Page 79 of Ruins
She threw herself at me. Not out of desire. Not out of want. But forduty.
And I wanted her.
Iwanther.
I could’ve had her—pushed her back against the bed, buried myself so deep inside her there’d be nothing left between us but heat and sweat and surrender.
And she would have let me.
But she doesn’twantme.
I saw it. The vulnerability in her eyes, the way her hands trembled.
I would haveruinedher.
And if I’m going to take her,if I’m going to own her, it won’t be like that.
Not like some transaction, some contract to uphold.
She will come to me willingly.
I need to get miles away from her. A door isn’t enough. These walls aren’t enough.
The need to consume her, to possess her, istoo much.
I need to burn it off.
Before it burns me alive.
Without a second thought, I grab my keys and head for the car parked out front.
The drive is a blur—a mess of streaking city lights and rage curling under my skin, hot and relentless.
Ineedto hurt something.
I need topunishsomeone.
I pull into the familiar back entrance of Opulent, my pulse pounding in my ears.
Alessandro leans against the wall, chatting up Rachel—the redhead who never seems to take a hint. He glances up as I stride past, his expression shifting.
He knows why I’m here.
I give him a hard nod. He immediately excuses himself from his admirer, falling into step beside me.
“Santo! What brings you by tonight?” His voice brims with false cheerfulness.
As if he doesn’talready know.
“Business.”
The single word grates from my throat as I push past him, moving through the club with purpose, with barely leashed fury.
The atmosphere hits like a punch to the gut.
Loud music vibrates through the floors, pounding against my chest, syncing with my restless pulse. Hazy lights flicker across glittered corsets and bare skin, painted lips and drunken smiles.
Their joy is cheap. Fleeting. Meaningless.
