Page 55 of Vicious Desire (Fallen Royals 4)

It’s better that she doesn’t. How would my father react if I chopped some asshole’s lips off?

Probably negatively.

I take an abrupt turn onto an exit, surprising her. It’s impossible to miss her tiny gasp, the way she sucks her lower lip between her teeth. Now she leans forward, squinting.

“Where are you going?” she asks.

Even though she knows.

I keep silent.

“Eli.” She twists toward me. “Eli.”

I glance at her. She’s pretty when she’s pissed. Her eyes catch on fire, I swear. It’s part of the reason our little act worked so well in public. While we tormented each other, I always made it up to her.

The twenty-four-seven diner glows from the back of a huge parking lot. It’s barely bigger than a trailer, but it boasts the best chocolate chip banana pancakes. We came here a few too many times…

“Stop,” she says, gripping the handle on the door. “We can’t go in there.”

“Are you chicken?”

She tilts her head. “Maybe I just don’t want to relive everything.”

Maybe I do.

I park and hop out, taking the keys with me. “You can sit there in the cold or come in and have something to eat. Your choice.”

I slam the door and start toward the entrance. My breath catches in my throat when I don’t hear anything behind me, but then her door creaks open.

My chest loosens.

Every move around her has to be strategic, or else I’ll end up in the same position I was in a year ago. I’ll be a sad sap following his girl, unaware of the shitstorm she’s bringing.

I grit my teeth.

There’s a reason I’m not going to law school. I can’t be trusted to keep a secret… and neither can Riley. My anger is too loud in my ears. Someone stuffed me full of cotton and set it on fire, and the crackle might drive me crazy.

The waitress wiping down the breakfast bar smiles at me, gesturing to pick my own table. It isn’t very crowded in here, just a few college-aged students in a corner booth, all with their laptops out and coffee mugs beside them. I eye the lone man seated by the door and finally choose a table away from everyone.

The bell above the door goes off just as I’m pulling out a menu.

Riley slides into the seat across from me. “You really need to look?”

No. How many times was it? A hundred? Or maybe the number is deceptively small: twelve or thirteen.

Who knows?

“What are you getting?” I ask.

She glares at me.

“Or…” I set down the menu and cross my arms over my chest. “You can tell me what’s going on.”

Something flashes across her face. I struggle to put a name to it, but it isn’t a pleasant expression.

“I’ll go first,” I offer. “I’m here to stay. At least for the year.”

“What happened to college?” she asks.

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