Page 5 of Hell on Wheels

I glare at him. “Keep your opinions to yourself and your hands off her.”

“Excuse the fuck out of me, but will you two morons shut the hell up?” The weak voice comes from the bed and we both trip over our feet to get closer to her.

Archie grins down at Rogue, crossing his arms over his chest. “I know I’m a catch, but you don’t have to get your ass kicked to get my attention.”

She snorts, then winces. “Shit, did anyone check for a cracked rib? That baseball bat was fucking iron, you know.”

Iron? They brought a goddamned iron baseball bat?!!

“Uh, no. I mean, I don’t know. Let me get Florissa.” I stalk over to the door, flinging it open to yell for the witch, but to my surprise, she’s standing on the other side of it.

The tiny hippie witch gives me a bemused look. “Rebel, I could feel the vibes from the other side of the house. I knew our little death bringer was awake when you did. Now, Rogue, would you like me to send these boys for some food while I check you out?”

“Fuck, yes. The hovering is making me seasick,” she mutters.

Florissa waves her hand at me, bracelets jangling as she glides into the room in her weird robes. “Begone, anxious men. I will examine her while you seek sustenance. Your energy is clogging up the air.”

Archie gives me a shrug and I sigh. “Okay, Flo. We’ll go find something to eat and come back.Don’tfill her head with trippy nonsense while we’re gone.”

Her tinkling laugh echoes in the hallway as we leave, and I grumble under my breath.

Maybe it would have been better to suck it up and see the town caladrius. At least that crusty old fart wouldn’t try to convert my sister to the cauldron lickers.

When we get to The Emerald Lotus, it’s packed to the gills. It’s not surprising on the weekend—this is one of the best restaurants in town. They serve extremely rare dishes that most places can’t replicate because they have sous chefs of multiple species hired to design their menus. Everything from Fae food to dragon dinari is handcrafted nightly and served in an elegant setting.

Rogue loves the honey-lavender salad with the savory rosemary meat pies and buttermilk biscuits. If Javi is working, he’ll make her a Maui Mule in a to-go cup, which I know will make her smile. I should see if they have something sweet for dessert, too. She has a sweet tooth like a pixie.

“Dude, don’t forget the Maui. Wheels loves that silly rainbow drink shit,” Archie says as he scans the room.

My brows furrow. I’ve been best friends with this guy since elementary school and I swear, he’s been a player since he could talk. Archer Glaser has a track record with conquests like any sports star, and his bedpost notches have doubled since he made the Bay City Thunder. But for the past two days, all he’s done is obsess over Rogue.

Am I missing something?

“I will never forget her favorite drink, Arch. Since when do you care so much about my sister?”

He turns on his heel, his eyes narrowed and yellow with the thread of his shifter side showing. “Reb, when you get your head out of your ass, you’re going to feel like an idiot. Let’s go order.”

Blinking in surprise, I watch him stride towards the bar where I’m happy to see Javi is on duty. I shake my head, walking over and giving the bartender a high five. Archie ignores me as I grin at our former high school buddy, and I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes. Javi looks between us, whistling low.

You can’t fool a phoenix about discord.

Javi King is descended from a very rich, ancient family and he abhors all of them. Deciding to forgo college and become a bartender was the ultimate ‘fuck you’ to his parents, but they stopped short of disowning their only heir. He’s good at what he does and he could work at a fancy club in a bigger city, but he never wanted to leave BC for greener pastures.

“Yo, dickheads. What the hell are you two arguing about now? For guys who have zero responsibilities, you’re morosemotherfuckers way too often,” Javi says as he spins a tin on his palm.

“Mind your shit,” Archie grumbles, scuffing his foot on the ground.

Javi whistles again, eyeing me suspiciously. “Where’s my favorite girl, Rebel? You never come without her. I was ready to make her something pretty.”

I pause, studying my other friend. What the hell is with everyone being so damned concerned about Rogue lately? “She’s incommunicado, J. There was a dust up with some rotten apples at the bar and I’ve got her stashed away while she recuperates.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Archie mutters, shaking his head. “Jesus, Reb, we can tell Javi that Wheels got an epic beat down from those bitches on the Sickos.”

The bartender’s jaw drops, and he stops spinning. “Are you fucking kidding me? Dragonfly got jumped? Is she okay?”

Nodding, I look around, trying to make sure that his exclamation didn’t draw attention from the surrounding patrons. “Shhhh. I don’t want it to get around that she’s okay. Or… as okay as she can be while she’s getting patched up by Flo.”

“Got it. So I’ll place her usual order and add a pizza for you two, plus drinks.” Javi turns to punch a few things in on a tablet before looking at us. “And I’ll get Gina to cover the bar so I can come with you.”

---