Page 121 of Cruel Knots

“Do you want to play?” Leon asks, noticing me staring at them.

“Yeah,” I say as a smile blossoms on my lips. “It’s been a while though.”

“I’m sure you’ve still got the moves,” he says with a wink.

“Can I go, then?”

Leon glances over at Mikhail.

“You can go but don’t forget about our warnings,” Mikhail says in a grim tone. “Don’t ruin a good night for us, Princess.”

I frown. “I won’t. I know you’ll kill me if I do anything stupid.” An angry huff escapes me as I get to my feet and stomp away.

Coming to stand by the pool table, I look at the balls scattered on the vast green surface. One of the men tries to hit one of the balls but he keeps missing it. Cursing out, he throws the cue stick on the ground and stalks off.

“It’s so sad when an alpha proves to be utterly useless and throws a tantrum,” a young man whispers in my ear.

I chuckle and nod. Bending down, I pick up the cue stick left by the annoyed guy.

“Do you play?” the stranger asks.

“I used to,” I say, bending over the table with the stick. My gaze focuses on a red ball with a ‘7’ on it. My breath turns shallow but steady. Drawing my elbow back, I make my move.

The ball smoothly slides across the table and falls into a hole.

“Nice! Woo hoo!” my companion cheers at my win.

My smile broadens. It’s been years since I played pool. My dad used to love it and taught me how to play as well.

“I’m Casey,” my companion says, extending a hand toward me.

Looking up at him, I notice his tall, lean physique. Dressed in a modest suit with a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, Casey looks like one of those hardworking beta guys Callum likes to bully.

“Lucia,” I say, taking his hand.

His hold on my hand is light and gentle. He smiles and tries to take a shot. His ball ricochets off the side, failing to hit the target.

“Bummer,” he mutters, straightening up. “You don’t mind playing with a loser like me, do you?” He grins nervously.

I shake my head and chuckle. The company of a stranger is like a breath of fresh air. I don’t have to step around broken glass trying to communicate with him.

“Are you in college?” he asks as I bend down to take another shot.

“Not really,” I say, feeling a hint of embarrassment. “What about you?”

“I graduated from Dartmouth two years ago,” says Casey. “I’m interning at a law firm now.”

I nod, knowing deep inside that Callum ruined all my chances of ever pursuing a career.

Casey touches my shoulder, making me look up. “Why do you look so down?” he asks, frowning slightly. “You don’t like lawyers?”

I shake my head. “It’s not that.”

“Then, what is it?” He stares at me intently, waiting for my answer.

“It’s just...I think I missed an amazing opportunity by not going to college. Life never gave me a chance and I just regret it. That’s all.”

“You know there’s no age limit for anything, right? You can always go to college if you want to.”

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