Page 47 of Dangerous Contract: Part 1

He searched the bag, looking for whatever he wanted to show her. Leaning to the side like that, his neck was fully exposed. If she stabbed him and he bled out, he would die, and she’d become a murderer. But if she didn’t act soon, this man would really force her to sign these damn papers.

If she didn’t sign them, she was sure she could get a judge to return to her all of the items Trevor had tricked her out of. What Trevor had done was illegal and unethical. There was no way this shit could hold up in court.

But to see a judge, she needed to escape Orazio. And if she had to stab him in the neck to do that, she would. She just hoped she missed an artery.Stop overthinking, Monique. Just do it. Do it!

“Found it,” he said.

Damn. She had to act now. Gripping the pen tightly, Monique rushed over to Orazio, ready to attack.

Chapter Ten

MONIQUE

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She wasn’t a murderer.

She’d never been the murdering type. Though she hated spiders with a passion, she even felt guilty when killing them. However, seeing Orazio’s contract, knowing he’d plotted against her with her horrible ex, well, that made something inside her snap.

Now, she knew what Tupac meant when he rapped,“I ain’t a killa, but don’t push me.”Gripping the pen tightly, Monique lunged for Orazio. Her eyes were on his neck. All she had to do was stab him there, and her problems would be over.

Swallowing down her fears, she rid her mind of things like blood, police, and funerals and focused on only the positives. Freedom. Fresh air. Getting her possessions back in her name. Closing her eyes, she brought the pen down on his neck.

A large hand clamped around her wrist. Her eyes popped open. She came face to face with the side of Orazio’s face. Her gaze dropped to her pen. It was inches away from his throat.So close.

If only she could push it down a little further. Grunting, she tried to do just that. Though she was straining, putting all ofher weight into the attack, she was getting nowhere. Why did he have to be so damn strong?

Maybe it would work if she used both hands. Monique wrapped both hands around the pen and pushed down harder, grunting as she did so.Come on. Come on. Just slide into his neck already! Damn it.That wasn’t working either.

She could tell which one of them had been eating their Wheaties and which one hadn’t. The bastard turned and faced her. The look in his eyes made her freeze. Her blood ran cold. He’d looked determined before. Now, he appeared downright pissed off.

“You’re not the first person to try to kill me, Monique Rose,” he uttered calmly, too calmly. “And you won’t be the last. However, this will be the only time you pull a stunt like this. Understand?”

Something in her told her to nod and say yes, just to get back on his good side. This version of him exuded dangerous energy. Energy she wanted nothing to do with. But Monique had caved to the wishes of others her entire life. Her parents, her family, her church, and her ex-husband.No more. She was done with that life.

“You should let me leave here, Orazio,” she told him. “If I don’t kill you today, I’ll kill you tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next. One day, your blood will be on my hands, and I’ll escape this damn hotel.”

She waited for him to lash out at her. She was at his mercy. There was nothing she could do if he retaliated against her. She was the weaker of the two of them. That didn’t mean she was going to let him treat her like shit.

Been there, done that. That bitch is dead. I’m no longer her. I will fight for what I want. I will fight to be the woman I want to be. Even if I die trying.She resisted the urge to flinch whenhe snatched the pen away from her and slammed it on the table, causing the table to shake.

Her gaze never strayed from his. She refused to be the first to look away. She knew she should back down. She couldn’t. Part of her brain called her foolish. The other part wanted her to burn the entire hotel down.

“You’re exactly what I need, Monique Rose.”

She blinked. Wait a minute. What? Had she heard him correctly?

“What did you say?” she asked.

“I said, you’re exactly what I need.”

“Really? You need someone who wants to kill you?” she asked. “Because I do. Want to kill you, that is. Very badly.”

He chuckled, surprising her further. This was not a laughing matter. If his reflexes weren’t as quick as they were, he would be bleeding out right now. Had he lost his mind?

“You do understand that I just tried to kill you?” she reminded him.

“I do,” he replied.

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