Page 15 of Dangerous Intent

“Space might be what you need. I’ll go to the kitchen and get you something to eat.”

His muscles tensed when I touched his chest.

“Did I hurt your feelings?” I trailed my hand down his abs and to his belt buckle. I tugged on his belt. “Maybe you should use this on me. It’s been a while.”

“No.” He grabbed my wrist. “That won’t help you tonight.”

He was wrong. Maybe the pain of the strap would dull the agony in my gut. I was willing to try.

“I know you’re hurting. You lost your father and then found out what he was capable of doing to you.”

“What hediddo to me,” I said, raising my voice. “You seem to think because he’s dead that solves everything—that because your father took care of it, I’ll be okay.”

How would I ever be okay after learning what my father had planned for me? Not only was he going to allow those brutal men to kidnap me and hand me over to a stranger, he was going to rip me away from Marchello. Even after I pleaded with him and explained how much I loved Marchello, he was still willing to tear my world to shreds.

“No one expects you to be okay, but we had to tell you the truth. Hearing it has hurt you. I get that. But you can’t lash out at me. We need to stand together. Don’t make my job of protecting you impossible by fucking things up and going rogue on me.”

“Your job?” I pushed him, but he didn’t budge. “Is that what I am to you?”

“At the moment.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “If being your captor is the only way I’m going to get through to you, then that’s who I’ll be.”

Damn it!He was giving me what I wanted. He was being the possessive alpha who set my soul on fire. And it still wasn’t good enough.

“No.” I shoved him harder this time, but I still didn’t knock him off-balance. Frustration boiled inside me.

“I’m going to give you a pass because of your current state of mind, but I would keep your hands to yourself if I were you.”

“Maybe I don’t want a fucking pass. Maybe I need you to unleash on me.”

“Don’t provoke me to get what you think you need right now. You’ll regret it.”

“I never regret it.” I thrust my finger in his face. “But don’t make me regret choosing you.”

“Choosing me?” he shouted. “Do I have to remind you that you pursued me?”

“You’re the one who held me hostage.”

There was too much pain, too much hurt. I wanted him to make it go away. I needed him to take care of me the way he always did.

“This conversation is over,” he said. “I’m leaving before one of us says or does something we can’t take back. You’re hurting. I want to be here for you, but I won’t let you trash us.”

When he turned his back, I snatched the vase off the nightstand and launched it at the wall, shattering it into hundreds of crystal pieces.

I couldn’t take losing him. As irrational as I was, I couldn’t make this behavior stop. Marchello wasn’t doing anything wrong, but I needed someone to lash out at.

Twisting back, he stared at me with a deadly calmness in his sinister gaze. With two quick, long strides, he closed the distance between us, grabbed my wrists, and tugged me to him. The force of his pull propelled me into his solid chest, knocking the wind out of me.

My wrists ached from his grip, but I didn’t try to free myself from his bondage. I welcomed the restraint.

“Is this what you want?” With his free hand, he unbuttoned his pants and lowered his zipper. “Do you want me to fuck your pain away? Is that what you’re trying to do?”

I nodded.

“Then have the balls to ask for what you want instead of acting like a petulant child throwing a tantrum to provoke me into getting what you want.”

“I want you to make it go away,” I cried as hot tears streamed down my cheeks. “I want you to make my heart stop hurting.”

“Fuck.” A flicker of sadness crossed his face, but the emotion vanished as fast as it appeared.

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