Page 41 of Claimed By Rage

I stare up at the ceiling with this huge, heavy frown on my fucking face, because thelastthing I want is for her to think that I meet the standard of middle-child-mediocrity out of necessity.

I only meet it out ofconvenience.

There’s a huge fucking difference.

Rage has his arms locked around Celia’s body like a cage. I couldn’t break her out if I tried. The man has at least fifty pounds of muscle on me and a whole lot more of that obsessive factor that tips people over the threshold of normal and into theinsanecategory.

Pissing him off when he’s running on two hours of sleep,if that, will lead to something breaking, and I sure as hell don’t want my manhood on display when he starts swinging.

Which leaves me little choice but to lie in the dark and wait.

Six hours is a bitch of a time for waiting, though, and I’m not much use for being idle. I tap my fingers for a few minutes before that gets boring. Then I tug on my cock for a little while, but although it’s filled to bursting, I can’t bust a nut to save my life. Rage is awake, and although he should have his nose buried in Celia’s hair, he’s determined to make this situation miserable for all of us.

He’s fucking glaring at me, even while I’ve got my dick in my hand.

“Bro,” I deadpan, rolling my eyes. “Get a fucking grip.” There’s a joke in there somewhere about how hard I’m choking my chicken, but it’s lost on Rage’s humorless ass. He keeps on glaring.

I stroke my cock a little slower, hoping he enjoys the show.

“Put that fucking thing away,” Rage growls, somehow managing to pull Celia’s body another inch away from mine, “before I have Ruin cut it off.”

I glance at our younger brother sitting in an armchair in front of the door. Once Celia fell asleep, he dragged the chair in from the living room and plopped down for our six hour hold. “He wouldn’t,” I say dryly. “He actually likes me.”

Ruin plays with the edge of his mask, like he’s itching to take it off. The man never leaves the house without it, but sometimes when it’s just us, he takes it off for a breather. I bet he’s tempted right now.

“She’s asleep,” I offer, gesturing toward Ruin’s face. “You could…” I mime pulling the mask off. “…you know.”

He stares at Celia for a long, silent moment, before grunting in response.

The mask stays in place.

I give up on my cock and cross my arms behind my head, sighing. I should be sleeping right now, but I’m too wired.Celiais here. In our apartment! In Rage’s bed! Next to me!

It’s a fucking crime that Rage is keeping her all to himself.

Rolling onto my side, I watch as he idly strokes her back. In another life, maybe it would be me holding her instead. Maybe Celia and I would have been high school sweethearts. Laughing and cutting class and shit. Getting caught kissing beneath the bleachers or going to second base in the back of the theater. I never had a girlfriend in grade school, and I lost my virginity to a junior sometime during the ninth grade. But she wasn’t my girlfriend—she was just a girl looking for some trouble when she found me.

I had trouble written all over me, even back then.

I fiddle with my snakebite, rolling it between my teeth. Does Celia like bad boys, or is she only with us because Rage is shoving his cock down her throat?

“Maybe we need new rules.” I cringe from the way that sounds, but now that I’ve said it, I can’t take it back. Rage’s hand stills near Celia’s shoulder blade. The fucker loves rules just as much as he knows I love to break them.

“What do you have in mind?”

My eye twitches. “For starters, how about actually sharing her like we’d said we would?”

“You get her in the evenings,” Rage grunts, “thatissharing.”

I shake my head. “No, man, it’s not. We shouldn’t take shifts. Besides, by that logic, you took her during Ruin’s night. That’s not fair, and you know it.”

Ruin nods from across the room. At least he’s paying attention.

“Then what do you suggest, brother?” Rage’s smile is full of sharp teeth. “Lettingherdecide who she sleeps with?”

That’s actually not a bad idea.

Rage catches the look on my face and hisses.

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