Page 71 of Reckless Hearts

I realize I’m shaking with rage as he steps toward me.

“The apple doesn’t fall far, does it, Dahlia? Another Roy slut willing to pimp herself out like a cheap whore for a taste of the good life—”

My hand darts out and strikes him hard across his face, slapping the fuck out of him.

“FUCK. YOU.”

I’m shaking and trembling, my breath coming in quick, shallow pants as my eyes narrow to slits. Deimos’ head is still turned away from me, his cheek turning bright red where my palm struck him. But slowly, like a monster in a nightmare, his lips begin to curl into a grin as he turns back to level those dark, sharklike eyes at me.

“Oh I see, we’re playing rough again, are we?”

“Deim—”

“Good.”

I gasp as he grabs me, whips me around, and roughly bends me over the desk, yanking up my skirt and starting to pull my panties down.

And then reason grips me. Reality punches me in the throat. And before he can do anything else, I’m whirling around and shoving him away as hard as I can.

“NO!” I scream at him. “No, Deimos!”

His eyes pull to lethal slits.

“You don’t get to say that word in our arrangement—or, actually, I take that back.” I shudder as he leans close to my ear. “Pleasedosay it. And continue saying it as I utterly ignore you until I feel your hot little cunt exploding around my cock.”

His hand grips my thigh, sliding higher before I shove him in the chest again, and then straight-up punch him in the sternum. He grimaces, backing away and glaring at me malevolently.

“Careful, darling…” he growls quietly.

“Orwhat?!” I snap. “Or you’ll do something against mywill? Or you’ll fuckingassaultme?”

“As if we both don’t know how many pairs of panties you’ve destroyed wishing, begging, and hoping that I’d tie you up and fuck every hole you have while you—”

“I fucking mean it, Deimos!” I shriek at him. “Don’t you fuckingtouch me!!”

He bristles, his nostrils flaring.

“If this your idea of a game, darling, I’m fuckingtiredof it.”

I laugh coldly. “But it’s all a game for you, isn’t it, asshole? Because you’ve never lost. Because you’ve never once had to hold the ashes of your life in your hands and figure out how to move forward.”

His jaw grinds. His eyes are unblinking.

“You told me to disappear from your life!” I hurl at him. “And believe me, Deimos,” I hiss. “That wasnevergoing to be a fucking problem until you yourself barged back into it and chained me to you!”

He rolls his eyes. “Oh, yes, kicking and screaming, judging from the other night, not to mention all the other times I’ve made you come—”

“I hate you!”

The words taste like poison and pain as they spit from my lips. I’m literally shaking as I back away from him, my face livid.

“You have noideawhat I went through, and what it took for me to finally feel seen at that fucking place!!”

Fresh tears start to bead at the corners of my eyes, and I angrily wipe them away as I stare right at his toxically beautiful face.

“And then you killed theonly personwho was ever nice to me there,” I blurt. “You killed him and then sent me away!”

The office space falls silent. Deimos’ jaw clenches. His eyes stab into mine unblinkingly as his head cocks slightly to the side. Finally, he exhales.

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