My eyes widen in shock as Liam pushes me through the doorway and slams the bedroom door behind him.

The sound echoes all around us like a thunderclap.

He stands in front of me, his face contorted in anger, his eyes blazing in fury.

"What the fuck were ye thinking, Alexandra?" Liam roars, his voice tight with barely contained rage.

I take a step back, my heart pounding in my chest.

What the hell? I didn't expect him to react like this at all. I thought he of all people would understand my need to get involved. My need for revenge.

I gulp and compose myself, jutting my chin forth.

"I was thinking that I want to get back at Zerina for what she did to me," I say, my whole body shaking. "I need to make her pay for everything she put me through. She manipulated me into feeling sorry for her and then left me lying incapacitated on the floor, for fuck's sake! What kind of mother does that to her own daughter?"

He scoffs. "And you think Kieran of all people will make it happen? Ye believe that joining the syndicate is going to help ye get back at yer ma?"

A knot of anger tightens in my stomach. Kieran might be a snake but I sure as hell did not let manipulate me. My choice was going to benefit me, I was certain of it.

"It'll do something alright. It's a step in a new direction. I've been living like a prisoner under your roof for over a month, trapped, alone, trusting you, waiting on you, on your decisions, on your calls. No longer!"

"Prisoner? Trapped? What do ye mean by that?"

"Oh wake up, Liam. Even you had to notice. I've been living in your world for months. Not my own. This is your country, your town, your mansion. Your decisions, your calls, your friends. Everything's been dictated by you. Since the day I met you, I've felt like I have no control over my own life."

Liam paces the room, biting his lower lip so hard he draws blood. When he speaks up again, his voice is a lot more guarded, more tender.

"Alexandra, I didn't realize ye felt that way. I thought..."

"You thought I was what? Happy here? Come on! I'm counting days before I can leave Dublin. I'm stuck in this mansion all day, waiting for you to come back from Angels, being fed mere breadcrumbs of news. At least before..." I gulp. "Before I was able to work there."

"You were abducted and it simply isn't wise to go back and..."

I cut him mid-sentence.

"Yes, but that's completely beside the point. It's not just Angels. I can barely go anywhere or do anything without your permission. Nico's breathing down my neck 24/7 like a guard dog. We were supposed to be equal partners in the deal."

"We are, lass but..."

"But nothing. You want the truth? Here's your goddamned truth, Liam Cavanaugh. Lately I've been feeling like a marionette," I interrupt him. "Manipulated by Kieran. Manipulated by my mother. Manipulated by you. Abducted. Things happen to me, not because of me."

"I didn't realize. I never wanted ye to feel that way. What can I do to make things better?" Liam lifts my chin between his thumb and forefinger, his voice a soft whisper.

"Just..." I lean into his touch, closing my eyes. "Surrender. Surrender control. Let me make my own choices. I need more freedom. This job Kieran is willing to entrust me... is the one thing that could happen because of me. Where I am an agent. I am in control. Liam, please... I need you to trust me. I can do this. I promise."

Liam swallows, then pulls away and growls at me. "Ye impossible woman. But I understand. I want ye to be happy. I'm just..."

"What's stopping you?"

"Yer happiness doesn't necessarily mean yer safety. I'm worried, Alexandra. Goddammit. Remember what happened the last time ye took matters in yer own hands and went to visit Zerina in the Angels club basement? It's gonna be no different now, sweetheart. Yer just going to get yourself killed."

"I'm not." I tsk angrily. "Look, I don't care about the risk. I now know that my mother is staying here out of her own free will. So I'm not leaving Dublin either. Not yet. Not until I've gotten my revenge."

He shakes his head in frustration. "Yer being so stubborn, lass. There are so many other ways to deal with this."

"No, there aren't," I say. "I tried your way, if you recall. Your way of watching and waiting. Now let me attempt to make things right on my own."

"I'm sure you can do it on your own. You're more than capable. But it's not about that. You're talking like doing business with yer father is a one time thing. But it won't be. Kieran's got his eye on you now. Don't you know what that means? Yer no longer just a waitress, or even a talented lap dancer to him. Yer a very valuable asset now. One he can point and use against the entire Albanian clan, since yer not a familiar face to them. He's going to make ye go undercover, he'll pull ye deeper and deeper into the gang, and then it'll just be a matter of time before he..."

"He won't find out I'm his daughter. I'll make sure of it," I say firmly. "Anyway, you're wrong when you say it won't be a one time thing. It will be. It's just one heist. I get back at Zerina, and then I'm going to fly home. Back to Tirana, to my job. Back to my world, where I truly belong. At first, the naive me wanted to save my mother. Now, I'm smarter than that. I realize she doesn't need saving. She can stay here as long as she likes, and make her own decisions. Don't worry. I'm not going to be burdening you with my problems or my presence for much longer."

Liam recoils as if I'd struck him across the face, and then looks at me, his expression unreadable. "Ye aren't burdening me, Alexandra." He slumps down on the edge of my bed, suddenly looking worse for the wear, his face ashen in color. "I jus' ... I'm not sure ye understand the gravity of the situation, sweetheart. When you ally yourself with Kieran and do a task for him... You become part of the family. When you become part of the family, you are family...Forever. Jus be careful, Alexandra."

"I promise I'll be careful." I kneel before him on the plush carpet, dragging my fingers up his thighs, gently massaging his legs. "If you promise to surrender control. Surrender, Liam."

He exhales, as if releasing all the pent up energy and anxiety, and lets out a light moan, giving himself away to my ministrations.

Liam's quiet abandon rouses a whole swarm of butterflies in my belly right now and I'm not sure what's happening anymore.

But I know one thing, and it's that I both want to please him and punish him.

Please him – to soothe his angst, comfort him the way he did me several nights ago.

Punish him – for treating me the way he did, and for all the indecisiveness in his actions, all avoidances that brought us here where we are now.

Still helpless, still wriggling in Kieran's grasp.

My hands drift towards his chest first, tracing the contours of his muscular pecs and abs. My fingers dance across the smooth, lightly tanned skin, feeling its warmth.

I marvel at the power that lies beneath my touch, the contrast between Liam's rough exterior and the gentle caress of my fingertips.

Liam moans, and I can feel the sculpted marble of his muscles ripple as he breathes in.

"Alexandra," he starts to say, but I press my forefinger onto his lips.

I move my hands up to his shoulders, simply feeling the broadness of his frame, and then I close my eyes and inhale deeply, savoring the briny scent of his cologne, with hints of lemon zest.

When my fingers slide down Liam's arms, sensing the corded muscles rippling underneath his skin, I trace a line down his biceps.

I can imagine Liam lifting weights, or wrestling down a powerful opponent.

Pressing my head onto his chest, I feel the pulse of his blood – a steady rhythm that echoes my own frantic beats.

Then I look up, and see passion in Liam's eyes. He gazes at me with hunger that makes my heart race.

I inch my fingers toward his groin and cup him through his pants. His eyes darken, and almost immediately, I feel him harden beneath me. Encouraged, I start to rub him through the material.

"Alexandra," he growls. "What are ye doing?"

"Returning the favor, Liam Cavanaugh," I chuckle innocently.

A ravenous hunger takes over my body as I watch the way I affect him. I move my hands up to his face, cupping his cheeks in my palms. His coarse dark stubble scratches against my fingertips. I lean in closer and our lips meet in a brief, passionate kiss, before I reach for his belt and unbuckle it, pulling down his zipper. The mere sight of his enormous bulge beneath soft black cotton briefs makes my breath hitch.

I lean forward and rub my cheek against the dark fabric, and he twitches with anticipation beneath me. Intense heat burns beneath my skin as I nuzzle closer, dragging my nose along and inhaling him. God, he smells so good.

Liam's hand comes down to tangle with the long strands of my hair, stroking it as I kiss my way along his cloth covered length. Already, he's making these pained little noises in his throat and I know I'm doing something right. At the top of the fabric, a tiny wet spot has seeped through from his arousal. Letting my baser desires take control of the situation, I lick and then suck that fabric into my mouth.

Liam groans, and his grip on my hair tightens. He grinds his hips up against my face and then yanks his briefs down in one swift movement.

"Suck on it, sweetheart." His voice is rough with emotion, betraying how much he really needs this.

It does something to me.

My hand obediently wraps around the base and strokes him up and down twice. The skin is like velvet, smooth and soft and hot beneath my palm. I bring the head to my lips and dart my tongue out to swirl it around the tip.

He jerks beneath my touch and his reaction encourages me. I continue to stroke him with the hand that's wrapped around his shaft as I softly pull him into my mouth.

I'm soaking wet from seeing him like this. Surrendering to my touch. Giving up control.

Brutally and devastatingly handsome, and right now... he's mine. Liam Cavanaugh is dark and mysterious and hot and cold, and bad for me in every way, but dammit, it only seems to draw me in further.

I want him. I want him so much.

The realization hits me like a lightning bolt. I've been fighting it for so long, trying to suppress the greed that was threatening to consume me.

But I can no longer ignore it.

I suck him harder, squeezing him with my fist. His hands are in my hair again, tangling through it as he loses his self-control. He's completely guiding my movements now, pistoning his hips up into my mouth and taking what he wants from me.

It's hot. It doesn't feel like he's controlling me at all. Rather, I'm controlling him and his release, guiding him to climax.

Liam gently lifts my chin with his fingertips, guiding my gaze towards his. His eyes carry the seal of both tenderness and longing and his touch sends a shiver down my spine.

"Look at me, Alex," he murmurs, his voice husky with need.

I meet his gaze, my eyes widening as I see the depth of desire in his expression.

"Show me those beautiful hazel eyes," he grunts. "C'mon, Alex. Look up at me, sweetheart."

I obey, and the second our irises lock, Liam explodes into my mouth with a moan.

I swallow his release as he caresses my hair with tender strokes.

He sighs deeply and doesn't say anything else.

I just smile up at him. The tension is all gone from his body, and I know it's because of me.

My heart is doing that weird thing in my chest again.

Liam's staring at me like he can't believe I'm real. "Jaysus, woman. Mark my words. Yer gonna be the end of me."

"I'm counting on that," I say coyly, and wink at him.

He's quite a sight, disheveled, panting, deliciously naked from waist down and utterly pleased.

"You are so worried about me becoming a part of the syndicate, but as you see, I handle myself quite well."

"I can see that." Liam sighs contentedly. "Ye wield some unexpected powers there, Miss Martinaj. Is there more where that came from?" He sits up and reaches for my thigh, eagerness mirrored on his features.

"There might be." I shrug nonchalantly but swat his hand away.

Liam pouts like a capricious boy who's just been denied a jar full of his favorite cookies.

"I can't reveal all my cards at once, can I now?" I tease, turning away from him, which elicits a dissatisfied groan to come out of his throat.

As I head towards the bedroom door, I make sure to swing my hips seductively and give Liam Cavanaugh a good look at my legs: a promise of things to come.