Page 18 of Dark Little Game

As familiar as the air in my lungs.

As familiar as my fingers twitching over the knife in my pocket.

“I’ll decide how you can repay me later.”

“Bro,” he protests, a sudden anger in his eyes. “Forget it happened. And don’t fucking talk to me again.”

“You’re the one who kissed me,” I say. “Bro.”

He’s barely looking at me now.

And he’s gone a moment later.

I watch him take off across the room, disappearing into the crowd.

Over the next half hour,I don’t run into my brother. Thank the fucking gods above. For all I know, Weston is trying to avoid me, too, and I’m happy to keep it that way.

I do learn some interesting gossip, though.

I hear a few society members talking about the attack that happened last night. The former Onyx member was strangled and shot.

Their ignorance is clear.

They say the guy survived a gunshot through the brain, but I know that’s extremely unlikely.

The bullet most likely didn’t even penetrate his skull.

I overhear a couple of people asking whereRoyalis, too, and I realize that it’s their nickname for Rayne.

Very cute.

Make his ego the size of a fucking continent, why don’t you?

Can somebody shoot me in the fucking head now, too?

An hour later, I’ve had enough.

I head up the dark wooden staircase, making my way through the long hallway lined with black-and-white pictures of Crimson College.

I swing open the door of Rayne’s bedroom.

Our bedroom now.

When I step inside he pushes himself up on his elbows in bed. He’s shirtless, and the only light in the room ismoonlight coming in through the diamond-shaped panes of the window.

I’m surprised to see something I never expected on Rayne: two tattoos, in black linework.

Beautiful wings at each end of his collarbone.

I used to draw and paint all the time. I can recognize good art when I see it. I let my eyes rake over his chest, not trying to hide that I’m looking.

“That ink looks good on your skin.”

“Fuck off.”

“Can’t accept a compliment? Just another trait you share with my brother.”

“I won’t accept compliments from you, because I know you’re not sincere.”