Page 33 of Pretty Broken Wings

I hate her. I hate all of this.

Buddy ambles over to me, poking me with her cold nose. It makes me take a breath.

I can do this. I have to prepare for this case, and Raven is just a means to an end. Literally just that.

Raven agrees to the switch, and I move to the couch to wait, absently scratching Buddy’s ears as she pants her stinky dog breath in my face. I’ve tried brushing her teeth, but it’s like wrestling an alligator. I pet her behind the ears, sinking my fingers into her soft texture. I know she’s a pretty gray, not that I can see it right now. I don’t think I could ever handle fully losing my sight because then I’d lose seeing her.

After a bit, there’s a knock at the door, and Buddy stiffens. Before I can grab her, she’s running to the door, barking. The noise makes my head pound, which reminds me that there’s no way I can handle anything crazy today. I need those painkillers to kick in, goddamn it.

“Buddy.” I follow her to the door and try to pull her away, but she scrabbles on the tile, trying to stick her nose through the door.

“Just a minute!” I drag Buddy to my room, apologizing to her as I go. Once inside, she gives a huff, but I see her fuzzy form jump on my bed, where she knows she isn’t supposed to be.

Whatever.

I shut the door gently, then move to the front door, opening it. Raven’s standing right in front of me, backlit by the sun. I imagine her like a hazy, dark-haired demon.

I just stand there. Why am I doing this?

“Gonna invite me in?” Raven’s voice is dry.

I just stare.

“Probably easier to whack me inside without the whole street seeing it.”

I blink. Whack her? Does she think… Did she just accuse me of being a murderer? And of not knowing how to commit a crime in one breath?

Nope. I’m not doing this. I go to shut the door when Raven says, “I have a knife on me.” She sounds bored. “It’s pink.”

That throws me for a loop for a painfully long second.

“Figured you’d want to know what it looks like ‘cause if you try something, you won’t see it coming.”

I’m pulled back to the present, and my mouth drops open. She just insulted my blindness and threatened me at the same time. For a moment, all I can do is watch Raven’s fuzzy form while an electric buzz races across my skin. It’s both hatred and… something else. Something that makes me feel alive.

It’s then that I realize I’m hard. Really fucking hard.

No. My face burns.No, no, no,Gage! This is not how things are going to go. What the hell is my problem?

“What’s your brother’s problem with you?”

“What?” My heart races and my skin feels hot. I can smell Raven again, and of course, she smells fucking good.

“He literally came to my door and begged me not to work for you.”

The words cut through my haze. What happened?

I hear the rustle of fabric and vaguely see Raven cross her arms. All I can do is stare in her general direction.

Axel begged her not to work for me? The thought makes me angry, but I just say, “He doesn’t have a problem with me.” Well, other than brotherly animosity. I was always the one compared to him. He has everything. There’s never any reason for him to mess with me.

“That’s not how it sounded.”

Raven’s voice is like smoke, curling around me and sending shivers up my arms. Goddamn it, Gage, wake up!

I shake myself. “My brother doesn’t care what his hookups do. Never has, never will. So why are you making shit up?”

There’s a sharp intake of breath, then a loaded silence. Then, Raven’s voice is more coal and hot smoke. “I’m not his hookup, and I’m not his whore. I won’t fuck Axel, and while we’re on the topic, I won’t fuck you. So let’s put that to rest.”