Page 259 of Fatality

The feeling sends a jolt through my entire body.

I'm not in the damn mood, but it still makes my stomach twist and heat up.

I know he's about to speak because I feel his breath deepen against my face.

My comm buzzes.

Just in time.

I feel his muscles tensing beneath me.

“Lights on.” I order.

My loft illuminates instantly.

By the time my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness, I realize my mouth is practically pressed against Evren's nose.

Evren wiggles his eyebrows teasingly.

I sigh and push myself up.

I walk over to my comm, pick it up, and immediately tense.

“Who is it?” he growls.

I don't answer. I grit my teeth and swipe up to accept the call.

A video call.

My father appears, my mother beside him. Their holograms somehow make them look warmer than they are in reality.

“Riven,” my mother begins, “interesting choice of... attire.”

Her eyes sweep over my body—I’m wearing oversized pants with a fishnet top and a bra under.

I clench my fists.

“Hello to you too, Mother.”

“We're calling to invite you to the government's annual ball,” my father says. “So, I expect you to be... not you, Riven. This ball is an occasion to show society who the Laordies are, so you'd better behave, or I'll cut off your little tattoo project.”

I hear Evren stand up abruptly from the couch.

And here we go.

I swear I hate them more than I hate Evren. They're so... I don't even have the words.

I feel my chest tighten, rage flooding through my entire body, but before I can make a sound, a heavy hand clamps down on my hip.

“And I expect you to shut the fuck up,” Evren says from beside me. “Or I'll peel the skin off your faces and make masks out of it.”

My eyes widen in shock.

I was expecting him to do something, like break my comm.

He acts first usually, but I wasn't expecting him to tell my father to shut the fuck up and be that vivid.

He’s protecting me.