Page 99 of Casino King

My anger flares, and I get in his face.

“I know you thought you could make it so I didn’t want her anymore. But you overlooked one simple fact.” I grip his throat and push his head back so he’s looking me in the eyes. “Her beauty is only a small factor in why I love her. And even if you were able to cut her up before I got there, I’d still fucking love her and fuck her harder than I ever have while your blood drained from your body from everywhere I cut into your skin with this dagger.”

I’ll love Tessa no matter what. I’ll avenge her no matter what. And I’ll always want her no matter what.

Squeezing his throat, I feel his veins bulge and his pulse pound beneath my grip.

“Alec.” Tessa’s small voice penetrates through my hazy brain that’s sole focus is on watching the life leave the man in my grip. “Alec,” she says again, and I turn my head to see her standing right there. “Just kill him. I need you.”

Those three magic words snap me into action. I release his neck in a rush, but only to plunge the dagger into the side of it so the dragon’s head is flush against his skin and the tip of the blade exits the other side of his neck.

Tessa grabs my arm and pulls me toward her. She throws her arms around my neck and buries her face in the crook, my arms locking around her small, strong frame automatically, holding her tight.

“Did you mean that?” she murmurs against me, and I pull back far enough for her to see my eyes. She’ll see the truth there. I always show her the truth when I guard myself from everyone else.

“Yes, mia bella rosa.” Tears gather in her eyes and I swipe at them before they have the chance to stain her cheeks. “Don’t cry.”

“I just thought it was me who was feeling this way. This…this is more. You and me. And I feel crazy for feeling the way I do. You’ve shown me your darkness, and it’s slowly consumed me, becoming a part of me in the best, most fucked-up way. I need it, though. It feels right. Wrong, but right. You said you’d love me even if he got to me before you did, and that you’d…” she pauses, swallowing her emotions. Another tear escapes her and I lean forward, licking it from her cheek bone.

“Mia bella rosa, I’m going to fuck you right here against the wall so you know how fucking serious I was. I’ll always want you, and need you, no matter what. Always.”

“Yes,” she moans, and I kiss her hard, her nails biting into the nape of my neck.

Garbled sounds from Zhang make me tear away from Tessa, and when I turn to him, I see he’s still holding on. I grab the hilt of the dagger and pull it out of his neck, tossing it to the floor. It had acted as a plug to keep him alive, but blood spurts out from the wound at a rapid flow now, and he quickly loses consciousness.

Tessa’s wild hazel eyes blaze up at me as I back her up to the cement wall. Cupping the back of her neck, I tilt her head back and kiss her deep, my tongue plunging into her mouth – tasting, taking, owning, claiming.

She tastes like a mix of heaven and hell – white and black roses. A heady combination that has my addiction growing with every hit.

Tearing her shirt off over her head, I yank the cups of her bra down and twist her pert nipples between my fingers, her sharp cry into my mouth one I swallow and take for myself. Every sound she ever makes I’m keeping as the soundtrack I’ll hear play on repeat in my head whenever she’s not around.

Biting her bottom lip, I toss my suit jacket onto the empty chair to my left while Tessa unbuttons her skin tight jeans. I could watch her peel them down her sexy legs all night, but I don’t have time for that. Unfastening my pants, I push them past my hips and then push her hands away so I can yank her jeans down in a single tug.

She braces herself on my shoulders as she steps out of them, and then grips the small opening of my dress shirt at the top of my chest and rips it open with a strength that makes me need her even more.

I rip her lace thong off with little effort and then grip her ass, lifting and throwing her against the rough cement wall. She moans, her fingers digging into my shoulders as I position myself at her entrance and thrust up into her at the same time I pull her down onto me.

We both groan. Finally.

I take her hard and fast, biting my way down her neck. Tessa’s cries fill the small room, and when I feel her pussy start to flutter around me, I grip her ass and drive into her harder. I know her back is scraping against the cement, but with each thrust deep inside of her, she moans with the sting of pain, and my chest tightens, driving me to give her more.

“Come for me, bella,” I demand, my gravelly voice filling her ear as I bit down on her lobe. She screams, her pussy squeezing me so tight that I only need to burry my cock inside of her one last time before I’m letting go right along with her, filling her with my hot release, wanting her to feel all of me.

Tessa collapses against me, but I hold her up easily. Her erratic breathing in my ear and thumping heartbeat against my chest fills me with pride in that I know how to make my woman fall apart and then put her back together.

When we both catch our breaths, we re-dress, all the while Tessa actively avoids looking at the dead man in the room. Gripping her chin, I bring her face up to look at mine. “Don’t be embarrassed, bella. What we just did was fucking hot, and I don’t want you second guessing your desires. I told you I’m here when you need me. Anytime. Anywhere. Any situation.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, she closes her eyes and I kiss her, not letting her question herself further.

I don’t care that we just fucked with a man bleeding out behind us. In fact, I found it heightened everything. Killing Zhang to balance out the evil in the world fueled me to fuck the wild out Tessa’s eyes.

Chapter 35

Tessa

Forgiveness can’t change the past, but it can change the future.

I never understood the full weight of that statement until I lived it. Forgiving Alec gave me a sense of clarity and freedom that I’ve never known before.

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