Page 9 of Ferocious Nightmare

"You're only asking for it, my little punta." Bitch. The guy just called me a bitch. "Maybe I like women who threaten to cut off my dick."

I felt Dante shift protectively beside me, stepping closer as Nero pressed himself against me. My eyes widened at the feel of his length hardening against me.

I stepped back, shock coiling through me, wanting to put some distance between us. Grabbing his fingers, I yanked his hand from my arm. "Don't you ever touch me."

Suddenly feeling like I was staring into the devil’s eyes himself, I took another step backwards, then felt a cold chill down my spine as his eyes tracked my movements. The man really was a demon. Not wanting to stay in his radar anymore, I bent over, picking up the plant and began to pull it from the pot, still speaking, "I want my phone." Coulter had yet to give me one. I was keeping up with my end of our deal by not trying to escape. He needed to keep up with his end by giving me total freedom. "And tell Coulter the next time you see him that I want to go to church this Sunday."

"I'm not your slave, little punta," he said, then turned to Dante. "Give her her phone."

“Yes, sir.” Dante nodded, the little obedient asshole.

Nero shook his finger at me.” And I’m warning you, you threaten me again, and I will lock you back up in your room."

I bit down on my retort, waiting until he and his guards had walked far enough away that he couldn't hear me, then stood, swiveling to Dante, hurt blossoming through me. “Why are you such a coward? You didn’t even try to stand up for me.”

“I’m no coward,” Dante shook his head. “I just know when to pick my battles, unlike you.”

“If you were born into this world a woman, then you’d know that every day is a battle.” When he didn’t respond, I decided to move on. "You've had my phone this whole time?" I hated the hurt in my voice.

He pulled it from his pocket, and I gasped, grabbing it from his hand. "You jerk. I thought we were friends."

He eyed me lazily. "Take it up with Coulter. I take orders from him, not you."

“You should take orders from me, seeing as I'm marrying him soon." I began to scroll through it, scanning through my text messages. Nero had someone sending texts to my father for me, acting like I was having the time of my life here. He was even sending photos like I was some Vegas tourist living my best life.

"Aster," Dante tapped the bottom of my chin to get me to look up from my phone. I met his eyes, and they were blazing with anger. "Don't fuck around with Nero. He doesn't make empty threats." He pursed his lips, as if trying to decide whether he should say something or not. “There are things you don't know about him--"

“Coulter showed me."

"He showed you what?"

"I saw a video feed," my throat was suddenly dry, "of something he did."

He nodded. “Then you know what kind of things he's capable of."

"No one seems to get it," I shook my head, "you have no idea what kind of woman I really am. I don't make empty threats either. I will kill him before I let him touch me like that."

His eyes were hard with seriousness. “Then if you continue to taunt him like that, you'd better be willing to live up to that promise.”

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