Page 77 of Under His Protection

She stood, uncurling from her perch on the chair. Her hair was down but curled expertly. The long coat she covered her body with prevented her from emphasizing the sway of her hips or the curves of the body she’d gone under the scalpel for.

When she shrugged it off her shoulders, revealing her nudity, I saw it all.

She was throwing herself at me. Breaking in, trespassing in this room that Nina belonged in, and offering herself without any modesty.

“I’m here to show you what you’re missing,” she purred as she approached me.

“I’m not missing anything. How did you get in here?” I refused to lower my gaze and notice her naked body. Keeping my stare locked on hers, I waited for her to see the severity of how she was fucking up with this stunt. I was livid, and only a slight purse of her lips suggested that she understood that.

“Who let you in?” All the staff knew not to permit her past the gates.

“I let myself in.” She slowed at a table and picked up a key. “Daddy had a copy made for me.”

Mother fucking Stefan. He went too damn far. “Get out of here.” I’d just told Reaper that at the gambling rooms. It seemed tonight was all about exorcizing the idiots I didn’t have patience for.

“Dante, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I do.” I shoved my hands in my pants’ pockets, too familiar with her tendency to reach out and grab my hands to pull herself closer to me. It was a trick she did all the time in public settings. I would do anything I could to remove her ammunition or access to slinking up too close for comfort.

“Please, Dante.” She did it now, stretching her hand out to wrap her fingers around my elbow.

I turned, shoving out of her reach. “No. You’re not going to gaslight me. You’re not going to seduce me or manipulate me. You never have. I told you every fucking time you approached that I wasn’t interested, and you’re overdue to understand that when I say no, it means fucking no.”

“Please!” She dropped to her knees and reached for my zipper.

Jumping back, I twisted my hips so she couldn’t make another grab for me like that.

She scrambled back to her feet, lunging at me. “You need me,” she pleaded. Her arms winched around me, and I quickly shoved her back.

Nothing worked. She did nothing for me, and this desperation that she showed seemed too bizarre. Too unhinged.

I held her at arm’s length, not trusting her not to come on to me and grab me again. Although I hated to have any physical contact with her at all, I had to keep her where she could look at me and listen.

And explain. Red flags were flying with her behavior, and I started to assume the worst.

If she was here, the one time Nina wasn’t… What else did she plan? It was no coincidence, her letting herself in when Nina wasn’t present.

“You’ve always wanted me, Dante. You know you have.”

I shook my head. “I want Nina.”

She grimaced, annoyed. “She’s gone.”

Fuck! I gritted my teeth and adjusted my stance with her. Instead of gripping her upper arms, the rage burning inside me fueled me to slide my fingers around her neck. Hoisting her up, choking her, I waited until she set her panicked gaze on me to see that I wasn’t playing around. Her legs kicked and flailed, and she clawed at my fingers over her throat.

“What did you do?”

She tried to shake her head. Tears glossed over her eyes, and as she struggled to breathe, deprived of the ability to inhale, she smacked at my hand.

“Tell me!” I released her with a fling. She flew back, down to the floor, and wheezed for air as she sat there.

“Tell me now.”

She crawled toward her coat, coughing and catching her breath. “Stefan needs your help.”

“He’s not getting a single fucking thing from me. I’ve made myself clear.”

She swallowed hard as she pulled her coat on, avoiding me. “He lost too much money from allying with the Domino Family. When they were finished, broken up or killed, he lost all the investments. He’s had to give up many of his assets to stay afloat.”

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