Page 83 of Fortress of the King

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Allegra…”

She laughs, but it sounds cold. “Hurt me, Angelo, do it. I want you to. I want you to fuck me like you hate me.”

I shake my head as the realization hits and she presses her lips into mine. I grab her wrists and shove her back.

“Allegra!”

“Angelo, what are you doing?”

“I said stop. You’re crossing a line. Listen to me! I don’t fucking want this, do you hear me?”

She steps back and rubs her wrists where I grabbed her. “Angelo…”

“For fuck sake, we can’t do this. Get out.”

She looks hurt as confusion crosses her face, but I’m not playing games. I’m done.

“I thought…I thought you…”

“Please, just go before you do any more damage. You’ve been drinking, this is obviously an error of bad judgment on your part.”

Anger flashes in her eyes, followed by humiliation. I never meant to hurt her, but there is no way to gently let her down.

She swipes her purse off the desk and stomps to the door. “Your loss, Angelo. Don’t come crawling back to me when you need something.”

I shake my head at her retreating figure.

This is precisely what I don’t need.

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