Page 108 of Tyrant

“I really was looking forward to feeling Serafina’s mouth wrapped around my cock,” Vic says. “I wanted to fuck her throat until she puked.”

I throw a punch at Vic. He knows it’s coming so he gets out of the way.

When I turn to attack again, Demo is there and he drops down, drives his shoulder into my chest and picks me up, then carries me to the living room and throws me down to the couch. My towel opens and I’m fucking naked on the couch.

“You fucked up,” Demo says to me. “So admit it and tell us what your plan is.”

“If you have that much of an issue with Des there are ways to handle it,” Peri says.

“It’s not about him,” I growl. “It’s her. It’s fuckingher.”

“Who?” Vic asks.

“Serafina,” I say. I stand up and fix the towel so my cock is no longer on full display. “It’s Sera-fucking-fina.”

“Holy shit,” Demo says. “You’re—”

“Don’t fucking say it,” I swallow hard. “She’s myclaimed one.”

“Which means she’s not yours,” Vic says.

My hands tighten up into fists. I want to break Vic’s jaw into a thousand pieces. He’s doing this on purpose. They all are. In some fucked up way they’re trying to protect me.

“We just need to know,” Demo says in a surprisingly soothing voice. “You know why we need to know.”

“Get the fuck out of here,” I say.

“You know what, Ty?” Peri asks. “You have a good track record right now, fucking up the lives around you. Can’t wait to see how that turns out.”

I’m able to get a quick punch off, hitting Peri in the mouth. He looks at me and smiles, blood covering his teeth. Vic grabs Peri’s shirt and keeps him from coming near me.

“Just say the fucking words so we know,” Demo growls at me.

“What do you want to hear? That I love her? Huh? That I’m not going to give her up? You don’t think I’ve thought it over? How I’m going to have to stand in front of thelegionand tell them I’m willing to give up everything for her?”

The room falls silent.

“Ty…?”

The soft, sweet voice is blocked by Demo’s lumbering presence. He moves out of the way and there’s Serafina,standing in a towel, looking at me. Her wet hair clinging to her shoulders. Blinking fast, swallowing hard, absorbing the words I just confessed.

“Fuck,” I growl.

I walk toward Serafina. She has no fucking idea what my words imply for her, myself, and everyone around us.

“Get the fuck out of here now,” I say, turning my head at Demo for a second.

He nods. The three of them leave. Now it’s just Serafina and I staring at each other.

Once I’m close enough, I touch her face. She grabs my wrists.

“Did you mean that?”

“Of course I fucking did, Serafina,” I say. “I was supposed to destroy you, not fall in love with you.”

“Love. You…”

I stroke my right thumb to her bottom lip.

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