Page 54 of Heirs of Havoc

Me.

He picks a shirt off the floor, tossing it my way. Catching it, I unravel it, the old cartoon characters from my childhood on the front. It brings a comforting smile to my face. “Get some rest,” he says.

“Thought you were through being roommates.”

“Guess not.” He places the guitar in his hand in a spot next to the others before reaching for a black one. Acoustic. He perches at the edge of the bed. “And don’t tell Dom.”

“You’re staying?” I stop on the way to the bed, in front of his dresser with belts, bead bracelets and white powder residue. “With me?”

“Unless you want Dom to find you here on your own? Yeah.” That makes it easier to climb into his bed. After pushing all his shit off, that is. Sheets have never felt this soft, his as beige as the weird tactical pants he wears.

“Fuck Dom,” I grumble, remembering his display of dominance in the kitchen. “He thinks he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants and get away with it. You’d think, after everything, he—”

Feliks strums his guitar, my words drawing out with it. He’s right. Why am I even talking about him? Rolling over, my hair falls in my face as my eyes land on his fingers. He leans against the mattress, plucking those strings. The same way he plucked me in Godfrey Books. Tingles spread through me and hell, I need a distraction. From Dom. From Lev and Vlad. From everything.

“Can you play me something?” I ask.

“I don’t do lullabies.”

“I figured.” My curls push against my head as I pull the fluffy sheets over my body. It smells like him, a spicy mix of pot and something else I can’t quite put my finger on. A wave of warmth flows through me, a contrast to the kitchen floor. A contrast to the cellar. I don’t know what Feliks risks having me in his room, but it beats the concrete floor and I’ll take it. “But play me something. Anything. It doesn’t have to be a lullaby.”

He strums a strong chord, the sound bringing me back to the night in my dorm. And great, I’m thinking about his dick again. Another chord fills the air, then another before he plays. I recognize the song. Nirvana’s “In Bloom.” When he sings the words, it’s like a softer Cobain with all the rasp and angst to match. My muscles relax, sinking further into the mattress.

Twang!

“Fuck!” Feliks’ curse stops me from dozing off, pushing up on my elbows. Glancing over, he presses his palm against his left eye. “Fuck, shit, sorry.”

Did he… apologize?

“Are you okay?” Gazing down at his guitar shows me another snapped string. “You play hard, huh?” He mutters more curses in response, wincing. Pushing the covers below me, I scoot closer to him. “Here, let me see.”

“No, it’s fine.” When I reach for his face, he flinches. I do too, a spark lighting on my fingers. Ignoring it, he moves his hand, a red mark sitting below his eye. When I press my fingers against it, he hisses. “I said it’s fine.”

“Doesn’t look fine.” Rising from the bed, I head for the mini-fridge inside the cabinet. Reaching in, I flick the little flap open for the freezer to find an ice pack. He protests some more before my eyes scan the contents of the fridge. “It’s all vodka.” Grabbing a bottle, I move back towards him.

He cocks his thick eyebrow, the one I can see. “Judgin’ me, Bunny?”

Sitting beside him on the floor, he lets out a sound of relief when I bring the ice pack to his face. His shoulders relax when I hand him the bottle of vodka.

“A little. Not you though. I’m only judging your gluttony.” One golden eye looks me dead in mine, a pang hitting my chest. My heart patters. Say something. “How’s that feel?”

“Fantastic.” His hand comes on top of mine like he’s about to take the ice, but he stops. I can’t feel the coldness of it anymore. Not with my skin on freaking fire. “You don’t have to.”

“Consider it a thank you.” My stomach flips, his gaze still on mine. “Tonight I get a bed to sleep in, and you get a red eye. It’s the least I can do.”

“Fuck!”

I pull back, but it’s not Feliks who yelled.

“Yes!”

“Fuck me!”

My eyes narrow. So do Feliks’. “Is that—”

“Dom.” Feliks nods.

My back falls against the mattress. “How the hell am I supposed to get any sleep now?” My soul fills with fury, the lightness between Feliks and me dropping like an anvil.