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KADEN
Every day, it gets worse. Every day, that fucking storm of bloody emotions inside my chest gets stronger. It’s tearing at my soul. Eating me alive. Making me unable to function.
When I saw Alina crying on the floor like that last week, it felt as if someone had shoved a hand into my chest and ripped my heart out, leaving only a jagged hole full of blood and broken tendons. And when I saw her strutting away from the parking lot with that incredible look of smug victory on her face later, I thought my body was going to burst with pride and joy.
And I can’t fucking handle it!
I can’t handle feeling this much all the time.
A bang echoes between the dark wooden walls as I slam the kitchen cabinet shut.
From his place on the cream-colored couch, Jace pauses his video game and turns around to look at me. Worry flits across his features when his gaze meets mine.
With a snarl, I just spin back around and yank open another cabinet. I can’t even remember what it is that I’m looking for. I just know that I can’t handle Jace’s concern for me right now. I can’t handle one more fucking emotion right now.
Since the cabinet is full of oven dishes, I just slam it shut again.
“Careful,” Jace calls from the couch.
I whip around to face him. He doesn’t look concerned anymore. Instead, there is an arrogant expression on his features as he raises his eyebrows expectantly.
“You do not get to lecture me about being careful,” I growl back at him, my fingers flexing at my sides.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Just back off, Jace.”
Grabbing the back of the sofa, he effortlessly jumps over it to land on the floor instead. Now facing me fully, he crosses his arms over his chest and shoots me a pointed look. That damn arrogant expression remains on his features.
“It’s not my fault,” he nods towards the kitchen side of the room, “or the cabinets fault, that you’re losing the war with the Petrovs.”
Fury flashes through me like lightning strikes. Curling my hands into fists, I clench my jaw and stare him down from across the room while that terrible storm inside me grows even more violent. “Watch your mouth.”
Jace scoffs. Uncrossing his arms, he strides towards me until he is right in my face. Arrogance drips from every word when he speaks. “Or what? You can’t even beat the Russians, so how are you going to beat me?”
“Jace.” His name leaves my mouth in a low vicious snarl. The rage tearing inside me is so loud that I can barely hear anything except the violent pounding of blood in my ears, and every word out of my mouth sounds like it was wrenched from my soul and dragged over broken glass. “Back. Off. Now.”
“No.” He snorts and flicks a dismissive look up and down my body. “You know what? I’m going to do the exact opposite.”
The roaring inside my head drowns out everything else. I’m going to shatter. My body is going to be torn apart from the inside by the thrashing storm of emotions inside me. He needs to back off right now. Right now. He needs to back off. I need an outlet. I need an outlet. I need—
“Since you’re apparently too incompetent to do it…” Jace flashes me a grin full of mocking challenge, “I’m going to step in and finish this war for you.”
I slam my fist into his jaw.
His head snaps to the side.
But before I can even process what I’m doing, he whips his head back and lunges at me.
I yank my arm up, blocking his strike with my forearm. The force of the blow vibrates up my bones. But I barely notice it over the roaring that still fills my head and consumes my every thought.
Shoving his fist to the side, I kick towards his hip. He staggers backwards, slamming into the kitchen table behind him. It screeches against the floor as it’s pushed back several inches by his massive form, and the chairs that were pushed in underneath it clank together as they follow.
He shoves away from the table and spins around, slamming his foot towards my side. I leap back, evading it, and then dart to the side. Jace sees me coming and twists to block my strike to his ribs. A dull ache pulses through my hand as it connects with his forearm instead.
I yank up my other arm to block. One second too late.
My head snaps to the side as his fist slams into my jaw.
