Page 35 of Dance of Defiance

His brow furrows even deeper. “Roman, I genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about. But if you’re insinuating that I’m trying togetwith your sister…” He makes a face. “No, man. Jesus Christ,no.”

Something stills in me. And slowly, it clicks into place.

Fuck.

Ever since I saw that message on Evie’s phone, I’ve been looking at this whole situation as Val actively trying to creep on my sister.

…But maybe I’ve been missing the forest for the trees.

They were using screen names. I’ve gone back since then and looked up Club Venom, and it’s apparently an ultra-exclusive, members-only kink club that only recently expanded into an online matching service.

…And thewhole pointof the club is anonymity.

My body tenses up, my hand still wrapped around Val’s throat.

Shit.

The odds are insane. But what if…what fucking if…he was on there anonymously, and my sister was too? And they happened to match without knowing who the other one was?

Fuck. Fuck. FUCKITY FUCK.

“Well?!” Val snaps, his eyes narrowing.

I may have gottenwayahead of myself here.

My hand drops from his throat, and my fist lowers.

“Never mind,” I growl, turning to step back toward the door.

“Yeah, no, we’re not fucking done hereat all.”

One second, I’m walking to the door. The next, a strong hand is grabbing my shoulder and yanking me back so roughly I almost fly off my feet. I grunt as my body hit the bookshelves hard, the breath rushing out of my lungs as Val cages me against the bookcase, his hands planted firmly on either side of my head.

My pulse jackhammers wildly. My throat closes off. His scent—cedar, leather, and sage—fills my senses and pulls a trigger inside me, dragging me right back to the night when he had me on the ground and breathed into my ear.

“What thefuckwould make you think that after being friends with her for three years I’d suddenly be romantically interested in your sister?”

I swallow tightly, gritting my jaw. “Nothing. My mistake. Let me go.”

Val barks a laugh. “You’re the one who dragged me in here like you were ready to start a war, motherfucker. You’re not leaving until I get an answer.”

I narrow my eyes. “Let’s just drop it.”

“Let’s not and say we didn’t.” A shiver ripples up my spine as he closes the distance between us, his chest pressed to mine, his face inches away.

I grind my teeth together for a second.

Fuck it.

“You’re—you're on the Club Venom app,” I growl.

Val makes a face “Duh, asshole. So are you, cosplaying as a fucking girl for some weird?—”

“I’m not.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, whatever you?—”

“I mean it. I’m not on that fucking app.”