Page 32 of The Heir

A vicious crack sounded so violently behind me that I whirled to investigate. Just as I did so, Nakarii shrieked and flew forward in an effort to get away from May, who was currently making waist high grabby hands in her direction. She collided with my chest, even as she was craning to look back at May. Her palms clapped against my shirt, shoving me away, like it was somehow my idea for her to leap into my arms to begin with. In her effort to do so, she clawed the hell out of my chest, and all I could do was hiss in her painted face.

“Fuck both of you,” she rattled, before snaking her hand up and clipping my cheek. It wasn’t anywhere near as soundly as the slap May had connected with her ass, but I wasn’t expecting the pain that sharply erupted and spread over the left side of my face.

“Bitch,” I lurched forward like I meant to return the favor, and she scrambled, landing on her ass at May’s feet.

He didn’t slow his pace, but he did reach down and tangle his hand in her hair, jerking her to her feet with a swiftness that left me gasping.

“Hey,” I barked, unsure of what the fuck was going on. “What the hell is with you three?”

“She needs to learn a lesson.” May said, his voice crisp and cool.

That same little chill I got when he spoke about Mak’s bike started to tingle up my spine and the tiny hairs on my arms felt charged. I’d wouldn’t have been surprised if they were standing on end.

“That’s a girl, May.”

“As she’s pointed out,” he agreed, trying to walk past me with his fist still in Nakarii’s hair.

“May, that’s enough.” I slapped his wrist, grabbing onto it rather than letting the blow slide past naturally.

“Fuck off,” he growled, shoving at me.

Nakarii didn’t wait for permission, the girl sprinted down the alley, with Lucia on her heel.

“I swear to fuck, I’m not one of those little girls, Mayhem. I’ll rock your shit, bud…” I warned him.

“Don’t ever check me in front of pussy like that again.” May’s finger didn’t jab into my chest, but he extended it, so it lay against my shirt.

“You just let me know how far you want to take this. You don’t have any brakes, mother fucker, and I don’t back up, know that–”

The smile lit up in his eyes and he dusted my shoulder almost affectionately, before starting down the alley “Watch yourfuckin’ mouth. Shit ain’t goin’ anywhere. We’re family. Fuck them whores.”

He slowed his pace and looked back, making it obvious he still thought we were good.

I squinted for a solid five seconds before I finally shook my head and shifted into motion. I wasn’t sure what was going through his mind. Maybe he was still off kilter because of what Mak had been saying in the cell.

“You know that shit Mak said–”

“Fuck Makaveli Miller.” He clipped, clearing his throat in an abrasive, dismissive fashion.

“May, he didn’t know what he was talking a–”

“He never does. Every time he flops his gums it’s like a boil festering over. The stuff that pours out– It’s the nastiest shit imaginable most days, and it infects everything it comes into contact with.”

I wrinkled my nose at his description, but I really couldn’t argue about it, the boy was preaching some truth.

“I never looked at it like that, but you ain’t wrong,” I finally admitted.

“Mm? I know I ain’t.” He laughed, shooting me a wink.

It was bizarre. The manic edge evaporated, and it was like another person had made the sound.

“You know how to treat boils, Blaze?” he whispered.

I tilted my head. He’d said it so low I had to strain to hear it, but when I didn’t, I was afraid to meet his gaze. Those fucking tingles broke out again and I did a shoulder dance.

“Knock it off, fucker.” I laughed, trying to convince myself that all his homicidal humor was really comedy and not something more.

If it was flippant, it might not have been so concerning, but it had been aimed at Makaveli every time it appeared. His demeanor changed. His eyes–

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