Page 19 of Devour

I roll my eyes. I don’t want to be in the middle of their bullshit.

“Justin, why do you hate Axl so much?”

Justin’s head snaps up from his phone. He pushes his chair back and leans over me, one hand on the back of my chair and the other flat on the table, boxing me in. His face is inches from mine.

“What is it about that asshole? Why can’t you just stay away from him?”

His cologne hits me and something nags at me. It’s familiar. But that’s obvious since I’ve lived with Justin my entire life. He’s always smelled the same, hasn’t he? I can’t put my finger on why it irks me so much.

“Back off, Justin.” I put my hand on his chest and push hard. He doesn’t move. I’m not going to play this shit with him.

“I’m serious, Saylor. That guy is dangerous.”

“How are you any less fucking dangerous? That’s literally what the Ravens train you to be.”

“He’s different.” His eyes are hard, and his voice is intense. Kynlee has gone quiet across the table. “He just wants to fuck you to get to me. All he wants is to get back at me for shit he made up in his head, and he thinks he can do that through you.”

I stare up at him. He’s so close, I can see the flecks of gold in his green eyes that look like mine. That scent is still there, making my stomach tighten.

“Sounds like every man in our world, Justin. Including you.” I push his chest harder. “Now back the fuck up. Get out of my face.”

He holds my stare for another second. Then he straightens up and drops back into his chair. The easy grin slides back into place, like he didn’t just turn into a complete asshole.

“I’m just looking out for my little sister.”

“I’m not some little girl.” I pick up my coffee. Justin has never been like that before. He’s always been protective, but that was over the top, even for him. And I don’t know what to do with it.

“He just cares about you,” Kynlee says carefully, looking between us. “In Justin’s own fucked-up, overbearing way.” She says the last part staring at him, letting him know exactly what she thought about his display. Maybe having Kynlee handling my brother for the next year might not be the worst thing, especially if he’s going to constantly be on my case about Axl.

I let it go. Whatever that was, it’s over. I have bigger things to deal with than my brother’s opinions on who I fuck.

I text Axl back under the table.

Me: If you want to play out some grudge against my brother, then leave me the fuck out of it.

My King: Fine. I’ll give him your panties with my cum all over them myself.

I should be pissed. I am fucking pissed. It sure as shit seems like he’s using me in whatever he has going on with my brother. But I’m sitting here with my thighs pressed together like a goddamn fool.

No matter how hot that is, I still refuse to be a stupid bitch in his games.

Me: Find another Dove to fuck with. I can get dick that isn’t more interested in my brother.

I hate him. I hate that he can make me wet and piss me off with the same text message. I hate that Justin’s right and he’s planning to make me some kind of revenge fuck.

My King: I don’t give two shits about your brother. Don’t forget who you belong to.

I want to believe him. That’s the stupid girl part of me. I’ve spent my whole life around men who say whatever gets them what they want. My father says what my mother needs to hear. Justin says whatever makes him look like the golden boy. Every man at every Ravens event says what they must to keep the system running. And now Axl is telling me what I want to hear. If he were in front of me, it wouldn’t take much for me to spread my legs for him like the whore he wants me to be.

I lock my phone and shove it in my pocket. I’m not texting the fucker back.

CHAPTER 8

SAYLOR

Kynlee and I walk into Velum, and the bass hits my chest before my eyes even adjust to the dark. The pills kicked in about twenty minutes ago and everything feels more intense, other than the thoughts I want to escape. The lights are low and pulsing, the air is warm, and my body already wants to move.

I haven’t texted Axl in four days. Eleven unread messages sit on my phone, and I haven’t opened a single one. I learned from Justin that they’d all been pulled into some work for the fucking Ravens. So at least he hasn’t shown up at my house.