Page 60 of Fallen Princess: Shadow Stalker

“Fuck off, Haze,” Callum beats me to it.

Eden pulls herself away from us and gets up.

“I’m a huge fan of inappropriate behavior,” she says, standing over him. “Jealous much?” She’s not even bothered by her nudity with him.

His eyes drink her in with a kind of unspoken, primal desperation. There’s a subtle yet unmistakable shift in his gaze, a smoldering heatthat ignites from within. The lines on his face take on a sculpted, chiseled quality as tension builds around the inner conflict between restraint and surrender.

Abruptly, he switches off, and that moment seems to dissipate as he takes his mobile out.

“I’ll switch to camera mode to save you the effort and post it myself online if you prefer.”

I don’t have to look at Eden to see the fumes erupt from her.

“That’s going too far, arsehole,” my brows shoot out at him, urging him to stop this charade. “Eddie, don’t listen to the wanker. He’s only trying to rile you up.”

“I’m only stating the truth of what this is. Pure dumbfuckery.”

I stand up from the floor, but Eden holds her hand against my chest to stop me from pounding my fist into Haze’s face.

“I used to think you took my breath away,” Eden directs her statement to Haze. “Now, I realize I was just suffocated by all your bullshit.”

He chuckles as if her words haven’t just stung him like a swarm of angry bees.

“Haze is right,” she adds. “This was stupid. I came here to make music. This was just a mistake. It won’t happen again.” She glares at him and turns to collect her clothes from the floor, avoiding eye contact with me and Callum.

I could just kill Haze right now.

I’ve never had any real tension against the lad, but I could ring his neck right now. I shoot him a warning look. It’s enough to ensure he shuts his mouth and doesn’t say whatever the fuck his tongue is itching to retaliate back at her. I’ve had my fair share of pub fights with Callum, who is like a tempest in a teapot and tends to attract conflict as much as he does birds, so I’m no dancing fairy and won’t back away from socking one in Haze’s face.

Callum’s quiet, but there’s a smirk on his face, and it’s not aimed at his brother.

We all watch her gather her things, and I go to help her, but she pulls her T-shirt from me.

“I can manage just fine,” she mutters.

“Eddie, it wasn’t stupid for me,” I plead with her to stop for just ten seconds, but she’s frantically looking around.

“Desert siren,” Callum blurts out to me. “I told you, fuck her with no emotional attachment. She’s not capable of returning any.” He holds up her bra, and she snatches it from him.

“Fuck you, Callum.”

“I think I just did, luv.”

“You were just a dick,” she turns to him, and for a split second, I see the pain, but she covers it well with venomous eyes. “Nothing but a temporary dick to fuck until I get myself a new vibrator.”

She avoids looking at me. Because I know that’s nothing but a front she’s put up. One look at me, and she’ll crack. Haze and Callum made it easy for her to hate on them.

Upon hearing the basement door slam, I turn my attention to Callum.

“Stand up, mate,” I say to him.

“Why?”

“Just do so,” I say, and he rolls his eyes and goes to get up. Just as he’s about to stand straight, my fist finds his jaw, and he crashes against the floor in a loud thump.

“What the fuck, Ash!” both brothers exclaim.

I turn to find Haze standing up, so I sock him one, exactly like I did with Callum.

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