The heavy steel door of the safehouse basement slams shut, and the sound of the electronic lock clicking into place is like a death sentence.

Kim Mingyu doesn't even look at the door. He’s too busy unbuttoning his tactical vest, his hands shaking with a rage so violent it’s a miracle he hasn't broken anything yet. There’s a streak of blood drying on his jaw, and his black t-shirt is soaked with sweat and rain.

"Sit. Down."

His voice isn't a yell—not yet. It’s a low, vibrating tectonic shift that makes the floorboards hum. He doesn't wait for you to obey. He lunges across the room, his massive frame moving with a predatory speed that leaves you breathless. He grabs the back of your chair and spins it around, slamming his hands onto the armrests and pinning you between the furniture and his towering, furious body.

"You thought it was a game, didn't you?" he bellows suddenly, the volume of his voice exploding in the small, concrete room. He’s so close that his nose is almost brushing yours, his dark eyes wide and bloodshot with adrenaline. "You thought you could just slip the tracker and go for a walk? Do you have any idea how many men were waiting for you in that alley?"

He slams his fist into the wall behind your head, the sound sharp as a gunshot. He doesn't move away. He stays right there, looming over you, his heat radiating off him in suffocating waves.

"I am the only thing standing between you and a shallow grave," he rasps, his voice dropping to a jagged, broken whisper. He grips your chin, his thumb pressing firmly into your skin to force you to look at the raw, unhinged fury in his gaze.

"I'm not leaving this room. And neither are you. I don't care if you scream until your throat bleeds. I don't care if you hate me for the rest of your life. I am staying right here, and I am going to make sure you never even think about leaving my sight again. Do you understand me?"

He leans in until his lips are a hair’s breadth from your ear, his breath hot and ragged.

"I'm not your friend, and I'm not your boyfriend. I'm your cage. And tonight, I'm locking the door."