Page 68 of Kiss the Villain

wtf

What does that mean? I don’t do acronyms.

It’s what the fuck, dick. What are you, from the Stone Age? That’s been around forever.

Language.

Well, you just admitted to forcing yourself on me because I was beautiful. Excuse me if I don’t have the capacity to care about language. You won’t even try to find an excuse?

You’re the one who needs excuses, not me.

Me?

Here are your excuses, Carson. Last night, you could’ve fought, but you didn’t. You had the ability to call an army of guards to either restrain or kill me but didn’t. You wanted that as much as I did. But that’s just my two cents. Here’s your homework to think about tonight. Since you’re so straight, why would you come from prostate fucking?

I’m about to curse him, but I hear heavy footsteps running down the hall and flip my phone upside down, then pretend to be focused on my homework. Even if my insides are ripping with rage.

A few seconds later, my door is shoved open and rattles against the wall. I look up, feigning surprise at the sight of Niko.

He’s wearing only jeans, putting his huge, extravagantly tattooed chest on display.

Before I went up to my room earlier, he was about to indulge in his insufferable acts of exhibitionism, so I speak in my usual calm voice. “Gee, thanks for the death scare. Please don’t tell me you’ll start stripping…?”

My cousin narrows his eyes as he walks toward me. The motherfucker has mood swings worse than politicians, and I don’t want to see him naked.

“Don’t you dare, Niko, or I swear I’ll tell Aunt Rai about your annoying habits?—”

“Have you ever been attracted to men?”

I pause.

Did he see something last night?

No, that’s not possible. He’s not subtle, so if he did, he would’ve advertised it inThe New York Times.

I let my pen fall on the notebook and exaggerate an exhale. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve always fucked women, but have you done that because you feel you have to due to peer pressure and what’s defined by society as normal or because you want to?”

The fuck is he getting at? Did that motherfucker Kayden talk to him or something?

I wouldn’t put it past him. He does seem like he loves to mess with his victims.

Is that what I am? A fuckingvictim? Me, Gareth Carson?

He also called me a toy.

Me. Atoy.

“What is this about?” I stand up, tension crowding my shoulders. “What did you hear?”

“What should I have heard?”

Fuck. I can’t believe I let that slip.

Even Niko, who’s usually oblivious to cues, immediately picks up on it. He steps so close to me that he almost touches me, and even though he’s my cousin and we grew up together like brothers, I still don’t like to be touched.

Didn’t seem like you hated it last night.

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