Page 100 of Make Me Bleed

“You should. I went to jail for you,” I snark.

Peris scoffs. “If not for me then for some other nefarious reason sooner or later.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I add. “But not this time, though.”

“No…” he looks back at me, eyes soft. “Not this time.”

Breakfast is a riotous affair.Gabe and Peris seem to be on their own level as they snipe back and forth at each other, and I watch with complete and utterawe.

I’ve never seen Peris act so…

So fun.

“He seems so happy today,” Elise says from beside me, and I look up at her. Her eyes are soft, and she tucks a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. She’s watching Peris and Gabe fuck with each other on the other side of the round table with what I imagine that typicalmotherlook would be, and it’s so sweet.

“He does,” I reply softly, gaze dragging back over to him as well, unable to stray for long.

“What you did, Abel…”

“It was nothing,” I reply firmly, tightening my grip on my fork. Our food is about gone, and we’ve merely been conversing and hanging out, but I’ve been sneaking bites here and there because it’s too damn good. And so sweet.

I feel like it’s been too long since I’ve indulged in so much sugar.

“It wasn’t nothing,” Elise replies firmly, and I shake my head. I don’t really want to talk about it.

“It was everything,” Peris cuts in softly but firmly, eyes intent on me, and I flush.

I guess we’re fucking talking about it.

“It was badass—so I’m told,” Gabe adds with a wink, and I can’t help but snort. I roll my eyes at him but duck my head down. I don’t want to be praised, damnit. I just… I just protected my family… Like any of them would have and have done in the past.

And that’s when it hits me… like really.

I have a family to protect.

A whole, honest to God fuckingfamily.

I glance up and roam my eyes over the three of them. They’re all looking at me differently. Elise with a soft smile like always, Gabriel with a smirk, and Peris… he’s staring at me like he wants to make me bleed in the best fucking way.

I shiver involuntarily at that thought as my pulse starts to race justimaginingit…

“What’s on your mind, puppy?” Peris asks as he leans across the table, and I flush, eyes darting toward Elise and Gabe, who have now looked away.

“Nothing,” I snap, hating how he just calls me out so easily. So uncaring that anyone can hear.

He really doesn’t have a care in the world who knows anymore, and it’s invigorating.

And terrifying.

Because I don’t know how far he’s willing to go.

But my guess is… far.

“Don’t lie to me, baby,” he drawls, and I shiver.Damnit.

“You know,” I try, “I remember when I used to be the one who unnerved you.”

“Those were the days, weren’t they?” Peris drawls as he leans back against the booth, arms stretched out across the back, asconfident as ever, and I want to hit him just as much as I want to kiss him.