Forbidden Temptation My Mafia Fiance's Alpha Father (Brooklyn and Aden) novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73
Brooklyn

I choke down my desire and brace myself for whatever Aden is about to do.

Choke me? Slam me back down again?

Or…something more?

But Aden moves away from me. He takes a key out of his pocket and slides it under the metal table.

A mechanism snaps, and I feel a sudden give to my handcuffs as they are released.

Before I can pull away, Aden grabs the chain between the cuffs, taking control of my actions.

He says nothing as he starts moving towards the center of the room, pulling me roughly along with him.

When we reach a spot where a short chain is bolted to the floor, with an open padlock at the end, Aden stops.

He slowly brings my manacled hands close to his face, my body pulled close to his.

“On your knees, Brooklyn,” he says, his voice smooth and firm.

My mouth hangs open in disbelief.

Moments ago, Aden was rattled. How is he so calm now?

“I said,” he says, his brows knitting cruelly together. “On your knees.”

My earlier courage abandons me, and I begin to sink to my knees as Aden lowers his hand to allow me to do so.

Aden lowers one knee to the ground, maintaining eye contact with me.

Then, slowly, he raises the chain from the ground, wrapping it around the links of my handcuffs and sliding the padlock closed, creating a perfect circle.

I look down, realizing that I am once again contained, trapped, and at his mercy.

“In this world, little one,” Aden says, his voice even and low, “you don’t survive if you let people walk all over you.”

His eyes narrow. “My father tried that. In the pack I was born into, he thought he could maintain power by being kind, ethical, good.”

Aden bends at the waist, bringing his face close to mine.

“He was dead by the time I was eight. That’s why I decided to reject the Alpha calling and go out on my own. To answer to nobody but myself.”

I watch as his hands clench into fists.

“So when you tell me,” he continues, slowly circling me, “to treat you as someone I trust, without having earned it…”

I turn my head to watch him, but my movement is limited, my neck reaching its breaking point.

“You’re asking me to act like a fool.”

I stare forward, my heartbeat and breath quickening. I can’t see him, don’t know where he is. Startled, I jump when I hear his voice very close to my ear.

“Do you think I’m a fool?” His voice is a whisper, sending a shiver down my spine as his breath brushes against my earlobe.

“No,” I whimper, closing my eyes.

In this moment, I feel completely different than I did just minutes ago.

Then, I had the power, the information he wanted, the ability to provoke him with my words, actions, and body.

Now, Aden is back in control, and he’s going to make me pay for every bit of power I took from him at the table.

“Good girl,” he murmurs. “Do you want me to trust you, Brooklyn?”