Page 58 of Kings & Chaos

Chapter20

Willa

“Does it hurt?”

I didn’t really care if the bruises and cuts on Neo’s face hurt, but we’d been driving for over an hour and the only words he’d said to me were, “Roll up the fucking window,” and, “Is that yourperfume?”

“No.” It came out in a grunt, and I felt a surge of mean satisfaction.

He’d really taken a beating from the skinny guy at the Orpheum. Not enough to do any real damage, but enough to bruise his pride, and let’s face it, Neo’s pride could use a few knocks.

Still, I high-key hated that he had to go home for Thanksgiving with visible bruises. I’d always despised Roberto, but that had been garden-variety dislike, the same brand of dislike I felt for most of the men in the family. They were all dick-swinging apes, dismissive of women, high on money and power, willing to hurt anyone to get more.

But those feelings were nothing compared to what I was feeling now. Nothing compared to the way I felt when I remembered Neo’s small, tear-stained face peering up at me from the closet, the way Roberto had called me alittle cuntwhen I’d been eight years old.

I wanted to hurt him. For what he’d done to me and what he’d done to Neo. For what he’d done to Rock and Oscar too, forcing them into the role of protectors for Neo when they’d needed protection themselves.

I didn’t want Roberto to see Neo beaten, both because I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction and because I didn’t want Neo to feel small around the man who’d abused him when he’d been a little boy.

“So what happened?” I tried again. “On fight night.”

I had no idea why Neo had fought so badly. His opponent had seemed so weak standing next to Neo, with his giant muscles and the rage he wore like a cloak, but Neo hadn’t been able to dodge the guy’s punches.

“He was faster than he looked,” Neo grumbled.

I eyed him skeptically from the passenger seat. I wouldn’t call Outlaw fast, but whatever Neo needed to tell himself, I guess.

“Does that happen a lot?” I asked him.

He sighed and turned down the music in the Hummer. “Does what happen a lot?”

“Losing on fight night,” I said.

“I didn’t lose.” It came out between gritted teeth.

This was actually kind of fun, and I forced myself to suppress a smirk. A smirk would be going too far, but needling the guy who’d given me shit since the second I’d stepped into the Kings’ house?

Well, that was the least he deserved.

“Yeah, but you didn’t win.” Technically the fight had been a draw, but I knew something about Neo, and I couldn’t imagine he saw that as a win.

His beat-up face and body definitely didn’t scream win.

He tightened his hand on the Hummer’s steering wheel. When he answered, he sounded like he was being strangled. “No, it doesn’t happen a lot. And if we have to talk, can we change the subject?”

I studied his profile. It wasn’t fair. Somehow the cuts and bruises only made him more beautiful, like he was some kind of fallen angel.

No, I scolded myself.Don’t romanticize him. He doesn’t care if he hurts people, and he agreed to put you up for the game so you’ll have to hurt someone too. He’s an asshole and a dick. What happened to him as a kid doesn’t change that.

“Is my mom in danger?” It was the question I’d been afraid to ask, the one that had been circling my mind since I’d remembered letting Neo out of the closet.

Listen, you little cunt…

Neo glanced at me, and for a split second, I thought I saw something besides annoyance or lust in his eyes.

Something that almost looked like sympathy.

“Do you really want the answer to that question?” he asked.

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