God of Ruin (Legacy of Gods #4) by Rina Kent

I don’t understand a thing Mia is trying to communicate, but I smile and nod anyway. “I gather from your expression that you’re not happy about the sharp turn of events. I’ll find the capacity to empathize when I find some fucks to give.”

She lowers her hand to the table and forces a breath in. It appears staggeringly ineffective and worse than a child’s attempt to remain calm.

With a dramatic huff, she punches her phone’s screen with nails that are painted blue—like her ribbons and sunglasses.

“Easy, tiger,” I repeat what I told her the night she dared to provoke me and promptly signed her death certificate. “It’s not the phone’s fault you’re losing in epic fashion.”

She thrusts the phone in my face. “If you dare hurt my sister, I’ll slice your throat and hang you out to dry by the balls.”

My attention shifts from the text to her when she slides her forefinger along her translucent neck that would look ethereal with a few marks. Then she squashes something imaginary—presumably my balls—in her palm and points at me.

I can feel my smile broadening as I connect my forefinger with hers. “Is this some telepathic method?”

She jerks her hand away and flips me the middle finger while wearing a sickeningly sweet smile.

One that’s meant to look not only fake but also forced.

Interesting.

Seems that Mia Sokolov has no qualms about provoking me for the fuck of it.

Seems that I’ve stumbled across someone who’s not particularly receptive of my godly personality and immaculate charm.

Then again, she wouldn’t have bathed me in blood if she were.

She plays her rook, and I block it with my queen, then place an elbow on the table and lean my head against my fist. “I’m curious.”

She types, “About how to be a better person? I can help with pointers.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. No one is curious about something that dull, and you’re far from being the person to provide any pointers.” I push my queen forward and she narrows her eyes at the unexpected move. “What I am curious about, however, is the reason behind your attack.”

Her features contort in an “Are you kidding me?” expression before she shakes her head with a huff. It looks as patronizing as a teacher who’s fed up with her problematic student.

Her attitude is eerily similar to my sister Glyndon’s whenever she tells me how done she is with my antics. But since I’m about to be twenty-four and she’s only nineteen, I get older-brother privileges.

And I’m the second King grandchild to roam the earth. Each is a different superpower in its own right.

“What?” I tap my fingers against my lips. “If it’s something I’ve done, you have to be more specific. I have no recollection whatsoever of my countless masterpieces. See, I have to delete some to leave space for the newer ones.”

She reaches into her little dress that appears to be stolen from a gothic doll, retrieves what looks like a pen, and scribbles on the screen of her phone for longer than usual.

Her handwriting, if that’s what it can be called, is tiny and messy, like a drunk ant that’s trying to find its way home after a wild night out.

“You forgot about hurting my cousin Kill? Or kidnapping my brother, which directly resulted in his injury? How could you even kidnap my brother anyway? He’s much bigger and stronger than you.”

“Strength holds no importance when he was drugged. I slipped it in his vodka, and he was none the wiser. Word of advice, don’t drink anything a stranger offers. But then again, your dear brother is a bit thick, isn’t he?”

Her eyes blaze the color of hellfire. I counter it with a broad smile.

There’s something intriguing about her murderous expression. Something I want to freeze into a stone.

Maybe transform her into one of my statues and stare at her spiky expression for eternity.

Huh.

That’s actually the first time I’ve thought of sculpting someone into a statue just to stare at them. Usually, I’d imagine them as stone for the sole purpose of snuffing out their life.

“To clarify, your cousin Kill had the audacity to go after my sister—a sin I still haven’t forgiven, mind you. As for your brother, he was part of a very elaborate plan that faced a few complications but still managed to be a fantastic success.”

She starts to sign but then fists a hand on the table and scribbles with the other, “It couldn’t have been as fantastic as punching you in the face and giving you a blood bath, asshole.”

“Now, that’s where you’re wrong.” I knock down her bishop and casually place it to the side. “Your attack the other night was directed at me, even though I’ve never targeted you.”

She scribbles and shoves the phone in my face. “Targeting my family is no different from targeting me.”

“I disagree. In fact, I see the assault as an invitation to a challenge, and I take my challenges very seriously, which is why the first step is to expose Maya as…easy, for lack of a better term.”

She jerks up, both her fists balling and a vein in her neck popping with tension.

“Sit down before I decide that after her very public humiliation, I’ll also fuck her and post the video for the world to see.”

She lifts her fist as if she can punch me, but I continue staring her in the face. “Sit the fuck down, Mia.”