Page 24 of Merciless

For the first time, she looked at me, but in all the wrong ways. I didn’t think it would upset me as much as it does right now, and yet I’m seething over the fact that when she finally addressed me, she spoke my brother’s name instead of mine.

She can do it on her own, she says.

I don’t know what Elijah offered. I’m sure it’s his way of getting closer to her so he can win the stupid bet.

I follow Eden, keeping a coincidental amount of space between us. There’s no way she can prove that I’m following her.

Even with the distance between us, I still catch the trail of her perfume. I take a breath, greedily filling my lungs with her scent.

My cock twitches, and my eyes roll back. I don’t know what it is about her perfume that turns me on so much. It could be the flowery scent mixed with a powdery undertone that I’ve never smelled on anyone else.

Instinctively, I suck harder on the blue-raspberry candy, and it’s enough to bring me back into my body. It stops me from coming in my pants like an amateur, too.

The ghost of her taste dances on my tongue, just enough to tease as I glare at the back of her head.

Eden rounds the corner to Glass Hall, where the female dorms are. I lengthen my stride, closing the distance between us so that I can slip into her room with her. She can’t leave me after what she said. I need answers.

What did Elijah say?

What did he offer?

Why won’t she accept his help when he never offers to help anyone?

What made her change her mind?

Why did she have that outburst when she saw me?

I refuse to leave her alone until she answers every burning question.

Movement in my periphery shifts my focus. Turning my head, I double-take at the flash of platinum hair that may as well be white.

I turn and follow him instead.

Eden will be in her dorm for some time, and I’ll catch up with her soon. I hurry toward the white-haired motherfucker and grab him by the shoulder. He turns toward me, his dark eyebrows shooting up his forehead and looking every bit as surprised as I am. I didn’t think I’d see him so soon.

A yellow bird hisses with a tiny squeak, then lunges at me with her small open beak. I jerk my hand away from the cockatiel perched on his shoulder.

Rome fucking Graves soothes her with a click of his tongue and by scratching the top of her head. He turns his attention to me once the little creature settles in place with a fluff of her feathers. A flash of malice crosses his features before he locks it away as if it were never there. But I fucking saw it.

“Can I help you?” Rome says.

Does he really think I’ll believe in his fake sincerity? Not a fucking chance.

Rolling the sucker to the other side of my mouth, I flick a strand of white-blond hair that’s fallen from the coiffed style. The bird hisses and snaps at my fingers again, and Rome doesn’t flinch. Only his gaze betrays his irritation.

You’re not fooling me, asshole.

I grin, raise my middle finger with my thumb out, and press it under my eye to drag the tender flesh down. My teeth clench together as I pull the swollen skin. I don’t show any other signs that the pain bothers me.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” he asks, his eyebrows furrowing together.

He should know that it hurts. He was there.

“Pardon my memory, but do I know you?” he asks, still playing the fool.

I drop my hand to my side. My face throbs from the forced smile. It’s worth it, though, just to see the look on his face.

He knows that I know he was there last night.