Page 151 of Glutton for Punishment

Maddox raises an eyebrow.

I sigh. “You really need to start paying attention in Faction Politics and Strategy.”

I point toward the route. “Make her overextend herself publicly instead.”

He steps closer beside me. “How?”

“She’s expecting retaliation from you because everyone expects you to retaliate with a violent response.” I tap the map again. “So don’t give her that.”

His attention sharpens.

“Push relief shipments into struggling districts yourself, like you mentioned,” I say. “Food. Medicine. Basic necessities. Meanwhile, set up a barricade with some members of your gang manning it just as the neutral territory meets yours. The merchants, who are already displeased, will get all the way to your border before having to turn around and take a longer route.”

Understanding flickers across his face. “That will run up the costs when they are already struggling to make fewer sales.”

“Exactly.” I glance up at him.

“They’ll put pressure on her because she made the first move,” he says slowly. “She’ll look like she’s sacrificing her own rich merchants for no reason.”

“And you look stable.” I smile. “Which is terrifyingly attractive in a leader during unstable times.”

His gaze lingers on me a second too long as something shifts in the air.

“You really do excel at strategy, don’t you?” he asks.

I shrug awkwardly. “I grew up around a bunch of Wrath bastards who used their fists and powers to solve every problem. You learn strategy fast when you can’t exactly go toe to toe with them.”

“No,” he says, still observing me. “This is more than that.”

Heat creeps into my face. To escape it, I point to another section of the map. “Also, your brother Kael is going to exploit this.”

Maddox groans. “You’re right.”

“He likes opportunistic chaos too much not to.” I move another pin. “If Amaya destabilizes trade, Kael will probably move into black market distribution here.”

“I’ve heard reports that he already has. You’re good at this,” he mumbles.

I don’t point out that he’s now officially given me multiple compliments in one afternoon. His praise feels more intimate than flirting. It feels like respect.

The room falls quiet after that.

Maddox leans over the edge of the table beside me while I continue studying the map. Our shoulders brush every few seconds. Neither of us moves away.

“I still think you should let me punch Amaya at least once before this is over,” I mutter.

“You say that like I’d stop you. Although I’d prefer it if you punched Vex first.”

“Oh, he’s getting a kick to the balls. You won’t have to worry about the line of succession with that one.”

He finally laughs, and it lights everything up inside me. It’s probably a good thing that it’s so rare since it turns my knees to jelly every time.

He catches me staring, and something unspoken passes between us. The corner of his mouth pulls in just slightly before his teeth graze his lower lip, and that’s all it takes. I reach up and press my palm to his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin, and bring my mouth to his. Then we break apart, and I watch his eyes go dark, and the carefulness dissolves.

We come back together like a collision, his hand finding the back of my neck. Our mouths clash with a frantic hunger, teeth nipping at lips, tongues sliding against each other as our hands begin to roam. He breaks the kiss only to lift me, my legs wrapping instinctively around his waist as he carries me toward the bed, our lips finding each other again without a second’s pause, desperate and relentless.

My fingers catch the bottom of his shirt and I pull it over his head as he carries me, our lips barely parting long enough to let it pass between us.

“I refuse to be the only one naked this time,” I whisper.