Page 181 of Awakened by Sin

“Do you know who I am?” he hissed.

“No, and I don’t care. You should step back.”

“You should know your place.”

“My place …” She tasted the words and cocked her head to the side. “Exactly whereismyplace?”

“At my feet.”

Rage made everything else fade away. “I don’t know who told you American women bow at men’s feet, but here, we carry guns, asshole.”

“I heard you’re sleeping with the new andimprovedCOO.” His dark eyes were filled with lust and malice. “You never fail to make sure you’re screwing the most powerful men in the city. I’m next.”

Carmen kneed him in the balls. As he sank to his knees, she belted him across the face with all her might. He reeled backward and knocked into a waiter carrying a tray full of drinks. Both of them crashed to the ground. She wasn’t aware of anything but making sure he suffered. She was about to stomp his head with her stiletto when an arm locked around her waist and lifted her off her feet. She screamed in rage at being denied her prey. Marcus hauled her kicking and screaming into a hallway off the private dining room and dropped her so hard, her heel nearly snapped. She opened her mouth to shout, but he beat her to it.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Marcus roared.

He was angrier than she had ever seen him, but she didn’t care.

“Do you know what he said to me?” she shouted back.

Marcus crowded her against the wall. “I brought you here tonight for support, and this is what you do? Assault a potential business partner?”

“He said—”

He slammed his hand against the wall inches away from her face. “This isn’t the place for your antics! These are civilized people. You don’t assault people, especially not a man as powerful as Khalid.” He ran his hands through his hair. “You need to leave, and I have to do damage control.”

He started toward the private room. She stared at his rigid back.

“Marcus, he said—”

He whirled back to face her. “I don’t carewhathe said! Nothing justifies you humiliating him in front of everyone. I don’t know what world you live in, but using your fists and causing a scene isn’t the way most things are handled. You’ve embarrassed me enough tonight. Get out of here.”

She stood there, trembling with rage and pain as the servers carried out platters and averted their eyes. He would tend to that asshole and leave her standing here like she was nothing? Tears pricked her eyes, but she’d be damned if she let them fall. She walked into the kitchen, which went silent when she entered. Apparently, word already spread. She was being introduced to an all new level of humiliation tonight. Fantastic. Eyes followed her as she slipped into the bustling restaurant filled with candlelight, live piano music, and tiny food portions.

She was almost out of the restaurant when a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her backward. She whirled with an angry yell and swung her fist. The punch was deflected by Mickey, who wrapped his arms around her to stop her from beating him up.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay,” he said.

“Let me go,” she hissed.

He obeyed, and she continued to the exit, aware that she was now makinganotherscene. No doubt Marcus would never speak to her again after this, but she didn’t give a fuck. She started off at a fast trot. By the time she reached the casino, she was practically running. She elbowed her way through the throng until she reached fresh air.

“I-I need my keys,” she said to Mickey who appeared at her side.

He produced her clutch and handed both of their tickets to the valet.

“Carmen, what—” he began.

“Don’t talk to me.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she trembled. Khalid accomplished an amazing feat—he made her feel cheap and sullied in less than five minutes. She knew what everyone thought—that she was an expensive whore—but they didn’t dare say it when she married Vinny. Of course, now that Vinny was gone, they saw her relationship with Marcus as her trying to nab another wealthy man. She was a fucking millionaire in her own right! Fucking sexist bastard.

This was the moment everyone had been waiting for. When Marcus, the straitlaced businessman, had enough of herantics. If he thought she wouldn’t attack someone who slandered her, he didn’t know her at all. She killed to defend Vinny’s memory. Her mother and Angel expected no less, but Marcus expected her to turn the other cheek. Fat chance. She had always let emotion lead. It had never steered her wrong until she convinced Gavin to allow Vinny to take his place. After that, it seemed she had been wrong about everything. She sucked in a breath as pain spread so deep her bones ached.

Her car pulled up, and she started forward.

“Carmen, let me drive. You’re upset,” Mickey said.

“I’ll drive myself.” When he tried to grab her arm, she wrenched away. “Stop, Mickey!”

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