“I want to see how Mia fights. I want you to be prepared for anything. Guaranteed she’ll be gunning for you now.”

Deacon clapped Knox on the shoulder. “Hope you’ve got a way to deal with Shiori, because She-Cat has turned into a tiger and she’s out for blood.”

Like I didn’t already know that.

Shiori had her back to the table and was scanning the crowd.

To Maddox, Knox said, “You want me to stick around?”

“No. Go ahead and take off. I’ll make sure Fee and Katie get out of here okay.”

“Thanks, man. See you tomorrow.” When Knox set his hand on Shiori’s shoulder, she flinched, which pissed him off. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“The fuck if I know, but we’re not staying here.” He moved his hand to the small of her back and steered her around the side of the booth. He caught the owner’s eye and indicated they were going out the back door.

Knox took her hand and led her through the kitchen and into the alley. He nodded to the cooks having a smoke break as he headed toward the lot where he’d parked his truck.

But Shiori was having none of it. As soon as they cleared the alley, she wrenched her hand free from his and leaned against the side of the building.

“What?”

“I’m just supposed to ignore the fact that you slept with that horrible woman?”

Fuck. “Ancient history.”

“How ancient?”

“Two years ago.”

“Were you in a relationship with her?”

“No. We ended up at the same events. We ended up fucking. That’s it.”

She came chest-to-chest with him. “That’s not it. What kind of events?”

“Fights. She was fighting. I was doing whatever the fuck Ronin wanted me to do. After a fight, she got horny. I was convenient.”

Shiori shrank back.

“What? You think you’re the only woman who has that primal urge to fuck a man stupid after you’ve beaten the crap out of someone? Jesus, Shiori, that’s human nature. We’re all like that.”

“I’m nothing like her.”

“No shit.” He counted to ten. “Can we go now?”

“Fine. Take me home.”

They didn’t talk on the way to her place, but the air in his truck was heavy with tension.

Neither did Shiori speak in the elevator on the way to her penthouse. But once they were inside? She unloaded like he’d never seen.

He let her pace and yell in Japanese until he worried she’d have an aneurysm from the way the vein in her neck visibly throbbed.

“Shiori,” he said sharply. “Calm down. And for fuck’s sake, switch to English so I know you’re not yelling at me.”

“I’m tired of yelling. I want to track her down and I want to make her fucking cry.”

Knox took the hand she’d balled into a fist. “Why? Because she banged me a couple of times? Big deal.”

“That’s my question. Did she bang you? Or did you bang her?”

“I don’t fucking remember, okay?” he shouted, and then felt like a total dick. “Look, I can’t change the past. But you weren’t there, so you don’t get to go attributing meaning to a meaningless fuck.”

She stared at him, the picture of confusion.

“What?”

“I’ve never felt this angry before. I’ve had moments of jealousy when I saw you flirting with Katie or any of the other students who drool, giggle, and make lewd gestures when you walk by. But it was different tonight. I wanted to crush her. Then I wanted to fuck you in front of her.”

“And at any point during this violent fantasy of yours was I wearing a collar or on my knees?”

“What? No. Why would you even ask that?”

He crowded her against the wall. “Because that’s who you are. You saw Mia as balls-to-the-wall Dominant. I had sex with her, which means she probably dominated me. And since you’re my Mistress, you want to prove to her—and to me—that only you dominate me now. No one else.”

“Yes, goddammit. That’s what I want her to understand.” Her gaze met his in challenge. “That’s what I want you to understand.”

Knox pressed his lips to her forehead. To the corners of her eyes. To her cheeks. To the curve of her smile. “I do understand, Nushi.”

When Shiori initiated a kiss, any gentleness he’d used to calm her down was gone. It was replaced with passion, heat, and ownership. “I need to fuck you,” she panted against his mouth. “But I’m feeling vicious,” she warned. “Think you can take it?”