Flock (The Ravenhood)

“It’s okay to look, Cecelia,” he drawls. “And I rather enjoyed that guilty blowjob.”

“I really, really don’t like him.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He releases me. “He lives here, so get in there and finish cooking or he wins.”

“Are you crazy? I’m not going back in there. He twisted my words—”

“You need to stand your ground with him and do it early, or he’ll walk all over you.” It’s an unapologetic order and his tone is borderline militant, much like last night. I deflate a little.

“Sean, how did he know we went to the waterfall?”

Sean’s eyes deaden and he stares on at me blankly. “So, you’re going to let him win.”

“Are you going to answer me?”

His silence is answer enough. I try and read into the look in his eyes, but he’s not backing down. He’s not going to apologize for someone else’s actions. And he damn sure doesn’t want me to play victim. As pissed as I’m getting, he’s absolutely right. If I leave and let everything Dominic says and does get in the way of Sean and me, he will win.

Tossing my shoulders back, I make my way through the cars and head back inside.

“Get ‘em, baby,” I hear Sean chuckle behind me.

Dominic glares at his well-done steak as I bite into a mouthful of salad, not bothering to hide my smile at all.

His eyes meet mine and he lets out a low whistle. Brandy, Sean’s spitz bounds down the stairs as Dominic

tosses the whole steak over his shoulder.

“She can’t chew that, asshole,” Sean objects, picking up the steak and tossing it on the counter, using his silverware to slice it up without a cutting board.

Animal.

“Then maybe you should have gotten a real dog, not a fucking shower poof,” Dominic fires back.

I can’t help my giggle. I hadn’t expected such a lady dog when Sean introduced me to Brandy, and I gave him hell for it.

“At least she’s amusing,” Dominic sizes me up. “Do you do tricks too?” He stabs into his broccoli.

Sean gazes on at me expectantly and I briefly entertain throwing my plate at Dominic, but I decide not to waste a good steak.

And anyway, what in the actual fuck is going on? I look between them and see no sign of conspiracy, but why is Sean not defending me? Not even a little. I get that he wants me to stand my ground, but where’s the backup? Shouldn’t he at least say something? Using that anger, I turn to a freshly showered Dominic, his dark hair tousled on top of his head, his skin darker from his run. A smug smile on his beautiful bastard face.

“Look, Major Malfunction, I get that you have some sort of personality disorder, but can you, just until I finish my steak, try to play nice?”

Sean throws his head back. “Major Malfunction. Good one, baby.”

“Backseat Betty says you fucked her in your Nova,” Dominic supplies as my steak catches in my throat. I choke it down and grab my water, my eyes flying to Sean. This man will use everything I say against me, every word.

Sean glances toward me with a raised brow and I flit my hostile gaze to Dominic.

“So, you like twisting words, huh?”

“I like playing with simple-minded people,” Dominic sips his beer. “It’s a hobby.”

“Fuck yourself, Dominic, there’s a hobby.”

He tongues his upper lip as if contemplating and then shakes his head. “No, I’d much rather you finish that hand job you were giving me before your boyfriend walked in.” He turns to Sean. “By the way, I wouldn’t get to comfortable with her. She was really reluctant to call you her boyfriend earlier. Between that, her staring contest with junior, and the chub rub, I’m thinking she’s not the girl you should introduce to Mom.”

I slam my silverware down, glaring between them. “Okay, what’s the joke?” I fixate on Sean. “Are you not going to say anything to this asshole?”