Page 58 of Villains and Vengeance
He gives a light chuckle. ‘Soon, you’ll seek out my touch,’ he whispers.
‘Stop pretending you want me when you hate my guts.’ I shake my head to clear it. ‘It’s not going to get you anywhere with me. I don’t want Iron here. I know the deal isn’t done until Maddox gives his word. He has the final say. Speak to him and the others if you want, but if anyonenotyou or Axel puts one toe into Siggy’s territory, I run. The Mountain is much bigger than you know and you have no idea where the portal is. You’ll never find itor mein time.’
Jayce gives me a grin. ‘Who’s pretending?’
‘Did you hear anything I just said?’ I ask, throwing his arm away from me as his other hand covers mine.
‘Yes, baby, I heard you. I won’t bring Iron here, okay? No need for threats. It hardly fosters trust between us.’
I look helplessly at Axel, not understanding these guys at all.
‘Do you want something to eat?’ Jayce asks me. ‘I could pick something up on my way back.’
I gape at him. Saying I’m surprised doesn’t cut it.
‘What, like takeout?’ I ask incredulously. ‘Inthe Mountain.’
‘Yeah.’ He grins as if this is totally possible.
‘Okay, sure,’ I say, calling his bluff because there’s just no way that exists here.
He looks happy that I’ve said yes and darts forward, giving me a peck on my lips before I can stop him.
Then, he’s gone.
All I can do is stare after him. ‘He’s crazy,’ I mutter.
Axel snorts and I turn to look at him.
‘I’m not falling for it,’ I say. ‘I’m not letting my guard down. It doesn’t matter what you guys say or do.’
Axel doesn’t say anything, but I see a smirk on his face that he tries to hide and I scowl at him.
I’m not going to let them get under my skin. I can’t afford to.
* * *
Jayce
I leaveSiggy’s territory without issue. The arania just watches me go. She fucking loves me. I think I’ll pick something up for her on my way back too. Keep her sweet. I sort of hope I don’t have to drive a sword through her because I do actually like her. But it’s not just that. Jules clearly loves the quarter-ton, eight-legged pussycat and, like Axel, I don’t want to hurt her.
I’ve never felt like this before. Not with any supes and definitely not with a human. What would Krase think if he saw me right now?
I pause in the tunnel, staring into the darkness in silence. I thought I’d feel guilty. I did when we first got here and I realized how much I still wanted her. But the truth is that my brother wouldn’t be upset. He’d clap me on the back and tell me to go for it because this thing I feel when I look at Jules, whatever it is, isn’t usual.
I want – no IneedJules to be happy and content and not just with sex either. Outside of it too. I’ve never cared about that before. Once I’ve had my fill, I’m finished. Even when we’ve had on-call girls staying at the house before, I’ve not been interested in them past feeding as needed.
I start walking again, glad I’ve come to terms with my feelings for Jules so quickly. The hard part will be explaining things to the others. Even Axel doesn’t get it yet.
But I do.
I decide I’m not going to tell them though. I want to see their faces when she gets under their skins like she has mine. I want to see them humbled, taken a down a peg or two. It’ll serve them right.
I skip down the rest of the hall, jumping in the arania webs in front of their burrows and out again too fast for them to catch me when they dart out.
‘Gotta be faster,’ I taunt, sure they can understand me because Siggy does.
I go down to the Cluster and, as predicted, I find Maddox, Daemon, and Iron pacing around like caged beasts.
