I swallow hard. Is this really what my life has been reduced to? Honestly, I’d rather he went out and slept with all of Vegas if it meant he’d leave me alone.
“M-maybe we can have a marriage in name only, and you can get your needs met from other women.”
His eyes narrow, his jaw hardens.
“Are you telling me that you don’t want me, Natasha?”
“I don’t like to be touched by anyone.”
He leans in even closer, until his mouth is next to my ear, making me want to gag. If being this close to the man sets off my gag reflex, how can I ever possibly have sex with him?
“Let me make myself perfectly clear. I. don’t. Give a fuck if you don’t like to be touched. You’ve got a hot-as-hell body, and I’ll be using it. In private and in front of every single person at the club. You’re my whore, Tash. My father paid for you and gave you to me.”
I hear a door open, but I don’t move. I can’t. He’s holding my hair so tight, if I move an inch he’ll pull it out by the roots.
“I don’t want to have sex with you, Elliott.”
He shakes his head in frustration. “Tonight, or ever?”
“Ever.”
Crack.
His open hand slaps across my face, and then he does it again, sending me crashing to the floor. My knee catches on a coffee table, cutting the skin and making me immediately start to bleed all over the tile. Pain explodes across my jaw and mouth, and blood dribbles down my chin.
“You stupidcunt! I don’t fucking care what you want. Do you understand English?”
“What thefuckare you doing?”
The room goes silent, except for Elliott’s fast breathing and the blood rushing through my ears. I glance toward the doorway of the penthouse and see Julian striding my way, and I flinch, cowering close to the floor.
But he doesn’t hit me.
He grabs Elliott by the collar of his shirt and shakes him.
“I asked you a fucking question. I won’t repeat myself.”
“I’m putting her in her place.”
I’m not looking at them. I can’t. I’m so damn embarrassed, and all I can do is sit here on the floor, my face down, willing myself not to cry.
Don’t let them see you cry, Natasha.
“That isnothow I taught you to treat women.”
There’s no response. I see Elliott’s feet just turn and walk away, and soon a door slams upstairs.
Oh God, I’m alone with Julian.
Two
JULIAN
Finally,after two days of torture, the motherfucker who tried to steal ten million dollars in diamonds from me broke and told me who the mastermind behind the heist was. All it took was me showing him his kidney.
They usually talk way before that, so I had to have respect for his endurance and pain threshold. It was impressive.
He still fucking died, of course, but he put me and my knife through our paces. I’m exhausted and covered in blood. I need a shower and a good night’s sleep before I start hunting the fucking thief in the morning. Tonight, I plan to go to the penthouse that I keep in the city and crash for a solid seven hours.
