Serpent King's Bride: A Dark Mafia Romance Trilogy

“He won’t,” Nathan cut me off, his hand capturing mine and holding it against his chest. “And even if he did, I can handle it. I’ve been handling it my whole life.”

“Tell me about the first time,” I asked gently, encouraging him to open up.

Nathan’s eyes went distant, and he took a deep breath. His chest rose and fell under my hand, and I could feel his heartbeat—a steady drum that seemed to be bracing itself for the onslaught of memories.

“I was young. Too young.” His voice was a low growl, laced with the kind of pain that never really fades. “Ba wasn’t around for most of my childhood. He was on the run from the law, bouncing between Hong Kong and San Francisco. That life…it kept him away.”

“Until you were nine,” I filled in the gap, remembering bits and pieces he’d mentioned before.

He nodded slowly. “Yeah. When he came back, everything changed. My mom…she had been in control, you know? But not after Ba returned. He took over, made sure everyone knew he was the ruler of our family.”

I squeezed his hand, a silent encouragement for him to continue, but also a lifeline to the present, to the safety of our bedroom where the shadows of the past couldn’t touch him—not anymore.

“Kenny Zhou…” Nathan started again, his words heavy like stones. “He was a tyrant in every sense. He demanded respect through fear. And we all learned to tread carefully, to never step out of line.”

The silence stretched between us as Nathan grappled with the ghosts of his past. I didn’t push, didn’t rush him. Instead, I waited with the patience and quiet strength he had come to rely on. The strength he had told me more than once was his sanctuary.

“Abby,” Nathan finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. “That man showed me a world no kid should ever see. A world I swore I’d never become part of…and yet, here I am.”

“But you’re not him, Nathan. You’re the man who loves plants, cares for them. The man who protects his brothers at any cost. You’ve taken your scars and forged something stronger. Something better.”

He leaned into me, his forehead resting against mine. “You always see the good in me.”

“Because it’s there, Nathan,” I insisted. “It’s there, even when you can’t see it yourself.”

“Abby…” His lips brushed against mine in a ghost of a kiss, and I felt his walls shudder, felt them give way just a little bit more. “What would I do without you?”

“You’ll never have to find out,” I promised, sealing the vow with a kiss.

He was quiet for a moment, pulling back to stare into my eyes. Then he opened his mouth again…and it was like the floodgates had opened.

“Kenny had a way of making you feel smaller than dirt,” Nathan murmured, eyes locked on mine. His were a deep brown, a darkness forged from years of pain that he rarely let anyone see. “When he got rough with us, I thought it was just how fathers taught their sons to be strong. He never touched my sister, though.”

I squeezed his hand, an anchor in the turbulent sea of his memories.

“He always said he would never hurt a woman–then I saw him with Ma,” he continued, voice steady but eyes haunted. “My mother…she never let on, not once. But there she was, cowering, bruised…”

Anger flared within me, a fierce protectiveness over this man who had endured so much. “What did you do, Nathan?”

“I tried to stop him.” He gave a bitter laugh, void of any humor. “Thirteen years old and thinking I could take on the Serpent himself. He threw me aside like I was nothing.”

I could imagine the scene too easily: young Nathan, all fire and defiance, coming up against the insurmountable force of his father. My heart ached for the boy who had to grow up too fast.

“Then he dragged me down to the basement,” Nathan said, his voice dropping to a whisper as if the walls themselves might be listening. “There was a woman tied up, bloodied, scared out of her mind. And his men…they just stood there, watching.”

“God, Nathan…” Words failed me. What comfort could I offer for such horrors?

“Kenny told me to show her who was in charge,” Nathan’s voice cracked, his dark eyes now distant, as if he were peering into a past that had never left him. “I didn’t know what he meant at first. I just stood there, frozen.”

The room felt cold, despite the morning sun filtering through the blinds, casting a disarming light on the darkness of his tale.

“Then he said it.” The words spilled out of Nathan like venom he couldn’t contain. “Put your cock in her, he said. Hurt her.“ His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I saw the boy he once was, terrified and repulsed by the very thought of such an act.

“Jesus, Nathan…” My heart pounded against my ribs, each beat echoing his pain.

“I didn’t even know what he meant at first,” he said. “All I could focus on was the smell of blood and humidity in the basement, I couldn’t even look at her. It took me so long to process what he was saying…so he made it clear with a threat.”

He paused. I didn’t know what to say, wondered if the story was over.