“That looks like a yes to me,” I prod. “I’m glad you finally came to your senses.”
Anya finishes switching out her shoes and folds her arms across her chest. “That was most definitely ano,” she hisses. “Now, will you please kindly wander off a cliff and die, so I never have to see you again?”
“Ho-ho!” I press my knuckles to my lips to hide my grin. “You’re getting vicious, aren’t you?” I lean in close until my lips almost graze her ear. She smells subtly floral beneath the saltiness of her sweat left over from practice. The scent of her alone turns me on. “Well, don’t worry, pet. I know how to play on that level too.”
Anya jerks away from me, her eyes crackling with rage, and she whisks around me, racing from the room as if she can’t move fast enough to escape me. I watch her go, loving the sight of her long legs and perfect ass working their hardest all because of me.
I leave the classroom right behind her, but rather than following her, I make my way down the hall to the men’s bathroom.
The room’s completely empty except for Jay, Dom, and Fin, so I latch the door behind me, stopping anyone from disturbing us. Jay and Dom have Fin kneeling in the middle of the stained linoleum floor. They’ve each got one of his arms twisted behind his back so he has to lean forward slightly, as if in supplication, to avoid getting hurt.
Fear flickers in his eyes, and he licks his lips nervously as soon as he sees me. “Please, you’ve got it all wrong. Whatever it is that you want, I’m sure I can help. We can work something out. I didn’t mean to piss you off, please!” he begs, his words spewing from his mouth. “I’ll do anything you want if you just let me go.”
A cold smile spreads slowly across my lips. “That’s good to know, Fin.”
His eyes grow wide as he seems surprised I might know his name.
“You should know that I don’t consider any of this your fault. Okay?” I step closer as I unbutton the cuffs of my dress shirt and start to roll up my sleeves. “This is because of Anya. She’s the one to blame. You see, I don’t like other people touching my things, and just because Anya’s decided to toy with me doesn’t mean that you have any right to touch her. She’smine.”
“What–” Fin stares up at me, his eyes wide. “I–we’re assigned dance partners. I don’t know what the problem is–”
“The problem is you touching the girlI’vedecided to fuck,” I growl. “I don’t care if she’s just sucking you off after practice or if you haven’t gotten past fingering her tight pussy. You’re going to pay for it in flesh. Anya is mine.”
Fin’s face goes so pale that he looks like he’s about to pass out. “I didn’t–I’m not–we’re just dance partners! That’s it! I swear to god–”
“I don’t believe you,” I say coolly. “And if you keep lying, I’ll break another bone for every lie you tell.”
Fin believes me. I can see it on his face, the stark terror that I, Nicolo Marchetti, can cause. It’s intensely satisfying after so many days of Anya’s rebelliousness.
“I’m sorry,” Fin says, his voice trembling along with the rest of his body. “I’m so sorry, please. I’ll never do it again. I’ll stop being her partner. I won’t ever touch her again,” he rants desperately.
“That’s good,” I say, nodding as I finish rolling up my second sleeve. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Fin seems to relax minutely in Jay’s and Dom’s grips, and I almost feel bad for the emotional roller coaster he must be on.
“I just need you to do one more thing for me. I need you to give Anya a message.”
Fin nods, then his eyes widen in fear as he shrinks back from me. Jay and Dom hold him steady as I slam my fist into the dancer’s jaw. His head snaps sideways as blood splatters across the floor. I follow it up with a left hook, sending his head bouncing in the other direction. Then I stoop to get the proper leverage as I bury my fist in his gut.
Fin slumps forward, his forehead pressing against the floor as he wheezes, trying to suck in air but struggling after having the wind knocked out of him. He barely seems to register when I take his arm from Dom. I wrench his wrist and am rewarded with a loud pop. Fin screams, and Jay kicks him in the side, knocking the wind out of him once more and effectively shutting him up.
I release Anya’s partner and nod to Jay, who does the same. Dom’s eyes stare down at the recipient of my fury, his eyes stunned, his dark skin ashen, and for once, he’s not hard to read.
“Get your shit together,” I snap, irritated by his discomfort. “This is what your future looks like if you want to be one of my men.”
“I’m up for anything, boss,” Jay chimes in.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here.” I turn and lead the way from the bathroom, leaving Anya’s partner in a crumpled heap on the floor.
* * *
“How could you?”Anya demands, stopping me dead in the hallway just outside her afternoon dance class I had just finished observing.
I managed to catch the last ten minutes of it, and by the scathing looks she gave me, I knew this was coming. Her shoulders tense, her hands fist, and her face growing bright red as she trembles with blatant fury. Students give us a wide berth as they glance surreptitiously our way.
I practice nonchalance as I raise an eyebrow and look Anya up and down, admiring the way her dance clothes cling to her supple body. “How could I what?” I ask innocently. “Don’t you need to get to class?”
The heat of Anya’s wrath radiates from her in waves. “I went to Mercy Grace hospital rather than my first class this morning because you put mypartnerthere. He wouldn’t even look at me,” she hisses, tears shimmering in her eyes. “You broke his arm. His poor face… How could you hurt anyone like that, let alone someone who’s never done anything to you?”