Carmen stepped back from the vanity and posed in black lingerie and high heels. All she had to do was slip into her slinky black dress and she would be ready for the business dinner with Marcus. It had been a long week, and she was in the mood to let loose. Maybe she could seduce him in his suite after this business dinner. The fact that Lyla wasn’t in town niggled at the back of her mind. She would have visited her mother, but she was on her cabin trip in the woods. Maddie was elbow deep in college homework, and Marcus had been busy all week. She kept herself busy by working out, visiting Cormac at a gym, having dinner with Janice and Alice, and volunteering at the dog shelter. These things distracted her but didn’t cancel out her growing anxiety.

The beginning strains of her restlessness were coming back. Ever since her confrontation with Angel, she couldn’t get his words out of her mind. It was almost as if he was deliberately summoning her old demons to wreak hell on her. The best remedy was to go on a trip. She made a reservation at a gorgeous resort in Laguna Beach. She and Marcus were going to sit in the sun, get massages, and swim in the ocean. She couldn’t wait.

“If you wear that, no one will be able to concentrate.”

She jumped and saw Marcus standing in the bathroom doorway.

“I didn’t know you were coming by!” she shouted as she rushed to him and lifted her face for a kiss. He planted a deep one on her with enough heat to make her nails dig into his back.

“You’re almost ready?” he asked gruffly when he raised his head.

“Yup! Just need to put on my dress.”

“Great.” He gave her another kiss and stepped back. “I have a surprise for you. I wanted to make sure you wear it tonight.”

Her heart skipped. “Surprise?”

“You’re always surprising me with gifts.” He reached down and picked up a gift bag she hadn’t noticed and handed it to her. “I think you’ll like it.”

She pulled a large velvet box out of the bag and stared at him. “What’s this?”

He took it from her and opened it. Nestled on black velvet was the magnificent diamond necklace fit for a royal. She backed up with her hands over her mouth. She stared at him, astounded and slightly horrified.

“You bought this for me?” she whispered.

“Of course.”

She shook her head. “You can’t!”

“But I did.” He pulled the necklace from the box and came toward her.

She backed up until the mermaid statue forced her to stop. “You must have paid a fortune.”

“I’m a rich man, Carmen.”

She put her hands on her hips. “And I’m a rich woman. I could have bought this for myself.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

Her mouth opened and closed without uttering a word. He reached her, and despite her bid to avoid him, he slid the necklace around her throat. The heavy weight of it immobilized her. He fastened it and stepped back with a smile.

“You look beautiful.”

She was afraid to look in the mirror. She stared at him. “Why?”

“Because you wanted it.”

“I wanted this house, and you didn’t sell it to me!”

He laughed and wrapped her close. “Still harping on that, Carmen?”

“It’s true! And this necklace cost more than the house! You can’t—”

“What are friends for?”

“Friends don’t buy friends expensive jewelry!” she snapped and tried to push him away.

“How much did it cost for you to do the mural in my office?”

“That’s not nearly as much—”

“How much do the paintings on the walls cost? How much would it have cost to furnish the house? To hire the people who made this place into a home?”

“That was a gift!”

“And so is this.”

He turned her toward the mirror. The necklace winked and shimmered around her neck. It was the most elegant piece she owned.

He wrapped his arms around her middle. “It’s perfect.”

She lifted her hand to touch the diamonds and stopped just shy of caressing them. “This is too much.” She couldn’t resist for long. She touched the diamonds, which should have been cold, but they were warm, alive. “I didn’t send you the picture because I expected you to buy it.”

“I know, but you love it, right?”

Tears stung her eyes. He had no idea how much this touched her. Without even knowing, he finished Vinny’s part of the game.

“Carmen?” he pushed. “It’s what you wanted, right?”

She couldn’t speak, so she nodded. Her heart felt full. She closed her eyes for a moment to get a hold of herself. “You really shouldn’t have.”

He kissed her cheek as his hand stroked her abdomen and then slid down. She stiffened as he stroked her over her underwear.

“Now I know why men buy women jewelry.”

She stared at their reflection, her in black lingerie and he in his suit. “Why?”

His hand slipped into her underwear. “Because they like knowing what she’s wearing is from him.”

She clutched the countertop. “Are you branding me?”

He wrapped her hair around his fist and pulled until her head tipped back.

“Do I need to?” he murmured in her ear.

She arched into his hand. “No.”

He met her eyes in the mirror. “You can thank me properly later.”

His dark tone made her stomach flutter. He would do her rough and dirty. Her legs quivered just thinking about it. She was so down. “Whatever you want.”

He smacked her ass. “Good. Get dressed. We’re going to be late.”

She rushed into the closet and slipped into the black mini lace dress with a sweetheart neckline she had been planning to wear. It was the perfect outfit to show off her new present. She went back into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. The brilliant necklace matched her insides, which were buoyant and full of light. Marcus was her anchor. Just being in his presence banished her dark restlessness.

He stood beside her as he shrugged into a tux that made her mouth water. “When Gavin and Lyla come back from Bora Bora, we’re going on a trip,” she announced.

His eyes roved over her. “Trip?” he echoed in a distracted tone.

She bounced on her toes. “I already made reservations at this resort on the beach. It’s gonna be fab.”

“I don’t have time to go anywhere.”

“Don’t worry about it. I already talked to Gavin. He’ll take care of your projects.”

He slipped his hands into his pockets. “You talked to Gavin about this?”

“Yes. He knows you need a break. He said you can do what you want.”

“I don’t need a break.”

His steely tone caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”

“It’s not his job to cover for me.”

“Of course, it is.”

He held up a hand. “Carmen, I appreciate you putting this together, but I don’t have time for a trip.”

“It’s just a weekend—”

“And I don’t want you talking to Gavin on my behalf either.”

Her excitement disappeared as she surveyed him. He was upset, which was so unlike him. “It’s not a big deal, Marcus.”

“It is to me,” he said quietly. “I can’t just take off for the weekend. I’m working on a huge deal, and I have to be on my A game.”

“You can’t even take off for a day?”

“No.”

They stared at one another. She didn’t know what to say. She assumed he would fall in with her plan. She hadn’t expected him to decline or reprimand her for a weekend trip.

“I thought you understood how important my job is to me,” he said.

“Of course, I know how important it is.”

He shook his head. “It’s not just a job for me; it’s who I am. You know why.”

He was talking about his background, which so few knew about. “I get that, but the job will still be here when you get back.”

“I wasn’t born into it like Vinny. I have to work to keep my position.”

She went cold. “You think Vinny didn’t work to be COO?”

He frowned and then ran a hand down his face. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just … All my life, I’ve been working to be where I am today. I don’t want anything to jeopardize that. I like everything just the way it is, and I don’t want anything to interfere with my career.”

She felt as if she walked into an invisible wall. He liked everything the way it was, including their convenient relationship, which apparently didn’t include trips together.

“Gotcha,” she said and ignored the mortification twisting her stomach into knots. “Will do.”

She leaned toward the mirror to apply more lipstick. He stood behind her, watching silently. She hoped he didn’t notice her shaking hand. When she headed toward the bedroom, he stepped in front of her. When his hand cupped her face, she resisted the urge to pull away. She confused his affection with something deeper and more meaningful. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

“You understand, right?” he said gently. “Work is all I have.”

Everything in her turned to ice. He couldn’t have said anything to hurt her more. He just put her in her place. They agreed to friends with benefits. He was keeping his end of the deal, and she wasn’t. She was doing that stupid girly thing, complicating their relationship with emotions and vacations, and even went so far as to talk to his boss, and he didn’t like it.

“Carmen?”

She could hear the worry in his voice.

“I thought we understood one another,” he said.

There was something in his eyes, a wary concern that made her feel even worse.

Humiliation consumed her. What he once healed, ripped, and bled, but she didn’t acknowledge it. She steeled herself and gave him an over bright smile.

“We understand each other perfectly. We’re going to be late.” She went up on tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Come on, let’s do this.”

He moved aside, and she slipped past. She grabbed her clutch and walked through the house. She slipped into the Aston and tensed when Marcus knocked on the window.

“I thought we could ride together,” he said.

“I know this meeting will go long, and I haven’t driven in a while. I’ll follow you.” She kept her voice light even though she was dying inside. He had no choice but to let her go as she reversed out of the garage.

Mickey started up the SUV and followed as she put the Aston through its paces. Her chest was so tight she could barely breathe. Sex didn’t mean anything. She, of all people, should know that. What the hell was she doing? She was treating him like a boyfriend, and he wasn’t. He had made that abundantly clear, despite living together, his possessiveness, and his gift, which now felt like a noose around her neck. That expression on his face—confusion and a hint of pity—made her insides writhe with shame.

She wasn’t sure how she made it to the casino because she didn’t remember a thing about the drive. She handed her keys to the valet and rushed in as if it was a hospital and she was there to check on a loved one. She needed to get herself under control ASAP.

“Carmen?”

She turned from the bar to find Mickey and Marcus standing behind her. She downed her Cosmopolitan and took a deep breath.

“Sorry, I was thirsty.” She slipped her arm through his. “Let’s do this.”

Marcus led her through the casino. She didn’t feel anything. Not the brush of bodies or the liquor running through her. She’d taken a crippling emotional blow and didn’t have time to get herself together.

“Carmen, you remember Khalid?” Marcus asked.

She’d been so in her head that she didn’t register Marcus leading her into a private dining room in an exclusive restaurant in the casino. The room was dimly lit. There were about twenty men in the space, most lounging near the private bar. Servers circulated with appetizers on gold platters. In the middle of the room was a table set for dinner with over-the-top arrangements and the finest china.

“Yes,” she said and gave Khalid her hand.

He grasped her chilled fingers. “You’re more beautiful than I remember.”

Neither the smoldering look he cast nor the compliment penetrated. Oh, God, she didn’t want to be here. The last thing she wanted to do was mingle and be polite when her insides were bleeding. She felt as if her chest had been raked with razor sharp claws. She needed time to pack her wounds.

“Thank you.”

Khalid registered her dismissive tone, and his eyes narrowed. Marcus gripped her waist.

“Come, let’s get a drink,” Marcus said, and they trooped to the bar. He leaned in close. “Can you handle this?”

Pride saved her. She straightened her spine and buried her pain. Marcus didn’t mean to hurt her. She was the one who forgot the rules. Casual sex and they were supposed to remain friends. He kept up his end, and she would do the same even if it killed her.

“Yes,” she said and patted his hand. “I’m fine.”

She was introduced to every man present. They were all tied to Khalid in some way and most from Dubai. Marcus sat at the head of the table with she and Khalid on either side of him. Khalid’s companions spoke in multiple languages. The man next to her didn’t bother to engage her in conversation, which suited her just fine since she wouldn’t have been able to feign interest. Instead, she focused on the food, kept her expression polite, and occasionally contributed to Marcus and Khalid’s talk of the city. She sensed a distinct sexist undertone in the air, which wasn’t surprising. Her attire could be a factor in their opinion of her, but if they wanted to do business in Sin City, they better get used to women who dressed like her and were still intelligent.

When the first man stood from the table, she was the next on her feet. The men passed around cigars and planned to visit the tower tomorrow. She gravitated to the bar and asked for a shot of tequila, which made the bartender’s brows rise, but he didn’t question her. She was knocking it back when she felt someone come up behind her.

“You didn’t call me.”

She so wasn’t in the mood to be nice to the billionaire Marcus admired. The loaded glances he cast her throughout dinner made her want to stab him in the eye with her fork. She didn’t have the capacity to be civil or flirty, which left only blunt honesty.

She turned to face him and saw Marcus in the middle of a huddle of Khalid’s cronies. The room was filled with servers clearing the table, and a haze of smoke hovered in the air. Khalid was handsome, urbane, and rich. That was enough for most women but not her.

“I’m not interested,” she said.

She felt a spark of satisfaction when his eyes flared. Apparently, he wasn’t used to honesty. Well, they were both experiencing a novel experience tonight. He was having a woman turn him down, and she was being told she needed to stay in the friend zone. Perfect.

“Excuse me?”

She raised a brow. “I think you speak enough English to know what that means.”

He took a step closer. With her heels, they were the same height. She was itching for a fight, and it seemed Khalid would oblige.

“Do you know who I am?” he hissed.

“No, and I don’t care. You should step back.”

“You should know your place.”

“My place …” She tasted the words and cocked her head to the side. “Exactly where is my place?”

“At my feet.”

Rage made everything else fade away. “I don’t know who told you American women bow at men’s feet, but here, we carry guns, asshole.”

“I heard you’re sleeping with the new and improved COO.” His dark eyes were filled with lust and malice. “You never fail to make sure you’re screwing the most powerful men in the city. I’m next.”

Carmen kneed him in the balls. As he sank to his knees, she belted him across the face with all her might. He reeled backward and knocked into a waiter carrying a tray full of drinks. Both of them crashed to the ground. She wasn’t aware of anything but making sure he suffered. She was about to stomp his head with her stiletto when an arm locked around her waist and lifted her off her feet. She screamed in rage at being denied her prey. Marcus hauled her kicking and screaming into a hallway off the private dining room and dropped her so hard, her heel nearly snapped. She opened her mouth to shout, but he beat her to it.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Marcus roared.

He was angrier than she had ever seen him, but she didn’t care.

“Do you know what he said to me?” she shouted back.

Marcus crowded her against the wall. “I brought you here tonight for support, and this is what you do? Assault a potential business partner?”

“He said—”

He slammed his hand against the wall inches away from her face. “This isn’t the place for your antics! These are civilized people. You don’t assault people, especially not a man as powerful as Khalid.” He ran his hands through his hair. “You need to leave, and I have to do damage control.”

He started toward the private room. She stared at his rigid back.

“Marcus, he said—”

He whirled back to face her. “I don’t care what he said! Nothing justifies you humiliating him in front of everyone. I don’t know what world you live in, but using your fists and causing a scene isn’t the way most things are handled. You’ve embarrassed me enough tonight. Get out of here.”

She stood there, trembling with rage and pain as the servers carried out platters and averted their eyes. He would tend to that asshole and leave her standing here like she was nothing? Tears pricked her eyes, but she’d be damned if she let them fall. She walked into the kitchen, which went silent when she entered. Apparently, word already spread. She was being introduced to an all new level of humiliation tonight. Fantastic. Eyes followed her as she slipped into the bustling restaurant filled with candlelight, live piano music, and tiny food portions.

She was almost out of the restaurant when a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her backward. She whirled with an angry yell and swung her fist. The punch was deflected by Mickey, who wrapped his arms around her to stop her from beating him up.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay,” he said.

“Let me go,” she hissed.

He obeyed, and she continued to the exit, aware that she was now making another scene. No doubt Marcus would never speak to her again after this, but she didn’t give a fuck. She started off at a fast trot. By the time she reached the casino, she was practically running. She elbowed her way through the throng until she reached fresh air.

“I-I need my keys,” she said to Mickey who appeared at her side.

He produced her clutch and handed both of their tickets to the valet.

“Carmen, what—” he began.

“Don’t talk to me.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she trembled. Khalid accomplished an amazing feat—he made her feel cheap and sullied in less than five minutes. She knew what everyone thought—that she was an expensive whore—but they didn’t dare say it when she married Vinny. Of course, now that Vinny was gone, they saw her relationship with Marcus as her trying to nab another wealthy man. She was a fucking millionaire in her own right! Fucking sexist bastard.

This was the moment everyone had been waiting for. When Marcus, the straitlaced businessman, had enough of her antics. If he thought she wouldn’t attack someone who slandered her, he didn’t know her at all. She killed to defend Vinny’s memory. Her mother and Angel expected no less, but Marcus expected her to turn the other cheek. Fat chance. She had always let emotion lead. It had never steered her wrong until she convinced Gavin to allow Vinny to take his place. After that, it seemed she had been wrong about everything. She sucked in a breath as pain spread so deep her bones ached.

Her car pulled up, and she started forward.

“Carmen, let me drive. You’re upset,” Mickey said.

“I’ll drive myself.” When he tried to grab her arm, she wrenched away. “Stop, Mickey!”

Valets and guests turned to stare. Mickey stepped back, and she climbed into her car. She threw her clutch in the passenger seat and slammed her foot on the gas. She narrowly missed running over a pedestrian who dashed across the street without looking. Her tires screeched as she slammed on the brakes and screamed at the top of her lungs. She navigated through traffic, even riding the sidewalk at one point because she didn’t have the patience to wait for the fucking light to change. She ignored the blare of horns as she drove.

Civilized. The word knocked around in her brain. No, she wasn’t civilized. She was a daughter of the underworld. She was taught to take what was hers and defend at all costs. She didn’t fight fire with fire. She fought fire with explosives that would leave craters in her wake. After Steven Vega, she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot first and ask questions later. They lived in an uncivilized world, so a certain level of savage was necessary to survive.

The restlessness she had been trying to ignore reared its ugly head. She wanted to race, to tear something apart with her bare hands. Needs tumbled around in her chest and whispered dark temptations in her ear.

She stopped at a light. She opened her mouth to scream, to let her emotions go, but nothing emerged. The scream was internal and full of a sorrow so deep that if she released it, she would never recover. Loneliness and misery flooded her. The thought of going back to his house was unbearable.

Angel’s words drifted through her mind. I recognize another restless soul when I see one.

The urge to throw herself into the deep end, to clash with someone who was as primitive and raw as she was drummed through her. If anyone could match her dark recklessness, it was Angel Roman. One wild, dark soul recognized another.

Even as her conscience told her this was a bad idea, she slammed her foot on the gas. She and Marcus were just friends. He made that abundantly clear. It was time to move on.

She pulled up to Angel’s property and pressed the buzzer at the gate. There were at least ten cars in the front drive. Mickey pulled up behind her and flashed his lights. She was impressed he’d been able to keep up. The video monitor lit up, and Eli Stark stared at her with his cop gaze.

“What are you doing here?” Eli asked brusquely.

“I’m looking for Angel.”

“How do you know where he lives?”

“He brought me here before.”

Eli stared at her for a long minute. She wasn’t in the mood to wait around.

“Is he here or not?” she snapped.

The video cut out, and a moment later, the gate began to swing open.

“Hallelujah,” she said and pulled up beside the fountain.

Mickey pulled up behind her and was at her door before she could close it. He had his gun out and reached for her arm but stopped when she gave him that look.

“What are you doing?” he demanded.

Eli opened the front door, and Mickey cursed.

“Carmen,” he said in a low voice, but she ignored him.

She walked toward the front door and would have sailed past Eli, but he pulled her to a stop.

“How well do you know Angel?” Eli asked.

“What do you mean?”

“How. Well,” he bit out.

She scowled. “Better than most. Why?”

Eli released her. “I hope you know what to do.”

She was too deep in her own drama to decipher his meaning. The mansion was no less breathtaking at night. The grand chandeliers gave off a soft, welcoming glow. She glanced at herself in one of the mirrors in the grand entryway and was relieved to see that her inner turmoil didn’t show on her face.

She followed Eli between the double curving staircases to the massive living area, which was filled with men. Something was wrong with the massive backlit waterfall, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She registered the silence and a small army of silent guards before she spotted a naked man pinned to the wall by two swords through his abdomen. His body was coated with blood, which trickled across the floor to the pool, which explained the salmon-colored waterfall. She thought he was dead until a dagger embedded into his pelvis. He screamed and jerked against the swords. The nauseating sound of wet flesh tearing as he tried to get free.

Angel stood about ten feet away holding eight knives that were each about a foot long. He was back to being badass James Dean in black jeans and T-shirt. He shook his hands, which were dripping red. His gaze was on Eli, and he didn’t look happy.

“Didn’t the police academy teach you how to guard a door?” Angel asked.

“I thought you’d be happy to see this visitor,” Eli said.

She spotted five bodies floating in the pool. A quick glance around the room told her that Angel had been at this for a while. There were spectacular red splatters around the room that she was sure hadn’t been done by an artist. What the hell was going on?

“You think she’s going to stop me? I’ve been waiting for this,” Angel said with relish.

To punctuate his point, he tossed another dagger without looking at his target. The dagger landed in the man’s shoulder. His piercing cry made the hairs on the nape of her hair rise.

“I’m sorry, Carmen.” Angel spread his arms wide. “As you can see, I’m entertaining tonight. You should have called.”

“What did he do?” She was proud that she sounded calm despite the circumstances. Maybe her upbringing in the underworld was good for something after all.

“Does it matter?” Angel asked.

“Yes.” She knew Angel was dangerous. He was a Roman, after all, but nothing could have prepared her for this. She felt as if she was coming out of her own skin. Everything in her demanded she turn around, walk out of the house, and act as if she never saw anything. Instead, she stood there like an idiot, waiting to hear his reason for torturing a man to death.

“This is Theodore,” Angel said politely. “Say hello to Carmen, Theodore.”

When the man didn’t speak, Angel threw another dagger. This one skimmed his calf. Despite the fact that the blade cut to the bone, the man didn’t move. Apparently, he was beyond feeling anything at this point. She felt a burst of relief before Angel threw another dagger. This one landed right over his belly button. The man jumped, maiming his body even more as he struggled against the swords holding him in place. Rivulets of blood ran down his body before he sagged dejectedly against the swords, which shuddered under his weight.

“Hi.”

Theodore’s resigned greeting sent chills down her spine. She fought the compulsion to rush to the man’s aid. She wanted to believe that Angel wasn’t a psychopath, so she waited.

“Theodore here likes to drug, rape and mutilate girls,” Angel said as he flipped a dagger through the air. “His father is a powerful drug lord who manipulates the police and judicial system. He’s gotten Theodore out of a lot of charges. No one can stick anything to him. Yesterday, another body turned up. I decided to save the cops the trouble and take care of Theodore.”

Angel indicated a camera on a tripod she hadn’t noticed until then.

“I’m taking some shots for his father to remember him by. He’s the one who taught Theodore how it’s done. It appears the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Angel shrugged. “They’re into torture porn. I thought it would be poetic justice for him to go out the way his victims have. Our families go way back. Unfortunately for Theodore, his father’s in a maximum prison right now, so he won’t be able to able to help.”

Angel walked up to Theodore, who began to whimper. He placed his elbow on the hilt of one of the swords protruding from Theo’s chest. The man let out a god-awful scream that covered her body in goose bumps.

“I think Lucifer’s onto something with ancient weapons. Gavin ran Steven Vega through with swords. It inspired me, so I got some of my own.” He scanned her. “You look fancy. Hot date?”

She swallowed hard. “Not anymore.”

He shook his head ruefully. “You took your sweet time coming to me. It’s been almost a week.”

Angel called to one of his men who had a camera. Angel directed the shots from different angles and asked Theodore to turn his head this way and that for lighting and effect. The sound of Theodore’s whimpers made her feel as if she was going crazy. Theodore was a rapist and killer who was getting his just desserts, but … but it wasn’t right. She shivered and found Eli watching her. She remembered his comment when she entered—I hope you know what to do. He didn’t agree with what Angel was doing, but he didn’t stop it. Did he think she could?

“Angel!” Carmen snapped.

“What?”

His dagger landed in Theo’s eye socket, which knocked his head into the wall with a sickening thud. Theo’s head flopped forward. Blood slid from his mouth and pooled on the floor in front of him.

“I’m sure he’ll die any second now. I have some other guests, but I can postpone it if you want to do something?”

She averted her face. “End it, Angel.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve made your point.”

She turned back to see that he had even more daggers.

“Finish it and we can do whatever you want.”

Angel paused with the cluster of knives in his hand like a steel bouquet of death. “Whatever I want?”

“Yes.”

The only sound in the room was of the soothing waterfall. Her legs quivered as she waited for Angel to decide. She imagined that Theodore was praying for death since it was clear that Angel wanted to draw this out.

Angel didn’t drop eye contact as he pulled a gun from the small of his back and shot Theodore without hesitation. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Theodore go limp and swallowed bile. Angel tossed his daggers on a white couch and strode toward her.

“Take the final pictures,” he ordered his men before he jerked his head at her. “Upstairs.”

She hesitated before she turned to follow. Mickey looked horrified, but he didn’t intervene. Angel jogged up the ostentatious staircase while she followed more slowly. Her mind was suspended in numb disbelief over what she just witnessed. As she reached the top of the stairs, she saw a hallway extending in each direction. She wandered down a hallway of closed doors and paused in the doorway to a massive master bedroom. She could hear the shower running. She sat on the bed and stared straight ahead.

The water shut off, and a minute later, Angel walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He stopped in front of her and skimmed the back of his knuckles down her cheek. She didn’t react. The fingers slipped under her chin and tilted her face up. She focused on a water droplet that slipped from his hair and traveled down his face.

“Carmen.”

Their eyes collided. The cold began to fade as his manic energy reached for her, rousing her own. He kissed her. He went deep and opened his mouth. She copied, and his tongue stroked hers. She expected him to taste bitter with the metallic bite of blood. Instead, chocolate and mint filled her senses, seducing and enticing her. Contradictory, like everything else about him. He pushed her on her back without losing her lips. Water dampened her thin lace dress as his naked body imprinted on hers. His skin was hot, almost feverish. His hands were greedy and rough as they moved over her.

She felt as if she was in free fall. Her mind whirled with need and fear. She couldn’t get her bearings or think straight as the feel of him seeped into her starved soul. She raked her nails down his naked back. He grunted in approval and dragged her dress over her hips. She felt her thong snap and then a thick dick burrowed between her legs. Her eyes flew open, and she ripped her mouth from his.

“Angel!”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he growled as he tugged on the cups of her dress, freeing her breast, which he took in his mouth.

“I …” she gasped as he sucked hard, sending a thunderbolt to her pussy. “Angel, no!”

His head snapped up. “What?”

“We’re not doing this.” She tried to wriggle out from under him, which wasn’t happening without his permission. She could feel his cock pulsing between her legs. She came here knowing that he would fuck her silly, but she couldn’t follow through, not after witnessing Theodore’s death.

His eyes were narrow slits of heavenly blue. “You said we could do whatever I want.”

“Yes, but I have to agree.”

“What the fuck are you playing at?” he demanded.

“You’re high on the kill, and you want to fuck.” She couldn’t suppress her shudder. “You can get another girl. I just needed you to end it.” She tried to wriggle out from under him, but he wasn’t moving.

“You played me.”

She stilled. The lack of inflection made her heart race. Stripped of the façade, Angel was just as imposing as Gavin. Even more so because she didn’t know his limits.

“Get off, Angel.” Her voice wavered, betraying her nerves.

Like a predator sniffing out easy prey, he planted his fists on either side of her head, caging her.

“What are you going to do if I don’t?” he whispered.

“Scream.”

“You think any of my men would help you?”

Probably not. She glared at him. “You’re not so butt ugly that you couldn’t get another woman.”

“We put this off long enough.”

His face was hard and carnal as he stared down at her. He held her gaze as his hand skated down her body. She bucked as his hand slipped between her legs. She gasped and reached down to grab his thick wrist.

“Wet, but not enough,” he said.

He stuck his fingers in his mouth. Her breath left her lungs as she watched his eyes close. When they opened, they were a shade darker.

“You’re perfect.”

He sat up. She panted beneath him as his penis rested against her stomach. The towel was gone, and he looked like the warrior he was, ripped and ready to fuck. His body was rigid, veins pulsing and muscles ripping. The killing urge was still on him. His mood saturated the room, flooding her body with a fight or flight response. Her mind was full of a strange buzzing noise that interfered with her ability to think. Her body was electrified while she was intimidated and confused as hell.

“You came here for this,” he stated.

She opened and closed her mouth.

He leaned down until his face was inches from hers. His good looks could deceive anyone into believing he had a heart of gold instead of one dark as sin.

“The moment I saw you, I knew we would end up here,” he said, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.

She quivered beneath him.

“You came here so I could give you this.” He rubbed his cock against her pussy. “What’s the problem? I know you’re not squeamish about blood or kills.”

His head dipped, and he kissed the corner of her lip and then trailed to her neck. Carmen stared up at the ceiling and tried to block out the physical pleasure. His hips moved against hers. The urge to spread her legs and take him warred with the urge to protect herself. If she fucked him, it would be over. But … something in her knew if she did that, it would change something fundamental in her. Something Lyla mentioned about Gavin cheating, about him pouring his darkness into whores slipped through her mind. If she played the whore and absorbed Angel’s darkness, would she come to crave it even more? Would she become an addict for what only he could give her?

He nuzzled her throat. “This necklace is in the way.”

Her eyes opened as he tossed the necklace on the mattress. She stared at it as he stroked her.

“What do you want, Carmen?”

The tidal wave of emotion she’d been trying to hold at bay swamped her. “I want to be happy,” she whispered.

“What will make you happy?”

“I want my life back.”

The sob caught both of them off guard. Grief gripped her heart and squeezed with a vengeance. She was dimly aware of Angel’s cheek brushing hers as he lifted his head.

“Carmen.”

She frantically flapped her hands in front of her face, but that didn’t help one bit. “I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Fuck.” Angel rolled off and settled on his back beside her.

“I-I—” she stammered and tried to get a hold of herself. “I want …”

She didn’t know what the fuck she wanted, not anymore. She didn’t expect to be lucky enough to have two great loves in her life, but with Marcus, she’d begun to believe she found someone who understood her eccentricities. That belief had been destroyed tonight, and when she visited the one person she thought would understand her, she realized she wasn’t ready for his level of dark. Her instincts had been right all along. She didn’t want to get involved with a crime lord. A part of her still wanted the white picket fence and a little Nora of her own. She wanted a man to go on the road with, a man to laze on the beach with. That wasn’t Angel, which left her with nothing. No safe place, nowhere to lick her wounds. Tonight had shattered her delusions and made her face cold, hard facts. She was well and truly alone.

“Why did you come here tonight?”

The calm tone made her peek at him. He lay beside her, as naked as the day he was born, hands folded on his stomach. She wanted to get the hell out of here, but that might incite him to chase, so she settled beside him, her shoulder touching his.

“I came to have raw, dirty sex,” she said.

“And you cried instead.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to be playing with a human for target practice,” she grumbled as she swiped at her eyes.

“He broke it off?”

The words raked at her. “Pretty much.”

“Bound to happen.”

She blew out a breath. “Yeah.”

“How’d he do it?”

She sat up. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

He grabbed her arm. “That’s the least you could do for crying in my bed.”

She glared at him. “I kneed a potential business partner in the nuts.”

He stared at her for a few beats of silence and then, “Why?”

“Apparently, he’s going to be the next powerful man in the city, and since that’s what I go for, I should know my place, which is at his feet.”

There was a lot of activity going on in his eyes, but he didn’t speak.

“Marcus told me to leave.”

His grip tightened. “He didn’t beat that guy’s ass?”

“He didn’t care what he said.” She let out a shaky breath and stared at his ripped body. “Maybe we should still fuck.”

“I’m not into women with blotchy faces.”

She let out a weak laugh. Somehow, the laugh transitioned into sobbing.

“Fuck.” Angel pulled her down beside him and tipped her against his side.

She buried her face against his chest and cried her heart out. She was lost in a sea of emotion. The feel of his skin and his steady heartbeat were the only things that kept her from losing touch with reality. She clutched him while his fingers moved through her hair. When the tears ceased, she lay slumped against him with her head throbbing.

“There’s nothing worse than a woman’s tears,” he said.

“I’m sorry.” She shouldn’t be apologizing since it defused him. “I don’t know what got into me.”

“I do. Did you tell that fuck you love him?”

She stiffened. “I don’t love him.”

“Women don’t cry like that for men they don’t love.”

“I’m just having a bad week,” she said hoarsely.

“When you’re over your bad week, we’ll fuck each other’s brains out. You’re not into it tonight, so I’m going to get back to work. You done with the crying jag?”

“Yeah.”

He rolled away and disappeared into the bathroom. She took in his beautiful body before it disappeared. Crisis averted by tears. Who knew that would work on Angel Roman? She took a deep breath and scooted to the edge of the bed. She stuffed her boobs back into her dress and then pulled the short skirt down. Her thong was ruined and no longer wearable. The necklace sparkled in the midst of rumpled bedsheets. She hesitated before she reached out and grabbed it.

Angel came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of jeans and a white tee. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

He tipped his head to the side as he surveyed her. “I haven’t known you long, but I like what I see. If Fletcher isn’t giving you what you need, don’t waste your time.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue anymore.” The look on his face when he told her to leave was burned into her mind.

They left the bedroom and started downstairs. Mickey was waiting for them. She could only imagine what she looked like since he sent Angel a murderous glance. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, she instinctively looked back at the living area, but Angel grabbed her arm and escorted her through the entrance hall. She glanced at her reflection and saw that she had mascara smeared over her right eye and her eyeshadow was completely gone. She looked pathetic and lost.

Angel walked her to her car and opened the door. She stared at him, unsure how to feel over what happened.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I’m going to keep entertaining.”

“But he’s dead.”

“I have some friends in the basement.”

She shuddered. “Be careful.”

“Always.”

She went on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

He cupped her nape. “I can still taste you.”

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered.

He searched her face. “You can still change your mind.”

“I need to get my head straight.”

He smoothed his hand over her back. “You could be my one. You know that, right?”

She wanted to deny it, but she wasn’t into lying to herself. “We would make each other crazy.”

A spark of humor lit his grim eyes. “That’s how life should to be, right?”

Her intuition told her that Angel was nowhere near ready for a relationship. They were two lost souls. Two halves of the same puzzle piece wouldn’t make a whole. She needed a yin to her yang, and although he might be a fun alternative, Angel Roman wasn’t it.

“We would make each other miserable,” she predicted and gave him a hug. “But thanks.”

He slapped her ass as she got into the car and leaned into her window when she rolled it down. “Call me if you’re feeling suicidal or want to fuck, yeah?”

She shoved his face out of her car and drove off the property with Mickey on her tail. She wasn’t going back to Marcus’s house. She wasn’t in the mood to be berated, and she was too fragile right now for a knock-down, drag-out fight. She needed time to build up her walls. Maybe she wasn’t ready for a full-on fuck, but she still needed to be around her type of people.