Lamar is on the ground, and I drop to be beside him as the devil walks in. Manella charges into the room, rushing to Lamar’s side. His hands go to him as Lamar starts to shake violently, the poison eating away at him.
Manella whispers a few words, and Lamar’s eyes roll back in his head as the veins in his body start to slowly push the black out. It comes out through his nose like it’s running away, puddling on the ground as it vacates his body.
Manella blows out a breath of relief as he cradle’s his lover’s head in his lap.
Lucifer takes in the scene curiously, his eyes flicking to me again like he can sense my presence more.
“I’m afraid it’s time for you boys to resurface. I’m going to have to restrict access to these floors,” Lucifer announces dispassionately, never looking at them. “It’ll cost you your lives if you tell anyone what happened here today.”
He gives them a dark grin. “Wouldn’t want someone thinking I’m so weak that I can’t even control my guards anymore.”
The guys all give one nod of understanding.
Lucifer returns his gaze to Manella, as Lamar takes his first easy breath, groggily waking up as his body continues to heal.
“Thank you,” Lamar chokes out, looking around like he’s searching for someone.
My stupid smile spreads when I realize he’s seeking me out to offer gratitude.
Kai arches an eyebrow at me, and I wipe the grin from my face. Ezekiel smirks at me, and I roll my eyes as I turn and pass through the wall, ready to return home.
“Don’t forget your spirit when you go,” the devil says. “You’ll need it more than Lamar will. And apparently there’s only one to go around.”
Jude casts me a curious gaze as he walks out and steps into me, but I say nothing as we vanish from hell with the devil’s blessing.
I’m not sure what the devil’s blessing incurs, and I dread finding out.
Chapter 21
The second we’re back in their massive excuse for a home, Jude steps away from me, going to the fridge to grab a beer. The other three appear, and he tosses them all a beer as well.
Ezekiel goes to grab his phone from the kitchen island as it appears as well, and he immediately orders several pizzas. The rest of them are already drinking, and I stand off to the side, now feeling like the awkward outsider again.
I can’t believe they’re not even discussing anything, and I’m scared to be the one to broach the conversation.
They sit down at their table, and I just watch from my spot, wanting to go to my chair, but worried they’ll ask me to leave.
They quietly sit in their normal places, elbows resting on the table as they drink their beers. Every time they finish a beer, one gets up and goes to pass out new ones.
Several empty beer bottles pile up in no time, as they just keep on drinking in weird silence.
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 overwhelming 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.