Page 33 of Blood on Ice

I huffed. “You’re on your own side.”

“Baby, no. I’m going to take care of you.” A shudder ran through me as he spoke in a low voice.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Call me baby.”

“Why?”

“It’s…too personal. Too… Look, I know you want to fuck me, and you’ve got some kind of crazy control kink but?—”

He took hold of my chin, his grip just shy of painful. “You’re wrong. I want way more than a single hot fuck with you. You’re meant to be mine.”

“That’s insane.”

“Maybe, but it’s true.”

“Vito.”

“Take me up to your apartment. Let me make this problem of yours go away.”

I should say no. Any sane person would know better. I believed Vito could help me, but then I’d be indebted to him, and he wouldn’t let me go easily. He was no less dangerous—and possibly no less crazy—than the men who were watching me tonight. So why was I sure I could trust him, at least with my physical well-being?

He turned off the car and reached for his door handle. “Come on.”

I laid a hand on his arm. “You can come up, but that’s all I’ll promise.”

His smile made me shiver. “That’s a start.”

13

VITO

Ifollowed Zeke to his apartment. There were so many things I needed to do: call Val and catch him up on what was going on, get some men to watch the apartment, and let the family know that Benito was up to something. But it was hard to focus on all that now. After seeing Zeke flirting with some twink at the bar, then seeing those Looney and Benito watching him, knowing if I hadn’t been there he wouldn’t have taken the threat seriously enough, my adrenaline had spiked. I needed to work it off, and I wanted to do that with Zeke.

I pushed the door closed behind us, took hold of his arms and spun him around. He was right about how strong he was and how well he could fend for himself in an evenly matched fight, but I’d caught him off guard. By the time he reacted, his face was inches away from mine.

His eyes widened and that damnable tongue came out, moistening his lips.

I wrapped my hand around the side of his neck, and he sucked in his breath as I turned us, backing him up against the door.

“I’m done playing around. You need to understand I’m not going anywhere. I want to protect you, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

He studied me but didn’t answer. I rubbed my thumb over the pulse point in his neck. His heart was beating fast.

“Are you afraid?”

He turned his head to the side, refusing to look at me, but at least he wasn’t fighting to free himself. He’d relaxed against the door as I pressed my hips to his, letting him feel how hard I was.

“Maybe you like being scared.”

“Fuck off.” The words were barely audible and there was no fight behind them.

“I’ll fuck you, and you will never forget it. I’ll make you feel so good, you’ll beg me to never stop.”

He sank his teeth into his lower lip.

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