Page 5 of Dmitri

“Butwhy?”

Kaleb’s fingers dig into my thigh, making me cry out. “You will do what you’re told.”

“I’m only asking why!” Anger spikes in my veins and I smack his arm hard enough to make his grip slip.

In a flash, Kaleb’s out of his seat and has me pinned against the bar with his hand around my throat. My back is bent at a harsh angle and tears spring to my eyes, but I won’t let them fall. Crying only makes him happier.

His voice stays controlled and steady when he says, “Make it good for him. Make him want you again. Then when you’re done…” He swallows hard, like he’s the one getting choked here. “I’ll let you go.”

I’m not sure if I’m floating from the hope of his promise, the adrenaline spiking in my system, or if he’s lifted me clean off my feet with his hand around my throat, but I’m getting dizzy.

“Okay,” I say, as stars dance in my blackening vision. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Kaleb drops me immediately. “I wasn’t asking.”

I know, but pretending I have a choice makes me feel stronger. Coughing, I grip the edge of the bar and try to take in a full breath. “Who is it I’m fucking?”

“The winner of a fight tonight. Ace will take you.” Kalebslaps a hundred-dollar bill on the bar. “When you’ve finished this job, we’ll be even.”

It sounds too good to be true. I don’t trust it. “How do I know you’ll keep your word?”

Kaleb tilts his head and the man I once fell for almost peeks out. It makes me feel too stupid to live because I’m always looking for a glimpse of the good in people who have no such thing left in them.

“Have I ever lied to you, babygirl?”

No. He hasn’t. That’s what pisses me off most. Kaleb’s a twisted bastard with an honesty streak. It’s how he got me to trust every toxic word he’s ever told me.

“Answer me, Daelyn.”

“No,” I whisper. “You’ve never lied to me.”

He tips my chin up with his finger, his voice softening when he says, “And Ineverwill.”

As Kaleb leaves me stranded at the strip club, I trick myself into believing this is the last time I’ll have to put myself in the line of fire.

Even if the scar on my wrist says otherwise.

Fuck the winner. That’s all I have to do. One night, one man, one last job, and it’s over.

That’s not too hard, right?

Chapter 2

Dmitri

Violence pumps in my veins and if I don’t exorcise it, I fear I’ll become a mindless animal. I’ve put off going back in the cage for months, but the aggression riding me lately has become unbearable.

I get it from my mother. She was a nasty bitch whose temper could have made Satan piss his pants. I also got my dad’s patience and precision.

Which means I’m a deadly combo of my parents and it terrifies me.

Waiting two weeks for this night has been pure Hell. Every second that ticks by is slower than the last. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I can’t fuck.

Hopping on my Ducati, I slither through city traffic like a snake. The fights have already started. I’d have been there earlier but couldn’t leave work until I was sure it was safe to. As head of security at the Monarch Club, the most elite sex club in the tri-state area, my job is to make sure our guests play safely. Tonight, we had an incident. Some dumb fuck thought coercion was the same as consent.

I taught him otherwise.

I’d allowed myself one hit.

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