Page 94 of Alluring Darkness
Jace grabs the pillow next to him and slams it into Rico’s side with impressive force. “Stop calling me that.”
“If you were eavesdropping while I was fucking my girl, I will break every bone in your body,” Eli interrupts.
My stomach flips and butterflies erupt in my chest.My girl. I have to put down the apple and grip the edge of the counter with both hands to stop myself from falling over.
Apparently oblivious to how my world tilted on its axis from those two words, the Hunters simply continue bickering. Jace snorts and rolls his eyes at Eli’s threat, and Rico uses the opportunity to yank the pillow out of his grip.
Ignoring him, Jace turns farther around on the couch so that he’s facing us head on. There’s a wicked grin on his mouth as he retorts, “Good luck with that when I’m the one with the pile of bats waiting for me.”
“I don’t need a bat to beat you up, little brother.” Eli takes a slow drink, watching Jace from over the rim of his cup. “And yes, you did hear your name earlier.”
It looks like Jace was about to throw an argument back in Eli’s face, but when that last sentence sinks in, he stops abruptly with his mouth still open. Raising his eyebrows, he stares at Eli with wide eyes. “Wait, what? I did?” His gaze flicks to me. “You saidmyname?”
I open my mouth to respond, but Eli beats me to it.
“Yes, she was telling me that she now knows that the rumors about you are wrong.” He sets his cup down on the counter with a clink before flashing his younger brother a sharp smile. “And that there is no doubt about it thatIhave the biggest cock.”
By the polished wooden table, Kaden snickers into his coffee.
“Oh fuck no,” Jace snaps.
“Oh yes,littlebrother.” Smugness laces Eli’s voice as he stresses that one word.
With impressive agility, Jace scrambles over the backrest and leaps off the sofa. Straightening on the floor, he stabs a finger towards Eli. “You’re full of shit and you know it.”
“No, it’s the truth.” Placing a commanding hand on my knee, he gives it a firm squeeze. “Isn’t that right, Raina?”
I slide my gaze to him. Yet again, power and threats swirl in his eyes. He narrows his eyes slightly, and his fingers dig harder into my skin. I know exactly what he wants me to do, and what he’s going to do to me if I disobey him. But because I have absolutely no impulse control, I let a wide grin spread across my lips instead.
“I mean, I’m just working off assumptions here,” I say. Shifting my attention back to Jace, I lift my shoulders in an innocent shrug. “So if you’re up for a dick measuring contest, I wouldn’t mind being the judge.”
Jace’s eyes light up with mischief as he reaches towards the top of his dark gray sweats as if to pull them down right now. But before his fingers can so much as brush the fabric, a knife flies through the air right in front of him.
It buries itself in the opposite wall with athwack.
Both Jace and I whip towards Kaden in surprise. Eli and Rico only chuckle and exchange an amused look.
“Keep your fucking dick in your pants,” Kaden says. “I’m eating breakfast.”
“One,” Jace begins, raising a finger in the air. “You’re noteatinganything. And two…” He cracks his knuckles while starting towards the table. “If you ever throw a knife at me again, I’ll introduce you to my favorite bat.”
Kaden snorts. “Come try it.”
While they continue threatening each other, Eli pushes off from the edge and moves so that he is standing right in front of me. Placing his hands on my thighs, he forces my legs open so that he can step in between them. I arch an eyebrow at him.
Reaching up, he takes a firm grip on the collar of my shirt and uses it to pull my face closer to his. The promise of painful, wicked, and absolutely delicious vengeance dances in his eyes.
“You’ll pay for that, princess.” His fist tightens on my collar. Holding me in place, he leans in and slants his lips over mine. “Dearly.”
I chuckle and then whisper my next words directly against his mouth. “I’m counting on it.”
Eli crushes his lips against mine, claiming my mouth with a savage kiss.
My heart soars in my chest.
I feel lighter than I have in years.
I feel like I can finally breathe again.