Page 23 of Stolen Empire

"He wants a quarter-million rubles for information about the races. He's meeting me tomorrow night behind the training ring."

Dimitri nods and says, "Good. You did well."

"I did what you told me to do," I snap.

"We're even now. I'm done."

His jaw clenches, and he pushes off the wall, closing the distance between us.

"You're not done. You're not even close to done."

"I got you what you needed. I gave you Rodion. That's the deal."

"There was no deal," he says, his voice dropping to a rumbling growl.

"You don't get to negotiate with me. You don't get to walk away because you think you've paid your debt. You're here because I allow it, and you'll leave when I decide you're no longer useful."

"Fuck you," I say, and I turn toward the door.

His hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist, and he yanks me back.

I spin around, fury burning through my chest, and I swing at him.

My palm connects with his face, the slap loud in the small room, and for a moment, everything stops.

Then his hand is around my throat.

He moves fast, slamming me back against the wall, and the impact knocks the breath out of my lungs.

His fingers press, not enough to choke me but enough to make it clear that he could if he wanted to.

His face is inches from mine, his intense eyes locked onto me, and I freeze.

He's so close I can feel the heat radiating off his body, smell the faint trace of tobacco and that cloud of cologne that clings to him.

His hand is rough, callused, and his grip is unyielding.

I should be terrified.

Part of me is.

But there's another part, a part I don't want to acknowledge, that notices how strong he is, how completely he dominates the space between us.

His thumb brushes over my jawline, the touch almost gentle, and my breath catches.

He leans closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that sends a chill down my spine.

"You belong to me now," he says.

"The only way out is to die. So you should get used to being used by me for whatever purpose suits me."

His eyes drop to my lips, then dip to my chest where his elbow brushes my tits, and then back up to meet my gaze.

"Do you understand?"

I can't speak.

My throat is tight, and my pulse is pounding in my ears.