Page 52 of House of Pain
So, as Blaze’s gaze turned to her, their eyes locking, Alecto didn’t look away.
Instead, she allowed herself to smirk just before she lifted the glass to her lips, taking a long sip. There was no mistaking the realization that hit Blaze as his eyes widened, lips parting.
Yeah, he deserved everything that was coming his way.
20
Blaze swallowed a growl as he cut the piece of rare beef on his plate and put it in his mouth, chewing hard.
Like every other Sunday of the month, Blaze sat at the dinner table at his parents’ house, Val by his side, and had the dreaded family dinner.
He wanted to be anywhere else but here, especially after the game last night. His father’s anger seeped from him as he silently chewed on his own piece of beef at the other end of the long table.
Blaze couldn’t be angry with Alecto, could he?
He was the one who took their innocent bickering and games and turned them into a serious pissing match. He shouldn’t have been surprised that she got back at him for the detention.
But somehow, he found himself surprised and confused, which he absolutely didn’t appreciate. At the same time, though, he loved the fact that Alecto retaliated.
The possibilities were endless for how Blaze would be able to even their score, how much more exciting it was when Alecto responded to him.
He just wished she had picked some other way of getting back at him.
Fuck me.
He wanted her suffering.
He dreamed of her in his bed, moaning and whimpering, at his mercy.
Maybe if Alecto was dead, Blaze wouldn’t think about her anymore…
Well, that’s something.
There was chatter going on around the table. The guests, mostly Blaze’s father’s business partners, were all having heated conversations, cutlery clinking as they dug into their dishes.
You’d think the noise would be enough to draw Blaze out of his own head, but it wasn’t. He was too deep into this shit.
“You’re brooding,” Val whispered in his ear. “I understand you’re upset about the game, but maybe don’t make it so obvious for everyone? Your misery ismiserable.”
Blaze threw her a sideways glance, reaching a hand to pick up his glass of wine. He tipped the glass, draining it, and then waved at the server.
“Well, if I’m making you so miserable, you shouldn’t have come here tonight,” he shot back, holding a glass out for the server to refill. He only stopped theCrahenwhen the glass was filled to the brim, golden liquid almost spilling over.
Val’s sigh was the only sign of her annoyance. “No need to be rude about it,Blazy. If it weren’t for me keeping your mother busy tonight and assuring her that you’re just upset about the game, she would be all up your ass about your foul mood. How about a little bit of gratitude?”
Blaze scoffed and drowned in his wineglass.
Maybe he had made a mistake by sleeping with Val the other night, looking for a distraction.
Before, he was quite good at balancing their agreement and relationship at the House, but now he sensed danger.
Val already had been acting territorial, and the last thing he needed was for her to sink her teeth and claws into him deeper.
Fuck me.
Blaze glanced at his mother, sitting by his father’s side, wearing an elaborate ivory gown that accentuated her lean shoulders and long neck.
No doubt the dress was made to order by their tailor in the city, making sure that she would be shining bright dangling from his father’s hand, like the sweet accessory that she was.
