Page 78 of Crucible
The silence stretches on for too long, Khalil’s question going unanswered, so he sucks his teeth and comes up with a conclusion on his own. “See, I knew I shouldn’t have let y’all watch,” he gripes while resting his back against the headboard,one muscled leg dangling over the side of the bed like some sort of listless sex god.
They’d been watching? The whole time?
“Yeah?” Thorin retorts. “Well, this bitch just tried to fucking kill you, so I’d say you’re lucky as hell I even bothered to save your sorry ass.”
“I knew you were upset that she chose me,” Khalil blathers like Thorin hadn’t spoken, “but cockblocking, Thorin? Really? She chose me. Get over it. What did you expect when you—wait, what?”
“She tried togutyou while you were balls deep, dumbass.”
It’s almost comical when Khalil’s jaw drops, and his eyes dart to me. Then, he goes back to Thorin and then to Seth for confirmation. Khalil’s face is the picture of shock when his gaze finally settles on me. It’s the lack of remorse he sees on my face that finally allows what Thorin told him to sink in. “Are you fucking serious? I let you come!”
Unbelievable.
Thorin tosses the glass shard on the bed next to Khalil’s leg. “Seth and I saw her hide that under her pillow before you came to bed. We waited to see if she’d make a move.”
“Yousawher hide a weapon that could kill me andwaited?”
Seth pouts as if he’s disappointed that Khalil isn’t as amused as him. “I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.”
Thorin rolls his eyes. “We didn’t see what it was, jackass.”
“Yeah, whatever. You probably thought about letting her do it just to get back at me, you jealous asshole.”
“Can you stop thinking with your dick for one moment? She just tried to kill you. Who cares who had her first? It could have easily been me whether she wanted it or not. The fallacy is thinking that the choice was ever really hers.”
I crab walk closer to the door while they’re distracted, arguing over my pussy. Seth sees me, but all he does is smile warmly and waggle his fingers goodbye. Of the three, he scares me the most.
“That little ass piece of glass wouldn’t have done more than give me a flesh wound.”
“And if she’d hit an artery?”
“Istillwould have been the one she’d chosen.”
I’m nearly through the door when I hear Khalil’s petulant jibe and roll my eyes. They might be big, bad, scary mountain men on the outside, but they’re boys on the inside.
“Get your ass back here, Aurelia.”
The order comes from Thorin, who doesn’t so much as turn his head to look my way. I feel the last of my fight leave me with a sigh. Of course, Thorin, Khalil, and Seth never stopped being aware of me. I never stood a chance of getting away.
Slowly rising to my feet, my gaze bounces between the three of them to gauge which one I can turn against the others.
The three of them are careful not to give a single passing thought away, but I’ve been practicing the art a lot longer, so I know mine are well hidden when I saunter over to…Seth.
I take one step toward the grinning maniac when Thorin reaches out a long arm and yanks me to his side.
“Explain yourself,” he demands.
THORIN
Aurelia glowers from the foot of the bed, where I made her sit while I wrap and doctor her hand. Khalil is still fuming and talking shit as he paces back and forth. Everyone, Aurelia included, ignores him.
It’s her lack of remorse that pisses him off the most.
She doesn’t fight, speak, or even look at us while we try to figure out what to do with her.
If it’s mercy Aurelia wants, she doesn’t ask for it.
Her spine is ramrod straight, legs crossed primly, mouth in a disappointed pout while Khalil’s bathrobe drapes her curvaceous frame, and her dainty foot dangles back and forth like a queen who has given an order and waits impatiently to be obeyed. I can almost imagine a pair of designer heels adorning those pretty feet. I can even imagine her using them to step on whoever got in her way back in her world.
