CHAPTER 61
Evren
Bring Me Back To Life - Chris Grey
Istarted preparing everyone for the seasonal race.
Every day, I make them drive their cars or bikes around the docks while I throw new obstacles at them and pull unpredictable shit without warning.
If they can handle me—they can handle the race.
Ren patched me up real quick. The gunshot wound is clean and already healing fast thanks to the medicine I paid a fucking fortune for.
All because Riven forced me to treat it by grabbing me by the balls and squeezing until I finally went pliant.
I fucking loved it.
It hurt.
But fuck... It felt like nirvana.
Though, in my mind, at night, I keep replaying the corridor, her getting hurt, her body flying against the wall with a thud that completely snaps but also her saving my ass.
However, the thing I think about the most is her kissing me, I can't stop thinking about it.
I never kissed a woman like that. Usually, I kiss women before sex as a foreplay, I stop once I’m fucking them.
That kiss was different.
Our first kiss.
The moment her lips were on mine, the warmth spreading across, my brain fucking short-circuited.
For one insane moment, I thought I was about to drop to my knees in front of her again and worship every inch of her.
I spent the whole week breaking into her loft, watching her sleep and making that little charm whenever no one at the garage was looking.
I couldn’t touch her.
Couldn’t even fucking let my fingers brush her face while she's sleeping.
I don't understand, I never felt like this.
I should be out fucking other women but every time I think about it, it disgusts me.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
Since when do I fall apart because of someone? Since when does one woman get to dictate my fucking moods?
I need to get a grip, I need to fucking function without her.
But the thought of her walking away—never seeing her again, never hearing her voice shouting at me, never feeling her around me, her hands never punching me again or worse, her being with another man makes me want to rip my own heart out, put it in her hands, and beg her not to leave.
The silence is gone.
My mind is fucking loud since she's there. She fills every thought, every instinct, every part of me.
I'm obsessed with her and I don't regret a single fucking thing I did to end up this way, with her.
I will feel whatever it is as deeply and express it as violently as I fucking please.
The sound of the tub filling echoes through my apartment, after the revelation in the garage, she needed to relax, probably to cry alone so I dragged her here and shoved her in.
I’m in my kitchen, sipping my Nitro can, eyes close.
I’m content with knowing she is here, in my space, relaxing, naked.
In my space, in my home, with me.
My mouth twitches at the thought.
“Evren!” A woman's voice cuts through the apartment from the corridor outside.
My entire body locks, my eyes snap open and my head whips toward the front door.
Before I can react, the sharp beep of the door pad echoes through the apartment.
The door slides open, blonde-pink hair appears in the doorway.
My gaze drifts downward, fake lips, fake tits and pink eyes.
Lira.
My expression hardens, my jaw clenches.
My grip tightens around the Nitro can until the aluminum buckles inward with a crunch. It implodes in my hand, the drink erupts, splashing across my face.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I'm not asking, I'm genuinely threatening her.
“I came to see you, silly!” She skips inside and shuts the door behind her. “I missed you! And after the last time at the home race, I figured you needed some space.”
A sharp puff of air escapes my lips, somewhere between disbelief and irritation.
She's that fucking desperate? I've been clear with her since day one—I don't do relationships and I sure as fuck don't want one with her.
“Lira.” I push myself away from the counter and take one heavy step toward her. “Get out.”
“Why?” She crosses her arms beneath her chest, pushing it forward as she sticks out her lower lip in a pout.
It instantly irritates me.
Seriously?
“Because I'm ordering you to get the fuck out of my apartment before I rip those tits implants out with my bare hands and shove them down your fucking throat.”
Her face drains of color instantly.
“You don’t… mean that…” She takes a step back from me.
I grin widely and sadistically.
“Oh, but sweetheart,” I take another slow step toward her. “I mean every fucking word.”
I expect her to cower and run for the front door the very next second.
Then her expression changes, the pout vanishes.
So does the fear.
From my bathroom comes a long, slow sigh of relief.
Riven.
Lira hears it too, her pink almond-shaped eyes shift from fear to pure suspicion.
I'm about to grab her arm and throw her out when she suddenly spins around and sprints toward the bathroom door, her heels clicking against the asphalt.
My heart skips a beat.
I'm not afraid of her finding Riven, I couldn't give less of a fuck.
What makes my chest tighten with pure possessiveness is knowing Riven is in there, relaxing and naked in my tub.
And this bitch is about to throw a fucking tantrum.
I move.
Before she can even touch the handle, my hand slams into the wall beside her head, stopping the door from opening.
I won't let her bother Riven.
I hear a sharp yelp from inside, I ignore it.
“Who is that?” Lira asks, venom dripping from every word. “Is she one of your whores?”
Rage flares through me instantly.
How dare—that fake-ass bitch—call Riven a whore.
My free hand shoots up, clamping over her injected lips, my nails digging into the overfilled skin.
“Don't ever call her that.”
Her eyes widen with a mixture of fear and jealousy. She pounds against my chest, but I barely register it.
The bathroom door opens beneath my palm.
Riven steps out wrapped in nothing but a towel clinging to her curves like a second skin.
Bathwater still beads across her skin, steam curling off her body. Her hair is damp, gathered into a messy bun.
Her mismatched—real—eyes sweep over the scene in an instant before hardening.
My breath catches as I take her in, Lira disappears from my mind completely.
“Fuck,” I breathe. “You're going to be the death of me... and what a fucking way to go.”
Lira whines beneath my hand before finally managing to wrench herself free.
She rolls her eyes.
“What is happening here?” Riven asks, her voice hard, though I can tell she's trying to sound casual.
A deep rumble vibrates in my chest as she looks at Lira with nothing but pure indifference.
“Nothing. She was just about to get the fuck out.” I reply, taking a step closer to Riven.
I need to be close to her.
“The hell I am!” Lira shouts, jabbing a finger at Riven. “Who are you?”
“None of your fucking business.”
I practically watch the color drain from Lira's face.
A small smile tugs at my mouth as I look down at Riven, my eyes searching, mapping every inch of her face.
“Shut the fuck up.” Riven snarls.
“Yes, ma'am.” I chuckle.
I gladly shut my mouth for once, I am thrilled to see if she is jealous.
Just the thought of it makes my cock strain against my oversized sweatpants.
Lira's eyes dart between Riven and me as I move to stand behind Riven, my arms crossed.
“You think you're his?” Lira spits. “You're no one to him. You're just some cunt he fucks, and when he gets bored, he'll come running back to me. He always does.”
My eyes harden instantly.
I take a step, ready to make good on my threat but Riven turns away and walks toward the couch.
I frown.
What is she doing? Why isn't she exploding? Why isn't she jealous? Why isn't she angry?
“Did he come fuck you recently?” Riven asks as she bends to pick up the bottle of water she'd left on my coffee table.
“Well...” Lira starts, stumbling over her words. “N-No, but he will! He always does! Besides, you're just a whore!”
Riven shrugs dismissively and takes a sip from the bottle.
A smirk tugs at my lips, I know exactly what she's doing.
“Yeah? Then if he does, he's yours. What the fuck do you want me to say?”
She sets the bottle back down and walks toward us, stopping right in front of Lira.
“You keep saying he'll come back, yet he hasn't. And you're clearly trespassing in his home. ”
Lira flinches before instinctively taking a step back.
“I'm genuinely sorry for you, but if you respected yourself, you'd go find someone who actually wants you.” She crosses her arms. “He doesn't respect himself, and he's too fucked up to have done the same with me. But you should.”
“I respect myself!” Lira shouts. “I mean, look at me! How could he choose... that over me?!”
I see Riven roll her eyes.
Lira explodes, she slaps Riven across the face before grabbing her messy bun and yanking her head back hard.
I move fast.
How dare she put her filthy hand on what’s mine.
On her.
But what I don't expect is Riven.
She hisses through her teeth and drives a vicious uppercut straight into Lira's stomach.
The sight stops me dead in the middle of my lunge.
Lira lets go instantly, folding in half as the air leaves her lungs. Riven straightens, secures the towel around herself, then brushes the corner of her mouth with her thumb, cleaning the drop of blood as if nothing happened.
“I never hit people who don't deserve it,” Riven says. “I never throw the first punch for no reason.”
She takes one slow step toward Lira.
“But I always hit back.”
“How dare you?!” Lira screams between ragged breaths. “He is mine!”
She lunges again, nails aimed straight for Riven's face. I move on instinct but Riven is faster.
She snaps her arm back and drives a brutal hook into Lira's jaw.
Lira's head whips sideways before she crashes onto the floor, clutching her face as she scrambles backward.
“I don't care if you think he's yours or not!” Riven snaps. “You don't fucking hit me! I was relaxing, had my whole brain upside down, then you barged in here, insulted me, threw a tantrum, and despite me staying calm, you still decided to hit me?”
She cracks her knuckles and crouches in front of her.
“You're from the Upper Layers, aren't you?”
Lira nods frantically.