Page 79 of Live Like Legends

I brought my face close to hers. “You have his key?”

She pressed her lips together, refusing to speak. Nick and Reese watched from the threshold, not bothering to interrupt.

At least they weren’tcompleteidiots.

“Okay, let’s try this again. Iknowyou have his key, so be a good girl and just fucking give it to me.” My hand squeezed her throat a tiny bit and her body tensed as if she was scared. She should be. If I truly wanted to, I could snap her in half before either of the men behind me could blink.

She narrowed her eyes at me. My face was so close to hers that I could practically count all the freckles along her nose. I pushed my venom out harder and she cried out.

“P-pocket,” she stuttered.

I gave her a full grin, before I reached my free hand into one of her pants pockets, producing Nick’s tiger’s eye key. I tossed it over to him, as he caught it easily.

“You’ll regret this, Nicholas. You’ll regret choosing her.” Morgan’s words were full of malice and something else that tasted a lot like jealousy. It was heady and delicious. She was the kind of woman that made me want to tie her to a chair and torture her for days on end, just to watch her cry. Ugh, but this so-called team I was begrudgingly a part of needed me to be fully present and alert.

“I thinkyou’reone of his biggest regrets, sweetheart.” I brought her forward and then threw her back against the wall. Her head hit the stone and she slumped down the wall. I ruffled my bangs, casting a look over to the boys. “What? She isn’t dead, be fucking grateful.”

We stepped out of the portal and onto Oculus grounds, our little group waiting to greet us the minute the portal closed.

Maurice pushed past everyone to get to his son. The two men hugged and then the older Cassial patted his son’s body as if he was searching for any wounds. Nick waved him off. “I’m fine, dad. I promise.”

“Ariel has some nerve. Jonah and I might not have always seen eye to eye or been in the best place, but he would have never resorted to those measures.” The anger radiating from his father’s tone had me itching to see Ariel and Maurice in an all out fist fight.

Nick hummed. “Ariel is a giant bully and we’ll deal with him, but now…”

Beetee borderline hurled herself into Nick’s arms, embracing him in a hug. Maurice moved back, smiling over at the amount of love his son was receiving. Nick stumbled back, but hugged her with just as much appreciation. The pink-haired demon pulled back. “Are you okay?”

Nick nodded and then waved over to Reese and I. “Who thought it was a good idea for this to happen?”

I clucked my tongue. “Your best friend, surprisingly enough.”

Nick raised both his eyebrows at his friend but Reese just shrugged, punching his shoulder.

Natalia and Xander laughed. The witch shook her head. “What matters is that you’re here now and we can proceed as planned. I wouldn’t waste any time though. I’m not daft enough to think that Ariel won’t catch wind that you’re gone soon enough.”

Garrett sidled up to Nick, his long braids held together by a thick ribbon. “We’re by your side, Nicholas.” He placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder.

Beetee bounced on her feet. “Always.”

“You got yourself under control there, snake girl?” Xander asked, looking her up and down.

She rolled her eyes, but then her lilac eyes found my own. She gave me a look that told me she was fine. It was as if she inherently knew I was about to tell her she wasn’t going because she had just busted into snake mode a little over an hour ago.

I looked up at the sky, realizing that it was almost close to dawn. The place above the trees was still dark, but I knew light was on the horizon.

I walked up to Reese and Nick, observing the moment Blondie reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a leather bound notebook, handing it to Nick. “That important?”

Nick took it in his hands and pushed away from the way we were crowding him. He walked over to Natalia, handing her the book. “Can you hold onto this for me?”

Natalia cocked her head to the side. “Me?”

The pretty boy angel nodded slowly.

The witch’s bangles clanged together as she grabbed the book. “Sure, Nicholas. As you wish.”

Nick wrinkled his nose skeptically. “You aren’t going to ask me what it is?”

Natalia ran her fingertips over the letters on it. I couldn’t make out what they were from where I stood. “Hmm, something tells me I don’t have to.” She gave him a small smile, the glitter that dusted her dark skin shimmering. “Be safe please. And bring her home.”

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