Page 62 of Tethered Souls

“Noted,” he says, holding up both his hands as he takes an exaggerated step back.

I look at him like he’s an idiot, wondering what the fuck just happened, but Maddox laughs and says, “I like you.” He looks him up and down as he wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me a step back. “So was it you she called as she...you know…” He wiggles his eyebrows as my ears burn. “Pretended to come all over my brother’s cock?”

“Maddox!” I hiss, throwing an elbow into him, not giving a damn that it’s not very ladylike. Some people just deserve to be hit, and this little shit is definitely one of them.

He gasps as my elbow connects with his solar plexus. His arm leaves me as I twist away, and he leans forward on a groan. “Shit, Micha. Don’t go giving me a boner with your moves, or Varius will cut it off.”

“You would absolutely deserve it.”

“Haaarsh.” He lifts his head to look at me. “And here I was doing a good deed by saving your friend from losing his.”

“What?”

But my confusion quickly gives way to understanding as I recall what Maddox did as soon as he arrived. He forced Dayne and I apart.

“The fucking neanderthal,” I hiss, lowering my voice so no one around us can hear. “Varius can’t be jealous of me merely touching someone.”

Maddox cocks his head to the side. “Eh, less jealousy and more simply doing what’s expected from a Boss. You’re his, Micha. So don’t go touching other guys unless you want them dead.”

My heart rate spikes for my friend. “He’s gay,” I blurt.

Maddox lifts a brow as he looks him up and down again. His eyes settle back on Dayne’s face. “You like redheads?”

“I’m more of a personality kind of guy.”

“Ah. Pity. Rudy’s personality sucks.”

“Rudy is the best one out of the lot of you,” I cut in. He’s sweet. He brings his plates to the sink and cleans up after himself. Plus, I caught him saving a spider from a cobweb the other day. He spent thirty minutes cleaning its legs with a pair of chopsticks, then set it up in a new corner inside the house.

Maddox snorts. “The boy can’t even commit murder.”

I start to tell him that doesn’t matter, but really? It kind of does in our way of life. Besides, there’s just something really hot about a man willing to get his hands bloody.

Especially if he does it while wearing a button-up shirt.

With the sleeves rolled up.

His tie loose.

First few buttons on his shirt undone…

Mmmm.

Fuck.I shift on my feet, growing more and more aware of the plug in my ass. My cheeks growing hot, I glance at Varius again. My heart drops like a stone. He’s talking to a gorgeous lady with dark hair pulled into a bun atop her head. He leans in and whispers something in her ear. His hand is on her arm. He’s touching her. In public.

She’s classy, dressed in black, and my eyes narrow as I wonder if she’s a gold digger. Not that I have an issue with them; you can’t tell women their worth is only ever on their back and then get mad when that’s exactly what they try to do, but she is way too fucking close to my fiance. Way closer than Dayne and I was. I have half a mind to go force them apart. See how he likes it.

A low growl in my throat, I beeline straight for them. Sau breaks off from the people she’s talking to, casually gliding in my direction, still staying the epitome of grace as she flits from one group to the next with the perfect smile, but I know she’s coming for me. I know she’s going to stop me, so I pick up my pace, ignoring people trying to talk to me, and make sure I reach him before she does.

My chest heaving, I stop beside my fiance. “Varius,” I say sweetly as I grab his wrist. “Come dance with me.”

He glances down at me, not moving, and my heart jumps into my throat as I stare up at him, so painfully aware that this classy-ass bitch is about to witness his rejection of me. But what did I possibly think was going to happen? He’s Varius fucking Shadow. Of course he won’t want to dance or care about making me look like an insecure fool.No. No, he cares at least a little. He won’t –

“Leave us, Micha.”

My heart tumbles into my stomach, where it gets sloshed around in waves of acid, only to tragically drown.

I drop my arm, feeling sick. But that’s soon washed away by anger. Pivoting, I storm off to the bathroom so I can take out this damn butt plug, wash off his fucking claim. I pass Dayne, and he looks at me sympathetically, but I don’t stop. Don’t listen to his, “I told you so,” even though he’s too sweet to actually say it.