Page 40 of Damaged

Slamming out of his truck, he ran, ignoring the guards greeting him.

Inside, he took the stairs two at a time and didn’t even bother to knock. Shoving open Azrael’s bedroom door, he stepped inside and glanced around frantically.

The room was empty just like the guard had said.

He stalled hard, his head suddenly pounding, and sweat turned his palms damp. He knew the panic attack for what it was and thought to ride it out.

Until he noticed the window was now open.

Fuck! Air whipped into his lungs, and he stalked toward the opening.

Ducking down, Real stepped through the open window and once outside, he walked along the sloped roof to where it panned out flat.

He didn’t breathe well until he spotted that dark head of wind-tossed hair. It was only then that Real could once again suck in air like a normal human being.

Azrael sat on the edge of the roof with his arms wrapped around his bent knees, gazing at the ocean.

The teenager glanced over his shoulder and finding him there, those dark eyes snapped angrily at him. They had spent almost a week together over Christmas and Real had thought Azrael had gotten past his anger. By the look on the young man’s face, he was not even close to being forgiven.

Right now, Real didn’t give a fuck if Azrael was still pissed at him.

Just as long as there was life in the young man sitting before him.

As long as Azrael breathed, Real could sleep at night.

Wrath rolled over and slapped at the mattress searching for Rogue’s warmth.

Finding none, he rolled to sit up on the edge of the bed and glanced around the hotel room.

He knew without calling out that Rogue was gone.

A note lay on the nightstand, and he picked it up.

I had to take care of something urgent. Go to the dinner tonight and see if you can talk Rebel into coming in. Here is the address I wanted to take you to in Nevada. Go there and I’ll meet you in three days. I’ll call you if I can.

-R

Wrath smiled, gazing at the out-of-state address.

Rogue would meet him in Nevada. That right there took the anger of being deserted right out of him. Rogue was worried he would be mad, that was why the note had been written with Rogue assuring him that they would meet up.

They would meet in Nevada.

Happily, Wrath launched from the bed, showered, and got ready for the day.

Now, he just had to convince Rebel to give Erebus a chance.

Mrs. Jackson greeted him when he rang the doorbell later that evening.

“Your friend couldn’t make it?” She gazed around Wrath curiously.

“He was unexpectedly called away.”

A commotion in the dining room had Wrath glancing that way to see a dark, curly-haired teenager dart back out of the dining room and slam out the back door.

“Excuse me,” Wrath said calmly and then raced out the front door. He cut around the side of the house and flew toward the backyard.

Scaling the six-foot-high wooden fence, Wrath leaped over it and dropped to the lawn below.

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