Page 31 of Sin & Sapphire

“Julian,” Valentin began. “Retrouvez-moi les hommes qui ont touché à ma fille.” Bring me the men who touched my girl.

Warmth warred with fear at his possessive language and his tone.

“Can we just go?” I whispered.

“Non.” He pulled me to his side, wrapping an arm around my waist and settling his hand on my hip in a decidedly un-uncle like fashion. Butterflies swirled in my gut at his possessiveness. I shouldn’t have liked it. But I shouldn’t have liked the spanking either.

Julian’s pale blue eyes frosted over. “I don’t think that’s necessary. Take the little hoyden and leave.”

Valentin’s back stiffened and his fingers clenched into my side so hard I knew I’d have bruises. “If you don’t bring them to me, I’ll burn this casino down with you inside.”

The two men faced off.

“Test me,” Valentin threatened.

Julian unclipped a radio from his belt, made a call in rapid French, then indicated for Valentin and me to follow. With every step, my ass burned, the rough fabric of my dress scraping against my raw skin, reminding me of my humiliation.

None of that mattered, though. I lifted my chin and strode down the hall beside Uncle Valentin like the mafia princess I was born to be. Wealthy, perfect, confident, no matter what I might look like, no matter the shameful mess between my legs.

“That’s a good girl,” he murmured in my ear when he saw the change in my demeanor. I hated the flush that threatened to show on my cheeks and the warmth in my chest at his words.

He spanked you, Ana. And he’s never liked you. Don’t be a thirsty bitch just because you’re desperate for affection and praise.

We followed Julian into an office where the other assholes who’d assaulted me waited. My breath caught in fear, an unconscious reaction I hid by smoothing down the front of my dress—also a sign of nerves, but understandable, given what I’d been through.

“These are the two men who enforce the rules in my casino,” Julian said by way of introduction. I couldn’t hide the twist of my lips—those two menandJulian had beaten me.

“Ana, are these the men that hurt you?”

The two thugs looked at each other as realization dawned on them and on me. They wouldn’t make it out of this room alive.

Valentin turned to me, his deep brown eyes cold with fury. “Did anyone else touch you?”

I blinked. Julian had beat the shit out of me.

But.

So had my father.

As had Grégoire Tchérnov.

When I remained silent, Valentin grabbed my chin. “You’re a misbehaving brat, and if I have to access the security feeds to—” He stopped and narrowed his eyes at me. “Kneel.”

I gasped. Was he going to humiliate me in public?

“I said kneel, brat,” he growled, and I hated how good it felt to obey him as I lowered myself to my knees, despite how badly my body hurt from these bastards’ earlier abuse.

He caressed my face, his fingers leaving burning trails across my skin before catching on the deep cut over my left cheekbone. “Which one of them didthisto you, princess?”

I didn’t move a muscle. I didn’t dare.

He stroked a hand through my messy hair, his thumb tracing back and forth over the crown of my head before he turned back to Julian, never releasing his hold on me.

“Did you lay a hand on her?” Valentin’s voice was icy cold, not a shred of emotion in it.

Julian swallowed.

Valentin slid his hands down my face and pressed my cheek into his thigh. “Did he touch her? I’ll show mercy if you’re honest.”

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