Page 22 of Reckless Obsession

Tyler turns to me then, raising an eyebrow. “So you almost got your ass sued.”

He snatches the can of Dr Pepper from my hand and takes a long swig.

“They can jump off a fucking cliff for all I care,” I reply. “I beat them up to my satisfaction. That’s what matters.”

“Yeah, because you just needed somewhere to dump your anger after seeing Tristan and Jake together the other day,” Lucas says quietly, his head still pressed against the table.

I scowl at him. “That is not true. They were all over my friend Jela at the club, grinding on her and harassing her. She told them to stop, but they didn’t. So I handled it.”

“Sure, sure.” Lucas murmurs, eyes sliding shut as if he physically doesn’t have the energy for me.

I roll my eyes and catch Tyler trying and failing to hide a smile. His gaze meets mine, and he shakes his head, giving me an almost pitying look.

“But at least you got to talk to him, even if it didn’t end well.” Tyler says, tugging absently at the hem of the sleeveless crop top he’s wearing. His nipple piercing is visible through the fabric.

Tyler is fascinating in a way I don’t think he even realizes. He’s easily the most beautiful femboy I’ve ever met. Lucas is beautiful too, just not as feminine. He’s more androgynous, balanced somewhere in the middle, comfortable being neither and both at the same time. But Tyler? Tyler is unapologetically soft, loud, dramatic, and glittering. He wears his femininity like armor and jewelry.

The way he talks, the way he moves, the way he smiles, even the way he swears all fits together so naturally that it almost looks rehearsed.

It isn’t.

It’s just him.

And honestly, I don’t blame Viktor for being obsessed with him.

Viktor stalks him.

And yeah, I know that sounds insane. But I stalk Tristan too, so I don’t really have room to judge. Nobody born with Petrov blood is exactly right in the head. We’re all messed up in our own special ways. Alex literally threatened to burn down Lucas’s old workplace just to force him to quit and teach him sign language instead.

“Yes,” I say, folding my arms across my chest. “For the record, I also told Tristan that I hope he dies.”

Tyler gasps dramatically. “Oh my god, Maks. You cannot say things like that.”

“You said the exact same thing to Viktor last week,” Lucas mutters.

“You didn’t have to bring him up,” Tyler grits, shooting Lucas an irritated look.

“Well,” I say lightly, “good news for you. He won’t be bothering you anymore.”

Tyler looks at me, puzzled. “What?”

“He’s not coming back to the States anytime soon,” I continue, taking a slow sip of my drink. “Problem solved.”

For the first time since he sat down, Tyler looks genuinely thrown off.

“Alex told me on the phone yesterday,” Lucas adds, lifting his head slightly. “Viktor got some important role in the bratva. He’ll be in Russia for a while.”

He gives Tyler a careful, almost sympathetic look.

Tyler frowns, something tight flashing across his face. I can’t tell if it’s anger at the news or at the way Lucas is watching him.

“Why the hell are you looking at me like that?” Tyler snaps. “You know I don’t give a fuck where he is or what he’s up to.”

They stare at each other for a moment, a thin layer of tension hanging between them.

I stay quiet and let it happen. Even though I’ve wedged myself into this friendship, Tyler and Lucas are still a unit. They’ve been friends longer than I’ve known either of them and have been through hell together. In many ways, they’re each other’s family and understand each other.

“I know you don’t care, Ty,” he says softly. “Honestly, it’s a good thing. You won’t have to deal with the stalking anymore.”