocodile as everyone else

called him. The moment he'd stepped into the office with his tailored suits
and perfectly done blonde hair, I had goosebumps cover my flesh. For
years, I have been my father’s right hand man. I've seen death, torture,
blood, and atrocities no human should ever witness. Not once did I flinch.
Until I met Sobek.

The only thing I could hear in the room was the pounding of my heart in my
ears. It was almost deafening. Panic set in as I touched the bandages on my
eyes. Not being able to see for the first time in my life? I couldn’t shake the
terror that wrapped around my throat and squeezed.

Calm down. I have to think about what I’m going to do. There has to be
some way out of here.

I sat quietly trying to go over what I knew while my head was still foggy
and disoriented from the drugs I had been given. Something distracted me
and I tensed. What had grabbed my attention? I stayed crouched on the
ground trying to listen when I heard it again. There. Faint but frantic
scratching. Sobek. He had to be on the other side of the door, torturing me.

"Let me out!" I yelled, the noise making my ears hurt. "My father's going to
murder you, Bek! Is that what you want? Huh!"

And he would. My father would take the man apart piece by little piece
until he was unrecognizable. I would watch. Hell, I would join in. Sobek
would scream for me and I would smile as he was torn apart the way he
deserved. That motherfucker was going to pay.

I reached up and touched the bandages on my eyes again. What happened?

My head was fuzzy and throbbed like I'd been hit with a hammer. I traced
my fingers over the cloth and frowned. Why couldn't I remember? I'd seen
my father, that much I was certain of. And there had been pain, darkness,
noises that I couldn't quite place before I was swallowed up by sheer
darkness.

The fog stopped me from thinking straight and the more I tried, the more
my head pounded. Whatever was going on, I would eventually figure it out.
For now I had to find out how to get the hell away from Sobek and
whatever it was that he was planning. I touched my knees and felt a wet,
sticky substance. Sobek had dragged me down the stairs. Blood. Sobek was
dangerous.
But so was I.

Scratch. Scratch.

I turned my head left and right seeking the source of the sound. No, it
wasn't coming through the door. Something brushed up against my naked
thigh once I sat down again. An undignified screech ripped from my throat.
Fur. It was fucking fur. And it squeaked. I backed away from it until I
slammed against a wall. Pain shot up my spine and I shivered.

The damn thing wouldn't stop though. It came after me, squeaking and its
tiny claws clacking against the concrete floor. I kicked at it and felt how
huge the creature was against my bare sole. It was a fucking rat!

"Fuck, fuck!" I panted, trying to get away from it and keep from getting
bitten. “Get the hell away from me.”

There wasn't much I feared, but rats were on that list. It didn't help that I
couldn't see the fucker and didn’t know where it was unless I listened
closely. My breath sawed in and out of my lungs and I trembled as my head
whipped back and forth. I was never going to get any rest here. And the
room was clearly soundproofed. No one could hear me. I didn't even know
where we were.

Fear had always been a part of my life, but now it was sinking into my
bones and trying to shatter me. It worked its way in deep until even trying
to breathe felt impossible. I had to calm down or I was going to
hyperventilate and I couldn’t protect myself if I passed out.

What if I never see again?

My stomach churned and I felt bile rise up my throat. Turning my head was
all the time my twisting stomach gave me before I vomited its contents onto
the floor. Acid burned the back of my throat and I choked and gasped until
it stopped. Groaning, I pushed myself away from the stinking mess and got
as far away as I could. I curled up on my side and tried to find some kind of
warmth as my mind raced.

There has to be some way out of here. I'll find it and I'll kill this son of a
bitch myself if it's the last thing I do.

T ime meant nothing . As I laid on the floor, my ears full of thundering

silence, I had no idea how long I had been there. It could have been minutes
or hours. Hell, maybe longer than that. What I did know was that my
bladder was full and I was squeezing my thighs together tightly trying not
to piss myself. The humiliation would be too much on top of the pain, but I
had crawled to every corner and there was nowhere to relieve myself. And
Bek still hadn’t come back.

To make matters worse, my stomach growled and I laid a hand on it. How
long had it been since I'd eaten? I had no idea. Whatever I’d had before
being dragged here was gone anyway, purged on the other side of the cell
that I was avoiding.

Bits and pieces of memory came back to me, but they were so heavy and
clouded. Even now the remains of the sedative was making me fucking
loopy and exhausted. I scraped my nails over the concrete floor and
squeezed my eyes shut. If there was no relief from the constant silence and
darkness, I would go insane.

Thunk!

I shot up and looked around as if I would actually see anything. But nope,
the world was still pitch black. All I could do was sit up and wait as the
door squeaked open, grating on my nerves.
"Matteo."

Of course it was Sobek. It couldn't be anyone else but him. But my heart
still clenched in my chest and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Every
limb felt weak, but I refused to show any of that to Sobek. Instead of saying
anything, I pushed my lips into a straight line and waited for him to speak.

"Oh? You're quiet now." He chuckled and it took everything in me not to

shudder at the sound. "Are you ready to behave?"

No, no I was not. I was ready to stab him to death the first chance I got. To
feel his blood staining my fingers as I slid the blade down the middle of his
chest, over his belly, and gutted him like the fucking pig that he was.

"Well, if you want to be rude you can stay in here."

My heart sped up. "No!" I swallowed thickly. "Please, I-I need water and
food. And I have to take a piss."

Sobek was quiet for a minute. "That's a lot of demands for someone who
hasn't given me anything. What are you going to sacrifice to me?"

"Sacrifice?" I scoffed. "What are you talking about?"

The sound of his footsteps drawing closer made my body tense up. He was
slow, methodical with every step. I held my breath and it burned my lungs
before a shuddering sigh left my lips. A warm hand caressed my cheek and
I jumped back.

"So nervous. What's the matter, Matteo?"

As if the freak didn't know. He'd dragged me down to some basement and
locked me in it! And on top of that he wouldn't tell me what the fuck was
going on. I wanted to punch him in the face, but that would only get me
locked in the room longer. I had to think clearly and carefully because I
couldn’t return to this damp, disgusting room. Hitting him would only end
up getting me hurt.

Or killed.

"I need to piss," I said evenly, ignoring his questions.

Sobek clicked his tongue. "That's not very nice. Try again and this time
beg."

I clenched my teeth. Was he fucking psychotic? There was not a chance in

hell that I was going to beg the asshole for a goddamn thing. Romano's
were nothing if not pride and stubbornness and I was no different. If he
thought I was going to bow down to him he was dead wrong.

"Have it your way."

Sobek’s footsteps receded and I swallowed thickly. Fuck. No. I knew in my

heart he was going to lock me in again.

"No, wait!" I crawled after him before my head crashed into something
hard. I reached out and touched the wall as sharp pain radiated in my head
and I dropped to the ground. "Fuck!"

"You can't see, Matteo. Did you forget?" His voice was calm as my head
throbbed more intensely than it had before. "If you want me to help you,
then you're going to have to learn to listen and lose your pride. There's
nothing wrong with submitting to a god."

"You're not God," I groaned.

"I never said I was. I said I was a god."

"What the fuck is the difference!" I snapped, sick of his games already as I
touched my forehead and felt blood dripping down my face.
Sobek was so quiet I would have thought he left, but I could hear the steady
in and out of his breathing. He walked closer to me and this time I didn't
shrink back. A hand grabbed my chin, tilting my head up.

"My mother always said that Sobek was an Egyptian god. He was chaos
and danger, but also a blessing to them. Fertility, surgery, protection. Sobek
was a god that had the people's best interest at heart, even if he was a little
odd."

I wanted to glare at the man and his ridiculous riddles. "You mean he was a
freak?" I spat out.

Trying to stay level headed had never been my strong suit. Add in the fact
that I was tired, confused, hurt, and pissed off and it was impossible not to
snap when he kept saying insane shit.

My cheek stung as I fell to the ground. Worth it. The spiteful side of me
hoped it dug into his core and played on repeat in his twisted fucking brain.
Maybe he knew he was a freak and that's why he didn’t want to hear me say
it. He stepped forward and I could feel him towering above me. I grunted as
he pressed his foot on my lower stomach. My hands automatically flew up
to his ankle and shoe and I tried to get him off of me. It was taking
everything to tell myself to breathe slowly and evenly. Or things would only
get worse.

"I thought I informed you that I didn't like that word."

Fuck you!

I stayed quiet, but he pressed down harder. My bladder throbbed and I had
to hold my breath to keep it together.

"Stop!" I panted. “Bek…” I wanted to stab the hell out of him. “This shit
hurts.”
"The look on your face right now was very disrespectful, Matteo. I expect
more from you. But then again you were raised by Lorenzo. I forget how
little he's trained you the way that you should be trained.”

He spoke as if I was a dog and not a man. Besides, my father was a

monster. If anyone had trained me like an animal, it was him. He was the
reason I was so damn good at my job, but I would let Sobek think whatever
he wanted. I was brought back to reality as he pressed on my bladder so
hard that I gasped.

"Bek, no," I groaned, shaking my head.

"What's the matter, Matteo? Are you going to piss yourself?"

My nails scraped against the concrete before I reached out and grabbed his
leg with my other hand too. I dug my nails into his ankle through the fabric
of his pants, but he only pressed down harder. Gritting my teeth, I tried to
shove him off of me before I felt the familiar sensation of my bladder
releasing.

I stilled, unable to do anything as I pissed my boxers adding to the coldness

that already plagued me. Sobek chuckled and I turned away as if I could
hide the shame that crawled up my spine and made me cower beneath him.
His laughter ringing out above me made me feel impossibly small and
stupid.

"Is it humiliating, Matteo? Does it make you want to die knowing you've
pissed yourself in front of me?" He grabbed my face roughly when I didn’t
speak. "When I ask you questions, I expect answers."

"Leave me alone," I whispered, my throat too raw to make the words come
out normal. "Please."
"No." He grabbed my arm and I trembled as he dragged me to my feet. "I
can leave you here again or you can move your ass and be a good boy. I'll
get you cleaned up and you'll feel a lot better."

I wanted to snatch away from him, but I couldn't. His grip tightened on my
arm and I limped behind him as I was led out of the room. It was better than
being in the dank, damp, rat-infested room. I wouldn't have to fight off the
violent little beasts and I wanted the boxers off of me now.

"Matteo?"

"What?" I muttered as my shin banged against what I assumed was a stair

and my hands shot out grabbing onto the wooden railing.

"You mean 'yes, sir'. That's how you'll address me from now on."

I gritted my teeth. Telling him to go fuck himself would end up with me

back in that god-awful fucking room. Instead, I simply nodded since I
couldn't bring myself to say it. He seemed to be satisfied with that and led
me up the stairs carefully.

"Where are we going?" I questioned.

"You need to get cleaned up, don't you? Or would you rather stay in the
basement wallowing in your own piss?" His hand gripped a fistful of my
hair and I yelped as he yanked my head back. "Would you, Matteo?"

"No," I said as I tried to squirm out of his grasp.

"No, what?"

My throat tightened and went dry. I knew what he wanted me to say, but I
didn't want to say it. When he yanked my hair again, I decided it was better
to give in. For now.

"No, sir."
"That's good," he chuckled. "You're learning already."

I swallowed hard and didn't say another word. I wouldn't give Sobek the
satisfaction of my words as much as I could help it. Maybe I was still being
foolish, but I wouldn't bow to a man like him.

Never.
Sobek

I smiled at the sight of Matteo in the tub. One of his legs stuck out and
hung over the side to keep his wound dry while the rest of him was
submerged in the clawfoot. I'd even gone as far as to add lavender-scented
bubbles to the water since it helped me relax and he still looked tense, his
head snapping back and forth with every movement that I made.

"Calm down. This is supposed to be calming."

"Hard to relax when I can still hear the rats scurrying and I'm freezing." He
shivered. “Fucking rats.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Don't be dramatic. The water will warm you
up and if you do what you’re told you won’t have to sit with the rats again."

"F—”

"Don't say it," I warned sternly. "I know your temper and stubbornness are a
part of you, but I won’t hesitate to punish you for your disrespect."
"What else could you do?" Matteo sneered. "This is pathetic. You t-take
people and keep them locked up in your fucking house? For what?" He
scoffed. “F-fuck this,” he shivered and sank down into the tub more.

I grabbed him by the throat and squeezed. Matteo's hands flew up and he
tugged at me, his nails clawing my flesh and drawing blood, but I didn't
mind. I relished blood. The taste, the smell, the feel of it between my
fingers? Blissful heaven. I ignored the pinpricks of pain and tightened my
grip enjoying the feeling of his speeding pulse against my palm before I
shoved his head underneath the water.

Matteo thrashed, water spilling out of the tub and splashing onto the white
and black tiled floor. I stared down at him, watching his face distort as he
freaked out before finally, his movements slowed. Once he released my
wrist, I yanked him out of the water and slapped his face sharply to bring
him back to.

"It would be easy to kill you, Matteo. That's what you need to understand.
You're alive because of my generosity and love."

Matteo spluttered and choked as he gripped the sides of the tub. "What are
you talking about!"

"Why would I do all of this if I didn't love you?" I asked, irritation making
my throat burn. "You're ungrateful right now, but I'm going to keep you safe
from this shitty world you were tossed into."

"That doesn't make any sense." Matteo sank back against the porcelain and
slumped in the tub. "I was born into my family and I want to take it over.
How do you think kidnapping and holding me hostage is protecting me?"

I picked up a towel and squeezed soap onto it. Once it was sudsy, I ran it
over Matteo's body and he didn't pull away this time. Instead, he turned his
head in the other direction and was silent. That was okay. Sooner or later he
would get over his anger and accept me. He would have no choice but to.

"I know about what your father used to do to you. The late-night fights, the
cutting, the beatings. All to make you a harder man, right? To make sure
you were dominant and violent enough."

Matteo's head snapped back toward me. "You don't know anything."

"Yes, I do. Lorenzo and I had a lot of late-night talks. It's surprisingly easy
to open his lips with a lot of drinks and a false shoulder to lean on. He told
me every little thing he did to you, how he made you kill and torture when
you were only eleven. How you dissected your first body when you were
twelve. The way he taught you how to fight and subdue a man at thirteen.
You never had a childhood, did you?"

Matteo pulled away from me. "Stop."

"Why? Is it because you know I'm telling the truth? Lorenzo didn't take care
of you, but I will."

He turned his head toward me and scoffed. "So, what? You want to be my
father?"

"I want to be so much more than that." I reached out and brushed my
fingers along his cheek. "Matteo, let me give you the world that you
deserve."

He pulled away from me sharply, but he stayed quiet. Well, that was an
improvement. He wasn't cursing or threatening or calling me a freak.
Maybe that was all that I could ask for right now. Still, I was a greedy man
and I wanted more. I needed Matteo to crave and depend on me and only
me.
"There's something wrong with you." Matteo's voice trembled as he
huddled up in one corner of the tub. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you."

"Stop saying that!" he yelled. "Do you even know what love is?"

I tilted my head at him. Of course I knew what love was. I had loved my
mother, even if she was cruel and cold. And I had loved men before, though
they had never lived up to my expectations. Yes, I knew what love was.
And sometimes love meant that you had to go out of your way to protect the
people you cared about. That was what I was doing for Matteo right now.
Why couldn't he accept that?

Sighing, I put the towel to the side and drained the tub. As the water swirled
down the drain stained with tinges of pink from my dripping blood, I
glanced up at Matteo. He sat, unmoving, his lips tugged down into a sharp
frown. I wondered what was going on in his head, but I didn't push him. For
now. Instead, I helped him stand up as I dried him off with a thick towel.

"Come on, let's go and get some breakfast," I said as I took his hand. "After
I dress your wound and put clothes on you."

Matteo growled. "Don't touch me. I can dress myself."

I raised a brow. "Can you?"

The man pushed his shoulders back and lifted his head. Before he even
answered, I knew what he would say. Yes. But it was stupid pride. Matteo
had been blind all of a day and a half and he thought he could navigate the
world on his own?

Let him do it and learn.

Right. Why was I coddling the ungrateful man? Perhaps I did admire his
stubbornness a bit, his will to do it all himself. But it was foolish too. I
stepped back and leaned against the wall as Matteo stood in the porcelain
tub. He was still for a minute before he began to whip his head back and
forth, searching for me.

I smiled.

If he wanted to be independent, I would let him have that. But I wasn't

about to help him out. I slipped off the expensive Italian leather shoes I
always wore and pushed them against the wall slowly. When they made a
quiet little thud, his head turned back in my direction, but he didn't move.

"Bek?" He reached down and grabbed the edge of the tub before sticking
his arms out. "Sobek?"

Oh, you helpless thing.

He was like a lost bird dropped out of the nest too soon. I licked my lips in
eager anticipation. Well, that little animal was going to learn how to behave.
If not, then I would have to keep showing him what would happen until he
did.

"Bek?"

I slipped out of the bathroom and left the door open. Watching him
awkwardly climb out of the tub without bashing his brains in made me suck
in a sharp breath. He had to take every step slowly, his hands waving in
front of him to look out for objects that might be in his path. By the time he
reached the door, he had a little smirk on his lips as if he had accomplished
the greatest feat in the world.

I creeped up beside him and shouted in his ear. “Hey!”

"Fuck!" Matteo fell to the hardwood floor, one hand slapped over his ear as
he panted. "That's not funny."

I chuckled. "It seemed funny to me. Couldn't help myself."

Matteo cursed, but I simply stood out of his way and let him get up again.
Once he was on his feet he resumed waving his hands in front of him and
trying to pick his way along.

"This is bullshit!" he snapped as he walked along the wall, naked and

vulnerable. "Bek!"

I chuckled under my breath. He wanted my help, but he didn't want to

respect me? Now, how did he think that was going to work? Matteo finally
found my bedroom and managed to get to the dresser, but that was where
his success stopped. Even feeling it, he couldn't tell what was a top or what
was shorts, and as he pulled on wrong clothing over and over again, I shook
my head and took pity on him.

"Stop," I said sharply. "Stand still and I'll take care of you."

Matteo's hand trembled. "I don't need your help." He shook his head.

I smirked. "That's funny, it sounds as if you're rejecting my generous offer.

Is that what you want to do? You can't even get yourself dressed. And how
do you plan to get down to the kitchen, pick out the ingredients and feed
yourself?"

Matteo paused. "Fuck."

"Yeah," I laughed as common sense dawned on him. "It's not so easy, is it?"

“It doesn’t matter if it’s easy. That’s not the point,” he snapped.

Since he'd wasted our time and dragged his feet on getting dressed, I didn't
offer to get him so much as a pair of boxers. And he was definitely too
proud to ask. He felt his way along the wall to the railing that led
downstairs and I followed after him as he tried to make sense of what room
was what when he was at the bottom.

I wanted to run my hand over every inch of his body, but he kept walking
forward, trying to find his way along. Once he stepped into the dining
room, he stopped and turned around wildly.

"Are you sure you don't want help?" I asked. "There's nothing wrong with
asking."

"Yeah, there is." Matteo turned the corner and luckily found the kitchen.
"I'll do it myself."

I checked my phone. We had been doing this song and dance for an hour
and a half. Did he really think he was going to be able to take care of
himself? I bet if I spun him around in a circle he would be confused and
start all over again. But I was curious to see what he would do when he
reached the fridge and found it...

"What the fuck!" he snapped. "Why is it locked?"

"You don't live here. It's not polite to go into someone else's kitchen and
start digging around." I grinned at the frustration that plagued his face. He
pounded his fist into the fridge.

"Fuck you!" he snapped. "This is bullshit!"

I grabbed the back of his neck and steered him away from the fridge. Before
he could do anything, I kicked the back of his knees and forced him to the
ground as he held himself up on his hands and knees. Matteo growled and
fought, but I kept my grasp firm until he stopped.

"One more temper tantrum and I'm going to hurt you, Matteo. I know you're
still adjusting, but the way you're acting is unacceptable. Lie on your
stomach."

"Why?"

I lodged my foot in his back and kicked him forward. He fell to the ground,
a shout leaving his lips before he met the floor. I stepped over him and put
the combination into the fridge lock. Once I opened it I took out eggs,
bacon, toast and sat them on the countertop.

"Don't get up," I said as I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye.
"You've wasted valuable time and I’ve lost my patience. So, you can stay
there and be quiet."

"Sobek-"

"All I want is a 'yes sir'."

When he was quiet, I made sure to remind him that I wasn't kidding. I
stepped on his back and ground my heel into his flesh before he cried out
and laid down flat on the white tile again. It was where he belonged. His
back rose and fell under my foot and he stayed still until I pressed down
once more.

"Matteo?"

"Yes, sir," he choked out.

"See? We're getting there."

The first few steps were the hardest. Once we got over the hump, I was sure
everything would go my way. All I needed was to continue to keep firm
with Matteo and show him how much he needed me.

But he didn't know that he was running out of time. If he kept being
stubborn, there would be no chance of fixing his eyesight.
Matteo

I could smell the aroma of cooking bacon and hear him cracking eggs.
Amazing, what you can pick out without being able to see. The gentle
tapping of the shells against the counter were so familiar and yet it had
taken me a long time to work out what it was until he was on the third or
fourth one. I was stuck lying on the floor, the tile cold against my naked
skin. Whenever I tried to shift and get comfortable, Sobek shoved a foot
onto my back or ass and I plopped back down again. Eventually, I gave up
trying to move at all, no matter how uncomfortable I was.

"Breakfast is almost ready," Sobek announced.

Despite my stomach growling, I didn't care. Whatever Sobek wanted to give

me, I didn't want it. I needed him to stop touching me, stop talking, stop
being so fucking close. But then I thought of the alternative. If I had to go
back down to the basement, I would go insane.

"Are you hungry?"

No, lingered on my tongue. Followed by the words fuck you. But I was
smart enough to know not to say either of those things. Instead, I simply
stayed still, my nails scraping against the tile.

"Matteo..."

"Yes, sir," I spat out.

It was easier to please him than to get kicked again. The pain I didn't mind
so much, but if I was shoved into that locked room in the basement again, I
wouldn't be able to escape. Maybe I can get on his good side. If I take my
time and act like I'm following along, he'll calm down.

I still wasn't sure what was wrong with Sobek, but I knew he was unhinged.
The nicer I was, the more he might bend. And then I would find a way out
so I could slit his throat.

"It's finished!" he announced before he ran his fingers through my hair.

"Hands and knees, Matteo."

I pushed myself up without objecting. Sobek was moving around and I

stayed still until he pushed my head down. I could smell food and I
frowned.

"What is this?" I grumbled.

"Your breakfast. If you were a well behaved slave, you could eat at the table
with me, but I think we’re far away from that."

I bristled. "I'm not anyone's slave."

"Eat your food before it gets cold. There's a bowl of water on your right if
you're thirsty."

I frowned and didn't move. He couldn't be serious, right? Did Sobek really
expect me to eat on the floor like an animal? My stomach growled,
contracting as if to remind me that I hadn’t eaten in way too damn long.

I need to eat if I'm going to get out of here.

Strength. I needed to retain as much of it as possible if I was going to get

away from this psychopath.

Reaching down, I picked up some food and brought it to my lips. The taste
of something sweet, fruit maybe, touched my tongue and I bit into it. When
I went to take in more, a hand slapped me upside the back of the head and I
dropped it.

"I didn't say to use your hands." Sobek’s voice was deep and dangerous.
“You’ve lost that privilege as well.”

I shivered. He wasn't going to give me an ounce of dignity, was he? What

the hell was Sobek's game? He was stoking my temper making me want to
punch him, but I took a deep breath and focused on my mission. Escape.

Slowly, I leaned down and pushed my face into the bowl of food. It was
wet, soft, and clung to my skin, but I didn't complain. It was food. There
had been plenty of times in my life when I had gone without meals when I
wasn't doing well enough. When I wasn't good enough for my father. I
knew how to survive hunger, but it was easier to shut up and eat.

"That's a much better attitude," Sobek said as a chair scraped along the floor
and I heard him sit down. "And a great view. Once you're done eating I'll
get you all bandaged up and then we can move on to some well-needed
training."

I frowned. Training for what? I had no idea what he was talking about, but
it was starting to get under my skin. I ate as much food as I could stomach
before I drank from the bowl, watering slopping onto my skin and I was
sure that I was getting it everywhere. But it was refreshing and I felt better
once my throat and mouth were no longer burning and dry.

"Good job." Sobek reached down and caressed my hair. "I think we’re
making progress. Don't you?"

"Yes, sir," I muttered.

He chuckled. "You're getting very good at giving me what you think I want.
I have to applaud that. But pretty soon you'll learn to actually please me,
Matteo. Stay here. I'll be right back."

I nodded and waited until his footsteps receded before I heard the creak of
what I prayed was the stairs. I scrambled to my feet. There had to be a door
or a window, I could escape from. Once I was out, I was sure someone
would see a naked blind man and take pity on me. I felt my way along the
counter quickly listening out for any sign of movement. When there was
none, I moved faster.

My breathing quickened. Every second that he wasn't around, I felt like he

would pop up and scream in my ear again. I fumbled along until I touched
something cool and round. A doorknob. I twisted it and the door rattled, but
it didn't open. I ran my hand over the door and felt two locks. I flipped both
of them in different patterns, but the door still wouldn't budge.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I whispered. "Come on!"

Running my hands along it again something stabbed me in the finger. I

snatched my hand away and then slowly reached out and touched it again.
There was a line of round, flat little circles sticking out at all angles and
lengths.

Fuck, are those… nails?

"Yes, my mother nailed this door shut a long time ago, Matteo."
I jumped so hard my heart pounded in my chest as I whipped around and
nearly lost my footing. My head swiveled around even though I knew I
couldn't see him. But I was on alert trying to figure out exactly where he
was as I leaned against the door and sucked in a sharp breath.

"I was just-"

"Trying to escape," Sobek finished. "It's a common theme among the slaves
that I've kept. Sad. I thought maybe you would be different. I'm doing this
for you."

"You're keeping me prisoner and trying to humiliate me for me?" I laughed

dryly. "You have to know that’s insane."

My breathing was cut off as a hand wrapped around my throat and Sobek
slammed me against the door. Pain shot up my back from the nails. I
reached up and grabbed at his wrist trying to pull it away before I sank my
nails into his flesh. But he didn't budge. His grip tightened and I choked as
my head grew lighter and lighter.

Shit. Was I really going to die? There was so much that I hadn't
accomplished in life. My mission had always been the Romano family and
everything that entailed. But when had I actually enjoyed myself? When
had I ever been free?

"P-please, Bek." I coughed and my throat burned. "Don't."

My throat was suddenly released and I dropped to the floor hard.

Everything hurt as I landed and cried out, grabbing onto my left knee that
had taken the most damage. Pain. It was my best friend and my worst
enemy, but at least it cleared my head of the fog that had set in.

"That little plea actually worked on me. I'm surprised." Sobek sighed as he
walked around me. "Then again I've always had a soft spot for you."
"It doesn't seem like it," I said before I could stop myself. "You're torturing
me!"

"So you can be the next in line." Sobek reached down and his fingers
grazed my cheek. "No one deserves to be the head of the Romano family
but you."

I frowned. "My father is the head and I won’t be taking over anytime soon.”
I touched my sore throat and coughed. “I don’t even want to take control of
it.”

"That's what makes you the perfect leader. Someone like you who doesn't
want it with someone like me who would run it right. Together, we could
build the perfect empire."

I shook my head. "You're insane."

"Not as much as you would think." He grabbed my arm and pulled me to

my feet. "Let's go."

Panic set in as I hissed in pain and limped along with him. "Where are we
going?"

"To fix you up and sort things out."

Shit, I just wanted the man to leave me alone. Sobek clearly had plans and
the more I could learn about them, the more I would know about him. And
then I would find my way out of this hell hole.

There was no other choice but to wait him out.

Sobek

M atteo grew quiet as I dragged him to my bedroom. I sat him down and
closed the door, making sure to lock it loudly so he'd understand he had
nowhere to go. His little running away stunt had put me in a foul mood and
I wasn't going to tolerate any more foolishness. When I turned around,
Matteo hadn't moved. He sat on the bed, his hands gripping it tightly as he
faced forward.

I was struck by how attractive Matteo was. Every inch of his body was
strong, his muscles on display as he frowned and fidgeted a bit. I had felt
the strength he possessed when he fought against me, but I loved it. His
dark hair looked soft and his pink lips practically begged to be kissed and
fucked. No matter how many times I stared at Matteo, I could never get
enough of him.

"Bek?" Matteo's head turned back and forth. "Bek?"

He really was helpless. Vulnerable. My cock hardened and I ran a hand over
it, giving myself a squeeze. It would be so easy to take him right now, but
we weren't there yet. Jumping the gun would ruin that delicious anticipation
that had been growing for years.

He was worth waiting for.

"Bek?"

I crossed the room to him swiftly and wrapped my hand around his throat. It
was quickly becoming my favorite thing in the world. Matteo let out a yelp.
He reached up to my hand, but this time he didn't dig his nails in. He's
holding himself back. I pushed him down onto the bed and once his head
rested on the pillow, I released him.

"Lay still. I'm going to check your wounds and give you some antibiotics.
We don't want you getting an infection."

I grabbed the bandages and some disinfectant. As I cleaned his wounds, I

hummed under my breath. No infection. The bullet wound was still fresh
and I was sure he had exasperated it by trying to run away earlier. His
adrenaline must have been pumping because now as I cleaned the wound,
he hissed, his fists balled up tight as he gritted his teeth.

"Do you want something for the pain?" I asked.

Matteo turned his head from me. "No."

I smiled. "Do you think it's because I'm going to poison or drug you?"
When he didn't respond I took that as a yes. "If I wanted to do those things,
I could accomplish it with a syringe just like I did when you first arrived."

He jolted. "You did what?"

"It was necessary so that I could work on you. And you're fine, aren't you?"

"Fuck that! I don't know what you did to me while I was asleep!"
I chuckled. "Do you think I did something to you?" I ran a finger up his
thigh and he snapped his legs closed. "That I touched you inappropriately?"

"Get your goddamn hands off of me," he growled.

"I didn't," I continued as he fought me. Sighing, I slapped his thigh hard just
above his wound and he cried out. "Open your legs and stop being difficult.
If I wanted to fuck you, Matteo, I would have done it already."

"You don't?" He bit out.

"Want to fuck you? Of course, I do. What man wouldn't want to take what's
his?"

Matteo shivered under my fingertips. "I am not yours. Taking me away

from my home, my family, my life? I'll never touch you."

I leaned down and he tensed. I felt it in the way his muscles contracted
against my body and he sucked in a shuddering breath. Leaning down
further, I brushed my lips against his ear. He tried to pull away, but I
pressed a palm against his chest and held him down.

"And who says you'll have a choice? I could take you right here and now,
Matteo and there would be nothing you could do about it."

"Get off of me!" he yelled. "I'll slit your fucking throat if you touch me.”

"You could try." I ran my hand down from his chest and grabbed his cock
tightly. "But I-"

The fist that slammed into my face robbed me of my senses. My ears rang
and I shook my head as I tried to stabilize myself again. Matteo was on his
feet, panting, redness spreading from his face to his shoulders and chest.
Pissed off was an understatement and even blind, he was ready to fight.
I tasted blood and spat it onto the floor. Great, more cleaning to do later. I
ran my arm across my mouth and stood up.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Screw you," Matteo spat.

"There's that famous temper."

Matteo had never been a calm man. He tried. Sometimes I could see it on
his face in meetings or when he was trying to listen to his father's
instructions. But in the end that anger that he had inherited directly from
Lorenzo always came through.

"Sobek." His fists were still tight. "Let me go and I won't tell my father
what happened here. We'll go about our lives and pretend none of this
fucking went on."

I laughed. "As if you could resist coming after me. No, no, Matteo. You're
stuck with me and there is no way out. I'm doing this for you."

"You're fucking psychotic." He lifted his head, chin in the air. "And I will
never be what you want me to be."

There it was. Matteo was a king. He just didn't know it yet. But I planned to
stick by his side and remind him every single day of the man he was and the
one he could be. The only person a king should bow to was a god and I
would give that reality to Matteo. If he would stop being so damn stubborn.

"Sit down, Matteo," I said as I put the antiseptic on the nightstand. "I
haven't wrapped your wound."

"Unless you're letting me go, I don't want you to touch me."

I sighed. "Sit down, Matteo."

Tension built as neither of us moved. He stayed where he was and if he
could see, I knew those mesmerizing eyes would be glaring at me. The
frown on his face was enough to let me know how displeased he was, but I
missed the eyes that were hidden underneath his bandages. Those
intoxicating emerald orbs that captivated me at every turn.

Soon. I'll have his gaze back very, very soon.

If he would only listen. Instead of sitting down, he stepped forward and I

shook my head. That was the wrong move. I directed an uppercut at his
chin and he grunted as he took the hit and fell back onto the bed. As soon as
he was down, I picked up a knife from the nightstand and pressed the sharp
tip against his throat. Matteo instantly stopped moving.

"I see you're aware of what a knife feels like. How many times did Lorenzo
hold one to your throat growing up?" I pushed the tip against his neck and a
bead of blood surfaced before it raced down his flesh. "I asked you a
question."

"A lot," he growled. "Okay? A lot!"

"I'm aware." I removed the knife. "Lie in the correct position so I can
bandage you up. You're only adding more punishment to your future,
Matteo."

"I don't fucking care."

Oh, I knew he didn't. At least not yet. But Matteo didn't understand who I
was. Or why I was doing this.

I went back to cleaning up his wound before I started to bandage it. Matteo
sucked in a sharp breath and fought through the pain until I was done. I
removed the bandages from his eyes next and checked each one with a
light.
"My mother used to say that I was born from royalty. From gods. That I was
Sobek. She taught me everything I needed to know about the way of the
world and taught me how to wait and rest. How to get everything that I've
ever desired."

"Yeah," Matteo muttered. "Did she also teach you that you're insane? Or
that gods don’t exist?"

"No, the opposite. She always said I was sane, sweet, passionate and that I
was meant to rule. Living in one shitty place after another, I had no idea
what she meant, you know? I thought she was crazy. But then there were
times when I would hear his voice and feel his touch and I knew that I was
supposed to take his place."

"Who?" Matteo asked, a reluctant tone to his voice.

"Sobek. The Egyptian god. He ruled in a way that made people worship
him. They wanted to. Being a surgeon, I was able to get a taste of that, but I
know there's more waiting for me."

"Like running the Romano family?"

I raised a brow. Sweet Matteo, he was smarter than I thought he was. I had
never voiced it out loud, but there were definitely advantages to him taking
over the family. We both knew he didn't actually want that position and I
could run the business better and more efficiently than his father could. I
was made for this life. And he would be tortured by it at best.

"I'm right," Matteo whispered. "You're doing all of this so you can take
over. No one's going to follow you, Sobek."

I brushed the hair from his forehead. "They will when you're the leader and
I'm calling the shots."
"You're delusional," he mumbled. "Bek, no one will go for that. I don't even
know why you're pushing it."

"Because it's going to happen."

I had no reason to argue my point because I knew that I was right. Matteo
could make a great leader, but he didn't have the tools to do it on his own.
Despite his upbringing, I had seen endless moments of weakness in him. If
he was going to be head of a group of deadly mobsters, then he needed to
give in to chaos and darkness, but he always held back. It was why Lorenzo
gave him such a hard time about everything. And why I would be the
perfect candidate to take over and run the Romano family the way they
needed to be run.

"Your eyes are fine," I said finally as I sat up. "But I'll need to operate
sooner rather than later to make sure they stay that way."

"Then do it."

I stood up and stared down into the eyes that couldn't see me. "No."

Matteo sat up swiftly. "What do you mean no?"

"It's not time. Yet." I put my supplies away into their little box and sat it
beside the nightstand. "When you're ready, I'll perform the surgery."

"I don't trust you."

"You’re going to have to."

I straightened up and walked back over to him. Matteo didn't move. He was
getting more confident in what he was saying, more headstrong. The meek
and quiet Matteo that I had seen a little while ago was fading quickly
because he couldn't keep it up. We both knew that he was a fiery ball of
anger and trying to be sweet and good wasn't going to work. Although it
was entertaining to see him try.

"You're all fixed up." I sat back on the bed and glanced down at him. "Now,
onto your punishment."

"What?"

I shoved him onto his stomach and pushed my knee into his back to hold
him down. Matteo bucked, swore, and thrashed, but I put more pressure on
him until he couldn't breathe. Long, deep gasps left his lips and I grabbed
the restraints that were wound underneath the bed. I fastened the wrist
restraints and had to wrestle his flailing legs for the ankle restraints.

"Matteo, you are really starting to test my nerves," I sighed. "Take your
punishment and calm down."

"Get away from me you fucking freak!"

I added another tally in my head. That word. I detested it. Matteo was going
to have to pay penance. He only needed very few words.Yes, sir. No, sir.
Thank you, sir. Everything else was irrelevant.

And I would show him that, no matter how long it took.

Sobek

S pread out on the bed , Matteo was an appetizing meal waiting to be

devoured. His creamy olive flesh begged to be stroked and I did just that. I
ran my hand up the back of his leg, between his thighs, and brushed my
fingers against his taint. He jumped and swore, bringing a grin to my lips.

"Don't be so jumpy."

"How could I not?" Matteo panted, straining and pulling at his restraints.
"Don't touch me!"

"You're like a broken record." I smacked my palm against his bare ass. "It's
going to happen so you might as well lie there and take it."

Matteo uttered a string of curses, but I ignored them. He could be as feisty

and stubborn as he wanted to be, it wouldn't change a thing. I removed my
hand from his body and walked over to the closet. Inside, there was a
sizable trunk. I rooted through it pulling out the riding crop. It wasn't too
heavy, but the sting was impressive and it would start to train Matteo that
there were consequences to his actions.
I struck him sharply on the thigh and he hissed. His body tensed and I saw
him freeze as if he was contemplating how to process what had just
happened. While he tried, I struck him again on the opposite thigh.

"Shit," Matteo spat. "Stop it!"

"If you keep squirming around, you're going to end up getting hurt." I
struck him again and he jolted. "There’s no way out of this, Matteo. You’re
stuck with me and if you try to escape again, I’ll have to do much worse
than this. Do I make myself clear?"

"Fuck you," he growled.

I clicked my tongue. "Perhaps later.”

The crop gave a sharp thwack as it came in contact with his ass and thighs.
His skin rose and welted as he turned red and hot to the touch. Little
squares, the shape of the tip of the crop, and red lines decorated his flesh.
Tomorrow there would be such an intoxicating array of black and blue
bruises covering him. But more than that he would learn. Pain was a
powerful motivator. Lorenzo had known that, but he hadn’t taken it far
enough. Mix pain with fear, desire, longing, loneliness and you could rule
any man.

By the time I stopped my assault, Matteo was panting and almost

whimpering. He sounded sweet, like a dog that needed to be adopted and
loved. But he couldn't get that side of me. Not yet. Anything short of
breaking him was now off of the table because, as I'd expected, Matteo
wasn't going to give in easily.

"Are you going to try to escape again?" I asked, my lips brushing against
his ear as I held onto his restrained arms. "Or are you going to be good?"

Matteo tried to jerk away. "Get off of me!"

"Wrong answer. Let's start round two." I placed the crop on the bed and
walked back to the box before I dug around and pulled out the single-tail
whip instead. "I'm sure you'll have a change of heart after this."

"After what?" Matteo tugged at his restraints sharply. "After what, Sobek!"

He was certainly entertaining, I would give him that. I flicked my wrist and
the whip kissed his skin. Blood pooled along the mark I'd made and then
another mark joined the first. Matteo's skin quickly became decorated with
marks as he tried to hold back a scream.

And the scream tore free, loud and anguised, and raw.

The sound was like a symphony, filling my ears and making my cock hard
as hell. I finally stopped and sat the whip aside as Matteo panted harder
now, a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. When I glanced down at him,
there were tears on his cheeks and he shuddered.

"Let's try this again," I said quietly. "Are you going to behave? Or should I
keep going?"

"Fuck... you..." he whispered.

Oh, did he know how much I loved that? Matteo was a stubborn man. I
knew it wouldn't be easy to break him and yet he was making it so much
more fun than I expected. There was a fine line between fun and me losing
my temper, but for now I would let him be stubborn.

Instead of the whip I chose a thick paddle with holes drilled into it. The
moment it touched Matteo, he yelled and tried to twist himself free, but
there was nowhere to go. I paddled him until my wrist grew tired and I was
breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from my brow and I wiped it away.

"Do you want to try that again?" I asked.

"Stop," Matteo whispered. "Please."

"It's been a long time since you've had to take pain, hmm?" I ran my fingers
over his sore, hot flesh and he sucked in a sharp breath. "That's what you
have to look forward to if you try to escape again."

"Let me go," Matteo muttered. "I want to go home."

He sounded so heartbroken and defeated that my chest tightened for a

moment. I reached out and laid a hand on his leg, giving it a squeeze before
I pulled away. No, I couldn't be too soft on him or he would never learn. He
needed to understand that this was his situation. If he behaved, then he
would be safe. If not? He would face more pain.

"You're fine." I sat the paddle down and started to clean up the blood on his
body. I checked the freshly made wounds. As long as they were clean, he
would be fine. I just had to keep any infection away.

"Bek," Matteo groaned. "I want to go home."

I sighed. "We both know that's not possible. If you keep dwelling on it, all
you'll have is heartache and pain." I bandaged him up carefully. "It's time to
let go of what you thought of as home. I'm your home now."

Matteo shook his head. "No."

I ignored his words and finished what I was doing. He was still raw and that
was fine, but he would have to learn eventually. I put everything away
carefully after making sure things were washed, sanitized, and put in their
correct spots. Matteo laid there the whole time unmoving except for the rise
and fall of his back as he breathed. Even now, he was learning.

"If you can't learn to behave, you'll go back down to the basement." I
watched as he squirmed at my words. "Is that what you want?"
"No," he whispered. "I don't want to go back."

"Too bad," I said shortly. "Until you learn to behave, that's where you'll be."

Matteo shook his head. "T-there's rats down there. I can't be in that room."

"You don't have a choice."

I unfastened his ankles and wrists. Matteo was already starting to flail, but I
shoved my fingers into his hair and forced him to straighten up. He
scratched and clawed my hand as I marched him out of my room.

"Bek, no!"

Matteo fought me every step of the way as I marched him into the basement
again. This time I was careful not to drag him and save his precious knees.
By the time we were faced with the iron door once more, he was a
trembling, begging mess.

"Enough," I snapped. "You can go in willingly or I can break your bones

and shove you inside. At the end of the day, the outcome is the same."

"No, okay okay." He panted and his hands gripped both sides of the
doorway as he stood there, shaking his head. "I'll go."

I smiled. "This is only temporary, Matteo. What happens in the future

depends on you."

Putting a hand on his back, I pushed him forward. Matteo stumbled into the
room and his head whipped back and forth. I stood in the doorway watching
him for way too long before I shut the door.

Matteo needed some time to figure himself out. When he was ready to
come out we could have another conversation. Until then I couldn't afford
to go easy on him. He was the man that I loved and I would do whatever it
took to get him to see the truth.
I was all he had.
Matteo

H ow long have I been here?

Without my eyesight, I no longer knew if it was light or dark out. If I had

been locked in this room for hours or days. I was let out, but I was always
driven right back inside. When I needed anything, I had to wait for Sobek.
And if he didn't want to give it to me, then I simply didn't get it.

The last time I was allowed in the kitchen I had spit out the food that he
made for me and he was pissed about it. I was quickly starting to learn that
there was a thin line between Bek being entertained and losing his shit.
Every inch of my body still hurt from his continuous beatings and though it
had been a while since he'd hit me, I wasn't looking forward to the next time
that he would.

Leaning against the wall, I wondered what my father was doing at home.
Was he still looking for me? Unlikely. It's not like he gives a shit. The man
was more concerned about his name and the family image than he was
about me. And my mother was just as bad. She stayed tucked away, too
weak to open her mouth and say anything about what he was doing. Even if
it was cheating on her and treating me like his personal punching bag.

My stomach growled and I gripped it. Even to my own fingers, my skin was
clammy and cold. Sobek hadn't allowed me to wear any clothes again and
my jail cell was freezing. I craved warmth. Anything that would make me
feel alive again.

"Matteo."

I lifted my head. When had Bek come in? Usually, I could hear when he
was there; the squeak of the door, the shuffle of his shoes, his breathing. All
of those were indications he was nearby, but not this time. I shrank back
against the wall despite wanting to curse the man out. What strength I had
was fleeting and I realized I hadn't eaten or had anything to drink for a long
goddamn time.

"Can you stand?" Bek asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know," I answered truthfully. "I’m tired."

"That's the lack of food and water." A hand wrapped around my arm and I
was pulled to my feet. "Would you like to eat?"

I wavered as the world spun.Being in the dark made it hard to get my

bearings and grasp what was up and what was down. My stomach pitched
and I was sure I would be sick, but I held it together. I grabbed onto Sobek,
clinging to him so I wouldn't fall.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm starving."

"That's not how I taught you to respond, Matteo."

I frowned. Shit, he really was a piece of crap. Whenever I thought there was
even a possibility of him being normal, that idea was squashed. He was a
bastard through and fucking through. Pain exploded on the left side of my
face and I spat out blood.

"Your hesitation will cost you your life."

"Just kill me already,” I laughed as my ear rang. “I’m ready to die."

"So dramatic." Sobek pulled me along and I had no choice but to follow
him before he stopped. "Sit on the floor. Your food is ready as soon as you
ask for it. Nicely."

I sneered. Nicely. I didn't give a damn about being nice to him and he knew
it. But what choice did I have?

"Can I eat?" I muttered.

"What was that?" Sobek asked, his voice suddenly right beside my ear.
"Ask the right way."

I jumped and gritted my teeth. "Can I eat, please?" When he didn't answer, I
groaned inwardly. "Sir."

"Stubborn." Sobek gripped my shoulder, his nails digging in until I wavered

and went down to the floor with no resistance. "Good job. Your food is in
front of you. Eat."

This was the one time he wouldn't have to tell me twice. I leaned down and
felt around until my fingers grazed the bowl. My stomach growled and I
leaned down and shoved my face into the bowl greedily. Fuck holding back.
I was starving.

"Greedy thing," Sobek chuckled. "Are you really that hungry? I guess it has
been a while."

How long was a while? That was all I could think as I tore into my food,
trying to inhale as much of it as possible because I didn't want to face the
reality of it being taken away from me. The man was torturing the fuck out
of me and I was left eating scraps from a bowl like a goddamn dog.

"Slow down or you'll make yourself sick."

I ignored every word. Shoveling food into my mouth, I groaned. I had no

idea what I was eating, but it tasted like heaven. The dust, mold, and decay
of the basement had been whisked away and in its place was fresh air and
delicious food. I didn’t think I’d ever stop stuffing my face.

"There's water beside you."

I moved over to that bowl and slurped from it in the most undignified way.
Water sloshed down my chin, but I kept drinking until my stomach was full
and I felt like I would pop. By the time I was done, I sat back and panted,
out of breath and head spinning. Finally. I felt sweet relief from the food
and water even if my stomach was uncomfortably full.

"Better?"

I tilted my head toward Sobek's deep voice. Licking my lips free of the
water and wiping my chin I nodded. Yes, I felt way better than I had before.

"You should say thank you then."

I frowned. "You want me to thank you? For food?"

"Yes."

"Fuck that," I hissed. "You're not supposed to deprive someone of food and
water. They're basic needs."

Sobek's rapid footsteps made me shrink back. I crawled away, propelling

myself backward with my hands until my back hit something hard. I
grabbed my side and deflated under his presence. I didn't even have to see
his face, but I knew his glare was staring right through me.
"Not in this house," Sobek said as his foot stepped on my thigh and pressed
down. "You aren't owed anything here. I could let you die as easily as I can
let you live and give you the life you crave. One free of responsibility and
thought."

I swallowed thickly as his toes dug into my flesh. I could hear the
seriousness in his tone. I licked my lips trying to think straight and find a
way out of this. Now that there was food and water in my belly, I could
strategize again. And that was going to help me.

"You won't kill me," I said as I tilted my head back. "You said it yourself.
You love me."

My stomach twisted even letting the words leave my lips. Sobek didn't love
me, at least not in any sane capacity. But he'd said it more than once now
that he cared, that he loved me. I could use that affection to my advantage.

"Yes." My chin was gripped tightly and kept still. "I do love you, but that
doesn't mean I won't slit your throat. A failure is a failure and I’ve been
disappointed before.” He traced his fingers over my cheek. “You'll thank
me, Matteo. And you'll beg for me."

I sucked in a breath. "Thank you for the food and water." The words
felt...right. Because they were true. I was grateful to have something to put
in my body after waiting so long. "I was feeling like shit down there but I’m
better now. Thank you."

"Thank you, what?" Bek's voice had grown soft.

"Thank you, sir," I mumbled.

He chuckled. "There you go." Fingers pushed through my hair and I leaned
into his touch before I pulled away. "Now look at that, you sought me out
all on your own."
I tugged away sharply, a pit of unease growing in my stomach. "Please."

"Please, what?"

I didn't know what. There was only the feeling of longing now and needing
someone to touch me. I hadn't felt anyone's hands on me, not even his really
over the last few... How long has it been? No matter how I tried to piece it
together nothing made sense. I was blind in more ways than one.

"When can you operate?" I asked because that was the easiest question I
could come up with without facing why I had leaned into him like that.
"You said when I was ready. My leg doesn't hurt as much, I'm feeling better
as long as you feed me. And I'm ready. I need to see."

"Why? You have me. I can take care of you. All you have to do is put your
stubbornness aside."

I wanted to draw back at the idea. Never. Since I was young, the only
person that I could rely on was myself. Putting my faith and trust in
someone was impossible. The only person I believed in, and even that was
iffy at times, was myself.

"Bek, please," I choked out. "You can't leave me like this." I reached out
and wrapped my hand around his calf. To my surprise, it was bare, his fine
hair brushing against my palm as I held onto him. It reminded me that I'd
once thought he was a good-looking guy. "Please. I'll do anything. I don't
want to go back down there. I can't. And I need to see."

Maybe other people could adapt to their blindness, but I was terrified
without mine. I just wanted to be able to open my eyes and see light. To
walk without bumping into things or hurting myself. I needed my freedom.

"You have a lot of needs for someone who is giving me absolutely nothing
in return."
I swallowed thickly. "What do you want?"

"Your undying worship, love, and devotion."

I frowned. "What else?"

Sobek chuckled. "There's a bit of humor left in you." He removed his foot
from my thigh and I was grateful for the weight being taken away. "Open
your mouth."

I tensed. Why? That was my first question, but he didn't like questions. If I
pushed him too far, he would take me back down into the damp cold of the
basement and I would be stuffed into that room again. Slowly, I parted my
lips.

"Wider. Stick out your tongue."

Fuck, why did I feel so... vulnerable? A shiver ran up my spine and I
opened my lips wider before I stuck my tongue out. I held still, my muscles
tensed as Sobek didn't move. Something slid along my tongue and I quickly
shut my mouth.

"Open it again."

I shook my head. "No."

"Matteo, do I have to take you upstairs and start again?"

Fuck. I was tired of getting hit. Slowly, I opened my mouth once more and
stuck my tongue out. What the hell was he doing? Something slid over my
tongue once more and I moved it around until I realized it was his finger.
He pushed the digit back further into my mouth and I was tempted to bite
down and sever it.

Don't. The crazy bastard really will kill me.

I had no choice. Sitting there as he finger fucked my mouth, the only thing I
could do was to let him. Saliva ran over the corner of my mouth and I felt it
dripping as he pushed two fingers inside deeper until I gagged. I shook my
head and pulled away.

"You never really bottom, do you?" Sobek asked, something else in his
voice now. Something terrifying. "I've seen all of your little trysts. Every
man you've pinned to a bed, every woman you've fucked senseless. And
every one, I wondered if you even knew just how good it could feel to be in
their position."

I shook my head. "I don't want to know."

"But you will. It's your turn, Matteo. Now, mouth open and tongue out."

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"I...I can't do that. No fucking way." My heart pounded in my chest. "Bek,

don't."

"Do it or I'll get an o-ring gag from upstairs, force it into your mouth, and
make you blow me that way." The sound of his zipper was almost deafening
in the silence. "You can open your mouth and earn some freedom from your
cell or you can have your face fucked and go back down anyway. The
choice is yours."

How is that a fucking choice!

I wanted to scream at him that he really was batshit insane. But no words
were getting through his thick skull. There was no choice. I had to listen.

I snapped my mouth open. The taste of salty liquid was the first thing that
greeted my tongue as the head of his cock pushed between my lips. Once
more I was so tempted to bite down and taste his blood, hear him screaming
in agony.
"I know you're thinking about it, but if you bite me, Matteo..."

He didn't have to finish the threat. I wasn't insane enough to go through

with it. Slowly, I shook my head to show him that I wasn't going to even
attempt that.

"Good boy."

Good boy. He said the words as if I would want to hear them. I wasn't his
and I certainly wasn't a boy. I wanted to pull away from him for those
words alone, but he traced a finger down my cheek and I calmed.

Whatever. Do this and get it over with.

It wasn't my first time giving a blow job. Even though I preferred not to be
on this side of things, I knew how to do it. Reaching up I wrapped a hand
around his length and found that it was fucking thick. I pushed myself
onward and wrapped my lips around him before I took his cock into my
mouth deeper and deeper. It slid into my throat and I held back from
choking, but only barely.

"Oh, look at you. An overachiever in some areas, I see." He pushed his

fingers into my hair. "Take me all the way into your throat, Matteo. Let me
see your devotion."

I swallowed thickly and did just that. As soon as I gagged, he slammed his
cock back so deep, I fought against him as my oxygen was cut off. I slapped
at his thighs, my nose dragging in a breath. Through the nose. Breathe
through your nose. I needed to calm down, but it was hard to think when
Sobek was using my throat as his personal cocksleeve.

The worst fucking part was the way my body responded. My cock grew
hard between my thighs and the sounds that left my mouth were
humiliating. There were parts of me that I hid from everyone and this? It
was something that I tried to store away from the light of day. My need to
feel someone above me, taking me, breaking me, forcing me. He was never
supposed to see this. No one was.

"Your cock is hard," Sobek groaned. "And so are your nipples." He bucked
his hips and I choked. "You're turned on by me using your throat, aren't
you?"

I wanted to deny it, but I was so hard, it hurt. All thought in my head
stopped and I held onto his strong thighs, but I didn't push him away. No
one had used me like this in a long time and I was desperate for more.

What am I doing? Do not be into this! Just get him off and he'll lay off of
this shit.

At the end of the day that's all Bek really wanted, right? To get off?

Fuck, I hoped so.

He groaned and I gagged as salty, hot cum splashed on my tongue and

rolled down my throat. Sobek pulled out and I coughed what little remained
onto the floor, trying to draw in a breath. Panting, I wiped my mouth with
my arm and he laughed.

"We're only getting started, Matteo."

I frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? My heart skipped a
beat at the humiliation that was already digging its way in. I had just shown
him a horrible side of me. What more could he do?
Sobek

M y patience was gone . For years, I had waited to take Matteo and now he
was right in front of me.

He laid on my bed, his arms stretched above his head and his legs spread
eagle. I'd cleaned him up, washed away the filth and dirt of the basement.
Now that he'd been stuck in my home for three weeks, he had grown a light
beard and mustache. It looked good on him. He looked distinguished, like a
man who knew what he wanted. It matched his petulant temper and while I
had to redirect that rage at times, I did enjoy his fire.

"Turn over onto your stomach. I'm done with your bandages."

Matteo swallowed thickly. "I don't have any wounds on my back. I checked
when I was downstairs, they all healed."

I grinned. "Clever, but I didn't ask. Roll over and stretch out again. I'm
going to restrain you."

He hesitated. "No."
"Matteo..."

"Why do you need to restrain me?" he spat as he sat up and shoved himself
against the headboard. "I've done everything you've told me to do. No more
beatings, Bek. I want to fucking see!"

I clicked my tongue. "If you don't obey orders, I won't be doing anything."

He paused. "Wait? Are you saying... you could fix my eyesight?"

"Restoring sight is a gift of mine. Sobek had it too, you know. But I don't
have to give it to you. And I won't if you don't deserve it."

Matteo’s thick brows moved up and if he could see me I knew he’d be

shooting daggers with his gaze. I let him process what was being said and
simply watched. Slowly, Matteo had been coming around. It was taking
time of course, but I expected that it would. First, I had to be brutal, but
now I was going to change tactics bit by bit until he was eating out of the
palm of my hand like a good slave should do.

"You've been keeping me blind," he whispered. "All this time. I don't even
know how long I've been here." His chest rose and fell quickly as he
gripped the sheets on either side of him. "You've been doing this on
purpose!"

For only the third time in my life, I watched Matteo Romano cry. Tears slid
down his cheeks and he trembled as he shook his head and the panic set in.
I didn't interrupt him, it would be rude. He looked like he was going to
explode and he finally screamed, the sound filled with despair and pain.

"No need for that." I walked over and laid a hand on his cheek. When he
pulled away, I reached out and touched him once more. "Hey, listen to me."

"Fuck you!" He screamed as he reached up and gripped his dark locks,

tugging them roughly. "I feel like I'm losing my mind!"
"That's because you're still resisting me. If you gave in, Matteo, I could give
you everything you've ever wanted in life." I lifted his chin and he still
trembled, but he didn't pull away, making me smile. "Give in. Some of us
can't avoid our destinies."

"I don't want this," he whispered, reaching up and grabbing my wrist. "Just
let me go."

I shook my head. "You don't want that. I know you think you do, but you
don't. Matteo you were lonely without me. So cold and broken all because
Lorenzo decided to treat you as his personal toy. Do you think I haven't
seen you try to numb yourself all these years? How many times have I
bandaged a wound of yours knowing it was self-inflicted?"

Matteo sniffled and swallowed hard before he gasped in a breath. "You

knew."

"Yes, I knew." I traced my fingers over his arms and touched the spots I
knew he'd burned and cut before. "And every time I thought to myself that
if I was in charge, I would never allow you to hurt yourself in this way. I
would give you the pain you needed and craved so you wouldn’t have to
suffer. You wouldn’t need to slice yourself open to feel because you’d know
that you were loved."

He tilted his head up at me and shook it. "Why?" he whispered. "Why do

you care about me?”

I stroked his cheek, pushing my fingers into his hair and scraping my nails
along his scalp. Matteo looked so lost. I pulled the bandage from his eyes
and looked into them. Even though he couldn't see me, I was mesmerized
by those eyes. But how much did I want to reveal to him? How much could
I tell him?

"Bek," he whispered. "I need to fucking know."

"No one cared about me." The words slipped from my lips before I could
stop them. "My mother loved me, but she didn't know how to show it. She
told me I was a god, the reincarnation of Sobek himself, and that I would be
the best of the best. But when it came down to it, she picked the drugs over
me. She picked her shitty lovers over me." Matteo winced and I realized I
was gripping his cheek too tightly. I eased my hold. "I always thought that I
would never be that way. I would find the one person that deserved my love
and give them the world."

"But why me?" Matteo asked softly. "I don't understand."

"You deserve it. Every day you try to lead and grow and give it your all, but
we both know you're no Lorenzo."

Matteo tensed and pulled himself out of my grip. "Fuck you. Shit, you're
just like him."

I shook my head and grabbed his arm, stopping him from moving away.
"No, I'm not. But I'm honest. Lorenzo is a cold-blooded monster who has
never seen you beyond what you could do for him and his legacy. Me? I
know you're more than that. You deserve to live your life and I should be
the one in charge. Together we're simply stepping into our rightful roles."

He looked unsure, but he didn't pull away anymore. Whatever was going on
in his head, he was softening.

"Turn over onto your stomach," I said as I gripped his chin tightly. "I've
waited for years, Matteo and I'm going to fuck you."

The man seemed to wake up. "What? No. Bek, get off of me!"

As much as he protested, he moaned when I shoved him onto his belly and
his ass lifted from the bed as if he was ready for more. He loves to be
forced. The more he squirmed, the harder I grew.
I wrestled Matteo down and restrained him as he bucked and protested. By
the time I was done, there was a thin sheen of sweat on my forehead and I
wiped it away before I secured his ankles as well. Once Matteo was
stretched out, he tugged and twisted, but there was nowhere left for him to
go.

Leaving him to struggle, I opened my nightstand and grabbed the bottle of

lube I kept stored there. I squeezed the bottle and opened one of his cheeks,
pouring it on before I made sure to slather it over his hole with my fingers.

"No," Matteo groaned. "I don't want this."

"That's not true. Your cock is hard and you're blushing over every inch of
your body."

"I don't want this from you!"

Now, that stung. My heart squeezed and heat swept over my body.
Rejection wasn't something that I could take lightly. I climbed on top of
Matteo and wrapped a hand around his throat. He thrashed and jerked
underneath my body, but I simply tightened my grip.

"That's too bad," I whispered in his ear. "I am all you have now."

Any rational thought was tossed out of my head as I sank into his asshole.
He thrashed, tossing his head back and forth as he panted and clawed at the
bed. I planted both of my hands on the small of his back and fucked him
harder as I growled and slammed into him.

Matteo was mine. The sooner he realized that, the better things would be.

He cried out as my cock sank into him and he squeezed around my length.
Tight, hot, and wet from the lube, he felt as good as I imagined he did in my
dreams. How many times had I fantasized about this exact situation? Too
many to count.
"Bek, no," he moaned and rolled his hips. "Get off of me!"

I chuckled. "You're telling me to get off of you while moaning and begging
for more." I slapped my open palm against his ass and he groaned. "Make
up your mind, Matteo. Do you want to be fucked by me or do you not?"

He let out a sob that wrapped around my cock. "I don't know! It’s too
rough, can’t think,” he panted.

Now, that was honest. Despite the bullshit he'd tried to feed me over the
weeks, that was a real moment and it needed to be celebrated. Finally,
Matteo was giving himself to me in ways he never thought he would. And I
loved him even more than before.

"Give in." I traced my tongue along his ear and he moaned. "It feels good,
doesn't it? The white, hot pain of your ass being spread around my cock.
And that tingle of pleasure I’m sure is following the agony." I nipped his
lobe. “Admit it. You love this.”

Matteo's hole tightened around my cock. He tried not to answer, but he

didn't have to. The man was pushing back against my length, moaning,
writhing, begging for more. I dug my nails into his back and dragged them
down his flesh as a growl left my lips. Finally, Matteo was mine. No one
else would ever have him.

I needed more. I licked his shoulder and bared my teeth before I sank them
into his flesh tearing into him as if he was a meal to be devoured. His soft
skin gave and I tasted blood as my eyes rolled back.

"Fuck!" Matteo howled and tried to buck me off. "No, Bek. No."

"You don't want to be marked by me?" I grinned. "Then let me make the
mark deeper."
Once more I bit into his flesh. Blood coated my tongue and I licked and
lapped at the wound before I bit him all over. It was so much better than a
tattoo, a mark that I had made by my own hand. Matteo's screams were like
heaven as he bucked, jerked, and thrashed.

But he couldn't get away from me.

Reaching up, I undid his wrist restraints before I got rid of the ones on his
ankles too. I shoved Matteo over onto his back and climbed between his
thighs again. I slid my cock inside of him once more. Matteo panted and
tried to get away, but I was faster, stronger, and he wasn't going anywhere
until his ass was stuffed full of my cum.

Every protest he had became a moan of deep desire as he panted and

wriggled against the sheets. He shoved his hips up to meet each and every
one of my thrusts. There was a twisted sickness in Matteo that loved when I
made him do this, when I forced him to get off. And he gave into it,
groaning and mewling and clawing like he was in heat.

I ran my hand over his body exploring the hard muscle that graced my
touch. Matteo couldn't see me, but he was focused on me. He didn't turn
away or complain, he simply bounced with each deep thrust. I watched in
surprise as his hands lifted and he pinched and rolled his nipples between
his fingertips. His thighs opened on their own and his face was flushed as
he cried out and tried to cover his mouth.

"No." I pulled his hands away. "Give me all of your noises. They're mine
now. I own them as I own you."

Matteo shook his head. "You don't own me," he protested. "I'm not yours."

"No?" I grabbed his hands and pinned them to the bed. "Then I'll fuck you
until you are."
Matteo shook his head, but it was too late for me to believe his protests. I
could see how high he was from my cock, his mouth falling open even as
he tried to deny who and what he was. His hole squeezed and I lost control,
pumping into him faster and harder as I wrapped my hand around his dick
and stroked him quickly watching as his hips lifted up and he yelled.

"Fuck!" Matteo yelped.

Cum shot from his cock in ribbons just as I fell apart and drove deep into
him. I thrusted even as I continued to cum, not able to get enough of him. I
wasn't supposed to lose control. I had planned on being between his thighs
for hours, but that hadn't happened at all. There was something about
Matteo that was completely irresistible in every way.

I panted as I gazed down at him. Slowly, I pulled out and he groaned, his
tongue darting over his lips before he reached out and touched me. He
clung to my arm, but he didn't say a word.

"Again," I said as I watched him.

Matteo shook his head. "Bek, no," he choked out. “Get off.”

"Yes. Again."

I was a beast that could no longer be contained. Matteo's training would go

on as scheduled. As soon as I was done fucking him into oblivion.
Sobek

T hings were finally going my way.

Matteo was learning more quickly now. He still had a horrible temper and
had to be corrected, but he was spending less time in the basement. And
more time in my bed. I restrained him at night and slept up against the heat
of his body. I was surprised how comforted I was just getting to lie next to
him. At first, he protested our new arrangement, but now he laid down,
offered his limbs, and let me tie him down before he was still for the
duration of the night.

It's almost time.

I had to be sure that he really and truly was for me. After whispering in his
ear every day and night about how terrible his family was, and that was no
lie, he had stopped asking about them. I noticed when I brought them up he
tensed and when I stopped he relaxed again. We both knew I was better for
him than them, but I still needed to test it.

"Matteo. I have to go out for a little while."

He glanced up from the floor where he sat with his breakfast. Since he was
more well-behaved he had graduated to being able to use utensils. He was
still awkward with them, but it was less of a mess than when he used his
hands. "Where are you going?" Matteo asked.

"Out. I have errands to run and we could use some more food."

"Oh." He frowned and his shoulders dropped. "Back to the basement?”

I smiled at how subdued he was. Matteo was learning how to choose his
fights and the basement was one that he had given up on throwing a fit
about. If he wanted to persuade me, he usually wound up between my
thighs with my cock in his mouth. He was smart. Adapting. And I saw a
need in him that was only calmed when I was nearby.

"No," I said, breaking up the silence. "I'll leave you in the bedroom." I
paused. "I don't think I need to tell you what will happen if you try to
escape."

"No, sir." He shivered. "Where would I even go?"

I nodded and stood up, depositing my mug into the sink. Matteo stood up
and followed suit, setting his bowl into the sink once he found it and filled
both with water. He turned and reached out, gripping my shirt and waiting
to be transported to the bedroom.

"How long will you be gone?" Matteo asked after I helped him navigate the
stairs and sat him on the bed.

"Not too long. An hour, maybe more."

Matteo nodded and laid down on the bed before he stretched out. I smiled at
the way he so obediently got into position. He waited patiently and I
grabbed the ankle restraints, but only locked one of them before I patted his
leg.
"I'm trusting you, Matteo. This restraint is so you don't get tempted to get
up and move around until I get back. You're going to hurt yourself if you do
that."

"I won't," Matteo nodded. "I'll be right here."

"Promise?" I grinned.

"Yes, sir."

I squeezed his bare thigh and he groaned. "When I come back I'll reward
you then. I know you've been craving me lately."

He nodded harder. "Yes."

I squeezed his cock and his back arched up from the bed. It had been four
days since I'd touched Matteo or allowed him to touch himself. After
getting him addicted to my touch, he had been pissed off at first, but it's
crazy what the promise of an orgasm can do to calm a man.

"I'll be back shortly." I stood up and kissed him. Matteo chased my mouth, a
desperate groan slipping free, but I pulled away. "Behave."

"Fuck. Yes, sir."

I left the house and locked up after myself. My car was parked in the garage
and I slid into it, making sure to drive down the road before I parked and
grabbed my phone. Once I opened up the camera app I held my breath and
stared at him. Matteo laid on the bed as still as always.

After a few minutes, he sat up straight and reached down to his ankle. It
didn't take him long to undo the restraint before he swung his legs over the
side of the bed. He held his arms out in front of him, slapping around as he
went until he found the nightstand. Over the past week I had used my
burner phone and always stored it in the top drawer at night. He knew that
because I'd seen the tilt of his head as he listened to me.

Waiting.

Listening.

Matteo wasn’t someone you could underestimate. At first I’d had to watch
him carefully to confirm that he really was paying attention to my every
move. But as it became clear that he was, I saw a future where he was going
to slip away.

"Smart fucker." I grinned. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you."

The top drawer was locked, but that didn't stop Matteo. He fumbled his way
around until he found a screwdriver. He came back and broke off the lock.
As soon as the drawer slid open he snatched out the phone and held down
buttons until he heard it turn on.

"Fuck, fuck," he whispered, shaking as he waited for it to boot up. "Thank

fucking god!"

I clicked my tongue. "Foolish, Matteo. Wrong move."

He stabbed at the screen and I watched as he tried to dial 911 over and over
again. Each time he couldn't enter it correctly he growled in frustration and
I saw that temper flare. I shook my head and was about to drive back to the
house when he finally was able to actually dial the numbers. The phone
rang and my hands gripped the wheel tightly.

"Nine one one. What's your emergency?"

Matteo stood with the phone pressed against his ear, but he didn't say
anything. I saw the way he shook and he licked his lips before they parted.
My heart sank. I was going to have to kill him.
"Hello?"

"I-I made a mistake. Sorry, didn't mean to dial this!" He laughed

awkwardly. "I'll be more careful next time."

Matteo quickly hung up and sat the phone on the nightstand. He stood stock
still, his eyes wide as if he couldn't believe what he'd just done. Matteo
sagged onto the bed and buried his face in his hands before he gripped his
hair and shouted. I heard the frustration in his voice, the complete and total
despair.

I smiled. "There you go. You understand perfectly now, don't you?"

No one could love him the way that I do. Deep down, I knew he was aware
of that. He'd gotten comfortable having someone care for him in every way.
I watched as he jumped up and swore as he slammed the phone back into
the drawer and shut it. He dropped to the floor and fumbled with the lock,
panting as he tried to fix his mistake.

"Fuck, fuck, come on," he groaned. "Don't come back soon. Don't come
back soon. I have a little under an hour, right? Just gotta fix this."

I chuckled and drove back to the house slowly. Not bothering to pull into
the driveway, I parked in the alley and let myself in. There were still
desperate scrambling sounds from my room and I smiled as I slipped off my
shoes and picked my way there carefully. I stood in the doorway and
watched him freaking out for a minute as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"What are you doing, Matteo?"

The scream that left his lips warmed my heart. He dropped onto the bed and
scrambled away from the nightstand as if it was on fire. I stepped forward
and he flinched.

"Please," he mumbled. "I-I made a mistake."

"What did you do?" I asked.

Matteo shook as he dug his nails into his thighs. "I tried to call the police.
But I didn't do it! Fuck, I guess I did, but I told them it was a mistake. Shit.
I screwed up. I fucked up," he mumbled, panic rising in his voice.

"Why didn't you go through with it?"

He frowned. "I couldn't. I don't know why." Matteo wrapped his arms
around himself. "What's wrong with me? I couldn't do it. I couldn't leave
you."

I smiled as I walked closer and wrapped my hand around his throat. Matteo
swallowed thickly, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he pressed his neck
against my palm.

"Why couldn't you leave me?" I asked.

"I didn't want to be alone again." Matteo shivered. "And I couldn't leave
you on your own either. You're like me, Bek. Lost, fucked up, hurt. You
treat me like shit sometimes, but you care about me more than anyone else
ever has. But I can tell it's because no one has taken care of you in a long
time either."

My grip relaxed. "You've been paying attention to me very closely, haven't

you?"

"Yes, sir." Matteo groaned as I slid my thumb over his bottom lip. "You
make me pay attention. How could I not?"

I captured his lips and he clung to me desperately as we kissed. Matteo

offered himself up, giving in to me as he opened his mouth and allowed me
to slip my tongue inside. A moan left his lips and I ate it up, but I pulled
away and kept him from leaning forward more to kiss me again.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my switchblade and popped it open.
Matteo sucked in a breath when I placed it on his neck and he tightened his
jaw. He held impossibly still, even when I could see him shivering.

"Do you trust me, Matteo?"

He sucked in a breath. "Yes, sir." He nodded slightly. "You don't ever lie to
me." He gripped my arm. "Are you going to kill me for trying to escape?"

"Do you think I will?" I slid the knife down his throat, the blade kissing his
chest and stomach as I dragged it further. "Should I end you for your
disloyalty?"

"No, sir," he groaned as the knife slipped over his thigh. "It won't happen
again.” He paused for a moment. “I'm not ready to die."

I tilted my head. "Are you ready to give yourself to me then?" I ran the
blade over his cock and balls. "Even if I cut this off?"

Matteo exhaled. "Fuck! Bek, don't!" He growled, his jaw so tight I thought
his teeth would snap. "Let me keep it. I-I'll make it up to you. I didn't leave,
did I?"

"You tried."

"It was stupid," he countered. “Sometimes you’re fucking terrifying. I want

to see, Bek. Please, I just want to go back to living a normal life, that's all
I'm begging for."

I sliced into his chest and he cried out as blood bubbled to the surface and
flowed down his flesh. Matteo jolted and trembled, but he didn't move
away. Instead, he gritted his teeth.

"If it makes you feel better, do it. Hurt me."

My cock stiffened at his words. He was still as wild and angry as always,
but there was now an air of submission in his tone. Matteo leaned back,
resting on both his palms as he jutted out his chest. He spread his legs wider
as well, displaying his clothed cock that pressed against the blue boxers I
had dressed him in.

"Do what you want to do to me," he said, his pink tongue darting over his
bottom lip. "I'll prove my loyalty."

Did he think I was going to shy away? I wasn't going to back down when he
was begging for it. The knife sliced through his skin and he cried out. His
muscles tensed and he shivered, but he kept his chest out proudly.

"More," he moaned.

"I don't believe it's a punishment if you're enjoying it," I pointed out and
made another cut. "But you do look good covered in blood." I leaned down
and ran my tongue over the cut, moaning at the taste of copper that graced
my tastebuds. I swiped my hand down his chest and gathered the blood
before I yanked off his boxers and slathered it on his hole. "Spread your
legs for me."

"Yes, sir!" Matteo rolled onto his knees and did just that, opening himself
up as he spread one cheek open. "Fuck me already. Please."

"You're not even prepped," I mused. "And you want it this badly?"

"I deserve the pain."

My cock twitched. "Yes, you do. This is the one and only time that I will
allow you to try to get away from me. Next time? I'll kill you, Matteo."

"Yes, sir." He spread his legs further. "I won't do it again!"

I only bothered to undo my pants and push them down before I slammed
inside of him. Matteo pitched forward, but he shoved himself back and
swallowed a strangled moan as I fucked him roughly. The blood barely
eased my passage, but it was as if he didn't care. Matteo shoved himself
back, moaning and writhing like a whore while he took every inch of my
cock.

I ran my knife over his back and watched the blood flow. He moaned,
pushing his head into the pillows as he bounced himself on my cock
desperately. I was captivated by how eager he was to please me, how he
was giving in. Matteo's hole clenched around my length and he pushed a
hand between his thighs, jerking himself off.

"You're lucky I love you, Matteo." I sliced down his back again and he cried
out. "I have so much more patience for you than anyone else."

"Yes, sir. I know. I know." He nodded and wiggled further back against me.
"Please, punish me. I fucked up. I'm sorry."

My cock twitched as I gripped his hip and slammed myself inside hard. "I'm
going to take care of you despite this indiscretion."

"Thank you," Matteo panted. "Fuck!" He growled. "Can I cum, please?"

I chuckled. Matteo really had a thing for pain and pleasure. It hadn't even
been that long and he was unraveling already, needing me to allow him to
get off. To give him that ultimate release that he craved.

"No," I said, shutting down his eager request.

"Fuck you!" He growled. "Let me cum. Please, Bek. Let me cum!"

"After you tried to get away from me? No, you'll suffer until I feel like you
deserve the privilege." I gripped his throat to shut off his talking as I fucked
him harder. "Shut up and take my cock. You don't deserve to cum. Spread
your legs. More. That's right. Learn your place beneath me."

Matteo's moans were short and strangled as I used him like a toy. I shoved
myself in deep and bit into his back roughly as I came. Thrust after thrust I
pumped him full of cum before I pulled out and it leaked from his hole,
sliding down his thighs and dripping to the bed below.

"Sobek," Matteo whispered. "Fuck."

I grinned. "I think you're ready."

Matteo fell onto the bed and panted. "Ready for what?" He slurred.

"For your eyesight."

He perked up and his mouth dropped. "Fucking finally," he breathed.

"When?"

"Tonight." I climbed off of the bed and stripped out of my clothes. "After
we're both cleaned up." I held out a hand and touched his. "Take my hand
and we'll clean up together."

"Yes, sir."

Matteo pushed his hand in mine and let me lead him out of the bedroom. It
was time. He was behaving, ready, eager, willing to obey my every rule and
follow my instructions, even if he did it with his usual sass. He was on the
right path. And if he disobeyed or overstepped? I could always snatch his
sight away as quickly as I had given it to him.
Matteo

I woke up groggy and tired as usual. Sobek had me on pain medication and
sleeping pills to help me recover. I didn't complain when he gave them to
me. Anything that helped, I was going to accept. It had been a few weeks
since my surgery and the blurry vision was still a thing. I was tired of it. I
wanted to fucking see.

Opening my eyes, I could see it was daylight at least. The blurry pictures in
front of me were better than the darkness, but I was anxious for more. I sat
up and glanced down at Sobek. He was curled up beside me and I could
barely make him out. I ran a hand over his shoulder and down his arm
before I sighed.

Even without being able to see him fully, I was still mesmerized by his
physique. He was big, all muscle and strength. And power.

I wanted to actually see Sobek again. It felt like it had been forever, but I
knew it was only a few weeks since I last laid eyes on him and wanted to
run in the other direction. But he had dug his way into my brain and the
thought of being without him made my skin crawl.
"Go back to sleep."

I glanced down and laughed. "How do you always know when I'm awake?"

"Comes with the territory when you're always worried someone will try to
kill you in your sleep." Bek grabbed me and yanked back into lying next to
him. "It's not time to move yet."

I sighed. "I was just wondering how long I wouldn't be able to see clearly."
Frowning, I had to keep touching him so I drew patterns on his shoulder
giving me a way to ground myself. "This fucking blows."

"Mmm yes, I know." Sobek laid his head on my lap and I pushed my
fingers into his soft hair. "Give it a little more time. Close your eyes and be
patient."

I did what he said because he was right. If I was patient, then I would be
able to see in no time. Or at least that's what I hoped. He cuddled against
me more and my heart sped up. Was he still a bastard? Yes. But there was
something comforting about Sobek. He was honest in everything that he
said and he cared about me. Yes, he wanted to take over the Romano family,
but he was right that I didn't give a damn about it. I didn't want to lead the
family. I wanted to live my own life.

Sobek had calmed some of the storm that raged inside of me. Or maybe I
had just given up over the endless weeks that stretched in front of us in
exchange for some kind of peace. As twisted as he was, Sobek had become
a companion, someone whose company I enjoyed. He kept me safe, fed me,
and made sure I was well taken care of. How many times had he cleaned
my wounds? And he had given me back my sight. The man might be a
repulsive asshole sometimes, but he was my repulsive asshole. He had done
more for me than anyone ever had before.

"Matteo, get me off."

I laughed. "I thought it wasn't time to move yet? Why are you horny?"

"It's impossible not to be when you're touching me." His voice was so soft,
it touched a deep part of me and my heart sped up. "Touch me more."

"Yes, sir," I said as I ran a finger over his cheek. "Whatever you want."

I moved and he rolled onto his back as I made my way down the bed. Even
when Sobek pissed me off, I was addicted to his body. Hard muscle and
warm flesh, a thick cock you could die for, hands that would hold and guide
me. He was everything I'd wanted in a man as I grew older, and while I had
fought him at first, why the fuck would I keep doing it?

When I was nestled between his powerful thighs, I stroked my fingertips

over the hair there. It tickled the pads of my fingers and I scraped nails
down his inner thighs afterward. Bek tensed and groaned, the sound primal
and almost a growl.

"Matteo, you're in a playful mood."

"A little bit. Is that so wrong?" I kissed the opposite thigh and nipped at his
flesh gingerly. "I thought you liked it when I was like this."

"I do." He hummed. "You’re in the perfect place. Underneath me.”

I laughed. "I'm on top of you right now."

Sobek's hand went into my hair and he yanked it hard. "Are you?" He
growled. "Or am I allowing you to have some fun?"

I groaned, my cock growing harder. Sobek's strict voice and firm hand had
started changing me, I noticed. I craved his voice, his sternness, his
approval. At first, I had tried to shake it off. The more I fought it, the more I
was hurt. Now? There were nothing but rewards.
"You're in control, sir," I groaned as I opened my eyes and caught a blurry
glance of him. "Always."

"Remember that." He shoved my face down and I opened up willingly as he

slammed his cock into my throat. "You are mine."

Was I his? God, he was right, wasn't he? I couldn't remember when I had
given up and simply let him do whatever he wanted to do to me, but it had
been a much easier transition than trying to fight him. When I simply gave
in, he was a hell of a lot more forgiving. It was almost like my father,
except there were actual rewards with Bek. Rewards that made sense.

I gagged on the thick cock that clogged my throat and forced itself deeper.
My breathing was stolen away and I freaked out slightly internally, gripping
his thighs to calm myself once more. Sobek liked it when I choked though.
When I went wild with desperation and fear that he would kill me with his
dick.

My heart sped up, but my cock stayed as hard as it always did. He had
found a way to make me compliant, but... I didn't want to fight him on it.
Instead, I focused on breathing as he used my throat. Every sharp thrust
made me moan as he violated me in the most addictive ways.

"You really like when I fuck your throat, don't you?" He pushed his fingers
into my hair. "Such a desperate, needy man. It's pathetic."

I'm pathetic?

My mind revolted at those words, but I didn't pull away. He was probably
right after all. After everything he'd done to me, I still willingly got on my
knees and gave him whatever he wanted.

"Open your throat, Matteo."

I did just that giving myself to him the way he wanted. He used it and took
everything he could, forcing me to gag and choke on his length. But I didn't
pull away, desperate to prove to him that I was worth his affection.

"Fuck," Bek moaned above me. "You're getting really good at that." He
pulled me up and I gasped, sucking in a breath that gave relief to my lungs.
"Ride my cock."

"Yes, sir."

I climbed up his body and heard him shuffling around. He was grabbing
lube no doubt. Lately, he was nice enough to do that for me instead of
forcing me through the pain that first came with him shoving his cock
inside of me without an ounce of help. Not that I minded that so much
either. The pain made me feel like I was alive when I couldn't see anything,
when everything was dark and unknown. And I had fallen into it, needing
it.

"Now," Sobek groaned. "Come on."

I moved faster and forced myself to open my eyes. There he was. Blurry
and out of focus, but I could see him. I straddled his cock and impaled
myself without a moment of hesitation. He filled me up, driving deeper and
harder into me as I braced my palms on his broad chest and used it to raise
and lower myself.

Heat stretched my hole and I panted as I planted my feet and fucked myself
stupid on his cock. Sobek's arms wrapped around me and he grunted as he
drove himself to my core.

"We'll be leaving here soon, Matteo. It's time to join the real world again."

"W-what?" I frowned. “Why are we leaving?"

"Because we can't stay here forever. Sooner or later, someone will find us.
It's better to go to them first."

I nodded. He was right about that. My parents would want me home and
they would do everything to make sure that I was back with the family. I
was almost thirty and still I was the property of the Romanos. I wanted to
be free.

"What are you going to tell them?" I pitched forward and moaned as
Sobek's nails dug into my ass. "Don't you think they'll know something's
up?"

"Yes, but we’ll fix that."

I had no idea what he meant, but I nodded anyway. Whatever Bek needed
me to do, I would. He rolled quickly and my back met the bed as he thrust
inside of me.

"Do you trust me, Matteo?"

I wrapped my legs around his waist and moaned. "Yes, sir." I panted as he
picked up speed. "Yes, I trust you."

Sobek could have put me back down in the basement. He could have
continued to beat me. But he hadn't. All of my memories of him lately were
good. Normal. Eating breakfast together, taking baths, listening to the TV
or music. I'd tried to find myself in countless holes over the years, but all of
that felt insignificant against the strength and security that was Sobek.

"That's all you need to do," Sobek said as he drove into me and pressed his
lips against mine. He chased my tongue, moaning before he pulled back
slightly. "Trust me and I'll take care of you."

Maybe I was insane, but I really did believe every word of what he said.
My cock twitched and my pleasure built until I couldn't take it anymore. I
squirmed and opened my eyes again, gazing up at Sobek. Jerking, I realized
I could see him. I could actually see him.

"Fuck!" I groaned. "I-I can see you."

Bek grinned. "I told you that you would be able to see sooner or later.”

Yes, he had and he hadn't lied about that. I stared at him. Blonde hair, the
most startling blue eyes, and pink lips that curved into a smirk filled my
vision. I held onto him tightly and groaned. He might be insane, but he
really did look like a god. The way he held himself, the way he smirked?
He could be royalty.

“Let me cum,” I moaned, overwhelmed by seeing him for the first time in
so long.

"Not yet," Sobek panted as he took my lips in a powerful kiss. "You have
one more thing to do for me before I allow you cum. Or even feel me again.
This is the last time."

I frowned, desperately pawing at him. "Bek, please." When that didn't move
him, I groaned, a feeling of despair growing in the pit of my stomach.
"Please, sir. Please let me cum on your cock."

Sobek moaned. "You know, that almost convinced me to let you do it. But
not yet. As I said, I have things you need to finish first. Once that's done
then I'll let you cum as much as you want."

"What do I have to do?" I panted. "Tell me."

"Kill your parents."

I froze as he thrusted into me, skin slapping against skin. "I can't."
"You will," he countered. "What have they ever done but torture and
persecute you? When have they ever seen the real you?"

Never. No one had ever seen who I was. Except for Sobek. He was the one
bright spot in a shit-stained world of disappointment and regret.

"Bek," I whispered. "I don't know..."

"You will do it," he said against my ear. "Or you'll be on your own again
because they will certainly kill me and then I can't protect you anymore."

I stopped. Yes, he was right. My heart tried to pound out of my chest as I

thought about living without him. I might as well be dead if he wasn't
around. Sobek brought meaning to my life. Without him, I was lost.

My words were stolen as he thrust in hard and I felt his cum fill my hole.
Heat spread throughout me and I wanted to keep him there, locked inside of
me forever. He pushed himself up a bit and gazed down at me.

I'll never be able to get over those imposing eyes.

It was as if he looked right into my soul. Now that I could see him watching
me, it was even more overwhelming than it had been before. I swallowed
thickly and he kissed me once more before he sighed.

"Will you do it?"

"Anything for you," I said as I stared up at him. "You know that."

Bek grinned. "Really? Why is that?"

"Because I love you."

Sobek kissed me deeply before he peppered my cheeks and throat with

them. "That's what I want to hear. I love you too."
My heart pounded in my chest. I knew he was telling the truth. There would
have to be something seriously wrong with me if I turned down a man who
cared as much as Bek did.

I have to kill my parents.

That should have struck terror and disgust into my heart, but it didn't.
Neither one of them had ever given a shit about me. My father didn't when
he beat the fuck out of me. And my mother didn't when she ignored it.
When neither of them was around, I would finally be free.

And it was all because of Sobek.

Sobek

M atteo ' s leg bounced up and down. I reached over and laid a hand on his
thigh, giving it a tight squeeze until he stopped. When I glanced at him,
there was worry in his eyes and he was chewing his lip obsessively. I
pinched his leg and he yelped.

"What the fuck was that for?" he growled.

"Stay focused. If you let yourself get in your own head, this entire plan falls
apart." I rubbed the spot I had pinched, soothing him. "Do you remember
what we talked about?"

"I'm not stupid."

"Matteo."

He glanced at me and looked away. "Yes, sir."

Sometimes he got out of hand, but I knew I had trained him well. All it took
was a stern word or a spare glance and the man calmed down and became
obedient like a good slave. I reached up and grabbed his hair, tugging his
head back and making him hiss.

"Can you do this?" I asked. "Can I trust you?"

"Yes, sir," he said quickly and groaned when I gave a sharp tug of his hair.
"I'm the only one you can trust. I'll do it. For you."

There was affection in his tone and I smiled at him. I leaned over and licked
the side of his neck, making him tremble. He spread his legs as I fondled
him through the expensive black slacks that I had brought for him and
pushed up against my palm as if he couldn't get enough.

"Remember what I said. Afterward."

"Please," Matteo begged. "How am I supposed to think like this?"

I squeezed his cock hard and he cried out. Matteo reached for my hand, but
he didn't pull it away. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye with a
pleading look as he shook his head.

"I'll do it right," he said quickly. "Sorry, sir."

Finally, I released him and gazed down the road at the house. "Call me
when you're done."

"Yes, sir." He grabbed my shirt and I stopped as he frowned at me. "Can...

can I have a kiss before I go?"

I smiled. "Yes, that you may have."

Our lips met and he sank against me. I could feel every ounce of tension
trapped in his body and how he trembled. What he was about to do was
incredibly difficult, but not impossible. But we both knew that it was for the
best. All he had to do was pull it off. That meant I couldn't see him for a
few days, possibly a few weeks, but it would be worth it. And if he didn't
do what he was supposed to? Well, then I would have to rectify the situation
and lose him. My stomach clenched.

I don’t want to lose him.

I pushed my tongue into his mouth and lapped at it. My teeth grazed his
bottom lip. I nipped him and he moaned as he slowly relaxed. By the time I
pulled back, he was panting slightly but he looked better as if he had
regained his confidence.

"I'll see you soon," I whispered in his ear. "Get it done."

"Yes, sir."

I dropped him off by the house and left. My job had already been taken care
of. I'd let them know I had a sudden family emergency and I couldn't get
away. Thankfully they knew my track record and I was a renowned
surgeon. It was enough to keep me from losing my job.

Lorenzo's men would know the minute I was back in town, but I already
expected that. Matteo and I had figured out how to combat that issue and
the fact that Lorenzo would probably try to kill me. But I trusted Matteo
because, without me, he would be lost again. And I knew he didn't want that
to happen as much as I didn’t want to be left alone either.

"Y ou can move Ms. Thompson back to her room. The surgery was a
success." I handed over the computer to an older woman with wiry gray
hair and a serious face. She looked mean, but was the best nurse in the
hospital. It was funny how you could never tell who someone really was
beneath the surface.
"Where is your mind?" She scoffed. "I was asking you about your next
surgery."

"Oh, not until tomorrow, Laura. Will you be there?"

"Where else would I be?" She huffed, looking over the file on the computer
before she waved a hand. "You can take off now. Oh, there's someone
waiting for you in your office so maybe stop off there first."

I paused. "Do you know who it is?"

"An older guy and a younger one. I've seen them around here before."

I nodded. "Thanks, Laura. Have a good night. Get some rest."

She waved a hand to dismiss me again. "I will, I will. Get out of here."

I smiled and left the room before the smile fell from my face. What were
Lorenzo and Matteo doing at the hospital? I didn't like the Romanos or any
of their men showing up on my doorstep. It was too easy for people to make
connections and assumptions. What I did after dark had nothing to do with
my day job and I preferred to keep it that way.

When I reached my office, I turned the knob and stepped inside. Lorenzo
was seated, one ankle resting on his knee as he bounced it up and down,
light reflecting off his expensive leather shoes. Matteo glanced at me for a
moment and his face was stoic. He watched me like a hawk as I circled my
desk and sat behind it. Once I had typed up my notes for the surgery and
finished getting everything in order for tomorrow, I turned to the men I had
kept waiting.

"Yes?"

"Matteo says that you saved his life."

I tilted my head. "I'm a surgeon and that's what I do so yes."

Lorenzo frowned. "Why didn't you report to me about what was going on?
You left me in the dark for weeks about my son."

"As I'm sure Matteo told you his condition was delicate and I had to give
him my full attention. The gunshot wound had horrible complications and I
wasn't sure if anyone had followed us or if you were still dealing with the
Russians. It wasn't smart to do anything but keep him safe and make sure he
was healthy."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Why don't I believe you?"

I wanted to laugh in his face. Lorenzo was smart, but I didn't give a shit
what he thought about me. I laced my fingers in front of me and met his
gaze head-on.

"If you don't believe me that isn't my problem, is it?" I chuckled. "You can
see that Matteo is here, alive, and healthy," I said as I waved a hand toward
him. "So, what exactly is the issue?"

"The issue is that you went dark with my son for weeks!" He snapped and I
saw a glimpse of where Matteo had gotten his temper from.

"Father," Matteo shook his head. "I told you I'm alright. You're being
overdramatic."

"Shut up," the man growled. "You're too fucking stupid to know what's
going on. What he could have done." Matteo looked away and gritted his
teeth. "I know what men like you are about. What? Were you going to try to
ransom him? Hand him over to another family? Did you contemplate how
much money you would get for him?"

I laughed despite wanting to reach over the desk and bash the man's head
against the wood repeatedly. No one talked to Matteo that way. Not
anymore. I'd watched Lorenzo strip him down with words for years and I
was sick of him. The sooner he was in a grave, the better.

"I have more than enough money. Would you like to see my accounts?" I
leaned back in my seat. "Lorenzo-"

"-Mr. Romano."

I raised a brow. "Really? We're back to formalities?" I shrugged. "Mr.

Romano then. I did what I thought was best. We did have trouble and
someone killed one of your men when we tried to get away. I made a
judgment call. Maybe it's not the one that you would have made, but I
figured you would have wanted me to protect Matteo first and foremost."

Lorenzo frowned. "I expect the people who work for me to fall in line. You
need to do that. I don't want this to happen again or we'll have a problem."

"And what does that entail?" I asked as he stood up and spun on his heels to
stare at me. "Will you beat me up? Or have your men do it? Or will I simply
end up in a dark alley bleeding out?"

"Watch yourself," he growled.

"Why should I? Let's not play these games, Lorenzo. We both know that I
am the best surgeon in Detroit. I've stitched up you, your wife, your son,
and countless men that you employ. You have enough enemies to make me
an essential part of your team. And if you decide that I'm not good enough,
keep in mind that I have contingencies in place to make sure I'm protected.
And the things that I’ve learned? I’ll be sure they’re made public. They'll be
a problem. For you."

Lorenzo slammed his hands onto my desk. "Are you threatening me?"

I stared up at him. "No, I'm telling you exactly what's going to happen in a
logical and matter-of-fact way. What you choose to do is up to you. But I've
been loyal to your family and to your business. Even now I'm having this
conversation instead of taking the gun out of my desk and emptying the clip
into your brain."

His eyes widened. Good. I wasn't worried about Lorenzo. He was a man on
a deadline and pretty soon he would be no one's problem.

I glanced at Matteo. "Are you feeling better, Matteo? Any pain? Signs of
infection?"

"Pain, yes," he muttered. "The bullet wound throbs."

I frowned. "That can be normal or it can be an infection." I stood up and

gathered up a thermometer and some bandages. "Let me check it out for
you. Perhaps I can prove to your father that I do care about this family."

Lorenzo stared at me. There was doubt and uncertainty on his face. He was
questioning himself even though he shouldn't. The man had been right not
to trust me.

"Mr. Romano, please step outside so that I can examine your son. Matteo,
take off your pants and you can sit on the edge of the desk there. I'll give
you a quick examination."

"Fine," Matteo muttered and started unbuttoning his pants before he

glanced at his father. "Can I have some privacy?"

"You trust him?" Lorenzo asked.

"Yes, Father. I do. He saved my fucking life. I keep telling you that, but
you're not listening. Just let him do this damn exam so we can go," he
grumbled.

Lorenzo frowned. "You used to hate him. How many times did you ask me
to fire him?"
"That was before he kept me from bleeding out."

Lorenzo glanced between the two of us, but I ignored him as I readied
equipment for the exam. He left silently. As soon as the door clicked closed,
Matteo sighed.

"Fuck, he's a pain in the goddamn ass."

I grabbed him by the throat. "You hated me?"

Matteo swallowed. "That was before," he said desperately as he reached out

and grabbed my cheek. "Fuck, Bek. I've been losing it not having you touch
me. Bend me over, fuck me, teach me a lesson for pissing you off."

I slowly started to smile. "You're a whore, you know that?"

"Yes, sir," he moaned, licking his lips. "I'm a whore for you."

"What have you been doing? Jerking off and humping your hand every
chance you get?"

Matteo nodded. "And shoving things up my ass just trying to find

something that fits the way that you do." He shook his head hard and
choked on his words. "Nothing does. I-I've never felt like this before. I
thought you were nuts, but maybe you really are a fucking god. Nothing
feels as good if it's not with you. I tried..."

"You tried what?" I urged as I ran my hand from his throat to his chest.
"Spit it out."

He frowned. "You're going to hit me."

"Perhaps," I said honestly. "But you will still tell me."

Matteo chewed his lip. "I tried to be with someone else. A woman and then
a man, but... I couldn't. Whenever it came to actually letting them touch me,
I threw up. Both times."

If Lorenzo hadn't been waiting outside, I would have punched him, but that
wouldn't be easily explained away. I dug my nails into his chest instead and
he grunted, his knees buckling as he tried to keep himself upright.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Please. It didn't go beyond being out, picking them up, going
to some shitty motel room. I didn't kiss them like I do with you." When I
didn't respond, he grabbed my arm. "I didn't let them touch me or fuck me
the way you do. As soon as they tried, I got sick. Please, Bek."

I glared at him. "Do not say my name you disgusting slut."

My heart clenched at the thought of Matteo with someone else. He'd tried to
sleep with them? And what would have happened if he had? My heart
started to pound and my vision went red. I had to repeat to myself that
Lorenzo was nearby. If he heard me beating the shit out of his son, that
would be the end of me.

"Sir, please. Sobek. My god."

I glared at him. Matteo certainly knew the right words to try to appease me.
But I wasn’t quick to forgive.

He dropped to his knees hard. Matteo glanced up at me, tears in his eyes.
He knew he'd fucked up.

"I am nothing without you." He reached out and took my hand before he
pressed his lips to my skin. "Kill me if you have to, but don't leave me. I
can't fucking take that!"

I stared down at him before I pulled my hand away. "You've disappointed

me."
"No," he groaned. "Please, sir. I am moving forward with our plans. This
time tomorrow night you'll be the leader of the Romano family and I'll be
your loyal fucking slave." He dropped to the ground, his head pressed
against the floor. "Please accept my apology. I know that I fucked up, but I
can’t have you out of my life.”

I glared down at him. Matteo was mine. He had crossed a line, one with
grave consequences. And he would get no affection from me.

"Whatever."

Matteo's head shot up. "Please, don't fucking say that." He gripped my
scrub pants. "Kill me if you feel that upset. Please, Bek. I am so sorry."

"Prove it," I growled at him. "Get your task completed and maybe I'll give a
fuck about you again. Until then?"

I shoved my foot into his chest and kicked him away from me. Matteo
grunted and fell back. He laid there for a while before he slowly brought
himself to his feet, wavering a little. Matteo grabbed the bandages and fixed
up his thigh wound before he got dressed. I felt his eyes on me as I typed on
my computer, but I ignored him.

"Bek, I'll fix this," he said. "Sir?"

"Yeah. Go."

Matteo sniffled and I heard it. I knew he was trying not to break down and I
wanted to comfort him, but not right now. Instead, I didn't bother to look in
his direction. He could earn my love back.

The door opened and he walked out. Once it closed behind him, I glanced
up and frowned. As much as I had loved Matteo from the start, I didn't
expect to be hurt by him. I kept everyone at a distance, but at some point, he
had wormed his way in and I was feeling raw. And pissed off. He hadn't
done anything wrong, but even what he had done was too damn much.

Matteo needed to make it up to me. Fast.

Matteo

“W hat ' s wrong with you ?"

I glanced over at my father as we sat together in the car. Streetlights bathed

the car before it went dark again and repeated. The driver was quiet and the
sound of the world around us was almost too much. All I could hear was
Sobek and how much he hated me right now. He hadn't touched me after
my confession, hadn't hurt me or fucked me to let me know that it was okay.
If he was done with me, then I would be nothing. And I couldn't live
without him.

Never should have told him.

Even that thought brought me immense pain because there was no way that
I could lie to him. Sobek was my god, the man I worshipped and lived for.
He deserved my honesty and my loyalty, the one thing I had spat on trying
to get away from him. That was my fault and I deserved all of his hate, but I
didn't want it. I just wanted Bek to fucking love me!

"Matt."
I hated that name. Sobek would never in a million years call me Matt. I was
Matteo and on his lips, that name sounded like heaven.

"I'm fine," I muttered. "Ready to go home and eat. I'm starving."

My father frowned. "You've been quiet since you came home. I know
something's wrong, son. What are you hiding?"

I rolled my eyes. "As if you ever gave a shit about me," I muttered.

"What?" He glared at me. "What are you talking about?"

I stayed quiet, pressing my lips together to keep from saying anything more.
He was no better than anyone else in our shitshow of a family and yet he
asked me what I was talking about as if I was insane. I licked my lips and
turned to stare out of the window instead.

"Matteo!" he snapped. "You've been different ever since you came back.
What the hell happened to you?"

I laughed. What did he give a shit about what happened to me? I glanced
over at him and shrugged. There was nothing to talk about. I had found
more purpose and love in Sobek's arms than his or my mother's.

"Nothing," I said, finally ready to be out of the car. He’d already made one
stop and I was impatient. "When are we getting home?"

"Soon. There's a meeting I have, but it's taking place at the house. I would
like you to join me."

"What's the meeting for?"

"A new doctor."

I stiffened. "Why do we need a new doctor? We have Sobek."

"We have a traitorous weirdo who I no longer believe. It's time to move on
and I have a new candidate. He's worked with several families, but we
could give him the perks and life that he wants. Money talks, son."

I ground my teeth. What the hell was he talking about? Someone who
flitted from family to family was a hazard. He was only looking for the
highest bidder and while I knew my father thought cash was king, there was
something more important than money. Loyalty.

I stayed quiet and kept myself held back as the world whipped by. Things
were going to come to a head and there was no part in arguing about it with
my father. He couldn't save himself, let alone anyone else.

By the time we reached home, I was on edge. Whatever happened next, it

wasn't going to be pretty. We moved into the conference room and sat
around while a new doctor walked in. He was brown-haired, young, with a
smiling face and a soft demeanor. I would have preferred him ages ago, but
at this point, there was only one man that I longed for.

"Let's talk," my father said as he found a seat and once again ignored me.
"Why should I hire you?"

It didn't matter what qualifications the man spat out. The next and only man
to heal us was Sobek. I hung back, watching their interview with a blank
expression on my face. My father seemed impressed by him, but that wasn't
going to last long. Despite me telling Bek that I would move tomorrow, I
knew the time to strike was now.

The interview went well from what I could gather, but once it was done I
couldn't hold on anymore. I followed the doctor to the front door and
shoved my knife against his neck.

"Wh- what is this?" he stammered

I didn't bother answering as I sliced into his throat and watched his blood
spill onto the floor. He dropped into the pool, grasping his throat and tearing
at it, but there was no way back. I stood over him, watching until he gasped
one last time and stopped moving altogether.

The house was still quiet. Guards were always around, but at night they
mostly patrolled the border and rarely came inside. Still, I needed to move
quickly if I was going to get my story straight. I dialed Bek.

"What?" he asked, irritation lacing his voice and making me feel sick to my
stomach.

"I'm doing it right now, Sir."

"Be there shortly."

He hung up and my hand trembled as I put my phone away. Yes, I should be

worried about what I was doing, but I wasn't. I was more concerned with
Sobek never forgiving me.

I forced myself to think about my task. Up the stairs I could hear my mother
in her room, the television playing the news. She watched it every night
without fail. I pushed the door open and she glanced up, a smile on her lips.

"Matteo, you're coming to see me? That's new." She waved a hand. "Come
and sit with me."

I closed the door behind me and crossed over to the bed. Her eyes were
focused on the TV, but when I didn't move, she glanced up at me. A frown
graced her lips.

"What's the matter?" She tilted her head. "Matteo, is that blood? What
happened?"
I couldn't say anything to her. My mouth felt like it was sealed shut. I
picked up a pillow and held it over her face. Her muffled screams gripped
my heart as I stabbed her. I lost count of how many times the blade sliced
into her flesh until she stopped moving. Finally, I moved the pillow and she
was still.

"Sorry," I whispered.

That left only one person.

I felt like I was in a daze as I turned and left the bedroom. My father was
usually in his office so I made that my first stop. When I opened his office
door, he glanced up and frowned. His phone was in his hand and he pulled
it away from his ear.

"What do you need?"

All of my attention was focused on the phone. Whoever he was talking to

couldn't know that I was the one that had killed him. I moved without
thinking, lunging over the desk and going for the phone in his hands.

We fell on the ground in a heap, his cursing sharp as he wrestled with me. I
slammed the phone into the floor before he climbed on top of me and
wrapped his hands around my throat. But it wasn't the warm and comforting
grip of Sobek's hands. I grunted and struggled against him, punching at his
arms and reaching for his face.

"You stupid bitch! Have you lost your mind? You're betraying me, this
family! I'll kill you my fucking self."

Spots grew in my vision. I tried to blink them away, but they grew as I tried
to gasp for breath. His face was red as it hovered above me, spittle falling
from his lips and dripping on my cheeks. My eyes felt heavy. My arms
dropped. Fuck I'm going to die. Sobek will be alone.
"Get off of him."

My eyes opened as air rushed into my lungs. I choked, rolling over and
coughing until my vision went back to normal. By the time I looked up,
Sobek had a gun pressed to my father's head.

"Stand up, Lorenzo."

Slowly, my father got up and was directed to his chair. He sat down, his
face still red as he glared at Sobek. The doctor stopped near me and I
reached out to touch his ankle. When he didn't pull away, relief flooded me.

"On your feet, Matteo," he said. "Finish this."

I stood up and held onto him. God, it felt good to have him speaking to me
again. Just hearing his voice and knowing that he was there for me, that he
still wanted me was enough to make the evening better.

"Why?" my father asked. "Why are you doing this?"

Sobek smiled. "I've always known I was meant for great things, Lorenzo.
And I saw the way you treated this family, your son, your wife. Dogs are
treated better. It's time for you to go."

"What gives you the right to decide how I treat my family?" He spat. "What
makes you think you have what it takes to run my goddamn family?"

"I was born into it." Sobek chuckled. "My mother always said I was
supposed to lead, to make men fall at my feet, and she was right. Maybe all
of the beatings made it more clear in my head, but what she was saying
started to make sense. I never belonged to anyone. If I'd known back then
that I had been reincarnated, I wouldn't have worried so much about what
pitiful humans think."

"You're insane," my father spat out. "No one will follow you."
"They'll follow Matteo." He hopped up onto the desk. "And look what I
taught your son. Matteo, sit at my feet."

I dropped down without hesitation. My eyes were only focused on him now.
He reached down and I pushed my head into his grip as he scratched my
scalp sharply.

"Stand up. Bend over. Spread your legs." Sobek chuckled as I moved
quickly and he ran a hand over my back. "See? He's the perfect fucking
man. All he needed was some training and loyalty."

"What has he done to you?" my father whispered.

I groaned as Sobek squeezed my balls tightly. "Nothing that I don't want."

"See? He was made to serve me." Sobek stood up and slapped my ass.
"Turn around and finish the job."

I straightened up and closed the space between myself and my father.

Raising the knife, I froze only for a second as he stared up at me. There was
something like regret in his eyes, but it was too late for that.

"Matteo, why are you stopping? Do it and once you're done, I'll fuck you in
his blood."

"You're sick," Lorenzo growled. "This is going to come back on both of

you!"

"Someday. But that's the way life works, right?" Sobek kissed my neck and
my knees nearly buckled. "Do it. Now."

I couldn't resist his order. The knife plunged into my father's chest, the wet
sucking sound loud in my ears as I stabbed him. I yanked it out and stabbed
him repeatedly. The knife tried to get stuck and hit against bone, but I
continued to use every ounce of strength to pull free and stab him once
more.

"Enough."

I stopped and dropped the knife. Panting, I wiped my bloody arm against
my forehead and stared down at the ruined corpse of the man I had once
called father. There had been good memories between us when I was
younger, but those had died long ago. I couldn't tear my eyes away,
however. My conscience nagged at me that perhaps I had made a mistake.
They were both gone, my mother and father and even though they were
horrible people I was left feeling like a monster.

"Matteo." When I didn't move or respond he touched my arm and I yanked

it away. "Enough of that."

"Fuck you," I shook my head. "What did I do? What the fuck did I do?"

"What you had to do." Sobek grabbed me once more and when I tried to
pull away again, he circled me and grabbed my throat. "Do I need to get
your mind right?"

"Fuck you!" I growled.

"That's a yes."

My chest burned as it was slammed into the desk knocking the air from my
lungs. I was stunned, only able to lie there as I felt him stripping off my
pants. My heart leapt into my throat, but some part of me, some fucked up
piece, felt like I was home as soon as I was in his rough and demanding
hands.

I was a moron in love.

Matteo

T he sound of Sobek spitting into his hand wasn't lost on me. He'd done it
many times before when he wanted it to hurt. That was all the lube that I
would get. I gritted my teeth as I heard his pants coming undone and then
his cock was pressing against my hole.

I tried to squirm and he grabbed my wrist, yanking it behind my back as he

pinned me to my father's desk. The smell of blood was so strong, that
coppery and metallic aroma filling my nostrils. My eyes slid over to my
father, slumped in his chair. As my heart clenched, pain speared my ass as
Sobek forced his cock inside of me.

A disgusting whimper left my lips, but he was good at drawing those out of
me. Whenever I was underneath the man, I felt so much smaller than him
even though I was only slightly leaner. Somehow, Sobek always wormed
his way into my head and I was at his complete and utter mercy.

"What's done is done," he grunted as he slammed into me hard. "You can't

take it back."
I balled my fists tightly. Yes, he was right, but it didn't make me feel any
better. Guilt gripped my heart and squeezed until I could barely breathe. I'd
killed both of them in cold blood and while I had killed many, my parents
were different. They were...

Sobek kicked my feet apart further and wrapped a hand around my dick. All
thought immediately left my head at his firm grip. He stroked his hand up
and down my length as I groaned and squirmed beneath him.

"Do you want to take it back? Who's more important in your life? Me or
them?"

"You," I said without even having to think about it. "Of course you are.
Fuck!" He slammed inside of me hard and pain shot up my backside.
"Sobek, please."

"Please what? We both know you love it when I force you." His hand on my
cock tightened and I cried out. "You're a filthy slut that needs my cock now.
Isn't that right? Isn't it?"

"Y-yes," I moaned, closing my eyes. "I'm your filthy slut."

Sobek's laughter made me shiver. "Push your ass out more. Fuck me and
show me how badly you've wanted me."

I pushed myself up and threw my hips back. The sharp slap of skin against
skin echoed in the room. I winced, my heart thudding as I tried to push
through the pain.

"You haven't had time to adjust yet." He opened one of my cheeks and I
could feel his gaze on my pulsating hole. "But I love that you're so
desperate you'll hurt yourself for me."

The moan that left my lips sounded animalistic even to my own ears. Sobek
was a bastard, but he really knew everything about me. He saw deep inside
of me, stripping me bare in every sense of the word. Sometimes I hated the
man, but I could never be away from him.

"Faster," he demanded. "Hurt yourself."

"Yes, sir," I grunted and threw my hips back as a strangled cry slipped free.
He held one hand on my hips, but he didn't help me out at all.

"Do you trust me, Matteo?"

I nodded hard. "Yes, you know I do. More than anything."

"You would put your life in my hands?"

"Fucking gladly. Even if you're a bastard."

Sobek chuckled and the sound made my heart speed up. No one got to see
this side of him but me. If you looked at him it would be easy to assume he
was cold and callous all of the time. But I saw the soft sides of him. And
now that he was about to accomplish his goals, I prayed for more of his
praise and adoration.

"A bastard that you love and worship," he groaned before he pulled out of
me and his lips pressed against my ear. "And who you will continue to give
yourself to until the day you die?"

I turned and frowned. "Sobek."

"Get on your knees."

I dropped to the ground. Everything else flew out of my head when I had to
stare into his deep, blue eyes. I gazed up at him as he stroked his cock. He
reached over and I watched as he wiped the blood from my father's chest
and spread it over my cheeks and lips.

"Tell me you'll be loyal to me and only me."

"I'll be loyal to you and only you," I repeated, in awe at how radiant he
looked standing above me.

"You will follow where I lead."

"I'll follow where you lead."

Sobek's hand rubbed against my chin and he gripped it tightly. "Even if I

told you to kill yourself right here and now you would follow my directions
with a smile on your face."

I swallowed hard. No, I didn't want to die, but for Sobek? I reached over
and yanked up my knife before I held it to my throat.

"If you tell me to kill myself, I'll do it for you with a fucking smile on my
face."

Sobek groaned. The way he tilted his head back and rolled his neck kept me
mesmerized. I didn't remove the knife from my throat. I kept it there ready,
waiting.

"Stab yourself in the leg."

A lump formed in my throat and my eyes watered. "Please, Bek."

"Do it."

I fought with myself. The side of me that still retained a small amount of
common sense screamed at me not to do it. However, the only part that
mattered, the one that loved Sobek, told me I had no choice. I raised the
knife and plunged it into my thigh.

A scream was ripped from my throat, but I didn't even get to hear it as
Sobek slapped a hand over my mouth. The muffled yell grew into an
anguished cry as he dug the heel of his shoe into my wound. My chest rose
and fell so quickly, my heart pounding out of my chest. It felt like I was
going to pass out.

Sobek shoved me down onto the floor and my body was met with a sticky
puddle of my father's blood. He climbed on top of me and after ripping off
my shoes and pants completely he took up his place between my thighs.

"Now you're forgiven," Sobek said as he drove inside of me. "Spread your
legs and take your reward."

He forgave me? Sobek forgave me. My heart swelled and like an idiot, I
cried. I didn't have to worry about being alone anymore, filling hole after
hole and hoping that it would give me some kind of comfort. Sobek was the
only thing that I needed anymore, the man I would happily follow into the
pits of hell if he allowed me to.

Pain mingled with the tingling pleasure that worked its way up my spine
and I lost myself to it. I rolled my hips trying to take in even more of him.
My body craved the way that he could fill me as no one else ever could.
After waiting what seemed like forever to gain this back, I gave myself up
to the feeling of heaven as he fucked me senseless in the pool of blood.

"Bek," I groaned. "Please, give me more. It's been too long."

"Yes, it has," he said as he leaned down and his lips brushed over mine.
"But we will make up for every second of lost time." He grabbed my knife
wound and I cried out. "Quiet. If the guards get to us before everything is
set up, it'll be a problem. Do I need to stop?"

I trembled and shook my head. "No, sir. Please don't stop fucking me," I
begged as I grabbed onto his shirt. "I want more of you. All of you."

Sobek's grin lit up my entire world. "Greedy," he chuckled. "But I'll give
you what you want."
He thrust inside of me hard and fast, hitting my prostate with each stroke. I
bounced underneath his movements before he leaned down and kissed me.
His lips devoured mine, licking and biting my tongue and lip hard enough
to draw blood. but I didn't care. I drowned in more blood until it was all I
could taste and smell. It made me high, his cock driving me over the edge.

"C-can I cum?" I pleaded. "Please, sir."

"You've been a loyal slave," he said as he stared down at me and licked his
pink lips. "Cum for me and do it silently."

I nodded and tried to close my eyes, but he slapped me sharply. I wanted to

apologize, but if I spoke he might decide to stop. He wanted me to look at
him when I came. He always did. My cheek stung, but it was just more fuel
added to my already raging fire.

"Cum," he demanded.

That's all it took. One word and I was arching my back up from the floor as
my cock twitched and pulsed. He squeezed my balls and stroked me as I
came hard, shooting ropes of cum up my body. I bit into my hand to shut
myself up and swallowed a strangled shout that wanted to slip free. My
vision went white, lights bursting in my vision as I came so hard I felt weak
as I started to come down.

"There you go," Sobek said as he continued to stroke me. "Give me more."

My cock was way too sensitive. I tried to push him away, but he only
tightened his grip. The man forced one, two, three more dry orgasms out of
me before my head was spinning.

"Please, no more," I whispered. "No more, sir!"

He chuckled and stood up. "I thought you wanted all of me?" I watched as
he ran a hand down his body before he wrapped his bloody hand around his
own cock. He stroked, his balls tightened, his thighs tensed and I watched
as he shot cum out onto my face. I greedily lapped it up, using my hands to
shove more into my mouth.

"There are some drops on the floor. Clean it up. I don't want a trace of it left
behind," Sobek said as he started zipping up his pants.

I glanced at where he had pointed. "But the blood..."

"Every goddamn drop."

I nodded and rolled onto my hands and knees. If Sobek demanded it, I had
to do it for him. My tongue lapped at the drops of blood and I groaned as I
tasted the saltiness of his cum amongst the coppery tang. I licked at it like a
dog until there was no trace left behind of Sobek cumming on me.

Slowly, I stood up still a little light on my feet. I wavered and groaned as

the stab wound pain returned and slammed into me like a truck. The
adrenaline of fucking Sobek was wearing off and I panted as I leaned
against the desk.

"What now?" I asked.

"Now we call the guards and say we were trying to save your life and your
father's. The man who was interviewing was working for another family. He
tried to run, you killed him and then you found your parents this way."

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Put your underwear back on. It'll be easy to explain your pants being off as
I treat you." Sobek walked over to the door and picked up his black case
that was always filled with medical supplies. "Sit down and I'll take care of
your leg."
"You always take care of me." I winced as I sat on the desk, my ass
throbbing still from Sobek's rough fucking. "Now it's time for me to do the
same."

He glanced up at me. "Are you ready for it?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm ready."

"And you're calm now?"

I glanced at my father in the chair, his eyes still open but unseeing. "Yes," I
said with a nod. "No one will miss Lorenzo Romano. Least of all me. I just
had a moment." I gazed at Sobek. "But it's over."

"That's reassuring to hear." He picked up his phone and held it out to me.
"Call it into the guards. It's time to get this started."

"One more kiss before we start."

Sobek chuckled. "Greedy." He straightened and pressed his lips against

mine.

Yes, I was greedy for Sobek. And that was never going to change.
Sobek

I stepped into my childhood home and glanced around. Neither I or Matteo

had been back since we'd left six months ago and it was odd standing in the
house once more. Matteo had said he understood once we left why I never
cared if he screamed. It was in a row of dilapidated houses in the worst area
of Detroit. The streetlights had been smashed, most of the houses were
abandoned or burnt out. And there wasn't anyone around. Or if there were,
they didn't care. This was the place you went when you wanted to shoot up
and be left alone. But stuck between all that mess was the place I had once
called home.

Dragging my hand along the wall as I moved further into the house, I
thought about all of the memories I'd made with Matteo. The place had
once been a pit of despair for me, somewhere I tried not to think about the
older I got but was still drawn to. Matteo had turned it back into a home and
I found it almost comforting now.

"Why did I know you would be here?"

I turned on my heels. Matteo stood in the doorway, his face serious but his
eyes bright. He always had that look for me now. But behind closed doors,
his expression softened, his smile grew wide and he made the most
intoxicating sounds just for me.

"I need to get some things in order for this old place. After all, I don't plan
on coming back here now that we're moving in together."

Matteo looked around. "I guess that's true." He followed me into the kitchen
where I collected up small trinkets I would want to take with me.

“I wanted to say goodbye to the place." I ran a hand over one of the walls
and sighed. "When I was a child, I never wanted to see this place again.
And then it became the place I retreated to in my darkest moments.” I
glanced around. “Now I’m having a difficult time saying goodbye to it.”

"You don't have to."

I shook my head. "I do. It's time to move on from the past. Besides, I don't
need anyone poking their nose into this place. I'm going to board it up and
let it die the way I should have done ages ago."

Matteo laid a hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure? We could always use
this as a place to get away from the world. You know what it's like in this
line of work. I'll be stressed out and so will you."

His words were almost convincing, but I didn't see a point in returning to
my old home. We'd waited long enough to let the mourning process happen
and then the exchange of power that followed. Matteo was now where he
belonged, leading the Romano family and I would be by his side. The
glances we received sometimes weren’t shocking, but no one dared to say
anything and I let it go. Let them stare. No one was going to tear us apart.
"You're getting soft on me," Matteo said with a smile as he stepped around
and laid his hands on my shoulders. "What? Are you regretting any of this?"

"Not even for a second." I brushed him off and walked down the stairs
before I froze on the landing. "Are you coming?"

Matteo shuffled from one foot to the other as he stared into the inky black
abyss. I reached up and tugged the cord, bathing the basement in a soft,
warm glow. Even then Matteo looked hesitant.

"Face your fears, Matteo. I won't lock you down here you know."

"Do I?" He shivered. "I can still smell this place when I close my eyes. My
skin still crawls. And the fucking rats. I can always hear them scratching
away at the wall and trying to nip at my skin."

I tilted my head at him. "Do you want to see the room you were in?"

Matteo groaned. "No, the fuck I don't."

"Come on."

I turned and walked the rest of the way into the basement. The area was
damp in most places, the earth hard and cold from the concrete that I had
poured. I waited at the bottom and eventually, Matteo joined me. We
walked to the far right corner together and I opened the heavy iron door
exposing the tiny room.

Matteo shivered. "Why are you showing me this?"

"You were never able to see it. I thought you should be able to witness what
you endured. For me." I stepped into the room and waved a hand. "You
were able to stay sane a lot longer than I thought. My mother didn't last as
long." I kicked a small corner in the back. "But I thought it was fitting to
bury her where she spent the most time with me."
"What?" Matteo shook his head. "Are you telling me all the times I was in
here I was sleeping and sitting on top of your dead mother?"

"Yes."

"Fuck, you're sick," Matteo muttered. "You never tell me how bad she was,
but... she kept you in here, didn't she?"

"In her fits of madness? She did. There were some times when I was above
all others, but mostly I was confined in this small room listening to the rats
and praying for a way out. No one ever answered those prayers. Unlike me
who saved you."

"You put me down here in the first place," Matteo pointed out. He grabbed
the handle to the door and the loud creak as it began to close filled the
room.

I stared at the man. There was a look in his eye, a glint of defiance as he
stared at the handle in his hands. I could see him thinking about shutting the
door and locking me inside. I pushed my hands into my pockets and stared
at him.

"What are you doing, Matteo? What are you thinking?"

He lifted his head and our gazes met. For the first time in a very long while,
I felt my stomach twist and drop. If he shut the door, I wouldn't be able to
open it. Had I overestimated the power that I had over him? I took a step
forward and growled at him.

"Matteo!"

The man jumped and came out of his fog. "Sorry, sir. I was just thinking
about my time down here, that's all." He pulled the door open all of the way.
"I-"
"You were thinking about locking me in this room." I closed the space
between us in a few short strides and grabbed him by the throat. "Let me
remind you why that course of thinking is never smart."

"B-Bek."

"Get in the room."

Matteo's hands gripped my wrist. "Please, no," he choked out. "Fuck, I'm
sorry! It was just a passing thought."

"Get. In. The. Room."

I released his throat and he coughed before he rubbed it. Matteo stared at
me, pleading in his eyes, but I refused to back down. He trembled and
slowly turned on his heels before he walked into the room. The further he
went, the slower he walked until he stood in the middle of the little prison
cell and shook uncontrollably.

I swung the door shut, the loud clang of the lock filling up the basement. On
the other side of the door, Matteo banged and shouted, but it was barely a
whisper to me. He sounded like a wild beast. If he had the strength, he no
doubt would have crashed through the door to be free, but there was no way
out of that personal hell.

I need to work on his training some more. Lately, I've been far too lenient.

I left Matteo to his punishment and walked back upstairs to finish preparing
everything. There were a few pictures I had snapped of Matteo and his time
with me. I slipped those into a book and popped it into my duffel bag.
Room by room, I made sure that it was empty before I finished locking
everything up. I wasn't sure if I would take Matteo's advice and come here
again or not. I’d used this home because of the cell below, but I was already
building a new one in our loft. One of the downstairs rooms was in the
process of being converted.

An hour had passed when I checked my phone. Matteo and I both had
meetings to attend. I walked down into the basement and heard faint
pounding, but it seemed as if Matteo had tired himself out. I unlocked the
door and it opened with a protesting groan. Matteo laid on the floor in a
heap, his hand bloody from pounding it against the door I assumed.

I walked over to him and crouched down. "Did you learn your lesson?"

"Yes, sir," he whispered, his body trembling. "I'm sorry, Bek."

"Shhh." I pushed my fingers into his hair and stroked it slowly. "I know
you're sorry. Let's not repeat those actions though, hmm?"

Matteo nodded, reduced to a small, whimpering man as he reached out and

held onto my ankle. He rolled onto his hands and knees and brushed his lips
over my shoe before he kissed up my leg. I smiled down at him. A little slip
up here and there was normal, but he clearly knew where he stood and what
I wasn't going to put up with. I soothed him, taking away the pain and fear
that surely plagued him in this room as it had consumed me in the past.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked.

"Fuck, please," he groaned. "Get me out of here."

I stood up and held out my hand to him. Matteo took it and I pulled him
into my arms. He sagged against me, the full weight of his body against
mine. I rubbed his back through the black button-up shirt that he wore until
his shaking tapered off. He kept his face turned from me, adjusting his
clothes and fixing his hair. He sniffled and tried to hide it with a cough, but
I heard it just the same.
Matteo kept one hand in mine, squeezing it hard as we left the room
together. I closed the door and locked it up. He sighed in relief when he
wasn't faced with the darkness anymore and completely relaxed once we
exited the basement altogether.

"Get my bag, Matteo." I nodded to it. "Did you bring your car?"

"Yes, the driver is waiting," he said, still an edge of shakiness in his voice.

"Before we leave the house, get rid of him. You're with me. I'll drop you off
at your meeting afterward."

Matteo frowned. "I'm going to be late. What are we doing?"

"Haven't you learned anything about asking me too many questions?" I shot
back, raising a brow.

He sucked in a breath. "Sometimes you really are a bastard."

"Are you sick of me yet?" I asked, tilting my head at him as I looked him up
and down. "Are you ready to be done?"

Matteo stared at me with wide eyes. "Of course not! What the fuck are you
talking about?"

I searched his face before I shrugged. There was relief in the pit of my
stomach hearing those words. I could be cold and heartless around everyone
else, but him.

"It's only a question."

Matteo grabbed my arm and pulled me back when I started walking away.
"I will never leave your side, Sobek. You know that. When we are done
with each other, I will gladly let you kill me. Until then I'll never leave you
alone. I won't abandon you."
I glanced away as my heart squeezed. Matteo was way too close. The
longer we were around each other the more he saw me. Some part of me
loved it, but the rest was terrified that he was getting entirely too close.

"I love you, Bek."

The softness in his voice stroked the insanity in me. I grabbed him and
shoved him against the wall before I yanked his hips back. My hands
fumbled with his pants, but I managed to unzip them and yanked his pants
down around his ankles.

"Shut up and give me your ass."

He reached back and opened himself up. "Yes, sir," he said as he glanced
over his shoulder. "If it's easier to fuck me than to say I love you too right
now, I understand."

Matteo was talking entirely too much. I reached into my bag and yanked
out a shirt. Grabbing Matteo's chin, I stuffed it into his mouth until only
muffled words left his lips. The world felt too real and raw when my
emotions were on the surface and I felt no relief until I slammed into his ass
and fucked him senseless, letting me push all of those emotions away and
just focus on Matteo's body. His heat. His smell.

But underneath it all, I found that I could no longer put distance between us
the way that I used to. My love for him had always been real, but I never
fully expected him to love me back. Now that he did and meant every word,
I was vulnerable and exposed.

And that was terrifying.

Sobek

T he choking sounds were growing tiresome.

I glanced at my phone. There was still no answer. Matteo was supposed to

be meeting me at the warehouse, but he was nowhere to be seen. More than
likely he was in another meeting, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

How am I going to punish him tonight?

"Boss, what do you want us to do with this rat?"

I put my phone away and picked up a towel as I glanced at the man tied to
the chair. He'd been beaten to within an inch of his life, one eye was
swollen shut, his lips busted, blood dripping from his mouth. And that was
only the torture that I had inflicted. I let the other two men with me work
over his body before the gag was shoved back into his mouth.

Another rat. Some of them didn't love the fact that Matteo was running the
Romanos now and that I was his second in command. Others were sure that
he had murdered his parents and tried to find some way to bring him down.
Both camps were entirely out of line and if we had to make a few examples
out of people, so be it.

"I'm going to ask one last time. Who was your contact with the Russians?"
When he started shaking his head I held up a finger and grabbed the cloth in
his mouth. "But I want you to think about your answer carefully. You have a
wife and a son, right? And your sister works what? An hour from here?"
His eyes widened and I smiled. "Give me the wrong answer and I'll go and
personally visit each and every one of them and bring you their heads when
I'm done."

I let the reality of the situation sink in for him. He searched my face as if he
was trying to see if I was telling the truth, but I stared right back. I meant
every damn word.

"Crocodile, you're not really going to hunt down his family, are you?"

I grinned. "What do you think?"

The silence in the room only confirmed the point. If the man wanted to act
tough and continue to deny the questions I had no problem doing what had
to be done. There were no lines when it came to keeping the Romanos and
Matteo safe. I snatched the gag out of his mouth and he coughed harshly
before he glanced up at me.

"A guy named Pavel. W-we meet up every Wednesday at this club
downtown and do the exchange."

"How much was he paying you?"

"Depends on the info." He spat out blood and panted as he looked up at me

once more. "Don't hurt my family."

I tilted my head at him. "I guess I could do that since you finally told me
everything." I picked up the knife from the side table. "But I really can't
stand disloyalty."

The man shook his head. "I-I can get more stuff out of him."

I thought it over. "No. There's nothing that says you're going to change and
I find it's a hell of a lot easier to just end you than to worry about you."

"Please, please. Give me one more chance."

I jammed the knife into his chest and he gasped. His lips moved, but there
was no sound besides the gurgling of blood. I sat the knife down and
grabbed the towel, quickly wiping the blood from my hands. Killing always
calmed a part of me, but nothing felt and tasted as good as Matteo's blood.
Everyone else's I had to get off of my skin as soon as possible.

"Get rid of the body and clean up here. I have an appointment to keep."

"Yes, boss."

I turned and waved as I walked out to my car. Still working as a surgeon

and moonlighting at night was a lot, but I now enjoyed myself since
Lorenzo wasn't running things.

Where the hell is Matteo?

As soon as I was in the car, I pulled out my phone again. I tapped his name
and the sound of ringing came through my speakers as I pulled away from
the warehouse and drove toward home. The phone continued until it sent
me to voicemail. I growled and threw it across the car before I gripped the
steering wheel so hard my palms ached.

"I'm going to make you hurt, Matteo."

He always at least sent me a text and told me what was going on, even if he
had to step out to do it. But for there to be nothing? For hours? My stomach
churned with both worry and fury as I drew closer to our home.
Stepping inside, I heard laughter. I stopped and followed the sound into the
kitchen as my heart leaped into my throat and my nails dug into the soft
flesh of my palms. When I stepped into the kitchen Matteo sat at the bar
with a few other men. He glanced up at me, glass in hand before he turned
back to them and went right back to talking.

I wanted to stare daggers into Matteo, but I didn't. I grabbed a glass and
poured myself a scotch before I joined the other men at the bar. They
greeted me, familiar faces that were from other families who we now got
along with tentatively.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Something wrong?"

"No, not at all." Ken lit up a cigarette and offered me one from the pack.
"We were concluding our meeting and decided to have a few drinks and
relax. My wife and kids are going to be waiting for me when I get home and
I could use a break, you know?" His boisterous laugh erupted in my ear and
he patted me on the shoulder so hard it stung. "Not that you have to worry
about that."

I was going to kill him next. The roach laid his hand on me and was entirely
too familiar. I imagined the sound of his blood curdling screams as he
pulled back a bloody stump and the horror in his eyes as he tried to get
away from me. Yes, I could picture it in vivid, perfect detail.

"Sobek." Matteo's voice drew my attention to him and he stared at me.

"What's wrong?"

"Not a thing." I accepted the cigarette from Ken and smiled as he leaned in
to light it. Smoke curled into the air and I tuned Matteo out. "What were
you all talking about?"

"The Russian menace as always." Ken nodded somberly. "They've been on

their game lately and then some boring work stuff. Logistics. I'm sure
Matteo will go over it with you later."

"I'm sure."

I tried to relax in my seat, but I was as stiff as a rod the rest of the night. By
the time everyone was leaving I had polished off three drinks and was
pouring my fourth. Matteo walked back into the kitchen and stopped in the
doorway, but I didn't turn to look at him.

"Why were you so close to Ken all night?" Matteo asked.

I finally glanced over my shoulder at him. "You were busy. I needed

someone to fill my time with. And he might be a moron, but at least he’s
attractive."

Matteo clicked his tongue and walked closer to me. "If I didn't know any
better I would think you were getting petty." He stopped beside me and
leaned down. "But if you ever cheat on me, Sobek, keep in mind that you're
the one that fucked up my brain all those months ago. I will happily rip you
apart."

I barked out a laugh and glared at him. "You could try."

When I turned back around, my body shot forward and my head slammed
against the bar counter. I shot up, my head spinning as I tried to get my
bearings. Matteo reached for me again, but I drove my knee up into his
stomach and he grunted as he fell to the ground. As soon as he was down, I
climbed on top of him and went for his throat, but he fought back, grabbing
my wrists and slamming me to the floor on my back.

"I've learned from you," he cooed. "Did you think I wouldn't fucking get
you one day? If I catch you talking to someone like that again-"

I flipped us and slammed my fist into his face. "Who the fuck do you think
you are? Do you need to be put back in your place?"
Matteo licked his lip, lapping away the blood. "Maybe I do," he growled.
"What the fuck are you going to do about it?"

Oh, he was testing me. I could see that mischievous glint in his eye and
knew exactly what he wanted from me. Matteo was a simple creature. He
liked to get full of himself now that he ran the Romanos, but as soon as he
was kicked back into his place he was on the ground begging and moaning
and writhing like a whore in heat. But I shoved myself away from him.

"Nothing." I stood up and wiped my nose where blood dripped freely.

"You're the big, bad head of the Romano family, right? You no longer have
to call or text me. Or pay attention to me when I walk into our home."

Matteo groaned. "You're the one that told me to keep up appearances! The
meeting we were having tonight everyone had to keep their phones in the
front with one of our guards. And you know how these assholes are. What
did you want me to do? Drop to my knees and blow you the moment you
walked through the door?"

I turned on my heels and walked up the stairs. Matteo wasn't supposed to

get to me the way he did, but it was impossible not to be drawn into his web
of intoxication. I stripped out of my clothes once I reached our bedroom
and took my time putting them into the washer so hopefully any stains
would come out.

"Bek." Matteo followed me into our bedroom. "Bek, don't you dare fucking
ignore me!" He stood in front of me and shoved his palms into my chest
knocking me back. "I'm doing what you told me to do. Wha the fuck is your
problem?"

I didn't know what my problem was. He shoved me and I stumbled back

again before I glared at him. "Shove me again and I'll fuck you dry until
you're bloody."
"We both know I would love nothing more than that." Matteo grabbed my
arm and yanked me forward. "But right now I want you to stop this shit and
go back to being you." He sighed as he ran his hand up my arm. "Let me
worship you, Bek. I hate all of this pretending. I want you to take your
rightful place."

My heart pounded as I blew out a breath. "It's not time yet."

"Then let me make it up to you. Having to wait, watching me take control,

it worries you. I know you hate it."

I glanced away and when I looked up, Matteo was sinking to his knees. He
kissed the top of both of my feet and I shivered in response. If anyone ever
talked badly about him, they would have to deal with me, but when it came
to the two of us, I loved having someone literally grovel at my feet.

"Tonight must have been hard," Matteo whispered as he kissed up to my

ankles. "How did it go?"

"I killed that rat for you."

"I knew you would. And you should." Matteo kissed up to my knees and
glanced up at me. "Did it make you feel better to know that you're
protecting me?"

That shouldn't ignite butterflies in my belly, but it did. Matteo recognized

and appreciated that everything I ever did was for him. I could see the
adoration and submission in his eyes. Tonight, he would still fight me every
step of the way, but he would enjoy every second too.

"It felt good to kill," I lied knowing it was so much more than that.

Matteo chuckled. "What? Gods can't love and want to be loved too?" He
took my hand in his and kissed each and every one of my knuckles. "I think
you deserve it, Bek."
It felt like the universe was playing some cruel joke on me. I couldn't even
remember falling in love before, not once, but Matteo was the exception to
the rule. Whenever I was with him, I both felt more like myself than I ever
did or like I was a brand new man. There was no in-between.

"You called me a god."

Matteo traced his tongue up my happy trail and kissed my belly button.
"You are." His lips ran along my skin, teeth nipping at my flesh before he
sucked a nipple into his mouth one after the other. "I realized that a long
time ago. You are the embodiment of magic and I'll fucking worship you
until the day I die."

"No, that's not good enough," I grunted as he nipped at my throat. "You'll

have to give me more devotion than that."

"Fine, then I'll serve you even in the afterlife." Matteo pulled back and
cupped the side of my neck. "And I'll be happy to do so, sir."

My cock hardened at his words and the smile on his face. There were
moments when Matteo could be soft and vulnerable. And it threw me off.
Maybe I wasn't ready to completely give myself to that side, but it was
there, lurking, waiting. Growing.

"Are you going to talk all night? Or are you going to bend over and spread
your legs," I growled.

"Only if you tell me you love me," Matteo grinned. "And even then you're
still going to have to fight me for it tonight. Fuck you for flirting with that
ugly bastard Ken."

The chuckle that I let out took me by surprise. "Fine, I love you."

"I love you too, you fucking psycho." He reached down and gripped my
cock, giving it a firm squeeze. "Now, hold me down and take what's yours
or I'll find someone who can."

Matteo knew just what to say to piss me the hell off. I grabbed him by the
throat and slammed him onto the bed. He glared up at me and I knew he
was going to put up a hell of a fight.

"Spread your legs," I ordered.

"Fuck you."

The moment he grinned I lost all control. A god really did need a king. And
Matteo was mine.

Forever.
 AUTHOR NOTE

Thank you for reading Sobek. I had entirely too much fun writing this
twisted and F-ed up love story. Sobek and Matteo kind of came to me out of
nowhere and I just knew it was going to be one of those questionable love
stories.

I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’d greatly
appreciate if you left a review informing other readers on your thoughts
about Sobek.

Stay Dark and Depraved

—Wren Snow
 Hapi
Cari Waites & Lisa Henry

Shai
H.L. Night

Tutu
BL Maxwell
 Shezmu
KA Sands

Maahes
Ema Jaye

Fetket
Ash Knight

Sobek
Wren Snow

Apophis
L.N. Manning

Denwen
Neya Wara
 Ba-Pef
Ashlynn Mills

Atum
Neya Wara

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Wren Snow is the alter ego of Skyler Snow. One is light, one is dark and Wren is certainly pitch
black. They enjoy testing the limits of what love is and all of the relationships that exist in the
shadows. Not for the faint of heart, but if you're ready for a dark and twisted adventure, jump right in.

Surrender to the darkness. Wren Snow

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