Page 37 of Promise to Break

He throws Liam a glare before returning all his attention to me. "No, she didn't. It isn't nice to frame someone for something they didn't say or do. Is it, Rotten One?"

"Stop calling me that," I demand. It's about Kai. Fuck. This fucker loves his friends. I remember Raven telling me that Liam stopped talking to her because Killian asked him to. She was drunk and spoke nonsense about Liam and the boys, but from what I can see right now, the three of them are like one.

"Rotten One," Liam repeats. "The poop thing was brilliant. Our Kai here couldn't come out of the toilet for two and a half hours. It's good we have our own doctor on hand. The amount of laxative Kai was ingested with shocked him." Liam smirks. "And who could have given you those meds? I wonder. Wouldn't happen to be a little ugly birdy, would it?" The pure malice doesn't suit his British lilt, but his gaze isn't on me. It's on my friend, and he's furious. The deep brown stares my best friend down. The Joker wants to play, and I can't let Raven be the target when it was all my idea.

"I'm sorry, Kai. It wasn't for you. I took a prescription for my period. Some girls suffer more if they suffer from constipation. Anyway, it wasn't that hard to get." The man in question just shrugs. I wonder about him. The reason I know what I just said is because Raven suffers from endometriosis, and I learned a lot about her situation in order to try to help her as much as I can. "I made you some Russian chicken soup. Truce? Next time, I promise I'll aim better." I took the time to look for something light in Russian cuisine, for the gut. "I made it from scratch," I say as an afterthought.

"And what about me?" Killian asks. "You ruined my car, Little Girl. How are you planning to take care of me?" He sounds amused by the whole situation.

"I was thinking poison ivy." Like your fiancée did to me.

Liam shakes his head. "Now, now. Didn't you two learn that you can't say things that can incriminate you in front of others? You and the ugly birdie should know stuff like that. Especially her."

Raven shakes, fucking shakes.

"Liam." One word from Killian, and the crazy fucker raises his hands as if in surrender. But I don't trust him. Not with her.

"Leave her alone, Liam. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me. I did it all. The shirt, the laxatives, the car, and I'll keep coming up with more until your friend here leaves me alone."

"Don't be a tosser, love. I can be mad at the both of you just for spite."

I hate his too-proper way of speaking. It grates on my nerves. At least Raven has the hots for accents, even though that's not much of a consolation.

"Well, you shouldn't," I say. "It's not your place."

"The sheer audacity in you, girl. Kai and Killer are my place, my business, and my brothers. Touch them, and you're going to have a problem with me. You're damn lucky you're his—"

"I am not his anything," I interrupt, but that's not the point. I look at Kai, who appears to not be paying any mind to the other two assholes. "Kai, I'm truly sorry. I don't have any problems with you. You can do to me whatever you want to me as payback, and I'll pay for it gladly."

"At least someone's willing to pay," Liam chimes in as I take Raven by the hand and turn to leave. I hope my actions won't backfire on her. I have to do whatever's necessary to make sure that doesn't happen.

"Where are you girls going? I thought you made fresh chicken soup for my friend here."

I stop and turn back around. "I did, and I'll serve him. But Raven's leaving." She's still shaking and looks as if she's going into a catatonic state. I'm going to kill this British brute, I swear.

"Oh, no. She can come as well."

"Liam. I warned you." Killian looks ready to fight his friend on Raven's behalf. Good. At least the love between the two is mutual.

"I know," Liam growls. "And I'm not doing anything. My hands are tied until her twenty-sixth birthday, anyway."

I didn't know they had to wait so long. This is good news, though. It leaves me time.

"I'll come," my friend squeaks, clearly trying to be brave. What did this asshole do to her?

"Ronen, Raven needs to stay with you in the kitchen." I enter the kitchen as fast as I can and get Raven settled on her stool before I start looking for the dark chocolate she likes so much. "Cabra loca, open your mouth. You're in shock."

"What's all the fuss? Raven girl, are you okay? Do I need to bust out my Krav Maga moves on someone?"

"On Liam."

"Fuck. He'll kick my ass. But I'm down. No one hurts her."

"What I need you to do is look out for her."

I retrieve the soup I made earlier and pour it into a bowl. The other two can think again if they have any ideas about eating anything I made.

I come out of the kitchen and study their faces. The one is cold, calculated and distant. The other one looks like I just made his wet dream come true by turning around and showing him a human side of me. And the third? The third doesn't take his eyes off me, as if he's just waiting for me to fall at his feet. Chances are he's right. I'll fall at Killian Fierro's cold feet, but until then, I'll make his life hell.

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