Page 77 of Dark Little Game

As the hot spray of the shower hits my skin, I’m lost in thought.

Briar doesn’t realize that there’s no way for me to make my time with Wescountwhen he’s hated me forever, though.

If only she knew how different my childhood was.

How my father ruined any chance of Weston ever trusting me.

How isolating it was to have a brother who wouldn’t even look my way.

We should have been close like that, too.

But you had Rayne for that, didn’t you?

I’ve only been away from Rayne for less than an hour, but leaving him alone these days is starting to feel like a bad move.

What if he has another dart in his neck?

What if he’s currently being chased down by someone who’s even worse than me?

If I’m not around to watch him, he’s going to do something that gets him in trouble. Like going for one of his goddamn runs alone. Like ending up isolated in a place where he shouldn’t.

I need Raynenearme.

All the time.

I want to hurt him, of course. I know he craves it. I want to put him in his place and watch the look in his eyes when I show him howIlike to treat a king.

But I don’t want any other soul on Earth to ever touch him. That’s my job.

And mine only.

Andfuck, now I’m doing it again.

Tunneling.

Going to a dark place because that’s the only place my mind is at home.

And Rayne’s worked his way into being the biggest piece of my mind, every hour of every goddamn day.

Clawed his way in.

Dughis way in, with his pretty brown eyes and a tongue he can’t fucking keep out of my mouth.

I need to stay in control. Fencing had worked to clear my head, but now I want something stronger. I scrub my skin clean, put on fresh clothes, and head out into the gym where Briar’s waiting on a bench.

“I need whiskey,” I tell Briar.

Her eyes light up. “Easy. Come back with me to Luros. We have way too much alcohol in the house and we’re going to need to get through it somehow.”

“I’m assuming that alcohol is for the party later?”

Briar shrugs. “Well, we can have a party all to ourselves upstairs. Even if it’s just one drink.”

Drinking won’t distract me enough either.

But it’s better than going home.

Someone is being friendly to you, Hunter Knox.