Page 132 of Dangerous Men

Because today a stranger held a knife to my throat and—even knowing I should be scared and disgusted and furious with him—I’d wanted him. Every single touch had lit a fire under my skin, and some disgusting part of me wanted him to strip me naked and take me against that alley wall where anyone could have seen.

Everything isn’t okay because Sebastian was right. I letthese men into my life, and I knew deep down that they weren’t good or safe ornice. From the first moment I’d met him, I’d known Alec was dangerous. And it hadn’t stopped me.

I won’t let Ashton tell me everything is okay. I’m not sure it will ever be okay again.

Another message lights up my phone screen.

Ashton: Please, babygirl. Just talk to me.

What a pretty rose, all covered in thorns.

I swipe the notification away.

When I first met Ashton, I thought he looked like a model. His movie-star face and perfect body. His bright, easy laugh.

We’re all dangerous, Sebastian’s voice reminds me.Even Ashton, with all his pretty smiles.

I see the truth now. He’s pretty, sure, but Ashton isn’t built like a model at all, is he? He’s built like a fighter. All those delicious muscles I’d loved running my hands over and feeling beneath my fingers. They’re not for vanity. They’re not there to look good.

They’re for causing pain.

My hands are fisted so tight at my side that they hurt, my knuckles aching from the force of it. I stare at myself in the mirror, stare at the angry woman I tried to bury years ago, and I hate her. I hate her so much I want to scream.

But I know if I start screaming now, I might never stop.

I can’t remember any of my mantras. I can’t remember any of my breathing exercises. My breaths are coming too fast, my heart is beating too fast, and I can’t think, I can’t breathe, I can’t move, I can’t?—

The mirror above my sink shatters into a thousand dangerous pieces when I slam my fist into it, fracturing my image and sending shards cascading to the floor.

Regret hits me before the pain does. Horrified, I twist my hand around to see the damage. There’s blood, hot and bright red, on my knuckles, but there’s not as much as I’d feared.

The mirror, on the other hand…

Shit.Shit. There are pieces of it everywhere, all over my bathroom counter and on the floor. Dangerous, sharp pieces.

I swear, furious and ashamed, as I rinse my bleeding hand in the sink. I’m lucky. It’s not so bad, not really. I’ll need to bandage it and apply some antiseptic cream. But first, I need to grab a broom and clean up the glass. I need?—

The knock on my front door is so loud I jump, my heart leaping into my throat. It’s followed a few seconds later by another knock, louder this time. Gingerly, I wrap a clean washcloth around my hand and carefully step over the shards, out of the bathroom. I shut the door behind me, hiding the damage.

I know without opening my front door that it’s one of them. I’m not surprised they’ve come to check on me. My only surprise when I peer out through the peephole is that it’s not Ashton on the other side of the door.

It’s Alec.

He’s a mess. His dark hair is disheveled like he’s been running his hands through it. He looks frantic, standing there, waiting for me to answer the door. For a moment, I let myself see him—really see him. Not just Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Not just the man who waltzed with me at a charity banquet.

Mason Alexander Sterling. A businessman who never let anything stand in his way. A man with presence. A man to be feared.

A man who is dangerous.

I keep my injured hand behind my back as I open the door, hiding it.

“Hi,” I say in a small voice.

He doesn’t return the greeting. Alec’s gaze goes to my swollen lip almost instantly.

“What happened?” he asks, eyes locked on the bite. His voice is sharp.

I manage to force a laugh. “Well, I met Viper.”