Page 393 of The Bonding Games: Part 1

I only smirk, because Havoc’s affected by me. She definitely likes me, and that’s a step away from love . . . if she isn’t already secretly pining after us.

Us. Not just me. Not like it should’ve been. How I planned it to be.

Tsunamis of jealousy roar up within me without warning.

I tamp them down quickly, but those crashing waves are always there, simply lessened, I think, the waters gradually losing momentum as the days go by. And I can tell Havoc prefers when we’re all together, even if she doesn’t yet know it herself. And if she’s not happy, I’m not happy. Therefore, this is a sacrifice I’m reluctantly willing to make. Plus, the guys aren’t horrendous.

Cooper could definitely use some work, though.

“Grab your ties,” Havoc barks then, before whipping towards the range of gold cufflinks.

We hurry to obey, me snatching up a regular tie and dumping it in my bag along the way.

“Do you think these are all real gold?” Tiger asks, eyelids stretched wide as he moves to the stand by the wide range of cufflinks in glass cases. Shoving his hand into one of the open boxes stuffed full of arrow-shaped ones, he snatches up a pair of them to inspect.

“They are,” Ezla answers shortly.

“Really?!” Tiger slides a sly look his brother’s way. “We’re gonna be wearing real gold . . . Gold brother.” He tips his head back and evil laughs. “Mwah-ha-ha-ha-haaaaa!”

Cooper scratches at the back of his head.

“That was the worst joke I’ve ever heard in my life,” I expose what everyone is thinking.

“It wasn’t that bad . . .” Alby defends weakly, then grimaces at how little help that was.

“It’s okay, Alby. Some people just don’t get me!” Tiger places a hand on his shoulder—then pretends to sob loudly. Thank fuck this place is empty of the general public, because otherwise I think there would be crowds rushing over, believing there’d been a murder.

“Choose your cufflinks.”

“Of course, Love.” Scotty has a look at what each case contains, and I lean closer to do the same along with Cooper, Tiger, and Alby.

There’s crossed swords, daggers, the arrows Tiger now returns to their case, snakes, bears, tigers . . . Is that a cupcake . . . ? There’s tiny boats, clouds, simpler shapes like triangles and stars, all different kinds of flowers, and quite a few more. They’re definitely not short on options.

Tiger snatches up two tigers.

“Of course,” Cooper mutters.

“What? It’s iconic.” He whips his blond head around and shakes his hair out, then does goo-goo eyes at our Bonded.

Brows scrunching, I decide to keep my thoughts on the matter to myself in favour of pleasing an impatient Havoc, shoving my hand into the nearest case and bringing out a couple of the little swords that my thick fingers gobble up. I catch Alby’s small smile as he chooses an arrow cufflink for himself before slipping his hand into the case beside those ones to grab a mini golden bow.

Huh. Smart guy—I didn’t think to mix and match.

Cooper grabs a couple leaf-shaped ones, and Scotty chooses snakes.

“Good. Let’s go.” Giving us no chance to change our minds if we didn’t like the cufflinks we’d chosen, Havoc spins on her heel and strides out of the sizable golden section of accessories and clothing and leads us to the back of the store, where a desk I hadn’t noticed earlier sits with a man behind it.

A man who’s looking far too eagerly at my girl.

“Collins,” Ezla greets in her usual tone.

But it does nothing to tame the cataclysmic flames of jealousy that roar up inside me.

“Collins?” I hiss. “Fucker, don’t look at her.” Not wasting a second, I shove myself in front of Havoc.

Only to have my legs kicked out from under me.

I land with a thud and lose any oxygen in my lungs.