Page 185 of The Black Trilogy

He met my eyes. “So,” he started, “you are one mad little brat.”

“Are you going to kill me?” I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer.

“Well, I wasn’t, but I’m reconsidering now you’ve broken my nose.”

“If I said I was sorry, would that make a difference?”

“Would you mean it?”

I tried to shrug, but I couldn’t quite manage it. “Probably not.”

“At least you’re honest.” He actually laughed. “What I really want is my wallet back. Where is it?”

“Left-hand pocket,” I admitted.

He looked down, and I saw my coat had come open in the struggle. As well as the now-tattered fishnets, I was wearing a skirt so short Donnie called it a belt, a white shirt, also ripped undone, and a push-up bra. Thankfully, I’d taken off the tie and left it at the club, so at least the dude couldn’t strangle me with that.

He stifled a laugh. “What on earth are you wearing?”

“Would you believe my school uniform?”

“Not a chance. You’re a stripper?”

“Yeah, so? We can’t all have city jobs, you know. And there’s only a market for what I do because men like you want to get their rocks off.”

Even though I didn’t like my occupation, I still felt a bizarre need to defend it.

“You think I’m a city boy? Couldn’t be further from the truth, sweetheart. And schoolgirls don’t do it for me.”

“You’re not going to, well, you know, then?”

His eyes widened in genuine shock. “Of course not. I’m not a monster.”

“You are lying on top of me.”

“Only because you nearly shoved me off the sixth storey of a block of scaffolding. What’s wrong with you, woman? Do you have no fear?”

“Hey, don’t ask me what my problem is. Anyone would do the same if you started chasing them.”

“I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve been in this position with a female. Usually, they’re the ones chasing me.”

“Ooh, arrogant much? And would you stop bleeding all over me? It’s not pleasant.”

“Demanding little thing, aren’t you? If I move, are you going to try running off again?”

“Um…” I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to that.

“Because if you do, I’ll come after you again, and I will catch you. And if that happens, our next stop will be the nearest police station.”

My legs had been jelly before he sat on them, and now they’d gone numb as well. He was absolutely right—he would catch me.

“Okay, okay. Since you put it like that, I promise.”

He let me up, and I clambered to my feet, trying not to show how much I was shaking. Standing close, the man was even bigger than I first thought. I didn’t even reach his shoulder.

“Hey, you’re bleeding too,” he said, peering down at my side.

“I think I caught myself on a nail or something. I’ll be fine.”

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