Page 195 of Vile Boys

“I don’t understand you,” Kai replies. “All this time, you’ve been fighting him, and now you just go around murdering anyone you set your eyes on.”

Ares sets down his glass before eyeing him. “I murder those who fucking deserve it. And don’t fucking pretend you don’t kill whoever you want to kill. I’ve seen you sneaking off with your friends.”

Kai’s jaw tightens. “Whatever. He wants you to come to the casino.”

Ares snorts. “Of course, he does. That’s what you came to tell me, busboy?” He grunts. “Get out of my fucking house.”

“Ares …” Kai growls.

“GET. OUT.” Ares points at the door.

“Fine,” Kai says through gritted teeth as he walks back to the front door. “Don’t say I didn’t fucking try.”

Before he pushes down the handle, he looks up, and when hisdark eyes settle on mine, I panic and pull away, hiding behind the door.

“Shit,” I mutter. “He saw me.”

When I hear the front door close, I peek again. With clenched teeth, Ares picks up the glass and chucks it at the front door, roaring out loud.

I swiftly move back into Caleb’s room, and he follows me inside, shutting the door.

“Someone’s not happy Ares and I killed that Ferry guy …” I say.

“That would be Mr. Torres,” Caleb replies. “His father.”

My eyes widen as I look up at Caleb. “Wait … Torres? But that would make Kai his—”

“Younger brother.”

CALEB

When she shivers, I pull her back toward the bed. “Forget about it. C’mon. Lie with me. You must be tired.”

She’s way too frazzled by the murder to be thinking about any of Ares’s personal issues with his family.

I hold out my hands until she takes them, and I guide her back onto my bed and throw the covers on us. She tentatively lies down, her body rigid as I snuggle up against her and warm her with my body. She feels cold as ice, so I wrap my arms around her and blow hot air on her neck.

“Kai Torres … his brother?” she mutters, like she’s confused as hell. “But they looked like they hated each other.”

“Ares does what Ares always does, push people away. It’s what he’s good at.”

“But with his own family?”

“Especiallyhis own family,” I reply.

She shivers again, so I pull her tighter.

“I don’t want to feel anything anymore,” she murmurs. “And it’s all because of him.”

I sigh, wishing I could take it all away, but I can’t. I got so caught up in my own need to punish her for my growing desire that I didn’ttake into account how it would irrevocably change her.

“Why do you look up to him?” she asks.

“Ares loves me as I am.”

“But he enjoys hurting people,” she says through gritted teeth. “He hurts you too, doesn’t he?”

“I live on the edge, always dancing with death for as long as I can remember. Ares was there, picking me up from that ledge, stepping on it together with me without fear.” I curl my fingers through her hair. “He’s not afraid of those dark parts inside me. He owns them and turns them into strength. Desire. Hope.”

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