Page 117 of His Ruin
“It’s my all-time favorite flower,” I muse.
He points at me. “Now, we’re getting somewhere. Do you still hate pulp in orange juice?”
My nose wrinkles. “It’s like drinking hair.”
He runs his hands down his face dramatically. “You killed me with that shit. Dad refused to buy the one with pulp ever again because you wouldn’t drink it.”
I shove his shoulder, laughing. “Okay! Maybe I was alittlespoiled back then…”
“Back then?” He scoffs. “You had us wrapped around your little fingers at all times. You ran a tight ship.”
“I’m not as spoiled now…” I trail, my mirth fading a bit.
A humorless laugh slips from Kaden before he can stop it. “You deserve to get what you want, Melody. What one man won’t provide, another will in a heartbeat.”
Fuck. I hate it when he talks to me like that. I feel like that teenage girl who fell hopelessly in love with him all those years ago. I feel naive and gullible with my hammering heart and fluttering stomach. It’s why this is all so dangerous. I could easily slip back in time, softening myself to his charm.
Change the subject.
I take another long sip of my tea. “You’re asking about me, but I’m not the one who went missing for six years. What the hell have you been up to?”
His lips pull over his teeth exaggeratedly. “Pass.”
I shove him. “You can’t do that! Besides, I already have an idea of what your life has looked like for the past few years.”
“Oh, yeah?” He tilts his head. “Enlighten me then.”
I take another sip, my body beginning to tingle as the drug slowly starts oozing through my veins. I set my cup aside, spreading my hands in a grand gesture as my lips twitch. “Okay, picture this—”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” he groans.
“—a dark and stormy night—”
“I’m not a super villain,” he laughs.
I pinch his lips together, my body becoming heavy. “Stop interrupting me!”
“Sorry,” he mutters, the sound muffled.
I release him before taking a breath. Relaxation curls around my muscles, slowly taking me down as I ramble. “It’s a dark and stormy night. You’re parked near the curb as you wait for the drop. A sleek car drives by, tossing the bag of rock—”
“How the fuck do you know what rock is?” He scowls.
I slap a hand over the firm set of his lips as I continue. “They toss the bag of rock out the window, leaving it on the asphalt. You get out, collect it, and bring it back to Ivan. In his shady, dark office—”
“That’s probably the only accurate detail so far.” He shrugs.
”—There are men who weigh the drugs and give them out to suppliers.”
“They’re called runners,” Kaden corrects.
I point my finger in his face, becoming slightly loopy. “Were you a runner?”
He blows out a breath. “Yeah, at first.”
I’m definitely loosening up, because I rest my elbows on my knees and cup my face with both hands as I become enthralled by his dangerous life that once made me so terrified it haunted my dreams. “How many people have you killed?”
His head rears. “I’m not telling you that, Melody.”
