Page 113 of Dancing with the Devil

“To punish you for disobeying me.”What…“I made it clear that you’re not supposed to leave without Cesar.”

“Antonio—”

“Your actions have consequences. They don’t just affect you, but the people around you as well,” he explained, stepping closer to me. “Maybe next time you’ll think before acting out.”

“Are you trying to insinuate something, because if you are you might as well just say it.”

He stared down at me, his eyes never leaving mine. “My house. My rules. Simple. Don’t think you’re above them.”

“What am I? A teenager living with her dad?” I scoffed in disbelief. “You can’t treat me like a child, Antonio.”

“Then stop acting like one by throwing tantrums,” he shot back. “I get it, you’re reckless. You thrive on having fun and living on the edge but things are different now, and if you aren’t careful, you could get hurt. Or worse.Die.”

My throat dried as I refrained from tearing up at his last word. “I’ve handled myself just fine before you, and I can do it again.”

“No, you can’t,” he snapped back, taking a step towards me. “You can’t handle yourself anymore because Sylvester is done playing cat and mouse with you. He’s out for blood now, Nirah.”

“No, that’s—”

“There are men more dangerous than Sylvester looking for you, and you think you canhandleyourself?” he asked in disbelief with his hand gripping my arm as he held me to the wall.

“Let go,” I said, pulling his arm off of me.

“To them, you’re nothing more than a pathetic, bubble-headed brunette who can’t see past her fucking nose—”Slap.

His eyes dropped to the floor as his cheek partly faced me. “Quit talking like you don’t see me the samefuckingway,” I said, feeling my stomach knot as bile rose in my throat. “You’re justlike them. The only difference is thatyoumanaged to get me to willingly sleep with you.”

My chest rose rapidly, only then realizing what I had just done. A beat passed between us, and my heart pounded in my ears.

“You’re wrong,tesoro,” he lifted his eyes to meet mine. “I’m so much fucking worse,” he stated and a cold, weary shiver ran down my spine.

All of a sudden the energy shifted. It was colder—darker. I didn’t recognize the man in front of me right now. His demeanor, his eyes… All of it.

I scraped every last bit of courage inside of me. “You’re worse?” The words came out as a faint whisper. “You leave me for two fucking weeks, then you tell me you’reworsethan the men who are after me?” I asked. “Are you playing some sick game here?”

“You want to know what I’ve been doing for two weeks straight?” he questioned, and all the nerves in my body heightened. He eliminated all the space between us, and I lifted my head, looking up at him.

My body felt stiff as he stood in front of me, his eyes looming in darkness and secrets. “Yes,” I managed to let the word slip.

“Think you can handle it,tesoro?” he taunted, and I swallowed hard.

“I fucked you, didn’t I?”

His lips curled into a grin as he stared down at me. Anxiety crept in as I anticipated his next move.

He grabbed my arm, pulling me with him and I nearly stumbled a few times.

With my heart pumping a million miles per hour, he led me down the hallway. He pulled me down the stairs and down another hallway. When we stopped at a steel door, he let go of my arm and turned the five-inch steel handle.

“Where are you taking me?” I swallowed hard, watching him push the door open.

“Don’t tell me you’re backing out already,” he glanced over at me, and an unsettling feeling brewed in my stomach. I shook my head, and he let me walk in first.

Stairs were descending in front of us.

I placed my foot on the first step, and he followed, closing the door behind us. It was cold, dark, and old-abandoned-mansion type of eerie.

He placed his hands on my waist, slowly guiding me down the steps so that I didn’t trip and fall.