I’ll either be forced to watch as Dante is touched by another woman or used by Valentine in the same way.
Dante glares at his father before his eyes momentarily slip to me. Pulling his gaze from mine, his jaw hardens. For a second, I worry he’s about to defy Valentine again, but then he takes a step back to sit down.
“Fine,” Dante growls leaning back on the couch as his expression turns stony.
“Good boy,” Valentine says with a sneer. “Go on, girl. You have my word thathewon’t hurt you.” She seems unsure, but moves toward Dante, and I turn my head to look away. Valentine grabs my chin, forcing my face back toward them. “Watch and learn, Evelyn.”
Bile rises in the back of my throat as the woman begins to dance, grinding herself into Dante’s lap. My heart pangs in my chest, and I have to blink back the sudden realization that I’m jealous.
I don’t know what I expected to feel, but it certainly wasn’t this. How can I feel jealous over a man who was never mine to begin with?
As I continue to watch, she turns to lean over him, her breasts inches from his face. She reaches out to grab Dante’s hand and tries to place it on one of them, but he pulls his hand away before she can.
And instantly, I see red as my jealousy turns to anger.
Not toward the woman, like me she has little choice but to do as she’s told, but toward Valentine.
If he treats his son like this, what chance of do I have?
“I told you to suck his cock, girl,” Valentine growls, “not tease the boy.”
I cringe at the flippant way he speaks about his own son, and I can’t even begin to imagine how Dante must feel. The woman flushes in embarrassment right along with me before quickly dropping herself between Dante’s legs and reaching for his belt.
Without thinking, my fingers dig into my thighs as what she’s about to do to him sinks in. I know the last thing I should be worried about right now is this woman pleasuring Dante, but I can’t help it.
Jealousy wells up in me in a way I’ve never experienced before. Even when I saw Carter in the club, I’d been angry at his betrayal, but it hadn’t felt like this. I hadn’t been jealous; I’d just been angry.
Now though, my thoughts are a jumbled mess of emotions as I suddenly realize that deep down, I may actually care for this man.
Unable to look away, I watch in growing distress as the woman unzips Dante’s pants and reaches in. Her eyes widen as she pulls him out, obviously shocked by the size of him … though I’m secretly relieved to find he’s not even the least bit excited.
Dante shifts uncomfortably as she plays with him, trying to get him to harden for her. The longer she tries, the less likely it even seems possible.
A low grumble rolls out of Valentine, obviously displeased by the performance, or lack thereof.
“It doesn’t count if you refuse the pleasure,” he growls, sitting back in the chair.
“I’m not refusing,” Dante says, “I only find that there’s no pleasure to be had for me.”
Valentine’s lip curls up at this, his nails digging into the arm of the chair as he glares at his son. Suddenly leaning forward again, Valentine reaches across to shove the girl’s head down on Dante’s groin.
“Put him in your mouth, now!”
The girl obeys, and Dante lets out a groan.
Almost instantly, I find that I can’t breathe. I clutch at my neck, gasping for air as if my life is being literally sucked from my lungs.
Pain shoots through my body, and I double over onto the floor.
“Evi? Evi, what’s wrong?!” Dante shouts. “Bloody hell, she’s bleeding!”
There’s a loud crash from downstairs before men’s shouts and blood-curdling screams echo through the club.
“Horatio, get Julius, now!” Valentine yells, just as I hear footsteps thundering up the spiraling staircase.
I look up as Horatio scrambles for the stairs, but it’s already too late. Seven is standing in his way, his chest heaving as he takes in the room, the other guests freezing in place at the sight of him.
Horatio suddenly darts forward, but he’s not fast enough. Seven grabs him by the throat, lifting him off the floor with one hand as his face twists with rage.