Page 106 of The Villain's Beast

“Did you want to fuck him?” Daren grinned, coming toward me. “Before all of this.”

“He’s not my type.”

“What’s your type, then?”

“I think I like a good villain.” I gasped as Daren sucked a bruise into my neck, Luca smiling at me over his shoulder.

“Villains, are we?” Luca mused.

“Not you two.”

“Always Fletcher,” Daren muttered into my skin before licking his way up to my ear. “Do you think about him when I’m fucking you?”

“Only when he’s fucking me too,” I promised.

Downstairs, voices raised in greeting, not confrontation.

“Yes,” Luca answered my earlier question. “You’ll be able to graduate, Bellamy. You can go back to class whenever you want.”

“Are you two going to?”

“I don’t know what I want to do.” Luca shrugged. “For so many years, all I’ve cared about was earning my father’s favor. I never stopped to think what mattered to me.”

“It’s obviously me,” Daren said with a crooked grin. “Us, I mean.”

He hadn’t meant it as a slight, and it didn’t hurt. I was new still and they had history. Nothing would erase the connection between Daren and Luca, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

“Whatever you want, I support,” I said, grabbing Luca by the front of his shirt and yanking him toward me. Lifting onto my toes, I pressed our mouths together, smiling as Daren laughed at my brazen maneuver. Luca hummed happily, licking his way into my mouth to deepen the kiss.

“Hey now,” Daren mock-whined, pulling Luca away from me and kissing him. Inches away from my face, I watched Daren lick my taste off Luca’s tongue. The two of them melted into each other and melted into me, coming close enough for me to taste them together on my own lips.

“I completely forgot I brought you two coffee,” Daren murmured, chuckling under his breath.

Sure enough, there were three coffee mugs on top of the dresser, still fresh and steaming. They would have to wait because, downstairs, heavy chairs from the dining room werebeing moved around. The three of us sobered, back from our momentary reprieve where the only thing we had to do with our days was kiss and make promises.

“Are you ready for this?” Daren asked, taking my hand, taking Luca’s hand.

“Are you?”

“I have to be,” he said simply, jerking his chin toward the door in invitation for me to open it. “I always have been.”

We went downstairs together, Vince’s eyes sparkling like diamonds when he saw our proximity. Gideon and Fletcher sat side by side at the table, their chairs pulled close enough together so they could touch. It was as much of a statement as they’d ever made in mixed company and my heart swelled at the quiet sight of it. The three of us took our seats, and together the five of us mapped out the course for the rest of our lives. On our own terms and with our own rules. The dynasty was finished, the thorns and the roses were united, and together…we were free.

Chapter 73

Gideon

After two hours with Vince, I sent him and the triad out for lunch, leaving Fletcher and me alone in the house.

“What do you think about burning both of the houses down?” he asked me casually, not like he was suggesting the addition of another felony to our list of uncharged crimes.

“Here I was going to suggest we put on a movie and get comfortable.”

“I didn’t mean right now.” Fletcher shoved his chair away from the table and pulled me to my feet. He wrapped his warm arms around me and walked me out to the living room, sat me down on the couch. “We’ve never watched a movie before. We’ve never been comfortable.”

“I have to admit, Fletcher, I’m not sure how to live if I don’t hate you.”

He grinned and pulled me half onto his lap. “You can still hate me sometimes if you want to.”