Page 10 of Heron's Flame

“How long?” Crow asked, rising to his feet. “If it’s something dangerous,” he began.

Carrion shook his head. “This is for me. Juliet needs me.”

“Who?”

A smile transformed his features, and awe swept over him. “We’ll all meet her when the time is right.”

Carrion spun on his heel as the door opened on its own, and a crow flew in, landing on his shoulder while Carrion left the chapel.

“Damn. I thought I was weird,” Cuckoo joked.

I spotted his newest outfit as he stood. The guy never wore traditional clothing. Every damn day was a new costume or creation.

Today, he wore a Batman suit, but instead of a bat on the chest, he’d glued or sewn a crow over the original emblem. I had to admit that I liked the alteration. The suit had been createdwith padded muscles on the top half of his body, so they added to his already chiseled chest and abdomen, showing off his cut stomach and making him appear extra buff. He looked like a pro wrestler or deranged superhero. Instead of tight bottoms or leggings, he’d replaced the costume’s lower portion with red leather. Shit. They were Deadpool’s pants. He added black boots and black leather thigh holsters for his knives. The red, gray, and black colors of his costume actually worked with the design.

I still didn’t know how he managed to fit his cut over most of his costumes, including this one. “How the fuck do you look in the mirror in the morning and not laugh?” I asked him as he faced me.

“Because I’m sexy as fuck. There’s nothing funny about it.”

I stared at him, waiting for him to laugh. He didn’t. “You’re cuckoo for cocoa puffs, brother.”

He snickered. “As I said, I’m a sexy motherfucker.”

“That might be true,” I admitted, “but I don’t swing that way.”

Cuckoo winked. “I like pussy. You’re safe.”

“Thank fuck,” I laughed.

Crow picked up the gavel and slammed it down on the table. “Hawk, Talon, and Heron, the three of you will accompany Bella and the ladies on their spa day tomorrow. Church is dismissed!”

I left the chapel, heading toward my room. As I passed the bar, I swept my gaze over the room, immediately locating Rebel. I didn’t have to worry about what she had on most days. Sure, she showed off some skin but didn’t flash her tits and ass like some of the girls, especially the ones hoping to snag a single brother in the club.

My feet tripped when I noticed her outfit, or lack thereof, and a growl started low in my throat. She wore a bikini with nothing more than a thin strap of fabric around her waist to cover her curves. And fuck me, she had curves for motherfuckingdays. I groaned as I turned in her direction, moving without the conscious thought to do it. All I could focus on was the fact that some other asshole would get to see all that pretty bare skin.

No fucking way.

I stomped toward her, removing my cut to rip off my shirt and shoving my arms back inside the leather holes before reaching Rebel. “Put this on,” I ordered, not bothering to hide my irritation or the growl in my voice as I draped her shoulders with the material.

Her jaw popped open as I surrounded her with it, helped her arms through the sleeves, and did up the buttons as everyone in the bar quieted. I wasn’t rough, but I also didn’t give her a chance to refuse my shirt.

“No fucking bikinis.”

I knew how it looked and sounded. I didn’t give a fuck.

A sudden pain in my knee caught my attention as I spun, facing Lucky Lou as he sat on his red scooter. He held his cane in his hand and looked ready to use it a second time. The old coot was a regular around here. He sure loved to put his nose in everyone’s business.

“Back away from Rebel, Heron.”

I blinked, confused, pissed, and about to do something else equally stupid.

“Heron.”

Rebel’s soft voice caught my attention. As soon as my gaze swept over her, I felt instant remorse and shame. My feelings, not hers. But then she blinked, and I realized she’d paled. In fact, she seemed almost catatonic. Fear radiated from her.

Oh. Fuck.

“I’m sorry, Rebel. I didn’t intend to scare you.”

---