“The bathroom’s down the hall,” he said, pointing toward the front door.
With a disapproving grunt, Gideon abandoned the eggs he was whisking and gestured for me to follow him. “This way. You’re welcome to use the shower if you’d like. I placed a towel on the sink for you.”
The gesture was simple but kind. “Oh, thank you.”
I smiled up at him as he opened the door to the bathroom. He shifted his weight, avoiding looking at my bare legs. “Well, uh, you’re welcome.” His awkwardness fueled my own, and I scurried into the bathroom, my eyes riveted to the floor. “Your clothes are in the dryer.”
“Okay.” I grabbed the edge of the door to push it shut, but as Gideon turned to leave, I hesitated. “Gideon?”
He backtracked. “Yes?”
“Th-thank you for the pancakes and my clothes and, uh, for saving me.” I couldn’t retain eye contact as I blubbered like a crazy person.
A smile played at the corners of his mouth, and I caught the briefest hint at his dimple before he dipped his head in acknowledgement. “You’re very welcome, but there’s no thanks necessary.” His gaze intensified, boring into me. “We will always protect you. It’s our job.”
With that, he gave me his back and retreated to the kitchen, leaving me standing in the bathroom doorway with the strangest sorrow lapping at my heart.
As promised, a bath towel rested on the sink counter, and after retrieving my clothes from the dryer and placing them beside it, I undressed. I folded Jai’s shirt and placed it on the lid of the closed toilet before adding my boxer briefs to my pile of clean clothes. I didn’t have any clean underwear and going without seemed rather scandalous.
Eyeing the shower distrustfully, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself before turning it on. I had half a mind to cleanse myself immediately, but I decided to wait until I returned to my dorm to proceed with my penance.
Instead, I washed away the dried blood, sweat, and remaining sin that stuck to my skin. It wasn’t good enough to get me fully clean, but I would beg forgiveness for my long list of trespasses later when I was alone and could punish myself properly. Until then, I’d enjoy the warm water.
I left the bathroom ten minutes later and padded down the hall on socked feet. Once again, the men in the kitchen weren’t speaking English, and I hovered just out of sight to listen. The words glided over my skin like satin, but my reverie was broken by a raspy voice in my ear.
“I always thought eavesdropping was rather rude.” Jai chuckled as I nearly leapt out of my skin. “Though, seeing as you can’t understand a word they’re saying, I suppose you’re not really eavesdropping. Are you?”
“I wasn’t…” I drifted off, unable to defend myself. He’d caught me red-handed, and a teasing smirk spread his lips. “I like how it sounds.”
“Cute.” Jai steered me to the breakfast bar, then lifted me onto the stool with his hands on my hips. Seriously?
“I’m not a baby,” I grumbled, and he chortled.
Noel and Jai flanked me at the breakfast bar, and all my protests were ignored as they piled eggs, sausage links, and cubed fruit onto my plate. “I’m still full from the pancakes,” I said weakly as Gideon handed me a fork with an expectant air. I slumped in my seat as I accepted the fork.
I wasn’t sure I could actually fit anything into my stomach without making myself sick, but it seemed I had little choice in the matter. Picking at my plate, I ate as much as I could manage. Noel fussed over my hair between bites, and I didn’t have the heart to fight him off.
Another pair of toe socks covered Noel’s feet. White unicorns with rainbow horns danced along the hot pink material, and an unattractive snort escaped me. Noel followed my line of vision, then frowned.
“What?”
Swallowing my next bout of laughter, I nibbled on a sausage link. “I like your socks.”
He wiggled his toes. “Thanks. You can borrow a pair anytime you want.”
Pleasure like I’d never known welled inside my chest, and my cheeks ached from my smile. “I’d like that.”
When my stomach stretched to the point of pain, I subtly pushed my plate in Noel’s direction. He covertly stole the remaining scrambled eggs, but Jai caught our exchange and swiped the sausage links for himself. All the while, Gideon feigned disapproval.
“It was really good. I just can’t eat anymore,” I said.
Gideon chuckled, and his face lit with the first full smile I’d seen from him. His dimple appeared, and I was struck dumb by his angelic beauty. He looked younger, softer, yet unattainably perfect in the way a marble sculpture was.
Unearthly beauty must have been an angelic trait.
“Jai, you’re taking Riley today. Noel, you need to finish your report.” Gideon collected the empty plates and set them in the dishwasher.
Noel scrunched his nose
as he hopped off his stool. “Paperwork. Gross.”
Jai nudged my shoulder then jerked his chin toward the entryway.
“You heard him, shortstack. You’re with me.”
Toppling from the stool, I straightened and smoothed my T-shirt. “Th-thanks for breakfast,” I said to Gideon as he looped a red tie around his neck.
“You’re welcome.”
“Will” —I chewed the inside of my cheek— “Will I see you again?”
His fingers faltered, ruining his first attempt at a Windsor knot. “Um, yes, I imagine so.”
“Okay.” I shuffled after Jai, sending Gideon a shy wave. “Uh, bye, then.”
At the door, Jai shrugged on his leather jacket as I shoved my feet into my tattered sneakers. “You need new shoes.”
To be honest, I had to agree, but I didn’t want to call Ms. Janet to ask for extra money. She always had a way of knowing when I’d been bad, and I feared she’d find out about the party and Kayla and everything that happened after. I shuddered in dread.
Noel saved me from responding as he jogged down the hall. “Wait, I have something for you.” I assumed he meant Jai, but when he handed me a ball of rainbow fabric, I blinked in shock. “I have extras, so…”
I took the offered gift with wide eyes and unfolded the material. Two tie-dye toe socks nestled in my grasp, and that overwhelming warmth returned to my chest. “For me?” I asked, and he nodded. Emotion clogged my throat. “Thank you.”
Growing up, I hardly ever received gifts, even on my birthday. When I did, they were from foster parents or social workers—people who had to give gifts—but I had never received a present from a friend.
“If you don’t like them—”
I crushed them to my chest for fear he’d take them away. “No, I like them. It’s just… You don’t have to give me things.”
Noel tucked a stubborn curl behind my ear. “I know. I wanted to. But if you don’t like the design—”
“I do! I like them very much.”
Stepping back, Noel smoothed his hair as his cheeks pinked. “Good. I’m glad.”
“Thank you,” I said again, and Noel waved off my gratefulness, his ears coloring to match his apple-red cheeks.
With a sharp yank, he hauled me into an unexpected embrace, and I oomphed into his chest. I could count on two hands with fingers to spare how many times I had been truly hugged. My lack of experience with such affection was obvious as I stood stock-straight for several seconds before patting his back like an idiot. As awkward as the embrace was, it flooded me with happiness, and I eventually relaxed into his arms, enjoying the friendly gesture.
Before pulling away, Noel nuzzled the top of my head, and I thought I felt him press a kiss to my scalp. It had to have been my imagination. There was no way he’d ever grace me with such a caress, especially in front of witnesses.
At long last, Jai interrupted our hug with a derisive snort. “Depths of Sheol, it’s a pair of socks, not an engagement ring.”
“He’s just jealous that I’m prettier than him,” Noel fake-whispered as he flipped Jai the bird.
Jai rolled
his eyes. “If you two are gonna start making out, do it in your room so I don’t have to see it.”
Horrified, I added several feet of distance between Noel and I. “We weren’t… I’m not…”
“Ignore him, Riley. Being a dick is what Jai’s best at.” Noel’s happy demeanor soured into a glare.
Opening the front door, Jai cackled wickedly. “As our resident dick expert, you would know.”
“Har, har, har. Gay jokes all around!” Noel waved his jazz-hands. “You can kiss my bleached asshole.”
Jai roared with laughter, even as Noel lunged, throwing half-hearted punches. “I thought I wasn’t your type.”
“Get out of here before I reopen your stab wound, you prick.”
As violent and insulting as they acted, they were both laughing by the time they separated, Noel wiping at the corner of his eyes. Jai mussed Noel’s long hair, and the fair male snarled.
“You meeting up with us later?” Jai prompted me out the front door as I tried to keep up with their mood swings. One second, they were best friends, and the next, they wanted to stab each other. I didn’t understand their dynamic at all.
“As long as Gideon doesn’t shove more paperwork down my throat.”
Jai gritted his teeth. “Oh, you make it so easy sometimes.”
“Don’t say it.”
“But it’s perfect and hilarious.”
“Jairus.”
“Please? One more?” Jai plastered a manic grin on his face, and Noel sighed in exasperation.
“Fine.”
Triumphant, Jai hooked his arm around Noel’s neck and blew a raspberry on his cheek. “But you love having things shoved down your throat.”
“I hate you.” Noel smacked Jai in the face, hard enough to hurt but light enough to communicate jest.
“I know. I hate you, too.” Rubbing at his cheek, Jai left Noel in the doorway and clapped my shoulder. “Come on, Riles, let’s go.”
Dumbfounded, I stumbled after him as Noel waved. “I’ll catch up with you later. Don’t kill him on the drive,” he commanded Jai before sending me one more smile. “Bye, Riley.”
“Bye.” I wanted to say more, the farewell not enough to express the magnitude of everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, but Jai snagged the edge of my sweatshirt and dragged me down the sidewalk.
He led me away from the apartment door and around the corner of the long, one-story building. We stopped under the small carport where a monstrous, black motorcycle stood. Noel’s warning about not dying made much more sense now. My stomach flip-flopped as Jai wheeled the bike into the lot.
“You’ve driven this before, right?” I eyed the beast warily. Motorbikes were extremely dangerous, and I didn’t want to have my brains smeared over the pavement if we crashed.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little bike.” He held out a helmet, and I took it from him with trembling fingers.
“That’s not little.”
I placed the helmet on my head, but Jai instantly batted my hands away before I could secure it. He fastened the strap under my chin, then retrieved a well-used leather jacket from under the seat of the motorcycle. After he helped me into it, he zipped it up and gave me a thorough onceover.
The sleeves covered my hands, too large for my frame, and the helmet made me feel silly. But he smiled, his dark eyes flickering like a dying campfire.
“No helmet for you?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“It takes more than a crash to take me out.” He sobered a moment after the boast left his lips, and he booped my nose. “You’re a little more breakable though, so you’re wearing a helmet.”
The uncharacteristic sass Jai tended to bring out in me made an appearance as I rolled my eyes. “I probably look like a dork with this on.”
I wiggled my head, and Jai chuckled, scanning me again before shrugging. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“Wow, thanks.”
He ignored my sarcastic sulking and swung his leg over the motorcycle. “Now, get your tiny butt up here.”
His challenging stare sparked something inside me, the desire for bravery, the need for rebellion. With Jai, courage seemed easier to find, and I approached the black beast with measured steps. A dangerous smirk curled his lips, and, straddling the scary vehicle clad in his leather jacket and black boots, he appeared more devil than angel.
It proved more difficult to climb onto the large bike than I assumed, and after Jai laughed himself silly at my failed solo attempts, he assisted me. Using his super angel powers, he lifted me easily onto the back until I was situated behind him. I placed my hands on my thighs and squeezed the bike seat between my legs as terror and excitement wrestled in my gut.
“Might want to hold on to me.” He peered over his shoulder, and my face flushed at the thought of wrapping my arms around his waist.
But the moment the bike snarled to life, I squealed and latched onto Jai like a boa constrictor. His chest rumbled with laughter beneath my hands—or maybe that was the vibration of the bike—and I pressed my cheek to his back as he eased the motorcycle out of the parking lot.
My grip on him tightened the faster we drove, but after several minutes of weaving through traffic, I relaxed. This was actually kind of fun. The blur of passing vehicles and trees threatened to make me nauseous, but I refused to close my eyes.
The wind chilled my cheeks and froze my nose, and I tucked my face against Jai’s back for warmth. Squeezing him in a death grip, I smiled like a lunatic as an embarrassingly manic giggle escaped me. After the first one, a torrent flooded from my mouth, and soon, I was laughing so hard, my eyes pricked with tears.
“You want me to go faster?” Jai yelled over his shoulder, and I nodded my head against his leather jacket as I shouted what I hoped was a loud enough affirmative. “We’ll take the scenic route home.”
His chuckled words were lost to the wind as he hung a right turn to take us out of town in the exact opposite direction of the school. Jai gunned the throttle, and the bike roared, speeding down the empty streets. We went faster and faster, the wind rushing over me, and though it froze me solid, I loved every exhilarating minute.
We raced over the pavement, the bike never wavering under Jai’s perfect control. Feeling inexplicably reckless, I released my hold on his waist and lifted my arms, mimicking wings like my angels. I closed my eyes and imagined us taking flight as the harsh wind whipped around me.
Jai’s laughter vibrated through me, and I raised my head and joined him, laughing into the sunny, blue sky.
I was flying, and for the first time in my life, I was free.
Chapter Eleven
My legs quivered with leftover adrenaline and phantom vibrations as Jai powered down the snarling black beast beneath us. The thrumming beat of my heart echoed in my ears as he offered his hand to assist me in dismounting. I managed to land on my feet without too much embarrassing stumbling.
“So, what did you think?” Jai balanced the bike on its kickstand, his hair goofily windswept.
I unhooked my helmet, and he locked it under the seat along with the extra leather jacket I’d borrowed. “I loved it.”
His face lit up, and he raised his fist, knuckles out. I eyed it warily, and he rolled his eyes with a huff. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging.”
“I thought only jocks do this.” I knocked my knuckles to his. Like I personally offended him, he scowled and gave me his back, striding purposefully toward my dorm building. I scrambled to keep up with his long legs. “Jai, wait. What did I say?”
Halting abruptly, he spun on his heels just in time to stop me from barreling into him. I grasped at his shirt to catch my balance, and my racing heart did a backflip as rippling abdominal muscles clenched beneath my fingers. Jai grunted at the collision.
I sputtered apologies as his hands framed my hips to center me. When I lifted my head, I froze under the intensity of his dark eyes. Spiced tobacco infiltrated my senses as the flames behind his irises flared
. Had I hurt him?
“Sorry,” I repeated dumbly as I released my death grip on his shirt.
He didn’t free me at first, and his long fingers flexed. The warmth of his hold burned through my layers of clothing. His body heat had to be a superpower.
“Why are you sorry?” He tilted his head to the side, curious, expectant.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
A bemused smirk stretched over his lips, and I inhaled sharply as his fingers cupped my jaw. “You didn’t hurt me. Don’t get me wrong, you’re dangerous. Just not in the way you think.”
Without explaining further, he released me, and I squeaked as his fingers snaked into my back pocket and plucked my wallet from my jeans. He retrieved my student I.D. from my wallet before returning it to my pocket. Then, he loped casually toward my dorm building, leaving me immobile and confused in the parking lot.
I was dangerous? Did he really think so? That wasn’t a very kind thing to say.
Shaking myself from my stupor, I tripped over my feet as I followed him up the steps, lost in my wallowing. I was jerked to a stop moments before I smashed into the glass door, and I yelped as Jai squeezed my arm.
“Gates of Hell! Can you at least try not to kill yourself when I’m around? The guys’ll never let me live it down if you die on my watch.”
I shrank under his frustrated reprimand and dropped my now-watery eyes to the cement. “S-sorry.”
“Fuck, Riles—”
I dashed inside to escape his tirade and took the steps two at a time. My small lead didn’t last. His long legs easily caught up with me, and we climbed the remaining steps side by side. As we trudged down the hallway to my dorm room, my joyful mood plunged into despair. Jai thought I was dangerous, and I didn’t think it was a compliment.
Accident-prone and clumsy, I could understand the difficulties I added to his job. I had pretty poor luck, and bad things tended to happen around me. I didn’t think it was my fault most of the time, but I was still a hazard to his health. If he wanted to stay immune to whatever curse hovered over me, he should keep his distance. Maybe that was what he meant.
Revelations: Fire & Brimstone Scroll 1 Page 12
