Page 39 of Cryptic Curse

Every dirty needle he’s stuck into his own skin, every empty pill bottle with someone else’s name on it I’ve found in his medicine cabinet.

I’ve seen him broken and feral.I’ve seen him smile while bleeding.I’ve seen him walk away from people who would’ve walked through fire for him.

Peoplehavewalked through fire for him.Falcon went to prison for eight goddamned years because of him.

And Eagle better fucking remember that.

I glance at him across the table.That unreadable mask on his face.Still.Cool.Watching Daniela like she’s a chess piece and he’s trying to figure out if she’s the queen or the pawn.

My pulse hammers in my ears.

I don’t like how close he’s sitting.I don’t like how she blushed.And I sure as hell don’t like the idea ofhimmaking a game out ofher.

She’s not some puzzle to crack or a distraction to fill the time between his self-sabotage spirals.

She’sreal.Smart.Funny.She laughs with her whole body and makes a meal feel like a love letter.

She’s warm.

He’s ice.

And now he’s circling, like the eagle he is getting ready to swoop down onto his prey.

I push my chair back.Not enough to make a scene—just enough for the chair to scrape loud against the wood, enough to make Eagle’s head turn.

There it is.That flicker of something in his eyes.

Recognition.

Challenge accepted.

I lean forward, elbows on the table, eyes locked on his.

The room hushes, tension like static crawling across everyone’s skin.

Except they have no idea.Mom continues slicing cake.Savannah continues serving coffee.Vinnie is squeezing Raven’s hand as she sips her Orange Crush.

Eagle takes a sip of his coffee, slow and deliberate.He’s enjoying this.

And then he smirks.Razor-thin.

He knows.Heknows.

He knows I’m nursing a thing for Daniela.

Fuck.

A thing.I call it athinglike I’m trying to tame it.

I’m a grown man.Not a hormone-jumbled teenager.

But around her?Ifeellike one.And now my little brother is pushing buttons because he knows exactly where they are.

“Care for a convo, E?”I say, rising to my feet, voice low.

He blinks slowly.“Hey.I’m not done with my cake.”

“This won’t take long.”