Pinching the bridge of my nose, I blow out a frustrated breath. “I honestly don’t even know how to deal with you right now. Neal might have been my future true love, and I didn’t even get to tell him that I was looking forward to finding out. Instead, I ran off after you four morons barged in like cavemen.”
It grows quiet, and I look up to see the three of them just staring at me for a moment.
“You were going to tell him he might be your future true love?” Gage asks, studying me intently.
“Yes. In case you haven’t noticed, I like to be honest in my intentions from the start. If things change, I’ll inform him,” I state matter-of-factly.
Jude seems to fight a smile for no real reason. Their mood swings grew old months ago.
“Then I suppose we should let you do that,” Jude says, still fighting a smile. “You can go back to the club.”
“He actually gave me his apartment number,” I boast, feeling like I accomplished something, considering the very limited time frame I had to meet anyone tonight.
Ezekiel surprises me the most as he takes a seat. “Then I guess we shouldn’t stop you. True love is nothing to mess with,” he says seriously, though I swear I hear a hint of amusement.
In fact, they weirdly all look a little amused, when only moments ago it seemed like they were ready to kill someone.
“You’ll seriously let me go?” I ask, glancing back at the time. It’s only been thirty minutes…
“Like E said, can’t mess with true love. Even we have boundaries, Key,” Jude tells me, his tone very close to mocking.
“Then I have thirty minutes to kill, because he said to be there in an hour.”
“You should go now,” Ezekiel urges. “Guys prefer for a girl to be much earlier than expected. The more eager you seem, the better.”
I don’t really trust them, so I siphon away quickly, making sure they don’t stow away and ruin my moment with Neal. I land in the cemetery they frequent, then start asking people for directions when I turn whole.
It takes a little while, but I finally find the building and buzz the appropriate apartment. I think.
But he doesn’t answer.
“Already here?” I hear him ask, causing me to whirl around to see him as he grins at me from the sidewalk.
I’m actually late, but I know for a fact men hate it when you correct them. I’ve learned a lot since trying to be a real girl.
“I ditched them faster than anticipated,” I tell him with a shrug. “There’s something I need to tell you before we go any farther.”
His grin only grows. “I can’t wait to hear it, as long as it’s no freaky secret,” he says, holding his hands up, though a teasing glint seems to be in his eyes.
Smiling back at him, I blurt it all out.
Chapter 24
I appear in the living room, where all four guys are lounging and eating pizza, and their attention turns to me as the TV plays on. Four matching, taunting grins mock me with just their existence.
“I hate all of you,” I say flatly, walking up the stairs without a backward glance.
“I guess he wasn’t quite ready for true love?” Jude calls to my back.
I flip him off over my shoulder, ignoring the riotous amounts of laughter that heckles me. I’ve never seen a guy run so fast in all my life, or make up so many excuses as to why he had to get away from me.
Sheesh.
You’d think I offered him a deadly virus. I’m assuming this is a guy thing, and three out of four of them manipulated me into making an irredeemable ass of myself.
Next time, I’ll take it a little slower.
People say “live and learn” for a reason.
I change to my ghost form and fashion me some silk pajamas that I know will be comfy, then turn back and collapse to the bed. I notice the rest helps me grow stronger, which helps me transition easier between both forms.
As I get the TV turned on and get situated on my bed, Ezekiel appears in the doorway, holding a massive bowl of popcorn. My mouth waters instantly as the buttery scent permeates the air, smelling so much better than the times I’ve caught a whiff of it in my phantom body.
“Thought I might could sleep a few hours with you,” he says with a smirk.
“In exchange for popcorn?” I muse.
“You’ve been asking for it. And I’ve had two good nights of sleep in my lifetime. Both those came with you. I’m willing to barter.”
“And the others won’t get upset by this arrangement? You know, since you’ll be sharing a bed with my evil vagina and all.”
He snorts then rolls his eyes, moving farther into the room. He always moves with the same predatory grace as the rest of them, but his movements are lazier, luring one into a false sense of security.
“As long as I don’t do anything sexual, I’m not breaking any rules.”
I pull back the other half of the cover and pat the bed. He smirks again before coming toward me, and I reach out for the popcorn.
I’m digging in, pointedly ignoring him as he strips down to his boxers. The salty, buttery explosion on my tongue has me closing my eyes and moaning.
Popcorn is totally going to be my favorite junk food.
When I open my eyes, Ezekiel is staring at me, and he clears his throat before he slides into the bed, taking up a lot of room. I scoot over to him, and he curls around me, getting comfortable.
“Neal really hated the idea of love, it seems,” I tell him candidly, and he smothers his laugh against my neck as his body vibrates with it.
I shove at his shoulder, rolling my eyes as he continues to grin against my neck. I also pretend that there aren’t a thousand little shocks reminding me how much my body loves one of theirs.
It’s hard to ignore, but I manage to fake it.
“Life lessons are never fun,” he says, though it feels like he’s mocking me again.
I open my mouth to speak when Jude stalks into my room, his glare pointed at Ezekiel. “What the hell?” he snaps.
“Not breaking any rules,” Ezekiel says with a shrug.
“You said being around her without touching her was driving you crazy, and you think this is a good idea?” Jude growls.
I slip my leg over Ezekiel, pretending it’s merely to get more comfortable. Jude’s hands fist, and he levels me with a cold glare.
I, being a little pissy about their manipulation, wink at him as I “scratch” my eyebrow with my bird finger.
“Kiss my ass, Jude. I’m getting some sleep and that’s it. Hell, I’m too tired for sex with all the extra reaping jobs we’ve taken just to work her out of our systems,” Ezekiel groans.
Jude turns and stalks out, but not before he punches my wall, leaving a crumbling hole in the sheetrock.
“I find that to be a violent overreaction,” I state dryly, causing Ezekiel to chuckle against me.
None of the others come in, and when Ezekiel’s hand slips down my body, pushing the thin shorts down, I don’t stop him. His breaths get shaky when he brushes the bare skin over my pubic bone, and I slowly put the popcorn down, pushing it away from me.
His lips press against my neck, and my eyes flutter shut as he slowly starts working my shorts down farther. Every touch seems ten times more erotic than it really is, and a thousand times more electric than Neal’s touch.
I turn my head and find his lips, and I go a little boneless when he cradles my head and kisses me deeper. His body moves over mine, and my legs spread for him to move into the cradle of my thighs.
We stay like that, so close yet so far away, the thin material of his boxers being the only thing that separates us, as his mouth explores mine in a way none of them have ever kissed me.
It’s languid and slow, almost as though he’s savoring every drop. His erection strains against his boxers, and I slip my hand down, almost reaching him, before reminding myself this would tear them apart.
“We have to stop,” I groan against the kiss, which has him pressing against me harde
r, more desperate. “It’ll make the four of you fight.”
He breaks the kiss, breathing heavily as he drags his lips down my neck to my shoulder. He stays there for a second, like he’s catching his breath, before he finally rolls off me and scrubs his face with both hands.
“Shit,” he grumbles. “It’s like I can’t help myself.”
I pat his shoulder. “I’m not even going to tell you how miserable I am right now, but trust that you’re not alone.”
He laughs humorlessly. “That only makes me want you more, because I know how bad you want it.”
“Let’s talk about shark week or something. That should kill the arousal. As long as we don’t discuss sharks mating or anything. Not saying that turns me on, but it still makes me think of sex.”
He bursts out laughing, shaking his head as his fingers twine with mine. I’m not sure what’s going on right now, but it feels like Ezekiel and I just leveled-up together.
He reaches down and snags my abandoned shorts, dropping them to my lap. “Put those on before I forget how important that bond is to me.”
Chapter 25
The other side of the bed is empty when I get up the next morning, and my shorts are still on. I’m not sure why I smile when I smell his pillow, but I do.
I slide out of bed, moving through the hallway, and start down the stairs when I hear the doorbell ring. My stomach twists in knots, and I jog down quicker.
Why did I just get a bad feeling?
I quickly remember I don’t want anyone from their world seeing me, so I shift to my phantom form just as Gage swings open the door to two guys in fancy suits.
He hands Gage an envelope, and Gage takes it before saying something in a language I don’t understand. As he shuts the door, he flips the envelope over.
I can see a wax seal on the back before he turns and his eyes collide with mine.
“Just tell me if it’s something bad,” I say quietly.
His lips twitch as he holds it up, and I quickly hurry to him, turning whole just before I snatch it from his hand.
I tear the envelope open, and skim the contents quickly.
North Tower Quad,
Your attendance is requested for a royal celebration with the king and his heirs.
No weapons allowed.
“The devil invited you to a party?” I ask, my voice cracking a little. “Is that good or bad?”
“It’s hard to tell these days,” he says dangerously close to my ear as his fingers trail down my arm.
He presses against my back until his hand reaches mine, and he rips the invitation from my hand before leaving me bereft and a little light headed.
I’m getting a “gullible” tattoo.
I follow him into the room with the others, and Jude’s eyes rake over me as Ezekiel hands me a bagel. I take it, eating it anxiously as Gage passes over the note.
Jude’s eyes leave me as he and the others read it.
“No date or time, so does that mean they’re just going to show up and send us there?” Ezekiel asks absently as he takes my bagel away and smears it with cream cheese.
Kai answers as I get my bagel back. “It means they’re springing this on us for whatever reason. And I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”
I moan around the mouthful of bagel now that it’s been turned into something twice as heavenly as it was before.
I don’t realize I’ve closed my eyes until I open them and see them all giving me an annoyed look.
“We’re trying to have a serious conversation,” Gage says curtly.
“Sorry,” I say around my mouthful, then look over to Ezekiel and add, “That’s way better. Thank you.”
He smirks when the others all glare at him, and he shrugs as he lazily chews on his own bagel.
“Sleep good?” Jude asks bitterly.
“Real damn good,” Ezekiel tells him with an unrepentant grin.
“What are we missing?” Kai asks.
“Notice how she didn’t go from room to room telling everyone good night?” Jude drawls.
Shit. They’re about to argue over this ridiculousness for no reason.
Looking around for something to distract them, my eyes land on the invitation, and my breath freezes in my lungs.
“What about it? I just figured she finally got tired of not hearing it in return.”
“Invitation,” I butt in, shoving it forward.
Two new lines literally start writing themselves like an invisible calligrapher is adding them.
Black tie. Be in the closest graveyard in thirty minutes.
“Shit,” Ezekiel says, dropping the rest of his bagel.
They all abandon the table and dart upstairs. I ghost out and change my attire to my badass clothes with all my fake weapons. I also wear heels, because they look really good, and I don’t actually have to walk in them, because I’m not going to be a real girl in hell.
No thank you.
The guys appear back in the room in no time, and I have to stare a little harder than necessary as they move around in their tuxes. They look like dangerous temptation in designer packages now.
That’s really not fair.
Their tattoos are covered by the shirts, making them look devilishly classy and mysterious. Jude shoots me a knowing look and smirks in my direction.
I clear my throat and start looking around like I’m not impressed.
Then I sneak a few discreet peeks as they finish putting their wallets and phones in their pockets.
“Why do you have to go to the graveyard? Why not just siphon down there?” I ask. “We can sneak around and figure out what’s going on.”
Kai shakes his head. “We can’t siphon to the underworld until we’re given access. Besides, you only saw a small portion of it. It’s endless, much like the universe. We don’t even know what section we’re going to.”
“Can I ask a stupid question?”
They all look at me expectantly as though I have their undivided attention.
“What happens if one of you dies?” I swallow a little more harshly after my voice breaks unexpectedly on that last word.
“We’re not really sure,” Gage says with a careless shrug.
“Ordinarily, we’d be sent up or down, if you know what I mean. But that was stolen from us when we inherited hell powers and soul responsibilities,” Ezekiel states just as casually.
“The other competitors who die in the trials are sent back to hell’s throat for a new transition. They may turn out the same, but that’s a rare thing. We tend to get a little more vicious when the powers take root. Most end up the monsters you saw while you were in there,” Kai goes on.
“Would you turn into monsters if you were sent for transition?” I ask quietly.
They all grin at me.
“We’re already monsters,” Jude tells me with a tone that has chills sliding up my spine.
They start walking past me, and I blow out a shaky breath as I turn and follow.
“You look ridiculous in that outfit,” Kai tells me without turning around.
“Hot. The word you’re looking for is hot. Or maybe badass. Not ridiculous.”
To that, I get a round of laughter, but I still strut like a boss until we siphon to the graveyard.
The second our feet hit the cemetery ground, Ezekiel reaches over, his hand passing through me. Light flashes, and we’re sucked into hell. I think.
It’s hard to tell when we’re in the glamourous section that hides all the monsters, hellfire, and screams of agony.
The chandeliers are in abundance, crystal and ornate. The marble floors are a crisp white that contrasts elegantly with the gold accents.
It’s a royal party.
“Another set of quads are here,” Ezekiel says, leaning closer to Kai as they have a little stare down with the said second set of quads.
“And they’re bonded like you?” I ask.
“Just like us. All the quads,” Kai says quietly.
“So we didn’t j
ust make friends with the devil and get invited to the party. This has something to do with the trials coming up in a week,” Jude states just as quietly, looking around.
“Definitely. Just spotted another set of quads and a few pairs as well,” Gage says with the same nearly muted tone as he snags a glass of champagne off a passing tray.
“Stick close, little protector. You might come in handy tonight,” Kai tells me warily.
My eyes are already searching the scene, but I pause my search when I see Lamar moving this way.
“Incoming,” I tell them, moving closer to what I feel like is my friend, even though he doesn’t really know me.
Lamar’s eyes land on them, and he turns and looks over his shoulder before facing them again.
“I’ve come to tell you Manella was removed from creating these trials,” he tells the quad in a hushed whisper. “Lucifer designed the upcoming course himself.”
“Is that why he arranged this party? To announce that?” Gage asks, stepping closer.
“I’m not quite sure what this party is about. I only learned of it thirty minutes ago.”
I exchange a look with the guys. Apparently those invitations all arrived at the same time.
“I offer this as a token of peace and gratitude. There will be riddles in this course that could cost you your life, and monsters that don’t even have names yet. Lucifer has created the hardest course in history, and I haven’t a clue as to why,” Lamar goes on.
The guys all bristle. “And I was starting to think he might like us,” Jude drawls.
“Lucifer only cares for his children. His opinion of anyone else can change on a whim. Trust me; I know this very personally.” He looks around again, then faces them one last time. “I do hope you brought your protective spirit.”
I pat his hand, and his eyes drop to the contact as a grin spreads over his face.
“Good,” he says, not looking back up immediately. “It may be your best hope of surviving, no matter what Lilith’s cost. I do appreciate you loaning it to me, though I’m not sure why you did it. Manella explained it belonged to you instead of me.”
Four Psychos (The Dark Side Book 1) Page 17
