“You like Lenora,” I signed.

I didn’t want to talk about how much it hurt to see Knight with someone else. I didn’t want to ask Vaughn how long Knight had had a girlfriend. I clutched the ragged ends of my pride with bleeding fingernails.

“I hate her.” He let out a breath, and with it, his obvious frustration.

“Same difference.”

“We’re competing over the same spot at her dad’s academy. She’s her father’s daughter. Connect the fucking points, Lu.”

“Is that what’s bothering you?”

“What else could it be?” He scoffed.

“The fact that she might be more talented than you.” I jutted my chin out.

He threw me a patronizing smile, stuffing his hands into his pockets and taking a step toward me. He seemed relaxed, like he was burning time until something important happened. Vaughn was a world-class planner. His life was a chess game, each step perfectly calculated and in complete harmony with his end game.

“You seem to be taking Knight’s antics in stride. I’m proud of you. I thought you’d cower and break. You proved to be more resilient than I gave you credit for.”

I tipped my head up, meeting his gaze. He was close to me now. Too close for comfort. Vaughn was beautiful, but not in a way I found attractive. Like a god-shaped sculpture. Gorgeous, lifeless, and so terribly cold. He captured my chin between his fingers, slanting his head sideways as his eyes traced the shape of my lips.

“Terrible, isn’t it?”

My heart quickened. I wanted to step away. To turn my back on him and leave. To run back to my house. But running away from problems was getting old, and had proved to be destructive.

My grays met his blues, defying him to finish his thought.

“The sacrifices we have to make to put things back in order,” he explained.

“You wanted me gone,” I reminded him.

“I wanted you strong,” he amended. “You were no match for Knight, which was why you didn’t have the balls to go after him.”

“And now?”

My heart looped inside my chest. Why was I waiting for his confirmation? Who was he to decide, anyway?

“Now the jury’s out, and it’s your job to prove it.”

“You’re mad at Knight for pushing Lenny into Hunter’s arms.” I grinned. I’d found Vaughn’s vulnerability, dug it up with a little spoon.

“I’m never mad. Just fair.” He shrugged. “Besides, this is about you, not me.”

“Knight doesn’t want me anymore,” I signed.

I foolishly tried to goad him to tell me differently, but Vaughn was far too sophisticated to fall into this trap.

“You know, Luna, people dislike me because I fight mean. With no mercy. But what they don’t get is that terror and arousal are very similar. Same adrenaline. Same incentive. Same reaction. What do you say, Rexroth? Are you ready to fight back?”

Before the meaning of his words could register, Vaughn leaned down and pressed his lips to mine ever so softly. We hovered between a kiss and breathing each other in, our eyes still open, but I didn’t pull back. Didn’t push him away.

Vaughn kissed the corner of my lips, murmuring, “You are delectable, Luna Rexroth. I could devour you and not even feel sorry for it.”

He still wore a cunning grin when he was jerked back, and before I realized what was happening, Vaughn had been thrown on top of the washing machine and Knight’s fist hovered in the air as he towered above him. Knight was bigger by far, and physically stronger. But that didn’t stop Vaughn from smiling up at him, the flame of the devil’s match twinkling in his pale eyes.

“If it isn’t fucking Judas Iscariot himself.” Knight narrowed his eyes, spitting on the floor.

“Careful, Cole. You’re a taken man now. I wonder what your girlfriend is going to think about your little outburst. I was just kissing a perfectly single, shit-hot girl.”

“Traitor!” Knight screamed in his face.

Vaughn straightened. “Traitor, as in I hooked up with the girl you love and now you’re salty?” Vaughn asked conversationally.

Oh, God.

Oh, Lenora.

“Yeah.” Knight flashed a wolfish grin. “Exactly like that. You made Luna go to Boon.” His entire body shook with rage, a stark contrast to his schooled features. “Poppy said she overheard you in the courtyard.”

Vaughn shrugged, refusing to get pulled into the hysterical atmosphere in the room. “You babied her. You weren’t equals, and therefore couldn’t be together. I sent her on her way, and look at her now. All grown up and ready to face you. Where’s my thank you?”

“I’m going to kill you,” Knight whispered.

His expression scared me, but not enough to sit back and let him stake his claim. I didn’t want to move on with Josh, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have the right to. Knight and I had never been together, and he was now seeing someone else. He had no right to be mad. I grabbed Knight’s bicep, trying to pull him away from Vaughn.

He shook me off. “Stay out of this, Luna.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. I was part of this. I slipped between them, blocking his access to Vaughn. Not that Vaughn needed my protection. He’d kill for a chance to brawl. I obviously hadn’t thought the idea through, because now I was sandwiched between them, and Vaughn’s groin was pressed against my butt, something Knight could see very well from his eagle-eye angle, being so much taller and bigger than Vaughn and me.