Page 115 of The Dark Side

Adrik twisted the ring on his finger, watching her, disappointed in her overreaction. He was trying to be patient, but her inability to admit that what she did was wrong was chipping away at his self-control.

"Eat."

"I don't want to," she nipped back, resting the glass on the table and folding her arms.

Pouting was not a way to get his attention. Adrik leaned back and went back to his phone.

Jolie didn't like being ignored. "I'm a grown adult. You can't tell me what I can and cannot do."

Mindlessly, he responded, "I just did."

Jolie snapped to her feet. "You are being ridiculous!"

Adrik looked up at her, and very quietly said, "Lower your voice."

"Why? Are you going to hurt me if I don't?"

Adrik tossed his phone on the table and got to his feet. She took a step back as he approached, the sudden spark of fear blared on her face, and it pissed him off. "You truly believe I would hurt you? Then, why the fuck are you with me?"

Jolie strengthened against him. "You talk about torturing a man for years, and you don't want me to be afraid of you?"

To compare herself to someone who shot at his child blew him out of the water. She wasn't even making sense in her defense. "I'll let you think on my words. You are overreacting."

"This is just another attempt to control me."

Adrik scoffed, smiling despite how angry he was. "Go ask your mother if I am overstepping."

"Don't bring my mother into this."

Adrik slipped his hands into his pockets and observed her. Her defiance triggered dirty thoughts, and they roamed in his head freely. He wanted to be aggravated with her but was too turned on to care. All he wanted to do was put her in her place: on her knees or on her back.

"What?" She twittered on her feet, looking down at herself.

He shook his head, shrugging. "I am wondering if you like your ass smacked while I take you from behind."

Her face ignited in red, and he chuckled, adoring it.

"Don't make this sexual. This is a problem."

"I agree. You want respect, but you don't want to give it."

"Excuse me?"

"I respect you by keeping my distance from other women. But when I request the same from you, I'm controlling you. Talk about double standards."

The door on the roof opened up, revealing Alexei and Gil. She was relieved to see them and rushed to Alexei, gripping his arm. "Can you please talk to him? He's acting like I did something wrong last night."

Alexei glanced at his brother and slowly slipped his arm out of Jolie's grip. He gave her a reassuring smile, but that was all he offered as he sat on the couch.

Jolie scoffed, throwing her hands in the air. "I was just having fun."

Adrik had enough conversation. Nothing he was saying was getting through, and he wasn't about to repeat himself. "A car is waiting to take you back to the house."

"I don't want to go back to the house."

The rebellion was unnecessary, but it was predictable. Adrik nodded to his head guard, Dima. "I'll talk to you later."

Dima gripped her arm, and she snapped out of it. "Don't touch me." But Dima latched on harder. "Stop, you're hurting me." The sentence made him flinch, and then Dima changed his tactic, wrapping both his arms around her and picking her up off her feet. "Let me go! Help, let me go!"

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