Page 214 of Revv

His eyes close briefly.

“I care so fucking much it scares the shit out of me.”

My breath catches.

I look down at his hands because suddenly looking at his face feels dangerous, and that’s when I really notice how bad they are.

“Jesus Christ, Revel.”

I catch his wrist and turn his hand carefully beneath the light. His knuckles are split open, swollen and already bruising purple beneath the skin.

“You destroyed your fucking hands.”

“Nah, it’s just cosmetic, trust me. They still work.” His mouth curves despite the bruise darkening along his cheek. “Want me to prove it to you?”

“You are absolutely shameless, pendejo.” I slap his chest with my free hand.

A tiny smile pulls at his mouth.

I narrow my eyes. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because you’re pissed and getting violent.” His brows bounce once, playful as ever. “Kinda missed it.”

I smack his chest again.

“Cabrón.”

He laughs, and something inside me gives way at the sound because he’s here. Soaked, bruised, bleeding, completely fucking infuriating, but here.

I spent the entire night convincing myself he didn’t come because I wasn’t worth coming back to, and apparently, my mouth decides I haven’t humiliated myself enough yet.

“This is why I didn’t want to fall in love with you.”

The room goes still.

Puta madre.

My entire body locks up while Revel’s expression changes slowly, his eyes sharpening on mine as something dangerously close to pure fucking happiness spreads across his battered face.

I immediately try to step back.

His hand catches my waist.

“You’re in love with me?”

“I said I didn’t want to be.”

His grin grows.

“That ain’t the same thing, Mama.”

I point a finger at him. “If you make this unbearable, I swear to God—”

He kisses me before I can finish.

Hard and desperate, nothing like the smug, cocky kisses he usually gives me. My hands fist in his soaked shirt almost immediately, and I kiss him back because, apparently, pride packed its shit and left sometime around hour three of crying at Mami’s house.

When he finally pulls away, his forehead drops against mine.