Sloth (The Damning Book 4)

by Katie May

  nothing more for me to say.

  Lupe nodded curtly, schooling his expression again with a monumental

  amount of effort. “If anything were to happen to her…”

  “Nothing will,” Ryland broke in.

  “I know that.” Lupe didn’t sound convinced. “But—Who the fuck is

  calling me?” He whipped his head in the direction of his tablet, which was

  now vibrating with an incoming call. My heart stuttered and got caught in my

  throat. I recognized the number displayed on the screen, and if Lupe’s sharp

  inhale was any indication, he did too.

  “Don’t answer it,” Killian warned shakily, but Lupe already had the

  phone pressed to his ear. The frown carved into his mouth was weary and

  grim, the crack in his personality as visible as it had ever been.

  “Father,” Lupe greeted, that one word cutting into me like a garrote. I

  couldn’t hear what the sadistic bastard said on the other end of the phone, but

  Lupe’s face drained of all color. His eyes flickered to Z in the backseat before

  focusing once more out the windshield. “I can’t…” His jaw clenched, anger

  evident in every hard line of his body, but whatever his father said next had

  something shuttering in his eyes. “I understand.” Pause. “Yes.”

  No goodbyes were exchanged as Lupe hung up the phone…and then

  abruptly tossed it against the dashboard with a roar of fury that stirred my

  hair.

  “Fucking hell!” Bash hollered, but Lupe ignored him, looking ready to

  grab something else and break it as well. Considering the fact that the only

  other thing he could break was me, I tried to speak to him.

  “What happened?”

  “My father,” Lupe bit out, his eyes flashing with acidic rage.

  “What about the asshole?” Ryland asked icily.

  “He wants me home. Now.”

  “Now?” Killian parroted.

  “Fuck,” added Dair.

  Lupe clenched and unclenched his hands as he stared stormily out the

  window. His expression was thunderous. “He threatened Z.”

  “He…” Darkness permeated my soul, tainting something inside of me.

  “I’m going to kill the fucker.”

  “Get in line,” muttered Ryland, and I had no doubt the shadow was

  serious. Ryland was silent, preferring to stick to the shadows than make his

  presence known, but I knew he was a formidable opponent. Passivity did not

  make him any less dangerous. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill if it meant keeping

  his family safe. Keeping Z safe.

  “Who the fuck do we hate more now?” Jax mused from where he plucked

  at Z’s hair. He brought a strand of gold to his nose and inhaled deeply. His

  eyes, a strange combination of crazed and coherent, met mine. “The mermaid

  king or the shifter one?”

  “Both?” Bash responded wryly.

  “Then why don’t we kill them.” Jax spoke as if the answer should’ve

  been obvious, as if we were imbeciles for not thinking of that sooner.

  “We can’t just kill the ruling monarchs without expecting repercussions,”

  Bash gritted out. “Besides, if we kill them and get caught, we’ll be put into

  prison for the rest of our lives. Or killed. We can’t protect Z and our

  kingdoms behind bars.”

  Instead of responding to Bash’s reasoning, Jax dropped his attention back

  to Z, apparently done with conversation for the day.

  “I have to go see my father,” Lupe managed to grit out. I could tell it was

  taking every ounce of willpower for him not to bear out.

  “Not alone.” I met his gaze before focusing on the road once more. A few

  seconds later, we reached a tiny restaurant, and it was there I stopped, turning

  the car off and sitting in silence. Automatically, my eyes flew to Z, as they

  always did when she was with me. I needed to ensure with my own two eyes

  that she was okay, that she was alive.

  I wouldn’t be able to breathe normally until she was.

  It was hard to fill my role as the unofficial leader of our group. All I

  wanted to do was cuddle up next to Z and show her how much I loved her.

  But I couldn’t do that. Not yet. Not when there was a war brewing on the

  horizon and my sweet, perfect mate was at the center of it.

  “Lupe and I will find a separate vehicle and go visit his father,” I

  announced to the group, ignoring Lupe’s wide-eyed stare and mounting

  protest. “No buts,” I warned him firmly. I wanted more than anything to stay

  with Z, but I wouldn’t— couldn’t leave my brother unprotected, especially

  knowing what his father was capable of. Z would want me to go with and

  protect him, so that was what I would do. “The rest of you, take care of our

  girl.”

  “I don’t fucking like this,” Bash spat out. “Do you remember what

  happened the last time we split up?”

  Death. Murder. Blood. Pain.

  “Protect our girl,” I told them severely, all but throwing myself out of the

  vehicle. As I moved to the backseat, Jax immediately got out, allowing me to

  slide in and lean over her. She looked serene in sleep. Peaceful, even. I

  might’ve believed she was simply sleeping, if there weren’t a tiny wrinkle

  between her brows and the slightest downward tilt to her lips. At least my

  brothers had the sense to clean the blood from her face. I probably would’ve

  lost my damn mind if I saw it staining her perfect, porcelain skin.

  My mate was in pain, and it fucking destroyed me. Obliterated me.

  “I love you, baby,” I whispered to her unconscious form, brushing a

  strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. Knowing what she would demand of

  me if she were conscious, I added, “And I’ll look after the big idiot for you.”

  I jabbed a finger in Lupe’s direction, despite knowing she couldn’t see me.

  “No harm will come to either of us. I promise you.” I kissed her forehead, her

  cheeks, and then finally, her lips. Something salty merged with her usual

  flavor, and it took me a long moment to realize it was a tear—my tear.

  This might be the last time I saw Z.

  No! Don’t think like that, Devlin. She’ll be fine. She has to be fine.

  “My turn,” Lupe growled, all but throwing me out of the van to take my

  place. I wanted to punch him but quickly reined in the impulse. He couldn’t

  control himself right now, and I knew that if I started something with him, he

  would explode completely.

  The tension in his shoulders drained away as he stared at the woman we

  all loved more than life itself. He peppered kisses across her face, whispered

  that he loved her and would look after me, and then stepped back out.

  Ryland, who’d moved to the driver’s seat while we were preoccupied

  with Z, rolled down the window and leveled us with a fierce stare. For once,

  he wasn’t hiding behind his shadows, his scars on clear display as his lips

  curled downwards.

  “We’ll protect her,” he assured us softly. “She’ll be safe.”

  “She damn well better be,” Lupe growled out.

  “Take care of yourselves,” he continued, ignoring Lupe’s interruption.

  “She’ll have all of our asses the second she realizes you guys left to visit your

  sadistic father. Only trust one another.”

  “Don
e,” we both agreed immediately.

  Ryland nodded once more, his expression grave, before he slowly rolled

  up the tinted window, cutting off our view of him…and our view of Z.

  Fuck, I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t think I would again.

  A second later, the van was pulling away, leaving us alone in front of the

  restaurant.

  Lupe couldn’t stop pacing, his muscles rippling as his bear wrestled him

  for control.

  “What the fuck did your father want?” I demanded. I was going to kill the

  sick bastard when I saw him…mostly because he took me away from Z when

  she needed me the most.

  “I don’t know.” Lupe ran a hand through his brown hair, causing the

  strands to stick up in all directions in a disheveled mess. “He called and said

  to meet him in the capital in an hour’s time. He said that if I was even a

  second late, he would ‘slice the pretty assassin’s neck.’” Anger emanated

  from his gaze, the same anger I knew was in my own.

  Threatening Z…

  He’d pay for that with his life.

  “You know this is a trap, right?” I told him, and he nodded once, a simple

  bob of his head that said more than words ever could. There were years of

  pain in his gaze, pain that nothing could alleviate or abate. Pain caused from

  cruel words and unspeakable horrors I couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

  “I know,” Lupe responded at last, already walking towards a car in the

  parking lot. He didn’t hesitate to use his meaty fist to break open the window.

  Blood cascaded down his hand from the numerous cuts created by the glass,

  but he didn’t seem to notice. Or if he did notice, he didn’t fucking care. “But

  there’s nothing I can do about it.” He paused abruptly, straightening from his

  semi crouch to face me. The steely glint in his eyes gave me a pause, and

  instantly, I was on alert.

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t care about the consequences anymore,” Lupe told me, a darkness

  like I’d never seen before rolling across his expression. “When I see my

  father, I’m going to kill him. I’m going to rid the world of his stain once and

  for all.”

  EIGHT

  Z

  T he mansion was a mismatch of architectural and decorative styles—

  from archaic with its stone blocks, stained glass windows, and

  torches protruding from the wall, to modern with sleek leather

  couches, a television hanging opposite them, and a glass coffee table on

  bright red carpeting.

  I moved on silent feet to one of the couches, my eyes traveling around the

  room and taking in every detail with rapt focus. One glance out the window

  confirmed we were on some sort of cliff, the ocean frothing against the

  craggy, brown-gray rocks far below.

  The floor plan, from what I could see, was open, the living room flowing

  seamlessly into a kitchen. But despite the modern appliances, it still appeared

  to be a castle from the before times. Old and dirty, but timeless. Elegant,

  even.

  I glanced down at my bare feet, surprised by what I found myself

  wearing.

  A…dress. An elegant dress that cascaded around my figure in ruffles and

  lace. It was a dark, verdant green that cinched at my waist, flaring outwards

  in a puffy skirt. My reflection revealed perfectly curled blonde hair that

  nearly reached my waist and the lightest application of makeup—pink lips,

  eyeshadow, and mascara that made my eyes pop. Tiny pearl earrings

  completed the ensemble.

  “You look beautiful, Gabriella,” a soft voice mused from behind me.

  I spun, my heart lurching up my throat and becoming lodged there, to see

  none other than Aaliyah standing behind me.

  She was even more beautiful up close, her skin flawless and glowing in

  the flickering candle flames. Orange-red hair cascaded down her shoulders

  in voluminous curls, a few of the strands held away from her arresting face

  by a barrette. She wore a red dress that slid off of her shoulders and fit her

  like a glove.

  “What do you want?” I gritted out, my teeth clenched. “How did I get

  here?” I debated lunging forward and snapping her pale neck but decided

  against it. I had no idea where I was or how I’d gotten there. Knowing my

  luck, the second I killed the psycho bitch, her army of monsters would arrive

  and strike me down.

  For now, I had to play this safe, and that meant refraining from slitting

  her throat with my fingernail.

  A dangerous expression crossed Aaliyah’s face, darkening her perfect

  features, even as she rolled her eyes and moved farther into the room. She

  gripped the hem of her dress with one hand, holding it just above her ankles,

  while her other hand trailed across the gray stone wall, her fingers digging

  into the grooves present.

  “Don’t you worry your pretty head, little sister,” she sang, incandescent

  anger tainting the laughter in her voice and turning it into something ugly. It

  was almost as if she couldn’t decide if she was happy or wrathful, a

  conundrum that made her seem even more unhinged than ever before.

  “You’re still with those… men .” Her face twisted at that word, demoting her

  from beautiful to hideous in one second flat.

  Fuck her. God, I wanted to kill her so bad, it was almost a physical ache.

  What she did to Jax…

  But then her words penetrated my skull, and I strengthened almost

  imperceptibly.

  “So this is a dream?” I reasoned, the fact bolstering my confidence. If it

  was just a dream, that meant I was still safe with my men. Well, not safe, per

  se, but I wasn’t in hell with this bitch.

  “Yes.” Another twist of her ruby-red lips. Another annoyed glance in my

  direction. Another distasteful sneer aimed my way. “You can do so much

  better than those nightmares, you know. So, so much better.”

  “Why?” I quipped. “You want them for yourself?”

  Memories of the way she’d treated my vampire lover played on a loop in

  my head. I didn’t know the explicit details, but I knew with certainty that

  she’d tried to seduce him. Fortunately, Jax’s love for me stopped her

  advances, even with the bloodlust plaguing his mind. Still, that didn’t stop

  her from flirting with and touching him every change she got. It didn’t stop

  her from placing a spell on him that forced him to give in to his sin, gluttony,

  and embrace the monster he tried so hard to contain.

  For that alone, I would hate her forever.

  Disgust curled back her upper lip, even as her eyes danced with

  amusement. “I’m not interested in them like that. But thank you for offering,

  little sister.”

  Anger burned white-hot inside of me. “Then why do all of that to Jax?

  Why try to seduce him?”

  “Because I needed to see if he was good enough for you,” she responded

  immediately, earnestly, but the twinkle in her eyes made me think that I

  wasn’t getting the full story. I didn’t trust the murderous bitch any further

  than I could throw her. There was something wicked lurking just beneath her

  stunning exterior. Something dark, dangerous, and foreboding.

  “Why
am I here?” I hissed out, repeating my earlier question that she

  conveniently ignored.

  I didn’t expect her to answer me, so it was no surprise when she skillfully

  changed the subject once again. She continued to move farther and farther

  into the room, her hand moving from the wall to the top of the couch, her

  fingers caressing the leather.

  “You heard the story about how the nightmares came to be, correct?” she

  questioned, her tone almost conversational. My brows furrowed, and I took

  an automatic step away from her.

  “Yes. They’re descended from the Seven Deadly Sins.” That was textbook

  knowledge. Every human and nightmare alike were forced to study this

  before they were even out of diapers. It was that lineage that made

  nightmares supreme and untouchable. How could we lowly humans compete

  with spiritual entities?

  “Did you know that the Seven Deadly Sins came to Earth after they fell in

  love with an angel named Gabrielle?” she continued, and my breath hitched.

  I could feel my heart racing beneath my rib cage, threatening to escape at

  any second. “It’s funny how similar your names are.” She flashed me a

  cunning smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Gabrielle. Gabriella.

  Funny coincidence.”

  “Where the fuck are you going with—?”

  “But what the textbooks don’t tell you, is that the world requires a

  balance. A light to every darkness. A night to every day. It’s why the sun and

  moon constantly chase each other with no end in sight, trapped in a tango, a

  dance. An unrequited love story.” Her gaze turned distant as she moved even

  closer to me. My back was flush against the wall, the open window directly

  beside me and leading down to the ocean far below. “The angel had a sister,

  a demon to be exact, but the fates prohibited the two of them from meeting.

  That didn’t stop the demon from loving and protecting her sister from afar.

  When fate allowed the demon onto Earth with her own mates, she eagerly

  jumped at the opportunity. But unlike Gabrielle being mated to the Seven

  Deadly Sins, the demon was mated to the Seven Heavenly Virtues. You want

  to know how her story varies from Gabrielle’s?”

  I could barely breathe, barely hear. The only sound I was aware of was

  the hammering of my heart, the noise so deafening and consuming, I felt