Page 42 of Raising Hell

Rory winces as he nods, his cheeks flushing. “It shouldn’t matter, and I shouldn’t care… IknowI shouldn’t care… and I swear I wasn’t even cyberstalking him, but a friend of mine shared a post and I saw it…” My eyes widen with every word, only comprehending half of what he is saying, and Cas is just as puzzled.

“Slow down,” he soothes, smoothing Rory’s hair away from his face. The stubborn red coil pops right back over his forehead, and Cas just smiles, tucking it behind his ear. It calms Rory, and he tries again.

“Johnny is my ex,” he explains, meeting my eyes. “We were together for years until he left me for someone else… someone younger and better-looking.”

“Stop that,” I growl, and he gives me a rueful smile.

“It’s not like I miss him, because I don’t. I rarely even think about him, but someone shared an announcement about their engagement. The party is tonight at a ritzy, exclusive club,and they both look stunning while I’m sitting here in my PJs crying in bed. It’s… pathetic.”

Cas and I exchange glances and nod in unison. “Alright, let’s go.” So much confusion paints Rory’s face that I touch my hair, wondering if Cas’s mishap spread to me.

“We can’t just… go.”

“Why not?” I ask. “Is this party somewhere private?”

Cas waves a hand dismissively. “Doesn’t matter, we can break in.”

“N-no,” Rory stutters, shaking his head. “The nightclub is ‘technically’ open to everyone.” He flexes his fingers in the air with the word, and I furrow my brow at the action. “But the line always wraps around the building, and you only get in if you’re hot enough.”

Cas gasps, loud and dramatic, as his hand lands over his heart. “Are you saying I’m not hot enough?”

Rory’s posture loosens a fraction, a smile playing on his lips. “You are definitely hot enough… both of you are… but me…”

“That’s it,” I decide, clapping my hands as I stand, and Cas tumbles to the floor with a surprised shout. “We’re going.”

Rory’s mouth opens and closes like a fish before he snaps out of it. “Wecan’t—”

“We can, and we will,” I argue, grabbing his hands and pulling him to his feet. Cas glares at me from a heap on the ground, and I relent and help him up as well. “I want to meet this Johnny,” I sneer, hating the taste of his name in my mouth, “and show him exactly what he’s been missing.”

Chapter 19

Rory

This is a mistake.

A colossal, idiotic, ridiculous mistake that I’ll regret as soon as I make an ass of myself.

It’s not a question ofif—it’s pretty much a guarantee. My skills at embarrassing myself have been honed over a lifetime. Practiced daily. Sharpened like an embarrassed, awkward knife until it’s ready to hack away at my dignity.

“Holy shit, you are so fucking handsome!” Cas is almost swooning, a dreamy expression on his face. He makes heart eyes at Amon, who tries to hide how much he enjoys it with an eye roll, but his pleased grin is a dead giveaway.

Amon stays cool, almost bored, as he replies, “Not so bad yourself.” My smile widens as Cas launches himself into Amon’s arms, smothering him with a kiss that’s more of a tackle. He sputters and pushes Cas away, wiping his hand over his lips inannoyance. It’s an act, though—we all know there’s no real fire behind it.

The true nature of the big softie has been exposed.

My chuckle slips out as they both turn to me, a perfect representation of their personalities. Cas is visibly delighted, a giant smile digging into his cheeks and his body language relaxed. Amon sports his signature half-scowl, long hair curtained over one eye and casting a shadow over his rugged face. They are clad in similar black suits, meticulously tailored to their builds.

I glance at my PJs. “I… uh… wasn’t sure what to wear, so I haven’t exactly gotten very far.”In my defenseall they did was think about how hot and suave they wanted to look tonight, and it happened.

“Never mind that,” Amon says in his smooth, deep timbre, moving closer and resting his hands on my upper arms. His eyes shut, and a surge of electric energy courses through his body, connecting with mine.

The magic glides over my skin as my lounge clothes fade into a deep, hunter green suit with a black button-up underneath. It’s slim cut and fits like a glove, the material soft and expensive.

Cas makes a frame with his fingers that he focuses on me. “Allow me…” There’s another exhilarating rush of magic before he guides me to the mirror. I feel like Cinderella getting ready for the ball, except instead of talking, chubby mice, it’s sexy demons.

I grin at the thought, but then it falls from my face.

My reflection stares back at me, shocked.

---