I threw the console controller onto the couch and stood. “I’m going for a run.” I walked out the back door and put on my shoes. I didn’t need music to muddy my thoughts. I’d run through my problems until I came up with a solution or passed out from exhaustion. Whichever came first.
I set off on the path I took the first day here, running the perimeter of the compound. I didn’t see Bobby this time, he was probably with Carmen somewhere, but I did run across a big guy with a stern face and slightly greying temples. He wasn’t faculty, and I slowed and eyeballed him.
Human, definitely. He had dark eyes, tattoos and a hard face that told me he’d seen and done things. I gave him a wide berth, but I watched him.
“What are you looking at, kid?” he growled.
I straightened my spine. “You’re human. Just making sure you belong. You aren’t faculty.”
The guy threw back his head and laughed. “Can’t argue with that. You must be the new tutor Celeste was telling me about. Name’s Lincoln. I live there.” He pointed to a large house in the corner of the compound, still inside the fence. It was a sprawling thing with a wrap around porch, a fenced off yard, and half a dozen small children running around. They screamed like banshees, and hell, did one of them just turn into a kitten?
“They all your kids?”
The guy’s face softened. “Most of them.” He looked back at me, his face firming up again. “Come over for dinner one night. There aren't many vanilla humans up here, and I know it can be daunting at the beginning.”
This time it was my turn to laugh. “My parents are a Nephilim and the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Trust me when I say you don’t know daunting.”
The guy stared at me for a moment, his mouth swinging open. “Fair enough. Come for dinner anyway. Bring your family.”
I nodded, and watched as Lincoln continued on his run. Shaking my head, I finished my circuit, running across the sports field, back toward the houses. I slowed when I saw a body lying in the middle of the field.
Skirting closer, I canvassed the area in case it was dead. Sensing no threats, I stepped closer, and recognized the hue of red hair. Flint.
I knew I should leave. Run away as fast as my tired legs could carry me. Instead, I stepped forward, blocking the sun over his face with my shadow. “You okay?”
He smiled up at me and it was like a punch in the gut. “Yeah, just enjoying the sky. You don’t really appreciate the sunshine until you’ve lived only in the dark, you know?”
I did know. But I’d been living in the sunshine for a lot longer than this guy before me. He patted the grass beside him. “Come hang out with me. I could use the distraction from my own thoughts.” His soft smile becomes a shit eating grin. “Unless you want to run away again?”
I felt my face fold into a grimace, but I sat down beside him. “What I did this afternoon was inappropriate.”
Flint snorted, sliding his eyes to me. “One, I’m pretty sure I’m the one that kissed you. Two, I haven’t been some blushing innocent in a really long time. What happened in the gym was completely and utterly consensual.”
I huffed out a breath. “Consensual or not, it wasn’t particularly professional of me. So I apologize.”
He rolled his eyes, before staring back at the sun. “Apology unnecessary but accepted.” He rolled onto his side and watched me. “So, you like Carmen too, or are you strictly dickly?”
I thought of the way her blue eyes burned, and her body moved like it was not of this earth. Of the way she fiercely protected her sister, and even Flint.
The guy in question snorted. “You don’t have to answer. I can see it in your face. Though, I think even if you were gay, Carmen might be the exception.”
I leaned back on my arms, realizing that I might be two or three years older than Flint, but the life he’d lived? I doubt he’d ever been a child. “Are you adjusting okay?”
Flint shrugged. “I’ll be better when these come off.” He pointed at the metal bands around his wrists. I looked at their intricate design. They were beautiful, but looking at them made a cold shiver run down my spine.
“I know they’re slave cuffs, used to control Djinn, but I don’t know much more than that.”
“Anadari bracelets. They were made to enslave my kind for one hundred years of servitude. For a half-caste like myself, that’s the majority of my life. That’s if I got to a hundred in the ring. I would’ve been really fucking surprised.” His face turned hard, and I was once again eternally grateful that Bobby had asked me to go and watch over Carmen that night.
We hadn’t told her that I wasn’t at that fight by chance, though underground fighting was something that went on a lot in Damnation. It was a way to make money, settle disputes, and generally speaking, everyone was there voluntarily.
Not so much in Flint’s case. He continued and his voice was flat, like he wasn’t involved in his life, like he was narrating someone else's captivity. “The Anadari bracelets are illegal now, Djinn-kind has moved on from the slavery bullshit. But they are still in the underground, and if you know the right people, you can still use them.”
I nodded, because what the hell could I say? “But you’re safe from that shit in Eden, right?”
He rolled onto his back again, going back to staring at the sun. “It's still there, and it's getting stronger, especially when my mental guards are down and I’m asleep. I’ve been handcuffing myself to the bed. Last night, I managed to uncuff myself and was halfway down the hall by the time I woke up. Rook is getting desperate and I’m running out of time. But the Djinn rep arrives tomorrow, so tonight I just won’t sleep.”
I shuddered at that level of violation, of someone crawling around inside his head, luring him out as he slept. I didn’t think, I just spoke. “Come over to my place. We’ll play videogames and drink coffee until the sun comes up and your official arrives.”
He gave me a grin that was pure sin. “I’m sure there are better ways we can pass a night.”
My dick hardened, and I forced out a laugh that was strangled. “I don’t think so. Caffeine and Call of Duty is all I can offer.”
He sat up, springing to his feet like a cat. “I’ll take it.”
17
Carmen
I’d messaged Bobby last night to see if he could pick me up at the asscrack of dawn. I wanted to be there when the Djinn rep came to visit Flint. I wasn’t going to miss it just because Christopher slept late and Enit couldn’t decide which pair of sparkly slippers to wear. Obviously, Bobby was still enamoured by the idea of being my boyfriend, because he pulled up in front of my house just as the sun was lightening the sky. Primo parent home time, like they weren't already watching me like a hawk, and I kissed Raine and Nico as they walked through the front door.
When Walker strolled up a few moments later, he stopped and gave me a side hug. He was still dressed in his Sheriff’s uniform, but he had his hat tucked under his arm. “You’re off early? Something to do with the Djinn kid?”
I nodded. “The Djinn are sending a rep to undo his slave cuffs today. I wanted to be there for support.”
Walker frowned. “Djinn politics are tricky. Dangerous even. I’d prefer if you stayed away while they were there.” I opened my mouth to protest and he raised a hand. “But considering you are you, and I assume you really like the kid?” It was a question as much as a statement, and I gave another tight nod. “Then I’m just going to advise you to be careful. Take Bobby in with you, watch what you say. They get really easily offended.” He paused. “And bring this Flint to dinner tonight.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you guys going to grill him about his intentions, or something equally as archaic and patriarchal?”
Walker lifted a single brow. “Maybe I just want to know who has my kid up at the crack of dawn. Who made her want to risk her life to save him. That’s not so hard to believe, right?”
I copied his expression, raising my eyebrow as Bobby rolled up. He laughed and ruffled my h
air. “Okay, okay. I’ll make sure everyone is on their best behavior.”
I shook my head but I couldn’t help the smile that curved my face. We had a shitty start to life, but I was eternally grateful for what I had now. It was gloriously mundane. Well, as mundane as a family filled with powerful supernaturals could be.
Bobby waved at Walker, and he flapped his hat back. “Come to dinner tonight,” he yelled and gave me a loaded look that told me he knew exactly how much my relationship with Bobby had changed. Walker was observant like that, dammit.
Because Bobby was a smart guy, he knew that it was an order and not a request. “Sure thing. See you tonight, Sir.”
I rolled my eyes at him and slammed the door shut behind me. Belting myself in, we peeled out of town and onto the mountain road that led to the Academy. “I think my parents know you’re my boyfriend now.”
Bobby reached over and put his hand on my knee, and I tucked it tightly between my thighs. He squeezed it gently, but didn't try to move his hand upwards. It was both sweet and insanely frustrating. But before we took that step, I’d have to talk to all three of them about, well, each other. That was going to be a little awkward for sure.
I shot off a quick text to Flint. Omw. Meet me in the cafeteria for coffee? We’d set up his phone to read him his texts. Sure, I could call him, but who calls anymore? Psychopaths, that’s who.
His message came back almost immediately. It was just an emoji of a coffee cup and two guys. Sometimes it was like learning Egyptian hieroglyphs. I was going to just take that as a yes and meet him in the cafeteria.
The compound was basically dead this time of the day, except for the hardcore fitness freaks and the naturally nocturnal coming in to rest for the day. There weren’t many of them though. Bobby got out of the cab and raced around to open my door like he forgot who the hell I was. Still, although I’d never admit it, my heart thudded extra loud as he held open the door, holding out a hand to steady me as I jumped out of the pickup. Like I hadn’t crawled inside it drunk off my face one too many times.
But, I forgot that Bobby wasn’t all sweetness and chivalry. Once both my feet were on the ground, he backed me up against his truck and kissed me like he hadn’t seen me in years. I opened for his tongue, letting it stroke against mine in a long, languid exploration. He reached down to palm my ass, and I briefly cursed that I was wearing jeans and not my leather skirt.
Still, he ground against me, and I was literally between a cock and a hard place. Wait. That’s not how the saying went. Someone whistled, and Bobby finally tore himself away, while I gasped in air. My body felt flushed all over, like my skin was on fire. He grinned down at me, his chocolate brown eyes bright, and his grin smug. He was so fucking handsome that I’d never stood a chance.
“One day you’re going to kiss me like that in a bedroom, Bobby, and we’re going to see just how good you really are.”
He grabbed my chin, kissing me almost chastely, before running his lips along my jaw to my ear. “I can barely wait.”
Then he turned and walked away, and I felt like I no longer had sensation in my legs. Locking my knees, I strode after him like I was completely unaffected by his kisses, though I doubted anyone would believe me.
Like the rest of the campus, there weren’t many people in the cafeteria. Mostly early birds who wanted to beat the morning rush. I saw Flint, and surprisingly, beside him was Sammie.
Well, now, that was interesting. I looked between the two of them, as different as night and day. Flint looking incandescent with his fiery golden hair glinting beneath the high windows, and Sammie like a dark avenger, his inked arms and dark hair making him look like the kind of man who old ladies would cross the street to avoid, and who young ladies would crawl beneath the sheets with for one night only.
Bobby dropped his hand to my lower back, his palm warm and possessive without being overbearing. He was laying a subtle claim to me, making sure everyone knew I was his, including the two men in front of us. We were all animals here, and body language mattered. Sammie’s eyes flicked to where Bobby’s hand sat just above impropriety, and raised an eyebrow.
“The rumors are true, then? You two are an item?”
I frowned a little, trying to pick up the odd note in his voice. Jealousy? Frustration? Maybe a dash of longing? Hell, maybe it was none of those things and I was just hearing what I wanted to hear.
“Yep. We are officially a thing. But you know, it doesn’t stop me doing this.” I stepped into his space and planted a firm kiss on his lips. He stood still, probably out of shock. I pulled away, and his eyes ping-ponged from me to Bobby and back again.
He was probably making sure Bobby wasn’t about to pummel him into the ground. He wouldn't though.
I was pretty sure.
The cafeteria was starting to fill up now, as the kids coming in from training arrived and the on campus students rolled out of bed.
I heard someone whisper “whore” though I couldn’t be sure which direction it was from, but Bobby snapped his gaze towards the door, pinpointing the culprit immediately.
I shouldn’t have been surprised that it was Douche-face’s lackey. This should be interesting.
First, let me say that I didn’t need a guy to fight my battles, obviously. But watching Bobby stride across the room with complete ease, his Alpha power spreading through the room like a thick blanket until some of the lesser shifters bowed their heads, was pretty awesome. What was better though, was the force he pummelled Butt-Canoe with. Derek. I think his name was Derek.
“I’m sorry. I think I missed that. What did you call my girlfriend?” Bobby asked, outwardly congenially. To someone like Sammie, who was pretty immune to Alpha power, it would almost sound pleasant.
At least until Derek dropped to his knees at Bobby’s feet. “Alpha-Heir…” he whined, and one side of my mouth curled up in a smirk.
Bobby waved a hand. “No, please. I insist. What did you call my girlfriend? Say the word.” He took his power and used it like a leash, every word binding Derek tighter and tighter in his power until Derek was curled on the floor and helpless to resist his next command.
“I said, what did you call Carmen?” he boomed, and even I had to resist the urge to show my throat.
“A whore,” Derek whispered, and there was an audible gasp in the room from people who had more than two braincells.
Suddenly, the Alpha power relaxed, releasing the room from its grip. “Hmm. That’s what I thought you said. Get to your feet, Derek.”
Derek took a deep, shuddering breath, slowly getting to his feet. Once he was back to his full height, Bobby slapped him on the shoulder.
“You should respect her. She is worth a thousand of you and your ilk. You aren’t fit to lick her boots. If I didn’t think it would disgust her, I would make you crawl on your knees and do just that.” His tone was still amiable, and he was totally correct. Random dumbass saliva on my pretty Doc’s would gross me out. Bobby continued. “She is your Alpha’s daughter.”
Derek curled his nose. “She’s a stray.” He said it like a curse word, every syllable dripping with disdain.
Oh, this bitch had done it now. Bobby nodded, his brows drawn together in understanding. Then he whipped back his fist and plowed it into Derek’s face, flattening him to his back. I heard the crack of bones from across the cafeteria.
“She is mine. Disrespect her again, and I will fucking make you wish you’d never taken your first breath. I don’t care if she sleeps with the entire senior class, you will never refer to her as anything other than Queen. Do you understand me?”
Bobby’s voice was now so low it was basically a growl, and it raised the hair on my arms in both primordial fear and some seriously extreme arousal.
This was the best foreplay ever. Did that make me a psycho?
While Bobby may have spoken the words to Derek, I knew he wanted the whole cafeteria to hear.
“Am I the only one who thought that was hot as fuck? I’m hard as a rock,�
�� Flint murmured to me from the side of his mouth. Okay, so maybe we were both psychos.
Derek crawled away, and Bobby turned his back on him. The ultimate insult in a world filled with predators. He was telling the entire room that he considered Derek prey.
I took a leap and threw myself into his arms, kissing him like I could fuck him right here on the long tables for the whole world to see. Honestly, it was tempting, especially when he gripped my ass tight and I could feel the hardening bulge in his jeans.
We might have gotten there too, if there wasn’t a loud clearing of a throat.
“Sorry to interrupt, but the Djinn rep has arrived.” I scrambled out of Bobby’s arms and looked up into the face of the third head of Eden, Micah.
If Alistair was the level-headed one, and Locke was the fun one, then Micah was the one that made you want to piss your pants. “Micah! Okay. We’ll be right there.”
He raised a single eyebrow, his golden Lycanthrope eyes somewhere between amused and annoyed. I got that look a lot. “I wasn’t aware that you were invited, Miss Baxter.”
I stuck my hands on my hips. “Where Flint goes, I go. I’ve adopted him. He’s mine now.”
I may have seen Micah’s lip quirk, but it might have been a trick of the sun. “Fine. Let’s go.”
I looked over my shoulder at Flint, and Sammie was saying something into his ear. Actually, he was kind of pressed close and his fingertips were brushing against Flint’s. Hmm, maybe I should have asked what they’d been up to that they were both in the cafeteria this early in the morning.
I smelled forbidden lust, and it was going to be delicious.
“Behave yourself,” Bobby growled against my hair, like I was going to be bad in a room filled with powerful beings. What was I? Insane?
Rebels and Runaways: Eden Academy Book One Page 11
