Page 144 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

“Are you just going to ignore me, baby boy?”

My head snaps up, nostrils flaring, rage scorching the air.

Raptor leans on her hand, smiling smugly at me.

“Yes, I freaking am.”

She hums and then, to my absolute frustration, her foot rubs against my inner thigh. I snap my legs together and narrow my eyes in her direction.

“Keep your feet off me.”

She snorts a laugh, but there’s something about her that is just predatory and bored. So bored.

I know she’s not going to stop.

I snarl and stab my butter knife into the wooden tabletop.

Blaze makes a sound of pain and snatches it out of the wood, stroking the spot.

“Why would you do that? We are not animals here!”

I turn my head to him and bare my teeth. He radiates his emotions loud and clear, and its irritation. Well, good, we can all be annoyed.

“I want to speak to Raven.”

The table goes silent.

“Raven’s not in,” Raptor says easily and stabs an egg. She lifts it to her mouth and smiles with a healthy dose of evil as she chews the fucking thing. “When Raven’s naughty, she doesn’t get to come out and play, and Raven is in time out for the next thirty years.”

“Find her and tell her I want to speak to her about things.”

Raptor pauses, cocking her head to the side. “No.”

Rolly walks in, and she glowers at him. He grabs Sage’s chair and pulls him away from her so he can kneel beside her.

“My horrible queen!”

“Annoying,” she growls at him.

He runs his hands over her, and she goes on the defensive, finally bursting up from her chair and coming to my side of the table.

“Raven!” I remind her.

She glowers at me. “You boys want to play? Let's play.”

She stiffens and then pats her pockets, huffs in irritation.

“What are you lot doing now?” Jay asks and walks out of the room without waiting for an answer. “Why is Raptor so annoyed?”

I slam my cutlery down and shove back my chair before catching up with him, just as he throws himself down on the couch. He grabs the remote and turns it on.

“Oh, I love this movie. Rolly, we’re watching movies, get in here.”

“Coming, dearest!”

I glare. “I want to speak to Raven,” I enunciate slowly.

“Take a number and wait in line, but keep it quiet. This movie is a good one. Also, oh, yeah, Raven is not allowed to play because she likes to break the toys.”