Page 36 of Toxic B!tch

I smack the taste out of her mouth.

Hard.

Her head jerks to the side, a sharp gasp escaping her lips before she stumbles back.

She barely has time to react before I step in and drive my fist into her nose.

The crunch is delicious.

Blood spurts, running in rivulets down her perfect, surgically sculpted face.

I lick my lips.

Because fuck, that’s satisfying.

"You crazy fucking bitch!" Elle shrieks, clutching her face.

Good. Maybe now she’ll learn to watch her fucking mouth.

"What the hell is going on here?" Emil, the bouncer, strides over, his deep voice cutting through the chaos.

Elle’s eyes go wild as she points at me. "This bartender whore Hit Me!"

I tilt my head, smile slow and sweet. "You were bullying my patrons, Elle. We don’t tolerate that here. Throw her out, Emil." I pause, then add with a sharper edge, "Especially when it comes to my man."

Emil doesn’t hesitate. He grabs Elle by the arm and drags her toward the door, ignoring her shrieks and curses.

In the rush of the chaos, Elle’s card slips out of her hand and lands on the bar. I don't bother picking it up. I'll deal with that later.

And just like that—she’s gone.

I exhale, rolling my shoulders back, stretching out the last of my frustration. When I turn back to Malik, he’s staring at me.

Not with shock. Not with disapproval.

But with something dark.

Somethinghungry.

"That was hot."

My grin stretches, sharp and satisfied. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He licks his lips, eyes dragging over me. "You’re fucking insane."

"And you love it."

His silence is telling.

No, he hasn’t said it yet.

But I can feel it.

And fuck, I love it too.

The crowd thins.The music dies down. The scent of whiskey and sweat lingers in the air like the ghost of something reckless.

By the time I’m locking up, my nerves are a live wire under my skin. The high of the night, the gift,him—it’s all too much.