Page 121 of Vicious Games

Darius pumps his fist up, then slams it down with a gleeful “YES!” as if he’d just won at his favorite video game. He then skips out of the kitchen like his day has been made with that one promise.

“He’s a sweetheart,” Lourdes says, watching Darius leave the kitchen. “He reminds me a lot of Lucky and Enzo when they were his age.”

“Really?” I smile, turning my attention to Lucky. “I’d love to hear all about it.”

“Oh, I have stories to tell.” Lourdes laughs, walking back to the oven where a quiche awaits to be pulled out.

Ever so discreetly, I slap Lucky’s hand away and stand, reaching across the table to grab Darius’s empty plate to wash.

I don’t even see Remus move until it’s too late. Until his hand is wrapped around my wrist. Squeezing it. Hard.

“Oi,” he says sharply. “Where did you get this?”

Remus’s eyes are fixed on my bracelet as if it had razor-sharp teeth, ready to take a chunk out of his black heart. But instead of answering or telling him to let me go, my whole body goes rigid at the threat in his pale eyes.

“Let go of her,” Lucky all but growls while I try to yank my hand back.

But he doesn’t. In fact, Remus’ grip tightens, his expression morphing into something straight out of a nightmare. “I said, where the fuck did you get this?”

“Remus.” Lucky’s voice is lethal now. He’s already out of his seat, his jaw tight and eyes burning. “I said… Let. Her. Go.”

Remus doesn’t flinch, his gaze locked on mine.

“Answer me,” he demands, his voice quieter now. More dangerous. “That’s not just some trinket a girl like you would have. Did you steal it? Find it someplace and keep it?Whogave it to you?!”

Before I can speak, Lucky steps between us, grabs Remus by the throat, and states, “I’ll chop your fucking hand off if you don’t let her go this very second. I’m fucking serious, Remus. Let. Her. Go. NOW!”

Remus stares at him, then at me, and then slowly releases his grip. The blood rushes back into my wrist with a sting, but I barely notice it, too dumbfounded by what just happened.

“You’ve lost your head over this girl, mate. Not a very smart thing to do,” Remus mutters, brushing off his hand over his pants as if I somehow dirtied them.

“Maybe,” Lucky snaps, letting go of Remus’s throat. “But I’d rather lose my head than be a miserable bastard like you.”

“Miserable bastard, hey?” Remus mimics, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear I saw a tinge of sadness hit his light eyes. “Better a miserable bastard than a dead one.” He then walks towards the door but pauses, glancing back at the both of us one more time. The fury in his eyes is replaced with something else now. Something colder. Something no one with a beating heart could muster. “Get rid of her,” he says. “Let her run off to her little convent, play nun for the rest of her life. Better that than her sticking around here.”

“Remus—”

“She’s going to be your fucking death sentence,” Remus interjects with a warning. “Just… get her out of your house and out of your life. Your luck can only go so far, my friend. Remember that.”

With that curse hanging in the air above us, he leaves. The kitchen is dead silent again, and I don’t realize I’m still holding my breath until Lucky wraps his arms around me.

“Are you okay?” he asks worriedly.

I nod, even though I’m not. Not really. Not after that.

Lucky holds onto me a little longer until he’s sure the shock has worn off.

Lourdes sets down a glass of water in front of me, places a gentle hand on my shoulder, and says, “Mi dispiace.That boy… that man… he’s… not well.” She tries to apologize for Remus’s behavior. “But Lucky won’t let him touch you again. I won’t either.”

I manage a stiff, little smile and mutter, “Thanks.”

I don’t want to cry in front of Lourdes. And I don’t want to cry in front of Lucky. But I suddenly feel very small, out of place, and afraid of why Remus looked like he’d seen a ghost when he caught a glimpse of my bracelet.

Could a man like him know something about my birth parents?

And if so, why does that scare me?

Chapter 20

---