Page 32 of Gilded Kisses

“You should have taken up my offer for night at the Society. Now we do this hard way.”

“You would have to make me a corpse before I let you anywhere near my body.”

Dark eyes turn into raging slits as he looks down at me. “Da, whore?”

“Da,and it’swhorewith a W. Not a V, dumbass.”

I know I’m being petty, but I like the way his face turns blistering red with anger.

Cement knuckles connect with my left cheek, sending me flying across the polished marble.

Lights flash behind my eyelids and I take a second to peel my lashes open from the pain going off in my skull. When I do, pitch black fills the room.

Now what?

Did someone cut the lights? Muzzle flashes from the far left tell me to hit the ground and it fast forwards from there.

Glass shatters, followed by heavy grunts. Bullets hit anything in their path. Years of living here give me the advantage I need to dash for the nearest exit. And I almost get away before a set of meaty fingers grabs my hair.

“Argh!” I roar and then face plant into hard muscle. I’m yanked again and this time I stumble back, only to find myself hauled over a broad shoulder.

“Poshli, moy malen’kiy pitomets.” Let’s go, little pet.

“Oh, no you don’t, asshole!” Feet and hands fly. But thugs like it when you fight and this one is laughing like he’s gonna have fun with me tonight.

To hell with that!

Bodies and bullets hit the surrounding floor. I catch the sight of Harlon and Cassius taking as good as they are giving. Which means they will not get to me before I am stuffed in a trunk.

“Look,” I say, trying to reason with Joseph, but he’s not having it.

I go to grab a tall copper vase but he’s fast on his feet and so is his goon squad right behind us. They shuffle me out the same door I came in while the fight continues in the darkness of my parents’ home.

Rearing back with my elbow well aimed, I come down on Joseph’s collarbone at just the right angle to have him dropping me to the gravel.

“Umph.” It’s more of a painful sound than an actual word.

Eating rocks is about as fun as it sounds. I push to my feet and ball my fist, ready to dick punch some fuckers when Harlon’s bellow sends me face planting.

“Now, Aster!”

I hit the ground. Bullets fly, but given the lack of light, I don’t think Harlon hits his target.

Glass shatters and my cousin comes out of the front entrance, probably ready to send souls to hell.

Fists meet flesh. It’s three against one until Cassius and Santi round the side of the house, bloodied but looking ready to murder.

Grabby hands fist my hair from behind and I am dragged across the gravel entrance.

“This is getting really tiresome.” I rear back and kick the dude trying to shove me into the trunk of a Beamer in the face and feel pride in being able to wear wedged boots and kick ass at the same time.

Cassius is across the gravel and helping me to my feet when Santi turns me around and shoves a set of keys in my hands.

“You need to get out of here until we settle this problem.”

“Fine. I’ll go with Polaris.”

“No. You need to get out of town.”

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