Page 136 of Dirty Damage

Alive.

Like anything could happen.

A hand slides around my waist and suddenly, Antonio is there, pressing against my back.

“Bellissima,” he croons in my ear.

I’m not sure if the compliment is meant for me or his wife. I try to shimmy away so they can dance together, but they both seem much more interested in me than in each other. They keep me trapped between their bodies.

Weird, but not enough to set the alarm bells ringing quite yet.

But as the bass drops and the crowd presses closer, those hands start to wander.

Francesca grinds against my front while Antonio grabs my hips and pulls me against him.

I slow my movements, plotting my escape as soon as the song ends. But Francesca doesn’t seem to notice. Her eyes are closed, her lips parted. The strap of her dress starts to slip down, and Antonio grabs it and teases it further down, exposing one of her breasts.

Shit.Mayday. Abort mission.

I spin away, only to collide with Antonio’s chest. He clutches my hands, keeping me close as we move.

“I think I’ve had enough…”

He grins down at me. “No, no, you cannot go. We’re having such fun with you.”

Yeah. That’s what I’m afraid of.

“But—”

“My Francesca and I, we love Americans so much.” His fingers thread through my hair. “And you are so beautiful. Please… stay…”

“I—”

A hand clamps down on my shoulder like an iron vise. Before I can process what’s happening, I’m yanked backward off the dance floor.

Antonio glances from me to the beast of a man over my shoulder, his eyes wide with what looks a lot like regret.

Even Francesca breaks from her trance. She yanks her shoulder strap back into place as I’m dragged away without another word.

“Hey!” I try to twist free of Oleg’s grip.

No such luck.

He drags me below deck where the music fades to a dull throb and the silence rings in my ears. After the chaos above, it’s downright eerie.

“Let me go!”

His teeth grind together but he refuses to release me. “What thefuckdo you think you’re doing?”

Those gold eyes burn with a heat that could melt steel. His jaw is sharp enough to cut throats, but it’s the stare that terrifies me most.

I haven’t seen the Beast in a while.

He’s making an appearance tonight.

“I was dancing!” I snap. “What did it look like?”

“It looked like my fiancée was cozying up with all the wrong people.”

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