I Kissed a Stranger to Make My Ex Jealous—He Turned Out to Be a Mafia Boss

Malaya, You Have No Idea What You've Done

The bar was still silent. Everyone was watching us, but no one dared meet Adrian Markov's eyes. He turned to me, his hand still on my waist, and guided me to a booth in the corner. My legs felt like jelly.

"Sit," he said, sliding into the seat across from me. He signaled the bartender with two fingers. A moment later, a glass of whiskey appeared before him, and a glass of red wine for me. I didn't touch it.

"What do you mean, someone called your enemies?" I asked.

Adrian took a slow sip of his whiskey. "I have many enemies, malaya. Some are stupid enough to think they can hurt me through those I care about." He set the glass down. "But you are not mine. You are a stranger who kissed me on a whim. Yet now, the people watching this bar will report what they saw. They will think you are important to me."

"And that's bad?"

"That is dangerous." He leaned forward, his gray eyes pinning me in place. "I came here tonight to meet a man. A man who owes me money. He will not come now, because he saw me kiss you. He will think I was distracted. He will think I am weak."

I felt sick. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Do not apologize." He cut me off. "You gave me a gift, though you didn't know it. You made me look human. And when my enemies believe I am human, they grow careless."

I stared at him. "You're a mafia boss, aren't you?"

"I am a businessman," he said, but there was no humor in his voice. "I deal in things others find unpleasant. That is all you need to know."

"Why did you kiss me?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. "You didn't have to. You could have just said no."

Adrian's lips twitched. "Because you asked with such desperation. And because your ex-boyfriend has a face I wanted to see crumble."

I laughed, a sound that surprised me. "He deserves worse."

"Oh, I know." Adrian's eyes flicked to the door. "He's waiting outside. He thinks he can talk to you without me."

I followed his gaze. Through the window, I could see Trevor pacing on the sidewalk, Harper nowhere in sight. "How do you know?"

"Because he's a coward," Adrian said. "He needs to control the narrative. He will come back in, pretend he's worried about you, try to separate you from me. "

"What should I do?"

Adrian slid his glass toward me. "Drink your wine. Let him wait. When he comes back, you will not speak. I will handle him."

"Why are you helping me?" I asked. "You don't even know me."

"I know you are brave," he said simply. "You walked up to the most dangerous man in the room and asked him to kiss you. That takes courage. Or stupidity. I haven't decided which."

I took a sip of wine. It was rich and dark, warming me from the inside. "Maybe both."

"That is the best kind." He smiled, and for a moment, he looked almost human.

The door opened. Trevor walked in, his face pale, his fists clenched. He made a beeline for our booth. Adrian didn't even look up.

"Camilla," Trevor said, his voice shaking. "We need to talk. Alone."

Adrian swirled his whiskey. "She is not alone."

Trevor ignored him, staring at me. "Please, Cammy. I know I messed up. But you don't know who this man is. He's dangerous. You could get hurt."

"I know exactly who he is," I said, my voice steady. "And I know who you are. A liar. A cheater. A coward."

Trevor's jaw tightened. "This isn't you. You're not this cruel."

"You made me this way." I stood, feeling Adrian's eyes on me. "You took my trust and threw it away. You took our future and gave it to Harper. And now you have the nerve to walk in here and pretend you care?"

"I do care," he insisted. "I always cared. I just... I made a mistake."

"A mistake?" I laughed, but it was hollow. "You had a five-year relationship with my best friend behind my back. That's not a mistake. That's a choice. And you made it every single day."

Trevor looked at Adrian, then back at me. "Fine. If you want to throw your life away for this... this criminal, go ahead. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Adrian finally looked up. "You have warned her. Now leave before I make you."

Trevor backed away, his hands raised. "I'm going. But Cammy—" He paused at the door. "Harper and I are getting married. I wanted you to hear it from me."

The words hit me like a slap. But instead of breaking me, they lit a fire in my chest. "Congratulations," I said, my voice cold. "I hope she makes you as happy as you made me."

Trevor's face twisted, and he walked out.

The silence after the door closed was heavy. Adrian watched me, his expression unreadable. "You handled that well."

"I had a good teacher," I said, but my hands were shaking.

Adrian reached across the table and took my hand. His grip was warm, steady. "You are trembling."

"I'm not used to this," I admitted. "Confrontation. Power. I'm used to being the one who apologizes."

"You will learn." He squeezed my hand. "But first, we have a problem."

"What?"

"My enemies," he said, "will not wait for an invitation. They will come for you to get to me. You need protection."

"I can't stay with you," I said quickly. "I don't even know you."

"I know," he said. "But you have no choice. If you go home alone tonight, you will not see the morning."

I stared at him, searching his face for a lie. But his gray eyes were steady, honest in a way Trevor's never were. "What do I do?"

"You stay with me," he said. "Until I deal with them."

"And then?"

"And then you are free."

I didn't believe him. But I had nowhere else to go. So I nodded.

Adrian stood, extending his hand. "Come, malaya. We have work to do."

I took his hand, and he led me out of the bar. The night air was cold, but his grip was warm. I didn't look back at Maverick's, at the place where my old life had died. I looked forward, into the darkness, and followed a dangerous man into the unknown.