Page 107 of Filthy Little Fix

"Affirmative, sir."

"Excellent." Dmitry walks over to him with a forced calm. "I need to assign a team to keep an eye on Sal. Accompany me, if you would be so kind."

Luca nods silently. He leaves with Dmitry, almost in a hurry, and Dmitry gives me a small smile on his way out. He knows what he's doing.

He's leaving me alone with Dante.

Dante remains leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes on me. Then he moves. Two steps. Three. He stops in front of me. A fucking Roman god, looking down at me with an irritated fire.

His hand flies to my hair. A firm, cruel, controlled pull. He makes me lift my face without having to stand. My breath hitches. My body burns.

I'd come just from this, if he ordered me to.

"Never again," he growls, leaning into me. "In front of them."

The pressure of his fingers on my scalp is the only real thing in the world. It hurts. Wonderfully.

"It's hard," I say, "when you act like this."

He tightens his grip. I can't hold back a moan. I'm inviting him.Do it.I want you to finish breaking me completely.Break the other ribs. Break my nose again.Touch me.

But then, he lets go.

The gesture is abrupt.

He's suddenly back in his role. He walks to the window. Looks at the city. So impersonal. Would it still be like this if he weren't facing away from me?

"Listen closely, because I won't repeat myself," he says. The same tone he uses with his henchmen. "The position is yours. That means the entire digital security of the Volkovs is in your hands. Theresponsibilityis yours. And if you fail… if there's another breach, if you put this family at risk…"

He pauses. It's strange. He takes a deep breath, as if he doesn't make these threats every day, as if he doesn'twantto make this one. He turns to me. A face of stone, determined, filled with hatred. With cracked edges.

"It won't be Luca. It won't be any capo, any of my brothers. It will beme."

Death.

Being killed by Dante should sound threatening. Alexei, throwing me to Ivan, was, above all, afraid of this man's fury. But for me…

I was about to answer. But he continued.

"...I don't want to have to kill you, Nyx. Understood?"

Fuck.

I push myself up on the arms of the chair. The effort sends a sharp bolt through my ribs. Moving my face does, too. Fuck it. I force myself up, make my legs hold me. Some of my muscles tremble. I clench them into a shaky fist and approach. He watches me, frowning. He doesn't understand what I'm doing. I don't stop. I stand before him, and Ihaveto touch him. It's an unbearable impulse.

I lean in. He doesn't push me away, and I don't give him time to think. I kiss his mouth.

Stretching up to reach him hurts. It leaves me breathless.Danteleaves me breathless. I touch his chest. It's firm, anchoring me to the ground.

He tenses. A hand pushes my shoulder, lightly, almostcarefully. He only moves me back enough to look at my face.

"Nyx," he calls out, rough, but gentle. "You're hurt."

My face has seen better days. I get it. But this concern hiding inside him is impossible. Ihaveto touch him.

"I wouldn't mind dying," I whisper back, breathless, "if it were by your hands."

I see something break in his eyes. The wall.