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I rounded the corner to a shadowy hallway that was more like a hidden alcove. A hint of something warm and sensual hit my nose as she shook her honeyed hair back over her toned shoulders. There was a tightness to them that told me she suspected she wasn’t alone. In the next moment, she dashed into the powder room, attempting to throw the door closed.

She was fast, but I was faster.

“What the fuc…” She glared at my dress shoe jammed between the door and the frame.

“You and I need to have a little chat, Miss Romano.” Even to my ears, my tone was menacing, but she didn’t flinch away as I’d expected. Instead, she took an exasperated breath, like I was nothing more than an annoying pest.

“Look, if you need to pee, I’m sure there’s more than just this bathroom. In fact, go use the one where your fiancée is getting ready. Congrats, by the way, she’s a real peach,” she said, patting my chest condescendingly before attempting to push me out of the way. But there was no way in hell I’d let her out of my sight without some answers.

Namely, where the fuck was my folder?

A satisfying thud from her head hitting the marble-covered wall reverberated through the small powder room as I pushed us inside, locking the door behind me. The flutter of her pulse under my palm brought a smile to my face.

“What the hell?” she called out as my other hand trapped her wrists above her. “Don’t you think this is inappropriate behavior for someone who’s about to be engaged to another Romano?”

Her knee came up to ram me in the dick, but I blocked the blow, pinning her hips with mine.

“Do you remember what I said I’d do when I found you, thief?” My voice dripped with disdain as I tightened my grip on her throat. “I want to watch tears streak down your face as I choke you.”

She paled, and panic flashed across her face, but it was gone in a second. In its wake was a fiery mask of defiance. Her eyes narrowed as she pushed into my grasp, adding pressure to her windpipe.

“I’m not sure your cock is big enough to choke me, Callahan. It feels a bit…lacking,” she snapped. Her words were a harsh rasp, but they made me aware of how close our bodies were.

Smart-ass bitch.

My stomach curdled with rage at her flippant response. But it didn’t prevent the spike of lust from coursing through me as her body wriggled beneath mine. I didn’t have time to play with her, though the way her nipples strained against her satin dress suggested she might like how I played. It was too bad that I considered anyone standing in my way an enemy.

No matter how gorgeous the face or great the tits.

“As much as I’d love for you to wrap those lips around my cock, I don’t fuck Romano bitches,” I snarled. “But maybe, if you’re a good girl and answer my questions, I’ll kill you quickly. Snap your neck instead of strangling you,” I whispered in her ear, savoring how my breath caused her skin to pebble.

Or maybe it was my words.

“Wow. I want to say I feel sorry for your soon-to-be wife. But since you didn’t deny the small cock, she’s probably better off if you don’t fuck—”

Her smart-ass comment ended in a coughing fit as I pushed into the soft flesh of her throat while yanking her hand down to cup my hardening length. Pride coursed through me at the slight flare of her nostrils when she felt my small dick. I’d never denied the fact that I was a sick fuck. But Miss Scarletta seemed to be her own version of fucked-up, if her blown-out pupils and the way her chest rose and fell were anything to go by.

Ten out of ten chance that her underwear was soaked.

Now I got the appeal of hate sex.

These emotions coursing through me heightened every sense. The feel of her skin was like silk under my calloused fingertips, and the warmth of her scent was so heady in the room that I wanted to bury my nose in her hair. Every fiber of my being wanted to slam my cock into her cunt. The slapping of flesh would almost be as satisfying as hearing her sobs.

I didn’t have to like her to want to fuck her. Maybe I’d make her an exception to the whole no fucking any of Dominick’s family rule. In fact, hating her made the idea more appealing. I wanted to use her like the slut I was sure she was. But there wasn’t time for that.

She was only useful for one thing at the moment.

“Now, now, Scarletta, enough talk about how much you want me. This is how it’s going to work. I’ll ask a question, and you’re going to answer.” Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Without the smart remarks. Otherwise, I’ll cut off your air. Nod your head if you understand,” I stated.

If looks could kill, she’d have murdered me three times over at this point. But she couldn’t hide the fact that there was lust mixed in with her anger. We were both warring with the internal battle. Was mine as evident on my face as hers was?

Her curt nod spurred me on.

“Who are you? And who do you work for?” I asked.

Niko had already checked her out, but I wanted the damning evidence from her own mouth. The question of whether she took the folder was on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t want to give information away yet.

The way she rolled her eyes in annoyance pissed me off, as if I’d asked the stupidest question in existence.