Balto gave him a cold look. “You do have family left.” He turned his gaze on me, and just as if we were alone together, he gave me the same heated look he did when he was deep inside me. “And now, she’s mine. Leave your ring on the table and come with me.”
I sat still because I couldn’t believe what Balto had just said.
Lucian couldn’t hide his surprise either. “Wait—”
“I gave you a choice.” Balto’s eyes turned back to him. “You refused to make one, so now I’m making it for you. Your wife belongs to me now.” He turned his gaze back to me. “Get your ass up now. I won’t ask again.”
My body immediately responded to the power in his voice, and I rose to my feet.
Lucian did the same. “She’s off-limits.” He turned to me. “Cassini, sit.”
I finally had a ticket out of here, and I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. I would go from the ownership of one man to another, but at least this man was preferable. I stayed on my feet but didn’t move toward either man.
Lucian turned, enraged. “You can’t just take her—”
“Yes, I can.” Balto extended his hand to me.
Lucian looked at me. “If you take one step—”
I let my anger get to me, and I did something I’d wanted to do for years. I slapped him across the face, hitting him hard with the metal from my ring. “I’m not a dog.” I yanked the ring off my hand and tossed it on the table.
Lucian didn’t retaliate, shocked by my response.
Balto grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me with him. “You crossed me once, and you paid the price. You crossed me twice and paid the price again. I will fuck your wife every night, in every way imaginable, and while you sleep at night, my come will sleep inside her. Next time I ask you to make a decision, you’d better make it.” His arm moved around my waist, and he escorted me away from Lucian and off the patio.
His men stood guard, but no shots were fired. There were equal men on each side of the war, and if they did open fire, it would just be a bloody graveyard. Lucian didn’t fight for me, and Balto didn’t try to execute him.
Balto’s men opened the back door, and I got inside.
In the getaway car.
I was finally leaving Lucian for good.
I didn’t know what to expect with Balto, but my existence had to be better.
I considered myself lucky.
Balto got in the seat beside me, and the car drove away.
We departed the estate, leaving it far behind us.
I stared at Balto in the dark. “Thank you—”
“I didn’t rescue you.” He stared straight ahead. “I took you. You belong to me now. You will live with me. You will listen to me. The only freedom you’ll have is the small amount I give you. I did not liberate you—I stole you.”