Muse: A Dark Romance (Muse Standalone Series Book 1) by Marie Corbin

Author:Marie Corbin [Corbin, Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2022-10-08T00:00:00+00:00

I jump on the ridiculously large bed, laughing and throwing pillows to Simon. When he catches them, he spears them with a knife and fists the stuffing, throwing it in the air. The floor of Gene’s bedroom looks like a snowy Christmas morning: there’s white fluff everywhere, and he’s about to find out that someone broke into his house and left him a gift. It’s mid-October, though, so we’ve left him a horror instead.

“What should we write on this wall? I vote ‘needledick,’” Simon proposes.

I scrunch my nose, yanking another portrait of Gene from the wall above his headboard. “Mm, that’s a good one, but it’s too many letters,” I pass the portrait to Simon.

“True. Okay, what about cocksucker?” Simon props the portrait on the far wall.

Mentally calculating, I snicker, “I’m pretty that’s the same amount of letters. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with being a cocksucker.” I wink exaggeratedly.

“Truer words have never been spoken, Pipe.” Grinning, my old friend picks up an abstract metal sculpture, weighing it in his palm. Backing away from the wall, he chucks it at the portrait. When it shatters the glass frame and tears through the laminate, I burst into giddy laughter. I know it’s immature, but ruining as much as I can of Gene’s life feels so good.

“What words?” Lio asks, rounding the corner into Gene’s bedroom. From where I stand on the bed, Lio’s intense stare makes me feel like I’m under a spotlight. I move to jump down, and Simon positions himself in front of me, offering his hands.

“Oh, I’m fine, but th—“

Simon wraps his arms around my legs and places me on the floor. “Piper was just telling me that there’s nothing wrong with sucking cock.”

Lio’s jaw tenses, and he watches us closely as Simon leads me to the bucket of paint. “Piper, can I talk to you?”

My stomach sinks at his tone. It’s husky and full of danger. I try not to cower.

Simon must feel my hesitation because he says, “Actually, we have insults to paint. What do you think, Pipe? Oh, what about ‘scum’? It’s short and to the point.”

I grin. “I love it.”

When Simon dips the roller into the paint can, Lio approaches me from behind. Though he doesn’t touch me, I can feel his blistering energy radiating into me like the sun. Low enough for only me to hear, Lio murmurs, “Every minute, muse. Don’t think I’m not counting every minute you spend shining for him. That’s mine, and you’ll repay what you owe me.”

“Uh, Simon?” I gulp loudly. “I’m going to go tag another room.”

Over his shoulder, Simon calls, “Actually, go find Rey. She has something for you.”

As I scurry away from the Ledets, Lio starts discussing the plan for packing the van with Simon. I shake the unsettling feeling in my gut at how easily Lio switches between being on edge and level-headed.

Down the hall, I find Rey rummaging through in a disheveled room, red permanent marker in hand. Papers and photos are strewn over the floor, Gene’s desk, and a coffee table.

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