Green.

"Thank you," I huffed out, throwing the door open.

I heard the door click shut behind us as I walked inside. Twisting, I locked the handle and flipped the top latch to make sure we weren't interrupted by any cleaning ladies or unwanted guests.

Walking to the bed, I dropped her on the mattress, hovering over her like a lion studying their next meal.

"Honey, we're home." Smirking, I let my arms dangle by my sides.

Pursing her lips, she looked like she was about to burst at the seams. I could almost see the cuss words floating across her pupils as she glared up at me.

"Go on, call me an a.s.shole, call me a f.u.c.king b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I know you want to." Holding out my arms, I took a small step back. "Call me whatever the h.e.l.l you want to if it will make you feel better."

"There's nothing in this world that will make me feel better."

"You're here, isn't that a little bit better than being there?"

"Better?" Shooting up on the bed, she let her legs hang over the side. "You buy me like this, you use me to get what you want from him, and I'm suppose to feel better?"

"No. I lost out because of this, I traded a lot of f.u.c.king money to get you here for the night."

"Oh, excuse me," she said, standing up and waving her hands in the air. "I'm so sorry that I lost you money, because I really give a f.u.c.k about you and your feelings and any money you're out now." Her tone was dry, cynical, laced in a condescending heat I wasn't about to take.

"I suggest you watch how you talk to me." Crooking my jaw, I let my eyes settle on hers. "Because I won't tolerate this bulls.h.i.+t."

"What are you my f.u.c.king father now?" Rolling her eyes, she pushed her leg out as she folded her arms over her chest. "Are you going to punish me? Put me in time out? Or maybe you can just add to the bruises I already have?"

"I'm not going to hit you."

"Are you sure? Because the look on your face says you want to." Taking a small step in, she turned her face so her cheek was fully exposed. "How about right here? Right where everyone can see it, so they know how big and bad of a man you are."

"I'm not going to hit you, Jessie."

Scoffing, she veered her stare. "So you're just going to f.u.c.k me then? That's it, give me some good old fas.h.i.+oned d.i.c.k and call it a night?" Chuckling lightly, she shook her head. "You're just like every other jacka.s.s that walks into that club. It's all about p.u.s.s.y and control." Sitting back down on the bed, she parted her thighs as she ran a single finger up the middle of her chest. "Is this what you want? You want to f.u.c.k me? You want to f.u.c.k me like the wh.o.r.e I am?"

Running a hand through my hair, I kept my eyes on hers. "I never said you were a wh.o.r.e. I would never call you that."

"Why not? It's true isn't it? I get paid to have s.e.x, men pay to get what they want from me. You're losing money to have me here, so you must want something in return. Tell me what it is?"

"I already told you before, I don't want s.h.i.+t from you."

Bouncing her eyes back and forth between mine, her lips folded into a heavy frown. "You're just like Virgo, it's all about the power with both of you."

I felt my veins burn as the words came out of her mouth. I couldn't stop the rage that came over me. I was nothing like Virgo, we were two different species.

Lunging forward, I wrapped my hand around her throat and yanked her off the bed. Holding her tightly in my grip, I pushed her backwards until she hit the wall.

My face was inches from hers as I bared my teeth. "I'm nothing like that man. I'm nothing like the f.u.c.king men you're used to dealing with. I don't ever want to hear you say that s.h.i.+t again. Do you understand? Do you f.u.c.king hear me?" My chest had started to rise and fall, filling with rapid bursts of air.

Jessie was staring at me in shock, her voice nothing but audible gasps. She was struggling for air, she was trying to put words into some sort of order in her head so she could get them out, she was trying desperately to understand all of this.

Shaking her head yes, she pinched her lips closed, causing her cheeks to collapse into her mouth.

"Tell me you f.u.c.king understand. I want to hear you say it."

"I understand." Whimpering out the words, Jessie kept her eyes frozen on mine. "I understand."

"I'm f.u.c.king serious, Jessie, don't ever compare me to that f.u.c.king p.r.i.c.k or anyone else."

"Okay, I won't." Flicking her gaze around my face, she asked, "But if you're not like him or anyone else, then why are you doing this?"

Loosening my grip, I let my hand drop free. I could see the shape of my fingertips in her skin, the small red impressions an ominous addition to her body. Pulling out the small note she had given me from my pocket, I threw it at her face.

"Why don't you tell me."