My mafia love

5 ~ Running

Kelly's POV:

"I'm taking your fucking ass home. Now." He spat, grabbing my arm.

The grip on my arm tightened the second the words left his mouth, not enough to hurt but enough to make it clear that this wasn't a request, wasn't something I could argue my way out of or twist into a choice. There was something different in him now sharper, colder, like whatever patience he'd been holding onto had finally snapped somewhere between me running and him finding me out here.

"I can walk," I said quickly, trying to pull my arm back, more out of instinct than confidence.

His fingers didn't loosen.

"I didn't ask," he replied, his voice low and controlled in a way that made it worse, because it wasn't anger that slipped or broke, it was anger that was contained.

I swallowed, forcing myself to stay steady as he guided.. no, dragged me back toward the entrance, my heels catching slightly against the ground as I struggled to keep up with his pace. The doors opened before we even reached them, and the warmth and noise of the ball hit me all over again.

"Let go of me," I muttered.

"No," he said, just as quietly, not even sparing me a glance.

"Let go of me," I muttered.

"No," he said, just as quietly, not even sparing me a glance as he led me further inside, straight through the crowd like no one would dare step in his way.

I could feel their eyes on me, lingering, judging, questioning, some of them far too interested in a way that made my skin crawl all over again. It was worse now, knowing exactly what this was, knowing that I wasn't just being watched out of curiosity.

"Cade—" I started, my voice tighter now, but he stopped so suddenly that I nearly walked straight into him.

"Say my name again like that," he murmured without looking at me, his voice just loud enough for me to hear, "and I'll remind you exactly why you shouldn't."

my fingers curled slightly at my sides, my body going still before I could stop it.

He turned then, finally looking at me, and whatever I'd been about to say disappeared completely under the weight of his gaze.

"You wanted to run," he said quietly, his eyes locked on mine. "You tried. Now you stand here and do exactly what I tell you."

"I'm not—" I started, but the words fell flat the second his expression shifted.

"You are," he cut in, his voice dropping just enough to make it feel like the entire room had gone quieter, even though I knew it hadn't. "Because the next time you decide to test me like that, I won't be as patient."

By the time we finally left, I didn't feel relief the way I thought I would.

Just exhaustion.

The cool night air hit my skin the second we stepped outside, and for a brief moment, I closed my eyes, letting it ground me, letting it pull me away from the suffocating atmosphere inside. It didn't last long.

"Get in," Cade said, already opening the car door without looking at me.

I didn't argue.

Not this time.

I slid into the back seat, the fabric of the dress shifting uncomfortably as I sat, my body still tense, my mind still catching up with everything that had just happened. The door shut behind me with a quiet, final sound, and a second later, Cade was in the car too, the space instantly feeling smaller the moment he sat across from me this time.

"Well," he muttered, glancing between us, clearly picking up on the tension without needing an explanation, "that went... something."

"Shut up, Adam," Derrick said flatly from the front.

"I'm just saying," Adam continued, leaning back, his eyes flicking to me briefly before settling on Cade, "next time you want me to babysit, maybe don't give me the most distracting environment possible."

"You had one job," Cade said, his voice low, controlled, and far more dangerous than anything he'd said inside.

Adam raised his hands slightly in mock surrender. "And she still came back, didn't she?"

Even Adam seemed to realise he'd pushed it just enough, his usual grin fading slightly as he leaned his head back against the seat.

The car started moving.

And just like that, we were leaving.

I turned my head toward the window, watching as the lights of the venue faded behind us, growing smaller and smaller until they disappeared completely. For a second, I let myself think about what would've happened if I'd made it further, if that door had led somewhere else, if the fences hadn't been there.

If I'd actually gotten out.

"You're thinking about it." Cade muttered, so low the others probably wouldn't have heard.

"What?" I questioned.

"Running."

I looked at him in disbelief for a few seconds before turning my head away from him and looking out the window. Is he a god-damn psychic or something.

The rest of the drive passed without much conversation, but it wasn't quiet. Not really. The tension sat there, thick and constant, every movement, every glance, every shift in posture feeling like it meant something more than it should.

By the time the car finally pulled back into the mansion, my body felt drained, my mind exhausted from trying to keep up with everything, from trying to stay one step ahead in a place where I clearly wasn't.

The doors opened.

"Out," Cade said.

I stepped out without hesitation this time, my heels hitting the ground a little harder than necessary as I straightened, the mansion looming in front of me again, just as intimidating as it had been the first time.

Cade stepped out beside me, his presence immediately shifting the air around us, and without a word, he started walking toward the entrance, not even checking if I was following.

He didn't need to.

I did.

Because as much as I hated it, I knew I didn't have anywhere else to go.