“If I tell you about my ear, you’ll let me go?” she asked softly.

I stifled my growl. After my honesty, admitting I was drawn to her, all she wanted to do was leave. Fine. I crossed my arms. “I said maybe.”

Silence pulsed between us, thickening with tension. The ache in my c**k was overshadowed by an ache for something different. I needed pain. I needed a fight. Only pain could eliminate the confusion and give me room to breathe. I hated suffering such intense emotions, all while hoping they’d never leave.

I felt alive. And annoyed and horny and frustrated.

The fight with Everest had done nothing. His fists hadn’t hurt; he’d been too easy to defeat. Arrogant bastard hadn’t lived up to his boasting and now I’d have to find another way to self-medicate with pain.

I didn’t think Zel would answer, but finally she said, “It was my foster-sister. They were my ninth foster family, and I was more like a feral cat than a little girl. For the first day, I was a novelty, same as always, same as before, but then by the third or fourth day, I was the toy that got pulled apart. Her and her brother coaxed me into the garage, saying they’d seen a kitten running around.

“I related more to animals and only the thought of having a feline friend made me follow. Once we were there, they threw me to the ground and duct-taped my legs and arms.”

She paused, unconsciously tracing the piece missing from her ear. “They used their father’s tin-snips to cut me, saying I should be tagged like a wild animal seeing as I would never be a real girl. Afterward, they left me to bleed until their father arrived home from work. Instead of rushing me to the hospital, he attempted to sew it up himself. If child services had found out his own children hurt me, he would’ve been taken off the list for carers and denied the weekly paycheque.

“Thing was, he did such a bad job, I ended up looking like I’d been mauled by a dog.” Her body tensed, morphing from victim to fighter. “That night, I ran. It was the first time I ran away. I had no money or idea where I was going, but it was the best thing that happened to me. Running, that is.”

I hadn’t noticed my fists had curled and every muscle tensed. The urge to find pain mixed with the urge to take retribution on those bastard’s children. I had no qualms about hurting minors. “How old were you?”

“Thirteen.”

My respect for her increased. Not only was she a strong woman, but she’d been a strong child, too. A bit like me in a way. I ran, but unfortunately ran in the wrong direction.

I wanted to ask about her other flaws. I needed to know every secret but I wanted to savour them—try and unravel them before learning the truth from her. And I would find the truth because she wasn’t leaving.

“Thank you for telling me.”

She raised her eyes; the green was darker, more forest than grass. “Now will you let me go?”

I smiled, forcing the scar on my cheek into a grimace. “No. I have no choice. I can’t let someone go who intrigues me this much. Who makes my c**k ache this hard. I don’t even know you, yet you invoke more questions and urges than anyone before.” Shrugging, I encroached on her space, pushing her back. “I won’t let you go until I’ve had you, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

She looked at me as if I were the devil asking for her soul.

My stomach roiled with sick satisfaction. Too long I’d been the one being used. It would be nice to use someone else for change. To use her body, her mind, her soul to fix everything inside me.

Zel took a step back, eyes flashing with green embers. “You’re unhinged. Do you honestly think I want you after that? Whatever attraction I felt has flown away thanks to your caveman demands. You’re an imbecile, and I’m done. Let me go.”

I ghosted forward, heart racing with the thought of taking her against her will. You can’t do that. You know what it feels like too clearly.

Standing still, I straightened my shoulders. “How much?”

She slammed hands onto her h*ps glaring as if she could incinerate me with her gaze. “Are you f**king deaf? There is no price. There is no deal. I’m leaving, and you can’t stop me.” Her face tightened; her lithe body trembled. Everything about her made me want to taste.

Balling my hands, I winced at the small cuts on my knuckles from the fight. “What’s your full name?” I decided to go a different tact—confusion. Wear her down with insinuations and endless questions.

Scowling, she exhaled heavily; anger flushed her cheeks turning her skin from cream to roses. Her eyes darted around the space—over my shoulder, at the statues, toward the stairs. Every flick of her gaze cut me off from seeing her thoughts.

Goddammit, look into my eyes. I’d never realized how much I relied on seeing into someone’s soul. It gave me clues and insights I couldn’t get otherwise.

“If you’re looking for a weapon you won’t find one, and I doubt you’re strong enough to throw a fifty kilo statue at my face.” I patted my pocket where her knife lay. “Agree to a sum and as an act of good faith, I’ll give you back your blade.”

She froze as deliberations played over her face. “Let me get this straight. You want to pay me to f**k you, even though you own a monstrosity of a mansion and could get any woman into bed if you actually learned some tact and charm.” Her perfect pouty lips quirked into half a smile. “Rather sad when I think about it. Shame I don’t sleep with men out of pity or for money or for any reason so shut up and let me leave.”

My eyes couldn’t stop looking at her condescending half smile. Mocking me. Belittling me. Half smiles were lazy. They were fake. Either smile with your f**king soul or don’t bother.

Probably why I hadn’t smiled since I was six. My soul was dead.

I’d had enough. Anger frothed in my blood, and I needed her beneath me. No more f**king games.

“I don’t just want any woman. I want you. So stop f**king me around. Name your price and I’ll pay it.”

I may own a mansion and a tempting club, but I hadn’t shared my bed with anyone. Sure, I’d f**ked before, but never had the responsibility or pleasure of sleeping beside another. To sleep with someone was the sign of ultimate trust. To be defenceless in the presence of another? No. It wasn’t an option with my past.

Zel pursed her lips, not saying a word.

“Give in. This is one business transaction I’ll win, dobycha.”

“Whatever you’re calling me. Stop it,” she snarled, her eyes lighting with green fire. “Don’t call me that.”

Her strength and blatant disregard of my request stoked my temper until my body ran hot with feral energy. I wanted this woman to fear me, yet she stood regal and taunting—untouchable.

My eyes fell to her br**sts, rising and falling rapidly. “This could’ve been so simple. I’m not asking to hurt you. I’m asking to give you pleasure while taking my own and pay you a handsome sum.” I licked my lips loving the tightness in my belly and pangs in my cock. “I need to f**k you, and the more you fight the worse it gets.”

I moved forward and captured her chin, holding her tight. The intense spark between us returned like a lightning bolt, whizzing and searing, turning my f**king thoughts to mush.

Goddammit, I wanted her.

Her skin glistened, mouth parted. The angry flush faded only to be replaced with colour full of erotic need. I dropped my hand from her chin to her breast.

She froze even as her back arched, forcing more flesh into my palm. Rage battled with flaming lust in her eyes, and I forgot how to f**king breathe as I fondled her, completely consumed by the way her nipple hardened and peaked.

The argument and refusal only hiked my need. My head filled with images of how wet she’d be, how soft she’d feel, how sweet she’d taste.

I couldn’t take it anymore. “I’ll pay you one hundred thousand dollars.”

Her mouth plopped wide; she didn’t breathe.

I had a sudden psychotic urge to kiss her. Every second I spent touching her brought me back to life, wrenching me from the bones and ashes of my past. She was ambrosia, utopia—a cure.

Fuck, I couldn’t wait much longer. I’d take her over the balcony in full view of the fighters below if she refused. Closing my eyes briefly, I muttered one word but it throbbed with everything I needed. “Please…”

Zel sucked in a shaky breath, her breast still hot in my hand. “One hundred thousand dollars? To do what exactly?”

I had no idea.

Suck my cock; let me do untold things to you. Let me touch you. Fuck you.

A plan formed rapidly in my head. I could keep her for a certain amount of time. By locking her into a contract it would give me time to figure out what the f**k I was doing.

“One month. You’d stay here. With me.”

A thrill of fear shot through me at the thought of her sleeping beside me. Precautions would have to be taken, but it was doable.

Her eyes dropped to my scar, before looking away, denying me access to her thoughts.

That pissed me off. I dropped my hand, letting her breast go. “Scars aren’t contagious, dobycha.”

She shook her head. “Scars aren’t contagious, but your craziness is. What makes you think you can wave money in my face, and I’ll spread my legs for you?”

I crowded her against the glass; my h*ps pulsed needing to collide with hers.

“Because you feel it. If I touched you right now I’d probably find you’re wet for me. And even though I’m crazy, all I want to do is drive deep inside you—I want to worship you in my own way. I want to adore you by touching you, kissing you, biting you.” I dropped my gaze to her lips, loving the swollen pinkness, the tempting glisten. “Forget about everything but how your body feels. Do you want me? Do you want me to release your anger with my tongue?”

Her eyes met mine swimming and slightly vacant with desire. “You’re messing with my head.” She raised her hands to push me away, but I dodged her touch. “You turn me on, I won’t deny that, but I’m not staying here. I can’t.”

“You can because you need the money. I won’t be satisfied with just once. I need to know I can take you whenever I damn well want. I want to own you for thirty days with no limits.”

She wrapped arms around her body, rolling her shoulders. “Why did it have to happen this way?” She looked up to the ceiling as if she could smite fate for landing her in my path. She looked desolate, confused, and sad, so terribly sad.

My heart jerked; I ran a hand through my hair. I was right. She was like me. More than I knew.

“Life hasn’t been kind to you, has it, dobycha?” The angry dominance left my voice, edging toward soft curiosity.

Zel froze. Her teeth clenched; her sadness was replaced with coldness. “That’s none of your business. And stop calling me that.”

“Tell me your name, agree to my terms, and I’ll call you whatever you want.”

She tilted her chin upward. “Fine, if you want to know so badly. My name is Hazel Hunter, and you’re right. If you touched me now you would find I’m wet for you. Wet for the promise of what you offer, for the anticipation of what it would be like, but it doesn’t matter because one, you’re an ass**le, and two, I can’t stay here for a month.”

My c**k lurched, picturing the dampness between her legs.

I didn’t like was her refusal yet again. It was getting f**king tiresome.

My stomach twisted at the thought of taming this woman. She wasn’t walking away. She would stay here a month, and I would get rid of this overwhelming obsession and go back to my sexless lonely life.

“Two hundred thousand.” My voice roughened, already imagining her na**d to feast on. “I’ll give you two hundred thousand for one month of pure access. I want to buy your obedience, your body, your mind. But most of all I want to buy your secrets.”

I expected her to scream, tighten her tiny fists, and smack me in the face. Instead, everything stilled. The noises of multiple fights downstairs and the soft notes of music faded as Hazel hypnotized me by sucking on her bottom lip. Nervousness etched her face as she cocked her head. “Two hundred thousand?”

I sensed her weakening and knew I’d finally found a figure she’d sell for. “Payable in cash at the end of the month.”

Her eyes lit up as thoughts raced over her face, then faded just as fast. “You truly are desperate.”

My heart stopped. Slamming me back to reality where a perfect goddess like Hazel would never sleep with a gargoyle like me.

Fuck this. Why was I bothering? I could choose any whore to service me and not have to fight and cajole. I switched from wanting her to wanting to throw her to the ground and make her swallow her words.

Her eyes zeroed in on the jagged scar on my cheek. “I’ll tell you what I think of you, Obsidian Fox. Just because you excite some stupid part of my brain and make me want someone for the first time in years doesn’t mean you can act the scarred villain and scare me into your bed. I’m not in the business of selling my soul or f**king strangers for money, but it so happens you’re right. I do need the cash, and I’d be willing to do almost anything, but what I won’t do is put up with a vainglorious ass**le. I’ve dealt with enough of them for several lifetimes.”

I never took my eyes off her. An aura of anger shimmered. Vulnerable but fierce—a potent combination for the killer inside. I wanted to break her all while letting her shine.

She laughed suddenly. “You’re insane.” Then she muttered under her breath, “I’m insane.”

My stomach twisted as she locked her spine and turned the full force of her green gaze on me.