Four Psychos (The Dark Side Book 1)

by Kristy Cunning

  When the pizza arrives, Ezekiel leaves, going to greet the delivery guy at the door before he can even knock.

  I continue just lingering in my spot, watching them even as they elect to ignore me.

  Their gazes are all absently fixed on the dining room table as Ezekiel returns with the pizzas, acting as though they’re comfortable just resting in peace. They all eat from their own box, still not speaking.

  It’s all rather underwhelming. I’m tempted to leave, but I’m curious what they’re going to say when they finally do speak.

  As Jude drains the last of his beer, Gage pushes aside the little bit of pizza he has left. Ezekiel is the one to finally break the silence.

  “We really just held a private audience with the motherfucking devil.”

  Kai’s beer pauses at his lips for a moment, then he drinks the rest of it. Jude starts laughing humorlessly, looking exhausted as he scrubs his face with a hand.

  I look at all of them when they start laughing with him.

  Psychos. I knew it.

  “I’m not sure what’s so funny about now being on the devil’s radar,” I dryly point out.

  The laughter cuts off immediately, and they all turn to look at me like they just remembered I’m in the room.

  Shrinking under their intense stares, I clear my throat. “I think I’ll go to my room. Try not to get killed or anything.”

  They say nothing, and I mutter, “Good night,” without turning around.

  It’s actually day time, but I assume they’ll be crashing for several long hours, considering the events that have happened over the course of the last few days or weeks or however long we’ve been gone.

  My room is predictably unchanged, and I lie down on my bed, sighing as I stare up at the ceiling.

  The outfit I’m wearing turns into an elegant dress, fully equipped with diamond studded shoes. It’s an odd lounging outfit, but it makes me feel important. Dress for the role you want instead of the role you have, right?

  I wonder what it’s like to be a part of something. To feel as though you know your purpose and have your people.

  “How did Lucifer know you were there?”

  Ezekiel’s voice startles me, and I look at the entryway to see all four of them propped up inside my room, staring at me like they’ve been there for a while.

  Jude is drinking another beer, his eyes leisurely raking over me.

  “Lamar could sense me, but he couldn’t see me or hear me. Same thing with the devil,” I answer automatically.

  They continue to stare at me with no expressions on their unreadable faces.

  “It was sort of cute how she stepped in front of us when he advanced on us,” Gage says with a smirk forming.

  I bristle. It was badass. Not cute.

  “Like she could take down the devil if he saw it fit to end our lives for the trouble he’s dealing with,” Jude adds, the beginnings of a mocking grin toying with the edges of his lips.

  Dicks.

  “It was even interesting to the devil himself,” Kai adds, a taunting glisten in his arrogant eyes.

  Lounging comfortably, I give them all a wry look.

  “It’s been a rather tiring experience. If you’re done making a mockery of me, I’ll take some peace and quiet now,” I retort, eyeing my fingernails like they’re far more interesting than the sexy, deviant pricks in my room.

  “Why’d you choose the room farthest from ours?” Ezekiel muses, seeming just as entertained as all of them. I suppose he’s out of his feral trance for good, at least for now.

  “You’re smart boys. I’m sure you can figure it out,” I tell them, alluding to a lie. But they don’t get to hear the truth.

  Their amusement dies, and they all level me with a hard glare.

  “Bipolar much? Or do you just prefer to dish it, yet have the inability to receive?” I ask idly, smirking like I’m winning this game of tongue.

  Jude’s smirk returns as a dark look passes his face. “We all enjoy receiving, little spirit.”

  Admittedly, my temperature rises, but I play it cool, aiming for aloof. How exactly does one achieve aloofness?

  Ezekiel looks around my room, stepping away from the wall. It’s a rather large room. If I had any toiletry needs, I’d have my own private bathroom as well.

  “Why does a spirt need a bedroom?” he asks. “Especially when she doesn’t sleep?”

  “She has never been able to stay away from the lot of you for longer than ten minutes in the past. Now she prefers her space while she tries to figure out how to attach herself to a new quad.”

  His eyes darken on me, but Kai just releases a rumble of laughter.

  “That threat is getting a little tired, don’t you think?” Gage drawls.

  “Not sure exactly how that’s a threat. A threat would be warning you that it’s going to put the damn lotion on you before hacking you to bits and feeding you to ravenous cannibals,” I point out, feeling rather impressed by my creative threat.

  They all look amused now.

  I give up.

  I never know how they’re going to react to any given situation.

  “Is that all?” I groan. “I would think you’d all be too tired for this pointless banter.”

  Ezekiel picks up the remote, turning on the TV, and my eyes widen. I had no idea that even worked. Hell, when did it even get in here? It didn’t used to be. It looks brand new.

  He pulls up a familiar movie, and my heart beats a little faster as he starts Pinocchio a little before the spot I got to when they interrupted me.

  I get ghostly tears in my eyes as a smile stretches across my face. He doesn’t meet my gaze as he tugs his shirt over his head, and my smile evaporates.

  “What are you doing?” Gage and I both ask him at the same time.

  “I’m sleeping in here,” he answers absently, coming and beginning to strip the bed out from under me, pulling off the dusty covers.

  The sheets and blankets pass through me, as he moves to a drawer and pulls out some clean replacements.

  The other three exchange a look, and I try not to let my attention be divided between the jackasses on TV and the ones in my room.

  “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” Kai tells him warily.

  “I’ve stayed away from her like all of you wanted, and it drove me mad when I couldn’t see her at all. Doesn’t matter what’s going on or what she is, it’s clear I’m already stuck. I’m going to at least get some good fucking sleep while I can,” he answers them as he quickly makes the bed.

  I never move from the bed, just allowing the sheets to pass through me. They really have no personal boundaries where I’m concerned and take complete, borderline rude, advantage of my translucent form.

  “I didn’t agree to that, and this is my room,” I point out, holding my finger up.

  He ignores me, sliding into the bed beside me.

  “What happens if she goes whole again?” Gage points out.

  Jude smirks as he comes forward. “I’ll stick around and make sure he doesn’t do anything to make his affliction worse.”

  Kai rolls his eyes, dragging him back by his shirt.

  “Gage will stay to run interference,” Kai argues.

  “Why the fuck would I stay?” Gage growls as Jude rolls his eyes and turns to walk out.

  “Because you’re the only one who doesn’t want to see what she feels like,” Kai says, clapping Gage on the shoulder.

  Nervousness wads in my stomach. What if it does make me whole? That’s such a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’d be a dream come true. On the other, it’s a death sentence with these four.

  I’m not convinced they won’t fuck me and then kill me while I’m still stuck in that dopey orgasm haze they leave women in.

  “No one is sleeping in here. I don’t want to turn whole just to make my death easier for you,” I gripe. “And I’m not entirely convinced that had anything to do with it.”

  Considering I was feeling the overwh
elming urge to close my eyes and rest in the cells when they were all touching me, I’m almost positive that’s how I turned whole.

  I’ve just been in denial.

  Damn Lilith. I still hate her.

  Ezekiel’s arm passes through my waist as he gets comfortable, his eyes already closing as he settles down, not even acknowledging my refusal.

  Cursing, Gage shoulders by Kai, tearing his shirt over his head on his way toward the bed.

  Kai smirks over his shoulder at me. “If she turns whole, restrain her. Don’t kill her. Maybe we can figure out what’s really going on once we have a way to pry answers out of her.”

  I flip him off, and he chuckles as he turns and leaves me with Gage and Ezekiel. Gage strips down to his boxers, like Ezekiel already is, and he climbs into bed on the other side of me.

  Gage makes a conscious effort not to touch me, and I roll my eyes. “Just take him out of here after he goes to sleep, and we both get what we want,” I tell One.

  “Do it, and I’ll punch you when I wake up,” Ezekiel says in a muffled voice against his pillow.

  Gage snorts derisively, rolling over to put his back to me.

  I stare at the TV, as Ezekiel picks up the remote and rewinds it, not even looking. Somehow, he starts the movie at the exact right part. It distracts me from the fact I really don’t want them in my room, and I sit up as my clothes change.

  Ezekiel lifts his head, then laughs under his breath before shaking his head. Gage turns his head to look at me, then rolls his eyes as I sit in my Pinocchio outfit.

  “Tell me what popcorn is like,” I say absently, riveted as poor Pinocchio barely escapes. But I can feel his heavy heart from here. It’s like he can’t catch a break.

  I know the feeling, little guy.

  “Salty, gets stuck in your teeth, and not really all that filling, but weirdly addictive,” Ezekiel answers in a quiet, almost sleep-rasp voice.

  “Sounds perfect,” I say with a small grin.

  Gage is already sleeping, I realize, when he subconsciously rolls over, his hand slipping through my waist. The peaceful expression on his face has me rolling my eyes and feeling rooted to this spot regardless of the dire consequences.

  “If I turn whole and you guys tie me up, I can promise I’ll use my protective powers to protect myself. And I won’t even feel bad about it.”

  Ezekiel smiles lazily, his eyes never opening. “If I tie you up, I can promise you that you’ll enjoy every fucking moment of it.”

  Not sure why I feel a wicked little shiver up my spine, considering I’ve already decided I’m too good for them.

  Deciding it’s safer to stare at the TV than talk to Ezekiel, I sit rigidly. I’ll get up if my eyes feel heavy again.

  My mouth opens for a yawn, weirdly enough. But no way will I…fall…asleep.

  Chapter 22

  My eyes fly open, and I hold really still as the pressure on my waist has my entire body warming up. Two different hands are touching me there, holding me to them, as two very hard bodies press against my sides.

  I fell asleep.

  Watching Pinocchio.

  And now I’m a real girl.

  Between two real killers.

  And I’m frozen in place, because I don’t want to be tied up or killed.

  Trying not to breathe too heavily, I start to sit up, careful not to disturb them.

  The hands on my waist tighten, as I struggle to do the simple task of lifting my body. This…is not what I expected. Gravity is a real bitch, and I’m not used to feeling it.

  It takes more effort to rise up than I expected, and the hands slide to my lap abruptly when I forget about them—and gravity. I go still, not even breathing, as the two men on either side of me stir ever so slightly.

  There’s a back door on this wing. I can slip down the stairs back here and be out before they even notice me missing. I’m also faster than them, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

  Except…gravity. I hope that doesn’t affect my speed.

  Ignoring all the raging hormones in my suicidal, traitorous body, I carefully remove their hands from my lap, gently placing them on the bed.

  Just as I’m about to try to slide down the bed, a hand darts out and snags my arm so unexpectedly and roughly that I cry out.

  Ezekiel jerks awake, and I turn to look at Gage as he stares at me with wide, wild, hungry eyes, his grip on my arm tightening to be almost bruising.

  Our eyes stay locked, as I accidentally stay frozen in horror like a statue. His nostrils flare, and he looks to be visibly straining not to do something terrible.

  “Tell me that’s bad, and I won’t touch her,” Ezekiel says, his breath whispering across my shoulder, the heat of it causing my eyes to roll back in my head as a full body shiver wracks me.

  Now is so not the time to be a woman. I’m almost certain it’s unnatural to forget one’s life is in danger at a moment like this.

  A groan is pulled from Gage’s throat, and before I can blink, he moves in a blur, coming at me so fast I can’t stop him.

  His lips crash against mine almost violently, and I try to bite him, only to have him shove his hand in my hair, aggressively turning my head to give him better access as his tongue sweeps in and steals my fight.

  My hands fly to his shoulders, and two other hands move to my waist, as a set of incredible lips find my neck. Both of them touching me, surrounding me, intoxicating me with sensory overload…is almost too much.

  Gage’s hand starts tearing open the buttons of my shirt, when reality smashes back in.

  Fear spikes my blood, and I shove him them both off, stunning them for just a second as I throw myself off the bed…and crash through the floor in my phantom form, falling all the way downstairs.

  A scream leaves my lips when I go from ghost to whole again, and land hard on my side in the downstairs library. Pain shoots up my side, and I groan while cursing my luck.

  “Did you hear that thump?” Ezekiel says from above me as feet hit the floor.

  “She’s whole again,” Gage answers, dark excitement in his tone.

  Feet start pounding down the staircase immediately, as Gage shouts, “She’s a real fucking girl, boys!”

  Ezekiel’s dark laughter follows that. With every ounce of strength I have, I push to my feet, and I…stumble around like a baby deer on one of those nature shows.

  My legs feel weak, shaky, and not at all like I expected. Everyone makes walking seem so easy.

  I kick out of the ridiculously uncomfortable wooden shoes, since those seem to be wreaking havoc on my flimsy ankles.

  I barely catch myself against the desk, and I push my knees back straight, straining as a cold sweat breaks out over my skin. Fear prickles the back of my neck as they near the door, and suddenly I feel the weight leave me as gravity ceases to exist.

  Looking down, I fist pump the air, seeing my phantom body is back, and I race through the library wall, darting toward the back door. But then…I’m falling and sliding, pain shooting through me again.

  A silent curse gets swallowed when I look down at the useless piece of shit legs that are flesh again.

  What the hell is going on?!

  I can’t tell if I’m leveling up or short circuiting.

  When I get my glorious, weightless body back, I push up and race through the walls, getting as far away from the nearing voices as possible.

  “Where the fuck is she?” I hear Gage snap.

  “What the hell is going on?” Kai snaps, his voice muffled through the many layers of walls between us.

  I’m mid-stumble all of the sudden, once again on those baby deer legs. Barely restraining the cry of frustration, I clutch the dining room table, looking at the closet in the living room.

  But before I can make it, Kai is suddenly appearing in front of me, a dark smile twisting his lips as he rakes his eyes over me. “Not exactly the sexiest thing you could be wearing, but clothes are always optional.”

  He’s suddenly on me, shoving
me against the wall, and becomes the only thing holding me up when his lips find mine. He groans into my mouth as he presses against me, and through his thin boxers, I can feel just how turned on he is.

  I kiss him back, my hands sliding up to the back of his neck, as I pull back my knee and shove it up as hard as I can.

  With a cry, Kai breaks the kiss and stumbles back, doubling over as he cups his balls and groans.

  “Tie me up now, dickhead,” I gloat, then squeal when he lunges at me again.

  I feel it when my body shifts this time, turning into my phantom phase, and he passes right through me, crashing against the wall so hard plaster falls off in clumps. Then he turns his narrowed gaze at me.

  I flip him off with both fingers, then run like hell before I can get cursed with those useless legs again.

  “She’s down here!” he calls out.

  I dive into the closet in the billiard room just before I turn whole again, and I wobble on unsteady legs as I hang out with all the pool sticks and stuff, panting heavily.

  Running is tiring when you can feel gravity, damn it. My phantom form was just dense enough to keep me from floating away, but I was still effectively weightless. I hate gravity. It’s a total pain in the ass. And I need more practice with my legs before I have to run for my life.

  “Where the fuck did she go?” I hear Jude snap, and Kai laughs darkly.

  “I don’t know, but she tastes too damn good to be anything less than terrible for us.”

  “You fucking idiot, you kissed her?” Jude groans.

  “My dick still hurts from how good she felt. And from how painful she felt too. Vicious little thing,” Kai adds.

  “Where’d she go?” I hear Gage snap.

  Focusing really hard, I try to single out the feeling of transitioning from one form to another, harnessing the emotions that led to each. If I’m not short circuiting, maybe my level-up includes a package where I can be either or.

  I’d really like to be untouchable in this moment.

  It’s hard to concentrate when they’re tearing the house apart in search of me, but when I feel myself go weightless, I open my eyes and breathe out a sigh of relief, seeing right through my hand.

  Concentrating again, I manage to turn back whole, feeling the energy surge through me with the awareness and crisp senses that come with it. It feels good to be a real fucking girl, but it’s also terrifying.