Maria practically snorted. “You’re crazier than I thought if you think God wants you to be with him.”
“Why not?” Sure, he was hot, bad, and maybe not the nicest person, but hell, that was exactly what she was looking for.
The blonde’s eyes travelled all over him. “He’s got about a hundred sins all over his body, and a one-way ticket to hell, I promise you that.”
“Well, if so, I want to go with him,” she breathed, thinking about all the sinful things she wanted to do with him.
“Mmhmm …” Lake and Elle cooed.
A cough right behind them had them turning around to see Nero and Vincent.
Elle looked like a deer in headlights. “What are you doing here?”
“Y-yeah, I thought you had to work?” Lake was just as surprised.
Vincent put on a great show. “We felt really bad for not being able to take you girls, so we asked Sal if he could cover for us.”
“I bet you did.” If they believe that horseshit, I’ll smack ’em.
Angel came back with the tickets and passed them out to each girl. They couldn’t help giving him a big smile with the sweetest “thank you” you had ever heard.
Nero grabbed Elle’s waist, pulling her back to stand beside him.
Vincent also quickly snatched Lake by putting his arm around her and pulling her to his side. There seemed to be a bit of hastiness in his voice when he said, “Hey, man, we’re gonna need two more.”
Sliding the last ticket in his pocket, he didn’t seem to care. “Then I’d go get them before they sell out.”
Vincent started to see red, and Nero seemed to get a little pissed, too, as he leaned over and snatched up a ticket out of Todd, Maria’s bodyguard’s, hand.
Well, that was a little rude.
The pretty boy couldn’t believe he was left to fend for himself, but then he found a ticket in his hand.
“I’ll go get them.” Maria had barely put them in his hand before she stormed off.
Her eyes didn’t move as she glided across the floor. It was almost like an out-of-body experience. Her mind didn’t catch up to what she was doing until their bodies hit each other.
His reflex was fast, turning around to catch and steady her. “Are you all right?”
“I’m so sorry. I must’ve not been paying attention.” She acted surprised and a bit disoriented.
Looking back at Todd, who had followed her, she let him know she was all right. Please stay put.
“I think you’re making this a bit of a habit.” He laughed.
She let herself look up into his golden eyes. “Oh no, not you again. Now I feel awful.”
“Don’t.” He continued to hold her up, not letting her go. “What’s your name again? Maria, right?”
Smiling, she was happy that he remembered. “Yes. I’m sorry. Remind me of yours—”
“Kayne Evans.”
“That’s right.” It was hard to look away from him.
They both stared into the other’s eyes for a few moments until he finally dropped his hands from her after realizing he hadn’t let her go yet.
Clearing his throat, he moved up in the line. “What movie did you and your boyfriend come to see?”
“Huh?” Turning to see an intimidating Todd, she laughed. “Oh, he’s not my boyfrie—”
“There you are!” A brunette came up to Kayne, smiling.
Kayne seemed off guard at first, like he hadn’t expected her. “Hey, Kendra.”
Adjusting her fur coat, Maria quickly realized they were here to see a movie together.
A moment of awkward silence passed between them.
“Kendra, this is Maria.”
“Is she one of your students?” the brunette asked.
“No,” he corrected her before a corner of his mouth slightly lifted. “We just seem to run into each other.”
“Yes, we do.” Maria chuckled.
It’s strange, she thought as she looked at the sexy golden man.
She almost forgot about the woman standing beside him, too enthralled at the spark she felt between them. It was why she had run into him again, but this time on purpose. She had wanted to see if she felt that again. Never having it before with any other person, she had missed it, dreamt about it nightly, almost forgetting what it had felt like until she saw his silhouette at the back of the line. That was when she had found herself running into him, wanting to see if she could get that feeling back.
“I think it’s our turn,” Kendra interrupted their staring.
“Right. Well, it was good seeing you again, Maria, and hopefully, I’ll run into you sometime again,” he ended with another smile.
“Hopefully,” she wished, watching him walk away with his hand at the small of the woman’s back.
That was when she felt it. A twitch … in her cold … dead … heart.
Watching Maria walk away so quickly, Adalyn found it odd that she would so willingly give up her ticket to get one for herself, but she wasn’t able to put much thought into it because of the escalading feelings going on around her.
“Do you want some popcorn?” Angel asked her.
“I do.” Lake smiled.
So did Elle. “Me, too.”
The boys clearly didn’t like the girls’ responses, so they each pushed their women along to the popcorn and candy stand. However, Vincent was the one who threw Angel a hot glance. “We got this. Come on, Adalyn.”
She didn’t know what he expected, but she didn’t move as she watched the back of him get smaller. She figured he was going to be really surprised when he found out she hadn’t followed him like a good little sister.
Looking up at Angel, she couldn’t help laughing. “I don’t think they like you very much, especially my brother.”
“That one’s your brother?” he asked, shocked, as he watched Vincent drag Lake along.
“Yep.”
“You two look nothing alike.”
You mean, he’s ridiculously good-looking and I’m not?
“That’s because we’re stepbrother and sister.”
Putting a hand on her arm to lead her toward the popcorn stand, he mumbled under his breath, “Well, that’s good.”
“Huh?” Unable to hear with all the people, she’d missed what he had said.
“Do you want butter on your popcorn?”
“Oh yes, please.”
As they waited in one of the many lines, she couldn’t help feeling as if the longer she stood there, the more uncomfortable she became. Looking around for the source of her discomfort, her eyes landed on three tattooed males wearing grungy suits.
Instantly, her heart knew. Lucianos.
With her mouth dry from their intense staring, the words finally managed to come out, “Are they …?”
“Yes,” he answered her quickly and quietly without even turning his head to look at them. Pulling her to stand beside him, he blocked her from their view and their view of her. “Stop staring at them, sweetness.”
She snapped her head to the front, not needing to be told twice. Adalyn wasn’t sure if he told her that because her staring might piss them off, but she wasn’t eager to find out.
Catching her nerves, he tried to calm her. “They’re not going to hurt you as long as you keep your eyes to yourself.”
Welp, that answered that.
Something about this felt strange to her. She couldn’t ever remember seeing a Luciano before while she was out. If she had, they at least hadn’t made it obvious who they were. So, why now? Especially with it being the first time Angel and she went somewhere besides school.
“How come I’ve never seen a Luciano out before?”
“You’re only seeing them because they are checking to see if I’m okay and that the Carusos are holding up their end of the deal.”
“Oh.” Licking her lips, she supposed that should make her feel better. “So, that’s good, then, that they see you’re fine and alive?”
“Not exactly.” He took a step
forward in line, maintaining his calm expression. “They see me with a Caruso girl, about to enjoy a movie. They’re looking at me how they look at Carusos.”
Every hair on her body stood up from his words. If they looked at him that way, one of Lucifer’s sons, that wasn’t good.
“Should you go talk to them?”
“No,” was all he said as he stepped up to the counter to order. Thankfully, it was quick, and by the time they got their stuff, the rest of their group had found them.
Vincent, Nero, and Maria’s harsh expression told them they knew the other Lucianos were there.
“Let’s go,” Vincent said, this time putting an arm around both Lake and her.
Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look.
Her blood ran cold as they passed the Lucianos on their way into the movie theater.
Shit, I’m gonna look.
She had set out to only give a quick glance, but she just couldn’t look away.
Who seemed to be the youngest Luciano stood in the middle and smiled evilly at her, revealing a golden grill that was faceted in diamonds.
Again, she couldn’t explain it, and she didn’t know how she knew, but one thing was for certain. That golden smile of death was for her and her alone.
Twenty-Three
Hellevator
Holding the elevator doors open once it reached the penthouse floor, Angel let everyone get off first. When Adalyn came out last, he said, “I can take you home whenever you’re ready. Just knock on my door.”
She hesitated, looking at Lake, who was quietly telling her to go on. It didn’t take her a second to get back on the elevator, not wanting to leave Angel just yet. “It’s pretty late. We should go now.”
“Actually, I’ll take you.” Vincent moved to get back on the elevator, but Lake held his hand tightly.
“No, I need you.”
“What for?” he asked sharply, more focused on Angel taking his sister home. But when Lake whispered in his ear and started to drag them toward their room, Vincent no longer fought her.
“Bye!” Adalyn laughed, waving at her now distracted brother while the door started to close.
Okay, maybe Lake dating my brother isn’t so bad after all.
With the door closed, and her and Angel alone, she watched the numbers start to tick down. There was something different between them now. He hadn’t been obligated to go out with her, nor was she just a job today. It had changed things and almost turned their relationship on its head, making her wonder if he had gone only to get the ring back or because he might actually enjoy her company.
All she had to do was … find out.
Unable to keep from smiling, she continued to watch the numbers tick down. “Thank you for coming with us. I had a great time tonight.”
“I di—”
Adalyn shrieked as the elevator went dark and came to an abrupt stop. When she fell into Angel’s arms from the jolt, he caught her and held on. Scared shitless, she wasn’t about to let him go.
“What the hell happened?”
“I have no fucking clue.” Holding on to her in case it started working again, he hit some buttons, but it was pointless. It seemed like no power was getting to the elevator.
He pulled out his cell phone and quickly called a number before putting it to his ear. It rang only a couple of times.
“Lucca, can you hear me? Lucca …? We’re stuck in the elevat—” Hanging up the phone, he cursed, “Shit.”
“Oh God. What is it?”
“There was too much static on the other end. I couldn’t hear him. I’m not sure what happened.”
She shakily pulled out her phone, trying to send a text message to Vincent, but it wasn’t going through.
Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.
“Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.”
“Everything will be fine, Adalyn.” He gave her arms a tight squeeze, trying to make her focus on him. “I think the power has just gone out in the hotel. It should come back on soon.”
She took a long, deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Taking a look around the tight, dark box they were in, however, she only hoped he was right. It isn’t until you’re stuck in a suspended elevator that you realize you might have had a fear of it all along.
“Sit down, sweetness.” Angel helped her down to the floor to help her feel more grounded.
They sat there for several minutes in silence, just waiting for the elevator to start moving again. With each passing minute, the space became smaller. By the time thirty minutes had passed with no movement or help from the outside world, she did the only thing she could do at this point. She put her head down and quickly touched her forehead, chest, and each shoulder, making the sign of the cross.
Dear Lord, this is not what I fucking asked for when I wanted to spend more time with Angel. No man is worth this shi—
“What are you doing?”
“Praying to our Lord and Savior to not let this elevator fall fifteen stories to our death.”
Laughing, Angel wrapped an arm around the back of her shoulders. “I promise you, sweetness, everything will be all right.”
“How in the hell are you so calm right now?” She pressed into him, wondering what type of other sick shit he must enjoy since this clearly wasn’t affecting him. The walls looked like they were practically closing in on her, although she knew they were solid, immovable objects.
Shrugging, nothing seemed to faze him. “You have to remember I’ve been sitting in a tiny-ass hotel room for a while now.”
“Really?”
“I’ve sorta been a prisoner, sweetness,” he reminded her.
“Wow.” She looked over at him, fully realizing the depth of his situation and how he must have felt if this situation didn’t seem so bad to him. “Dealing with this family and being away from yours, then having to deal with me … I’m sorry. This must all be pretty shitty for you.”
“You’re not so bad. I can’t say the same about the rest …” When he finished his sentence, it held a different tone, “but I’ll survive.”
Seeing the determination in his dark depths was when she noticed something about him for the first time. His presence held something reminiscent of Chloe’s. Every time she looked at the scarred girl, one word came to her mind. And right now, in this moment, looking at Angel, that word came to her again. Survivor.
She didn’t know his story, and she didn’t think a man like him would ever trust anyone enough to tell it, especially to a Caruso girl, but maybe, just maybe, he might let her in enough to learn something.
“Do you miss them?”
It took him a while to answer.
“Yes,” he finally admitted to the tiny space they shared.
“Well, I hope you get to go home soon.” Her words came out a bit raspy.
They had been hard for her to say, not knowing if it was because she didn’t want him to leave just yet or because that was exactly what she wanted for herself—to go home and get out of this elevator. The longer she was stuck in there, the more she felt like she was suffocating and running out of air.
Angel reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a piece of candy that was wrapped tightly in a wrapper. “Suck on this and try not to chew it. I have a few more pieces, if it helps.”
“You keep candy on you?” she asked, finding it strange. That was something just women usually kept in their purse.
Shrugging, he answered simply, “Habit.”
Unwrapping the sweet candy and putting it in her mouth, she found it weirdly helped, even if it was just a little. As she let the juices flow into her mouth, she wondered how he knew it would help. She only wished it would start the elevator again, as the metal box was starting to get chilly.
“I don’t know how much longer I’m gonna last in here, Angel.” As her chest rose up and down, the space started to feel even smaller. “This is really starting to freak me the fuc—”
He crashed his lips down on hers hard and fast, making her instantly
forget about being stuck. She supposed that had been his goal, but she damn sure was going to take what she could get and milk it for all it was worth.
This kiss was exactly what she had been expecting from him. He was demanding, rough, and shameless, making her open her mouth to him. She gratefully did so, letting his tongue enter to play with hers. Her chilly body was instantly heated from the inside out, making her feel like she was about to burn alive.
Angel knew exactly what he was doing to her. Searching her mouth, he captured the little piece of sweet candy she hadn’t sucked all the way yet and took it into his, stealing it.
Having the candy stolen with a sensual flick of his tongue, she now tasted the cherry sweetness in his hot mouth. Unable to help it, she moaned, which echoed in the metal box, heightening the experience.
Trying to get closer to him, Adalyn wanted more. Badly.
He helped her out, moving her to straddle his lap to give them both easier access.
Oh God. The elevator falling was the least of her worries now.
Letting her tongue slide into his mouth, she searched for the candy, mimicking what he had done by flicking her tongue and capturing it. He wasn’t going to let it go easily, though. But before he went to take it back, she playfully nipped his tongue, making him pull away.
Smiling down at him, she finally bit the candy. “I won.”
Not even a second passed before he flipped her onto her back, and his hard body hovered over her. “You bit me, sweetness.” Her grabbed her chin, his heated eyes boring into hers. “That wasn’t very smart.”
Holding her breath, she felt every muscle go taut.
“I could take you right here”—he slid his inked hand to her throat, giving it a light squeeze—“and no one could stop me.” Sliding his hand down, he started unbuttoning her coat, slowly reaching for each one, revealing the light sweater underneath. “No one could hear you moan,” he continued as he went up the warm material and spanned his cold hand over her lower belly. “Or scream.”
Angel (Made Men Book 5) Page 10
