Page 17 of Raziel

His body relaxed into me—and for a second, just one second, I thought I had him.

Then he grabbed my wrist and yanked me off like I burned him. Dragged me around to face him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he snapped, eyes cutting like glass. “You think this is a game?”

I blinked. “Damn. Calm down—”

“You using again?” he asked, stepping closer.

I rolled my eyes. “Relax. I was just helping a friend.”

“You think I care why you’re here when you shouldn’t be here?” he barked. “That’s not the question I asked you.”

“You’re not my father,” I snapped.Pissed.

Who the fuck did he think he was?

He stepped even closer, until the space between us vanished.

“No, but apparently someone has to tell you what to do before you burn your whole life down. Again.”

I scoffed. “You don’t know enough about me to be telling me shit.”

He scoffed right back. “I know you’re throwing your life away and dragging people with you. That’s what I know.”

“Fuck you!!” I shouted, stepping back. “You don’t know what I’ve been through!”

Nobody did.

Not even Miyori.

It would hurt her.

Make her feel like she didn’t do enough after our parents left.

Like she failed me.

I couldn’t do that to her.

So, I held that shit in my bones. Swallowed it and smiled.

Let her think I was just wild and reckless—never broken.

Because if she knew, she’d carry it.

And I couldn’t let her carry anymore of my weight.

His expression didn’t shift. His voice dropped—colder than I’d ever heard it.

“Then maybe you should stop chasing the same shit that put you there in the first place.”

I shoved him. Hard. I put all 180 pounds of my 5'9" frame into it.

He didn’t budge. Not an inch.

“You don’t get to judge me,” I snapped, voice cracking. “You a fucking criminal. Murderer.”

He grabbed my jaw, forced me to look at him.