A small smile curled my mouth.
“I know a place.”
I sent him an image of the address with my mind. With a nod, I wrapped my arms around his waist, and we sifted away. I kept my fingers crossed that all of Sera would be there when we got to the other side.
Chapter Thirty-One
After depositing Sera, and trying to explain to her new guardian why she was there and ensuring she’d get medical treatment, we finally reappeared in my kitchen. It felt like months since I’d been home, but it had barely been a night.
Except when Blue turned, his face was shadowed by a ginger beard that had to be at least a few weeks growth.
“Hope!” He vaulted the coffee table and the armchair, wrenching me out of Azriel’s arms and into his own. He curled his fingers in my hair and squeezed me so tight I wasn’t sure I could draw enough air into my lungs to take a full breath.
Within seconds, both Gusion and Memphis were there, and Memphis pulled me into his strong arms, wrapping his body around mine and clutching me even tighter than Blue. Gusion didn’t try and take me from Memphis, merely pressed into my back and buried his face in my neck.
“We thought you were dead.” His anguished voice made my breath hitch. My poor guys. So much of their happiness hinged on me, and I somehow managed to get kidnapped every month.
“I’m okay, I was only gone a day,” I whispered soothingly. The weight of their unshielded emotions was beating against me.
“A day?” Blue echoed. “You’ve been gone a fecking month, Hope. It’s been two whole weeks since Luc heard from you.”
The Fallen seemed to notice Azriel, but there wasn’t any of the old animosity. Memphis nodded once, a solemn expression that held an eternity’s worth of weight.
Azriel lifted his chin in reply. “I found her in Purgatory.”
The guys reared back as if they’d been slapped. Azriel didn’t elaborate how he found me, but the guys deserved to know.
“I killed an angel.”
This time, Memphis leapt away like a scalded cat. Or like I was the Antichrist. Even Gusion stepped away, and the weight of their shock and disbelief, their rejection, made my heart hurt. Blue stepped into the space that they vacated, pressing me close to his side. “I hope it was Uriel, that motherfucker.”
Azriel shook his head. “Dalius. He was there to torture another soul in Purgatory. To torture Hope. He deserved to die.” I didn’t know who he was trying to convince, Gus and Memphis, or himself.
Memphis blinked, his face expressionless. Gusion reached forward and clasped my hand in his, but didn’t step closer.
Memphis seemingly came to some decision, because he took a deep breath. “This is going to be a problem. No one should know.”
Azriel huffed out an annoyed sigh. “I agree, I said the same thing. But then she went and blurted it out to you three.”
They all wore almost identical annoyed expressions, and I let the small smile curl my lips.
I caught Memphis’ eye, and held it. “I don’t keep secrets from the ones I love.”
I saw the tension in his shoulders ease slightly, and he gave me such a meaningful look that it filled the cracks in my heart. If my night in nothingness had taught me anything, it was that I couldn’t ignore the little things; light, warmth, my feelings for the men that now crowded my life.
“What do we do?”
Blue sucked in a deep breath, and I was pretty sure it was because he was breathing in my scent. “I think it's obvious. You kill Uriel. The rest is semantics. He was cocky enough to be at the club once.” My eyes shot to Azriel, and I found him staring back, a peculiar look on his face, but Blue went on. “He doesn’t think there is a single thing on this planet that is a threat to him. But we’re here to prove him wrong.”
Azriel cleared his throat. “I need to go. This is… treason, at best.” He gave me one more longing look, and disappeared. We all stared at the place the Angel of Death had just stood.
“You’ve bewitched him,” Gus said, his words echoing those of Azriel, except he sounded more bemused than accusatory. I gave him a look. Did he know? As the Angel of the Past, Present and Future, did he know?
Gus raised a single eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. He turned to Blue. “That’s a great idea, but the problem is that Uriel will know that Dalius is dead eventually. There are very few beings that can kill an Angel, and one has a pretty sword and the other just left this room. He’s going to be on-guard, even if he does believe he’s being a righteous asshole.”
I shook my head. I was done. I needed a moment. Or several moments. Hell, I needed an eternity to comprehend my life.
Memphis studied my face. “She needs to rest.” He grabbed my hand and gently led me toward the bedroom. Fingers grabbed my other hand, halting my progression.
“Woah there, demon-boy. She is not leaving my sight. I don’t care who you are,” Blue said stubbornly. “I can’t…” He didn’t need to finish the words, because I saw the same feeling reflected on the others faces.
I squeezed his hand. “How about we all sleep in my room. Just sleep. No angelic threesomes, or feathery orgies, or anything that involves whips, chains or fresh produce,” I eyed Gusion, who just laughed. His fingers curled on his stomach, his shoulders shaking. I couldn't help the grin that went all the way to my eyes, and healed my heart in its own way. He had the best laugh.
“Okay, Sweetcheeks. No naughty stuff. Just good old fashioned spooning with three men in your bed. So vanilla, it could almost be missionary.” He leaned forward and kissed my nose, leading the way toward the bedroom. “Do we scissor, paper, rock for who gets to be big spoon and who has to sleep beside Memphis’ hairy toes?”
Memphis scowled. “I do not have hairy toes. You are confusing me with the Mulligan. He is the one who evolved from the chimpanzee.”
This was true, the angels were hairless. Everywhere from the neck down.
Blue growled. “I did not evolve from a monkey. Besides, you aren’t meant to believe in evolution. No wonder you fucking fell,” he grumbled.
Memphis shrugged. “Sure, you were made in his image, but every creation has a gestation period. Humanity’s just happened to involve fleas.”
At the sight of my bed, I almost wept again. I needed a shower first, though. Gusion must have read my mind. He walked into the ensuite, setting the shower to hot. I moved toward the steaming cubicle. I was never going to take hot water, or even warmth, for granted ever again.
Surprisingly, they left me alone to shower, and I washed away the filth of that weird little cottage. I closed my eyes, and the darkness pressed in on all sides. Snapping my eyes open, I turned off the water. I needed the guys, I needed the warm press of their bodies, the steady thump of their hearts.
I wrapped a towel around my body, and walked back into the bedroom. Somehow, they’d figured out the pecking order, and I was surprised to see Blue on the pillows and not cast down to the bottom of the bed. I smiled. I should have known better. Blue wasn’t intimidated by being the only mortal in the bunch.
Gusion was at the bottom of the bed, but he was reclining back with his arms behind his head as if he’d chosen to be there. Maybe he had. I stopped by the bed, appreciating the glow of their auras. I would never be in the dark again, as long as I had these three. Four?
I tried to imagine Azriel on the bed too, and failed. But Azriel was a problem for another night. I dropped my towel and crawled into bed between them.
Blue growled. “Damn, Princess. You punishing me for something?” He placed a hand on my hip as I pressed my body right along Memphis’ side.
“No, but I just don’t want anymore barriers between us. I need to feel your skin against mine, I need to know that I am home, and with you all, and that I’m not there anymore. That this isn’t just a beautiful dream.”
Memphis leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the strip of skin behind my ear. “You are home. I will never let you go again. I will follow you to Hell and back, because you ar
e mine and I am yours.”
My eyes welled with tears, and I wiggled back into him more. Blue grabbed my hand and placed it on his chest, right over his heart. He didn’t say anything, just closed his eyes. No one attempted to turn off the bedside light, and that threatened to make the tears fall. Gusion rolled over, wrapping his fingers around my thigh just above my knee, throwing a wing over us all.
“Your wing is touching my junk,” Blue said without opening his eyes.
Gus sniffed. “You’re welcome. Now go to sleep. Our girl needs rest. It’s been a long few weeks.”
I reached down and wrapped my fingers in his. It had been a tough twenty-four hours for me, but it had been a cold hell for them for almost a month.
I closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep, letting the restful moment heal us all. I doubted there would be many more of these moments in the days to come.
“This is so cute, I don’t even want to wake you,” a voice said, and I drifted out of sleep. For the second time in two days, an angel stood over me as I woke. This one didn’t terrify me though, although perhaps she should have.
Ace grinned down at us, and I did a quick check to ensure I was covered. Gusion’s wing still covered my lower half, and Memphis had his hand around my left boob, essentially covering me from view.
“Then why did you?” I asked, but I was smiling. The endless waves of relief and love just poured off Ace. And the subtle hint of irritation. Uh-oh.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Two reasons. One, these lazy assholes are meant to be guarding you. But I waltzed in here like I had a key–”
“You do have a key,” I interrupted, but she held up a finger to shush me.
“And I could have been anyone. Maybe they’d guard you better as eunuchs?”
Memphis rumbled low in his chest. “I am attached to my testicles, Acerezeal. Plus I knew you were here, I just didn’t care. You’d rather cut off your own wings with a rusted scimitar than hurt Hope.”
“Beside the point, Mephistopheles,” she said.
I felt Gusion’s silent laughter shaking the bed as he pretended to be asleep. Giving up the ruse, he lifted his head, resting on his elbows. “You’re in trouble now. She used your full name. Ace always calls you Memphis unless you’re in trouble.”
Ace narrowed her eyes at Gus. “That’s because his name is obnoxiously long. The second reason I woke you is because I had to hear about your rescue from Azriel. Not the child of my heart, or my most trusted, eternal friends. From fucking Azriel, the pompous jerk off Angel of Death.”
Even I winced at that one. Whoops. Also, I guess she didn’t know that Azriel and I had a, uh, thing? I definitely wasn’t about to mention it, and apparently neither were the guys. Ace hated Azriel, but it was a hatred born from hurt feelings and perceived betrayal and lost friendships. Also, he stole her soul and tried to kill her living host. Did I mention it was a whole thing?
Gusion rolled over, his wings tucking against his back and out of the way. Blue was there with a sheet, covering my nudity. I hadn’t even realized he was awake.
Gusion seemed oblivious to the fact that he just almost flashed my — whatever Ace was — my privates. “Does Luc know?”
This time it was Ace’s turn to look smug. “He’s in the living room.” Both Memphis and Gusion groaned simultaneously, leaping to their feet and looking for clothes, while Ace sang about how much trouble they were in, but in a disconcerting falsetto.
Ace looked at Blue. “You’re off the hook, Mulligan. He doesn’t expect much from your family tree at the best of times.” I laughed at Blue’s scowl, and curled into him. Ace looked at him skeptically, her eyes crinkled with amusement. “Although, I wouldn’t let him catch you boning his pride and joy.”
I blinked in her direction, momentarily stunned. “I’m his pride and joy?”
Ace rolled her eyes. “Don’t read too much into it. The only other thing he’s ever created is Hell, the demonesses and the Palace. He’s pretty proud of the palace, but you and your sister stand a little above that.” She threw me a wink and left.
I stared at the ceiling, small bands of light sneaking in through my venetian blinds. I looked unblinkingly at those beams of sunshine until my eyes began to water. Blue rolled closer, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. He was completely unguarded with me right now, the soft pink glow of his aura embracing me, the swell of his emotions brushing over my body like fingertips.
“Are you okay? I was so glad to have you back whole, I didn’t think about anything else. But not all injuries are physical, are they? You’ve had a rough few months, Princess.”
That was an understatement. I didn’t want to dip too far into my psyche right now. But I felt bolstered by Blue and Memphis and Gus, like they were holding together all my pieces until I worked out how to fit them back together.
I thought, that maybe one day, when this shit was all over and I’d grieved for the innocence of my old life, I would be okay. For now, I’d survive, and live every day like I was going to be abducted and possibly tortured the next. Because apparently that was statistically possible.
“Yeah, I’m okay. But I’m more okay with you here.” It was a whitewashed version of the truth, but it would do. I kissed him back, a tender thing full of need and promise.
Then I sighed and sat up. I needed some pants, some emotional armor to hide behind, something. Pulling on my favorite jeans, and a pretty top in a deep purple, I walked into the bathroom. I could feel Blue’s eyes follow me around the room.
I winced when I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like, as Ri was so apt to put it sometimes, ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag. I don’t even want to know where he got that saying. It’s not something a father should say to his child, but it made me laugh every single time when I felt down. I picked up the mascara, but my hands still felt unsteady. I was likely to stab myself in the eye.
“Do you want me to do your makeup?” Blue asked from the doorway.
I felt my chin hit the floor. Well, maybe not the floor but there was definitely an audible click. Did the hitman just offer to do my makeup? Maybe I was still in Purgatory and this was one of those hypothermia hallucinations.
“What?” I’d obviously misheard.
“Would you like me to do your makeup?”
“Uh, sure?” His eyes were intense, but his heart was reflected in those crystalline irises. I couldn’t say no. I had a brief premonition of looking like my doll when I was five, when I gave her a permanent makeover with my markers.
He wrapped his hands around my waist and lifted me onto the bathroom counter. He opened the drawer that held my makeup.
Moving between my thighs, he picked up my tinted moisturizer and sponge. He swept it along my cheeks with a practiced hand. Too practiced.
“Are you a drag queen on your days off, Blue? No judgement, you’d make a beautiful Queen. I’m totally cool with that.” I let the question run out in one long breath.
Blue rolled his eyes, but his lip quirked. “No. Have you tried running in stilettos? Impossible.”
Who the hell was this person that had taken over Blue’s body, that cracked jokes about wearing women’s shoes and did makeup? I looked at him expectantly.
“Growing up, I lived in an apartment building with a lot of working girls. I spent a lot of time wandering the halls, graffitiing the walls. Eventually one of the girls noticed my meticulous art, decided the skills would transfer to makeup, and when she was too drunk or high to do it herself, she’d make me do it.” His lips turned down sadly at the memory. “A hooker’s face is her selling point. You’d think it would be her body, but something about the face draws people. Another working girl noticed, and got me to do hers. More girls caught on, realizing they could spend more time getting high, completely oblivious to the realities of life, and still be out in time to work.” He shrugged. “They gave me five bucks every time, small change, but by the time I was nine, I had quite a nest egg.”
I put my hand aga
inst his chest, and pushed him back a bit so I could meet his eyes. “Your mother let you do makeup for prostitutes when you were barely a baby?”
He lowered his chin in a single nod, picking up the contour powder, sweeping it expertly around the edges of my face and below my cheekbones. “I was out from beneath her feet. Sometimes, I think she would have been happier if I was dead.”
“But you are a Mulligan!” My protest seemed weak in the face of his memories.
“I’m the bastard son of a good catholic girl who went catting around outside of marriage. I was a taint on the name. It wasn’t until I was much older and far more useful that they cared if I lived or died, but it’s still in an offhand way. They take care of me in the same way you take care of your tools, to prolong their usefulness. Lower your eyes.”
I did as I was told, and felt the eyeliner slide across my lid in one smooth, sure stroke and then the other lid. A gentle puff of air whispered across my face. I opened my eyes and looked at my hands clasped in my lap.
“I care about you a lot, Blue. I know this situation, with Memphis and Gus, isn’t what you wanted, I’m not what you wanted, but I just want you to know that my feelings for you aren’t going to change.”
He nodded again, leaning in to kiss my lips, before pulling back to swipe on a nude lipstick.
“I don’t know how to love, Princess. I don’t know if I’m even capable. But I’ll give you my loyalty. My life. You are exactly what I want, but not what I deserve.”
I smiled sadly at him. “I have a lifetime to teach you what love is, Blue Halloran, and I can’t wait.” I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, leaving a shiny lipstick print on his face.
“You’re going to smudge it,” he grumbled, but there was so much emotion shining from his eyes that I knew he didn’t mean it. I slid off the vanity and turned to look in the mirror. I looked wonderful. Understated, but way less like death.
Hell's Redemption- The Complete Series Boxset Page 80
