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I roll my eyes. “To the restroom. Relax.”
He nods, as if I need his permission. Exasperation sweeps through me and I yank my wrist from his hold.
As soon as I exit the booth, the leering man smacks my ass. The sound cracks through the air. I gasp, taken completely by surprise, then round on him as fury sets in. I’m about to give him a piece of my mind when two muffled shots ring out.
His colleagues stand, drawing their guns and aiming them at… Dimitri. But then they hesitate.
I glance at Dimitri to find him holding a gun with a silencer attached to the barrel. Slowly, he shakes his head at the two men in warning. They decide to save themselves and drop their weapons as soon as the bouncers are on them. Then they’re escorted out, leaving the dead man behind.
The man Dimitri shot and killed for… for smacking my ass.
I glance around at the club’s VIP patrons, but hardly anyone pays much attention to us or the mess at our table. Those few who glance our way barely bat an eye at the blood. What is this place?
For a moment, I’m paralyzed, shocked by the casual violence. Dimitri takes my arm and steers us to a new table as a crew clears away the mess we left behind.
“Are you all right?” he murmurs against my ear. The sound is strangely comforting.
I gape up at Dimitri. “You killed him.”
“I’m sure it won’t be the last time I kill for you, kisa.” He sets me on his lap and I go willingly, still stunned by his ruthlessness. Logically, I’ve known all along that he’s a wicked man capable of terrible things. But it’s different to experience that violence up front and personal.
A shiver runs up my spine and prickles over my scalp. I should be much more afraid of this man than I have been.
Dimitri shrugs out of his leather jacket and places it across my shoulders. Warmth envelopes me, as does his spicy cologne. Briefly, I close my eyes, drinking in the newfound comfort.
Then I remember where I am and who I’m here with. My enemy. I try to wriggle off his lap, but his enormous hands hold me in place. I stop struggling when I feel him harden beneath my ass.
“You shouldn’t solve conflict with violence,” I chastise him, trying to distract us both from his erection.
“Is that so? Then how should I have handled that situation?” He sounds amused.
I turn my head so I can glare at him. “If you hadn’t dressed me like a whore then maybe he wouldn’t have thought it was okay to touch me.”
“Oh, really?” He leans down and his breath teases my ear. “Don’t you know that the way a woman dresses is never an invitation to be touched?”
I gawk at him. “What are you, a feminist now?”
“I just believe a woman should be able to wear whatever she wants without it being used as an excuse for another person to take advantage of her. Actually, I believe the same applies to men. I think everyone should take responsibility for their own actions.”
“And does that belief apply to you?” I further turn in his lap to better face him and ease away from his rigid cock. “What about your actions? I don’t see you taking responsibility.”
“I take full responsibility. I know exactly what I’ve done to you and why I’ve done it.” He threads his fingers through my hair, gripping it at the roots. “You’re not just some pretty girl in a short dress to me, Arianna. You’re so much more than that. I make no excuses for myself and I won’t apologize either.”
My breath hitches. He’s looking at me like he wants to eat me alive, an expression that can only be described as hungry.
Ravenous.
I’ve never felt more like prey than I do right now.
But beneath his obvious hunger lurks something else, something almost desperate, or vulnerable. It’s that look that frightens me the most.
“I know I’m just a pawn to you,” I finally say. “I’m nothing more than the backup plan to join our two families.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He leans in, his lips brushing gently over mine. If I move at all, we’ll kiss. I stay as still as possible, not wanting to encourage him. “You don’t realize it yet, but you and I were inevitable. We’re fate, malyshka.”
“You’re insane,” I breathe the words.
“I know.” That desperate vulnerability reappears in his gaze again. “And it’s all because of you. You make me crazy.”
