27

Still smiling, I took a step in his direction. Anton didn't back down and glared at me with irritation.

"I'm not afraid of you, Ryuuji," he assured.

"But you should be," I retorted quietly. "You know how I got him into this? I sucked him so good he couldn't breathe, and I fucked him so hard he screamed my name. That's how I convinced him to join this sick game," I murmured, making his eyes burn with rage.

"You're a little shit," he spat, grabbing me.

"No, no!" I warned, holding his wrist, ignoring the intense gaze of all the Hebi around us. "Remember where you are, Anton. You know what happens if you break our rule," I said, sending him another smile.

Hesitant, he let go.

"Go fuck yourself, Ryuuji," he snapped, grinding his teeth.

"Answer me," I retorted, feeling my smile slowly die.

"See? A bitch in heat," he mocked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"I heard he invited someone from Lily to his apartment, and he’s never done that before," he finally revealed, carrying a mischievous smile.

"What?" My whisper got lost in the loud music.

Anton widened his smile, relishing my shock, but before I could ask more questions, he left the bar and walked away. I swallowed hard, his words spinning in my mind.

"What was that?" Kenji and Shin appeared by my side, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I cleared my throat and forced myself to seem indifferent, but it felt like I had swallowed a sour rock, and I wanted to puke.

"I tried to have fun, but it seems like he wasn't interested," I lied, leaving my drink on the counter. "I need to go. I'm dead tired and want to sleep before I end up punching someone in the face," I warned, making Kenji smile.

"Are you really okay?" Shin asked, confused.

"I just need to sleep. I'll see you in the morning," I lied again and left the lively room for the gray, starless night.

The walk to the neutral area felt longer than usual. I parked the car a block away from the building and walked the rest of the way. I pulled the white hood over my head and hid my hands in my pockets, ignoring the cold wind and the deafening silence of the deserted street. It was past 3 a.m. when I entered the building and climbed the stairs, stopping at the door that led to the hallway.

I stood still, leaning against the wall while listening to Anton's voice invading my thoughts. I opened my eyes when a sound echoed through the empty corridor, and I stared at the small window in the door, feeling the floor being ripped out from under me when I saw red hair passing by the hallway.

I opened the door just in time to see Kaleu disappear into the elevator, and with my jaw clenched, I went to the apartment and entered without needing to knock. The place was dimly lit and quiet, and as I approached the kitchen, I found Matias in the bedroom.

"I didn't know if you were coming," he said, finishing putting on his shorts.

My attention swept across the unmade bed, the clothes scattered on the floor, and the used condom near the trash. I clenched my fists and ground my teeth, feeling the burn of anger take over my body. Matias turned around with messy hair and tired eyes, and the words got stuck in my throat, hard and uncomfortable.

Slowly, Matias grabbed a cold drink and went to the living room, forcing me to follow him. I watched him flop onto the couch with a long sigh and take a drink. When his hazel eyes met mine, I felt like all the air had been sucked out of my lungs.

"You didn’t," the words came out scratched.

Holding my gaze, Matias enjoyed his drink.

"Say you didn’t," I commanded, trapped in the cold sea of his eyes, but all he did was continue studying me with no emotion on his beautiful face. "No, you wouldn't," I commented, even though the sour taste of the lie lingered, and my heart beat painfully. "No..."

His face didn’t change, and I felt all the feelings intensify with his silence.

"No!" I repeated, forcing a smile as the rage crawled under my skin, and when a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, I felt myself losing the last thread of my self-control. Then, the anger and revolt flooded my mind like the night I found him wearing the Lily jacket.

"You son of a bitch," I gasped, kicking the coffee table, making the glass shatter against the wall.

Consumed by anger, I threw the TV to the floor, the crash making my head throb, but it wasn’t enough to ease the desire to do what was turning in my thoughts. Quiet, Matias just watched me rip his curtains, overturn his armchair, and knock down the massive bookshelf onto the floor.

Breathing heavily and burning with fury, I stared at the guy still sitting on the couch, still carrying the small smile.

"You should be mine. Only mine," I said, positioning myself in front of him, but my vision was so clouded that I could barely see his face.

My heart skipped a beat when Matias grabbed my hoodie and pulled me roughly, making me fall to my knees in front of him.

"And you were supposed to be only mine," he retorted with the same intensity. "I would have ignored it, would have let it slide if it was anyone else, but it had to be him, right? Always him!" he accused, keeping me firmly in front of him. "Did you even hesitate?" he asked, almost in a whisper.

I stared at his lips with difficulty, the scent of alcohol and sex overwhelming his skin.

"Did you think of me before you let him fuck you?" he pressed, clenching his fist.

I parted my lips, but the words refused to come out. Matias laughed as he studied me carefully.

"I didn't think of you when I let Kaleo enter me, not when we kissed or when he pulled my hair," he revealed, making my blood boil with the image of the red-haired guy touching him.

"I can still hurt you," I threatened, forcing myself to meet his gaze.

"But you won’t. You won’t do a damn thing," he declared, sinking his fingers into my hair. His touch was rough, and I cursed myself for sighing loudly. "You know what you're feeling now? That anger because someone possessed what's yours, the feeling of falling apart, losing control, feeling everything and nothing at the same time?" He asked, resting his forehead against mine and brushing his lips against my cheek.

"Shut up," I commanded, my skin vibrating. I shoved him away with force, but Matias was faster; he pushed me down onto the floor and sat on top of me.

"Is this good, Ryuuji?" he continued, holding my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "You know all that shit you're feeling, twisting in your chest and hurting you? You made me feel it when you fucked him, when I saw another guy's mark on the body that only I should touch," he shot, letting the rage ignite his face, transforming it into something wild and dangerous, allowing me to feel a slight comfort and satisfaction. "You’re mine," he assured, lowering his gaze to my mouth.

I breathed heavily, feeling the pressure of his fingers sinking into my skin and his intense words marking my bones.

"And if next time I let him touch you, I won’t hold back," he declared, lowering his touch to my neck. My heart skipped a beat when his mouth found mine in a gentle kiss, almost tenderly. "Now clean up this mess, I’m going to take a shower and make something to eat," he ordered, breaking the kiss.

Still on the floor, feeling his taste in my mouth, I watched him leave the room, ignoring all the destruction around him. With my heart racing and my mind spinning, I forced myself to get up.