Page 14 of Pretty Monsters

I nod, one quick movement of my head. "There is only one person you can trust in this world completely, and that's yourself."

"What a lovely world you live in."

I shake my head. "It's the world we live in, princess."

"I refuse to accept that."

"What are you going to do about it?" I rush after her since she's decided to head toward the room.

"I'm going to burn this one down and build another one in its place."

* * *

Lucien hasall three bags at his feet while he waits for us by the door. He eyes me suspiciously, but Raven seems unaware.

"There was someone coming." She jerks her thumb over her shoulder in my direction. "Mr. Paranoia here thought we should hide from them."

She has no idea her brother is more concerned with me being alone with her than he is with someone seeing us, but the answer seems to pacify him.

I toss the key to Lucien who catches it without even looking. He and I are a team, more like brothers than friends, and I need to remember that.

He sticks the key in the lock and has to jiggle the handle a bit for it to open the door. It swings open and bounces off the wall. There's no door stopper to stop it from smashing into the drywall. Judging by the gouge in the wall, this has been happening for a while.

The air smells of furniture polish, a chemical cleaner of some sort, and cigarette smoke. The carpet is an old style brown shag. It appears worn in the most high traffic areas. The television is a large old tube version and is bolted to the dresser in the front of the room. Basically, it is exactly what I expected.

Raven goes to both beds and pulls the comforters off.

"What are you doing?" I ask her, thinking she is planning on making herself a bed on the floor.

"They never wash these," she says, and piles the blankets in the corner of the room. Then she proceeds to unmake both beds and look in the sheets and under them.

"What now, princess?"

She drops the corner of the sheet she's holding. "I'm checking for bed bugs, and just to make sure they actually washed the linens."

I smirk at her. "And if you find something, are you going to demand to talk to the manager?"

"Which one of you is the little spoon?" she asks instead of taking my bait.

"Excuse me?" Lucien asks, joining our conversation.

Raven points at both beds. "There's only two. How exactly are we planning to sleep?"

I don't see the issue here. There are three of us, two of whom are related. "The two of you take whatever bed you want," I reply.

Luce puts his hands up in front of him. "No. I do not need the therapy that would require."

Raven's innocence becomes clear as she looks at him confused. "Why would you need therapy?"

Laughing, I slap him on the back. He started down that road, I plan on letting him work his way back.

Nervously, he runs one hand through his hair. "Well, uhh, I don't want to take the chance that my body recognizes a girl is in bed with me before my brain remembers you are my sister. Maybe if we'd grown up together, but...shit. It's just awkward as fuck, okay?"

She shrugs one shoulder. A smirk starts to form, but she seems to stop herself. What a deceptive little minx. "So, then you and Sin will share a bed?"

I shake my head. Lucien knows there is no way. He kicks the wall and stares down at his sister.

"Sin, won't share a bed with a guy."

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