Page 18 of King of Violence

I smile tightly and hug him. “Hey, man. I didn’t know you were stopping by.”

“Of course I did. You think I’d miss a game like that?” He claps his hand on my shoulder. “You almost lost, little brother.”

The cold look in his eyes startles me. He’s not here for pleasure.

“But I didn’t.” I barely muster up the words.

“Was it all for show?” He doesn’t blink, just gives me a calm smile that says,Lie to me. I dare you. “You know how Dad gets when you lose.”

My ribs throb at the memory, and I fight the urge to flinch.

I clear my throat and force on my golden boy act. “I had to give the fans a good show, right? I can’t let them get bored.”

Elijah looks like he doesn’t quite believe me. But we both know there’s no reason to snitch to Dad. “Right.”

“Hey, Julian,” a voice says behind me.

I turn to see Felix standing there with a forced smile on his mouth. He’s wearing jeans and a blue button-down. Even at a party, he can’t relax.

Felix’s eyes bounce between me and Elijah. “Everything okay?”

Elijah smirks. “Yeah, just giving my little brother a hard time about the game. I was just heading out.” Elijah daps me up, slipping a small bag into my hand. “A treat for you and your little friend.”

He laughs and leaves through the front door.

“You good?” Felix looks down at me with a worried look.

Felix is taller than me, and for a second, I feel small under his gaze. But that thought quickly morphs into something else entirely, something darker and more dangerous. I imagine him on his knees in front of me, his calm composure finally cracking. What would it take to see him look up at me like that?

I clear my throat, trying to push the thought away. “Yeah, yeah. My family gets a little intense about football.” I force a laugh, but Felix doesn’t seem to buy it.

I look down to see that Elijah put a small baggy of cocaine in my hand. I slip into my pocket nervously.

“You want a shot?” I ask Felix, already pouring the vodka.

“What, you think I need one?” Felix leans against the kitchen counter, a slight smirk playing at the edges of his mouth.

“Well, your shirt is still buttoned up to your neck, so yeah.” I push over the shot glass, challenging him.

He throws it back, with not even a hiss of breath after.

“Oh shit, the lawyer parties!” I take mine quickly, not wanting to fall behind. “Come on, let’s get some air.”

I lead him outside to the terrace that stretches outside of my loft. The skyline glitters like a thousand tiny stars in the distance. The night air is cool against my skin, and the noise from the party fades to a dull hum behind us. Felix leans against the railing, his hands gripping the metal as he looks out at the view.

“You know,” I say, stepping closer, “you don’t really fit in with this crowd.”

He doesn’t look at me. “That obvious?”

“Maybe a little.” I take a sip of my drink, watching the way the light plays off his sharp jawline. “But that’s not a bad thing. Makes you more...interesting.”

Felix snorts and shakes his head. “You’ve got a weird way of complimenting people.”

“Is it working?” I ask as I lean against the railing beside him. The alcohol is making me bold, making me crave his warmth and touch even more than usual.

Felix turns his head, his eyes locking onto mine. There’s something unreadable in his expression, something that makes my heart race. “Depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.”

“What do you think I’m trying to accomplish?”

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