Page 21 of Claimed By Rage

“That’s his default.”

Rebel’s iron eyes flick up to mine. “It doesn’t have to be.”

I snort aloud just as the bartender sets two drinks beside us. The liquid is clear with a single, large sphere of ice nestled inside. Rebel lifts his glass to his lips and takes a half sip. I’ve seen the man drink half a bottle in the time it takes to boil a box of pasta—he’s holding himself back right now.

I don’t bother with the pretense, downing my drink before I can even taste the alcohol on my tongue. Despite the icy chill, it goes down smooth.Vodka.Go figure.

He frowns but lifts his hand and gestures for another one. “I’m serious. You two could be good together.”

The statement burns more than the drink. “Iseriouslydoubt that.” I brave a glance at my knees and wince. Not only are they swollen and red, but they’re bruised, too. Was it from the initial fall, or did Ruin hold me down while his brother face-fucked me? In the moment, I was too focused on not choking to death to pay much attention to my knees, but now I’m paying for it.

I have a feeling I’ll keep paying for things I haven’t asked for.

“Why? Because he pushes you?” Rebel taps the edge of his glass with his fingertip. “You push right back.” The bright lights around the room glint off the piercing in his bottom lip, and my gaze wanders the contours of his face. He’s not as sharp-boned as his brother, lacking the hard ridges of his cheekbones and the permanent five o’clock shadow, but he’s no less handsome.Pretty, even, with curved eyelashes and thick eyebrows. But the unkempt wildness to his hair and the heavy tattoos crawling up his neck give him an edge that Rage lacks.

I take a sip of my drink and it dawns on me that I shouldn’t be sitting here at all. I should berunning.Far the fuck away. I could blame the twinging ache in my knees for my lack of desire to hightail it out of here, but that wouldn’t be the truth.

I’m not ready to leave yet. Not until I’ve made my point clear.

“He can’t control me,” I murmur around a swallow. This time it burns, sending a shudder down my spine. “He wants to, but he can’t. I won’t let him.”

The look Rebel gives me is hard to decipher. “I don’t want him to hurt you.”

Rolling my eyes, I gesture broadly to my aching knees. “Too late for that.”

“I don’t want him to hurt you anymore,” he says slowly, like he’s trying to let the words sink in. It’s too bad, because I won’t let them.

All Rage does is hurt me. Even when he’s wringing the best orgasm of my life out of me, ithurts.Physically. Mentally. It’s like he’s chipping off pieces of me and stashing them in a jar with his name scrawled across the lid.

He’ll claim every broken piece of me just so that he can say the wordmine.

Shaking my head, I blow out a heavy exhale. “Even when he’s…”Softisn’t the right word. “Less agitated, he’s impossible to deal with.” I swivel my chair back toward the mirror and scourits reflection for any sign of the man in question. “You saw how he kissed me, Rebel. There was nothing kind about it. He doesn’t know how to do anything without making it abouthim.” I crinkle my nose as I catch a whiff of dick-breath. I definitely need to wash my mouth out.

Rebel turns me back toward him with a hand on my thigh. He rubs his thumb in an arch across my skin, staring into my eyes with an openness that makes my insides squirm. Whereas Rage’s walls are made of ten-inch steel, Rebel’s look like they’re made out of the thinnest layer of glass. He draws a small breath that pulls me closer. “I need you to give him a chance, baby, or we won’t get ours.”

I turn my head away, my cheeks suddenly hot. My pulse races, memories of my time with Rebel rushing to the surface. Those are much more tender than anything Rage has given me, even when Rebel has my back is pressed against the wall and my wrists trapped in his hands. He coaxes pleasure from my body in a way that’s endearing, like he’s savoring it as much as I am. We haven’t gotten very far—second base, if we’re being technical, and only with our hands. Rebel’s lips never venture lower than the curve of my neck.

When I imagine the future I could have with these men, it’s Rebel that I picture the most.

If there’s anyone deserving of the titlefather, none of them really qualify, but I could see Rebel getting there.

“Do you want kids?” I ask suddenly, cringing as the words leave my mouth. “Um, never mind, please don’t answer that.”

Rebel licks his lips and leans even closer, his breath ghosting across my cheek. I can feel the smile on his lips as he murmurs, “do you want me to, baby?”

I swallow hard. “I don’t know.”

Would it change anything if he said yes?

He chuckles, palming my chin to turn my face toward his. There’s a sparkle in his eye that’s impossible to miss. He looks damn neargleeful.“You told Rage that you didn’t want kids. I heard you say it.” His tongue sneaks past the seam of his lips to taste mine, and he groans. “Did youlie, pretty girl?” The next rumble in his chest is deep, making my toes curl. “Did you say that just to piss him off, or is the thought of having his babythatrepulsive?” He inhales sharply. “Would you rather have mine?”

The ache in my chest throbs, and I jerk back on impulse. This has gottenwaytoo complicated,waytoo fast. “I—I don’t know,” I stammer, tears stinging my eyes.Fuck.I donotwant to talk about babies tonight. They make my brain go haywire. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Mhm.” Rebel doesn’t sound convinced, but he also doesn’t seem too concerned about the way my voice shakes, either. So much for being thekindbrother. “Think about it, beautiful, because one of us is gonna knock you up eventually. If you have any protests, now is the time to voice them.”

I gape at his stupidly arrogant smirk as he takes another sip of his drink. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

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