Page 28 of Raine

“Raine.”

“No! No more, Arrow. Please, just go. Let me sort my shit out so I can do what I need to do, so I can put my mask on and be the mafia princess I fucking am.”

“I’ll wait for you so you can ride with me,” he tries, and I shake my head, finally pushing away from him when he releases me.

“Just go.”

I look up into his eyes, seeing the moment the comfort he held for me turns to anger.

“I’m only good for you when it suits you, right? Your knight in shining armor bowing to your every whim, huh?” He shouts, and I wince. “I have feelings, too, for fuck’s sake.” His voice dips, and I take a step toward him, but it’s his turn to push me away.

And this is what we do: we push and pull each other in different directions until the road melds into one that neither of us wants to maneuver down.

“Row, I’m…”

“Don’t fucking say it, Raine. I told Justyce this was a bad idea. Fuck it!” He yells, turning away from me and stomping out the door.

I don’t release a breath until his motorbike starts and I hear him speed off, leaving me feeling washed out and jaded as fuck.

Gripping the black wrought-iron railing, I heave myself up the stairs, moving on autopilot as I reach my room and grab some clean clothes. The shower will have to wait until I’ve dealt with the assholes in my life.

I reachArcane just over an hour after Arrow left my place, and I’m not at all surprised when I walk into our meeting room upstairs at the club and see he isn’t there.

A deep ache settles in my chest, but I push it away, focusing on the two men sitting in front of me and spotting Kenzi at the bar area making drinks.

“Hey Raine, want one?”

I nod. “Make it a double.”

“It went that bad,” Justyce groans, and I choose to ignore him, not paying Acheron any mind either.

I take a seat across from them, crossing my legs and picking the invisible lint off my faded light blue jeans. Looking up, I see the question lurking in Justyce’s dark eyes, but I shake my head subtly, hoping he understands that I’m not in the mood to talk about it.

Groaning, he takes a sip of the drink Kenzi puts in front of him, and I take mine from her hand when she comes around.

“Are you alright?” she whispers, and I offer her a quick nod.

“Peachy.”

Acheron chuckles, and I ignore it, choosing not to be goaded by him.

“So, what did you need me for?”

Justyce leans back in the leather chair, his tight maroon half-unbuttoned dress shirt showing off his Tartarus Mafia tattoo and the others on his chest.

Screwing up my face, I say, “Why is your shirt not buttoned?”

Kenzi coughs beside me, and Justyce grins.

“Ask Kenzi.”

“Fuck you.”

“That mouth… How I love to shut you up with my cock down it.”

I groan, Acheron laughs, and Kenzi throws a piece of ice at him from her drink. Now that makes me smile.

“Watch it, Dark One.”