Enrico took another sip of his whiskey, he set the glass down with a soft clink and leaned in, his dark eyes locking onto hers, intent and unyielding. “The brand signifies that a person is now mine,” he explained, his voice steady, as though he were discussing the simplest of facts. “It means their loyalty is no longer sworn by mere words, but by my will. From the moment that iron seared into Carlos’s flesh, he became my property. I can do whatever I wish with him, even kill him, if I see fit.”
His hand slid slowly down her arm, his touch both tender and possessive. “Some of my men have even chosen to take the brand willingly,” he continued. “They wear it as a mark of honor, a visible sign of their devotion to me. To them, it means they are bound to something greater, that their loyalty i
