Page 133 of Awakened by Sin

“I love you too.”

“Stay out of trouble, for fuck’s sake,” Lyla snapped before she hung up.

Carmen pulled into Marcus’s driveway and saw that the movers were already there, as were her assistants. Frederick carried Honey to the backyard so she wouldn’t bolt as they got busy. There were five twenty-six-foot moving trucks with items from her past life. She wouldn’t be able to keep everything, but she was due for a purge.

The men opened the back of the trucks. She climbed in, surveyed the clutter, and took a moment to get her bearings before she got to work. She locked her emotions up tight, examining the items objectively while blocking out the memories that came with them. She started pointing out what she wanted and in which rooms. Her assistants made sure the movers put the items in the right place, and chaos ensued.

By the time everyone cleared out, she lay exhausted but extremely satisfied on her red velvet couch. Marcus’s house had been transformed in the span of a few hours. They still had a lot of work to do, but the large pieces of furniture had been put in place, and it was much more livable and welcoming. She pulled paintings, statues, and accents to give the house personality. Everyone would return tomorrow to continue the transformation.

Her phone rang. It was within reaching distance, so she answered. “Hello?”

“Angel likes you!” Luci sang.

Carmen’s eyes popped open. “What?”

“I’ve never heard him talk about a woman like thisever. OMG.” Luci sounded like she was jumping around. “Where ya been, chick? I’ve been calling you for days.”

She sat up. “I’ve been busy. What are you talking about?”

“Angel told me you killed the leader of some motorcycle gang. That was badass. I wish I could’ve seen it. He also told me you tried to protect him when he got shot.” She sucked her teeth. “Gavin wasn’t kidding when he said these motherfuckers are out of line. Angel’s going to make Sin City his bitch. I’m glad Gavin called him in. They’re gonna find out real quick what makes us crime lords of New York.”

She got to her feet and checked on Honey who was in the same spot she’d been in for the past three hours. She lay on the ground beside her doggy bed in a ball. Her food and water untouched. As Carmen approached, she tensed. Carmen sat on the floor just inside the kitchen, giving Honey her space but also letting her grow accustomed to her presence.

“So?” Luci prompted.

“So what?”

“Angellikesyou.”

“Because I killed someone?”

“Because you’re the ride or die chick. Girls have always come easy to Angel. You can see why. He’s pretty and has the carefree, bad boy vibe that we both know is a sham. Angel’s a dark one, but that’s part of his appeal, right?”

“Angel’s suicidal.”

Luci giggled. “I know, right?”

Carmen couldn’t hold back a smile. Luci was obviously damn proud of her brother. If she had a brother, she would be the same. The more badass he was, the better.

“It’s hard to come across a woman who has balls and heart, you know?” Luci asked.

“Wait, what are we talking about?”

“You. Brass balls, guns, badass motherfucker, my brother and you …?”

“There is no Angel and me.”

“Why not? You think he’s hot, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“And he’s badass!”

She bit her lip to hold back her laughter. Honey’s eyes flicked to her, but when she saw her watching, Honey immediately looked away. “He’s definitely a badass with a chip on his shoulder.”

“Don’t we all? Only someone who got everything they want in life wouldn’t have a chip on their shoulder.”

The chip on the Romans’ shoulders was their parents’ death. Angel hadn’t explained it, and it wasn’t something you brought up so she agreed. “True.”

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