Page 28 of Crucible
“Aprivatedisagreement,” she corrects.
“You had a private disagreement with someone, and it stirred enough outrage that you had tofleethe country?”
She shifts guiltily. “Well, that’s how it started, but then it escalated.”
“How did it escalate?” Thorin demands like he really gives a shit. He’s just looking for holes in her story—something to prove she’s tied to Isaac.
“Wellllll…”
Khalil tickles the bottom of her foot like they’ve known each other forever. “Don’t be shy,” he urges when she jerks.
“I fucked her fiancé.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And her brother.”
Thorin swears, and Khalil snorts while my dick perks with interest. She’s mesmerizing. Thorin snaps out of our mutual astonishment first and shakes his head. “Jesus, Aurelia.”
“It gets worse.”
“Dotell,” he invites dryly.
“She calledmea whore because her fiancé can’t keep his dick where it belongs, even after choosing to stay with him. Can you believe that?” Without waiting for an answer, she plows on. “So I fucked him again for the hell of it and sent the recording to her before I leaked it. Anonymously, of course.”
“Of course.”
“So I guess a good old-fashioned catfight is old news, huh?”
She wrinkles her nose. “Old fashioned would be the key phrase there, Ragnar.”
Thorin stops pacing at the odd name. “What?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Meanwhile, I stare in awe at this vengeful delight. “Wow…imagine if you’d stabbed her.”
Aurelia stares into the distance like she wishes she had. “I know, right?” Sighing, Aurelia shrugs like she wasn’t just imagining drawing blood.
“You still can,” I whisper when she pouts over the missed opportunity. “I have a knife you can borrow…or I can do it for you?”
Aurelia cuts her gaze to me like I’m insane for offering.
I guess I am.
I’m also completely serious, too.
“Can’t.” She releases a long sigh. “Apparently, being mean is out of character for me.”
“They must not have met you,” Thorin can’t help but say.
She glowers at him but doesn’t bother defending herself. Aurelia may be a ruthless bitch, but at least she owns it. It’s quiet for a few moments as we think about the state of the world weleft behind almost a decade ago. I was just getting to know it when Thorin, Khalil, and Ezekiel snatched it from under me.
“Anyway.” She dismisses his commentary about her character with a roll of her eyes. We’ve no room to judge, nor would we. Thorin just likes to give people a hard time. I should know. “You got a phone or something? I need to call my uncle and let him know I’m okay.” Tension fills the room again as the three of us stare back at her. “Helloooo?” She snaps her fingers when none of us jump to do her bidding.
Instinctively, my gaze flies to Thorin, and I can see it on his face. Aurelia is begging for a hard lesson in manners, and he’s dying to be the one to teach it to her.
An idea starts to take shape in my already twisted mind, and I try to push it down. I don’t want to break my new toy so soon, but then her torn sleeve falls further off her shoulder, and my eyes are drawn to the curve of her breast.
