Page 47 of Vicious Hearts

The Hondurans are meeting with the politicians in two hours, and although they don’t expect any trouble, Caleph doesn’t want to leave anything to chance. He wants to make sure none of the politicians leave that warehouse alive. And if any do, he’ll be there to make sure they don’t get further than the gate. I have to wonder at Caleph’s eagerness to be done with the situation, knowing that the minute the last of them is gone, so is Ariadne. She won’t stay in Guatemala a minute past what’s necessary, and I know that Caleph doesn’t want her to go. I guess it comes down to her safety above everything for him; she’s not safe until they’re all dead and gone. Everything else can work itself out in good time. He can work on her if she’s safe, but he can’t ever get her back if something happens to her.

The weight of our loaded firearms digs into our shoulders as we strap up, checking and re-checking each weapon before preparing to leave for the location. Heavy footfalls thunder through the house as we move back and forth, attending to every detail with precision and determination. Caleph stands at my side, his hand gripping my shoulder tightly as he delivers final instructions that send a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. My thirst for blood thrums in my ears, louder than ever before.

We stand at the foot of the stairs, our collective energy pulsating with intensity. Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Ariadne at the top of the stairs, her brows furrowed with concern as she looks at us. Something sharp taps at my internal organs; every battle we embark on has its pitfalls. There’s always the risk of misadventure or death. It’s never bothered me before. But it bothers me now. It bothers me that if something were to happen to either of us, we’d leave someone behind who would care enough to miss us. I’ve come to love and respect Ariadne as I would a younger sister – if I’d ever had one. If only for the connection she has with Caleph and the love he so obviously has for her in his heart. She’s a part of his world, which means she’s now a part of mine.

I step away when Caleph stops talking and squeezes my shoulder, telling me the conversation is over. I look up at the stairs at Ariadne, bowing my head in acknowledgement. Her eyes move from me to Caleph, who’s only just realized that she’s standing there.

Ariadne puts her hand on the banister, starts to descend the stairs one at a time until she’s standing on the bottom stair facing Caleph. A sliver of fear flashes across her face.

“What’s happening?” she asks.

“The Hondurans are meeting your friends,” Caleph tells her.

“I thought the Hondurans were taking care of that business.”

“We’re making sure things go the way they’re meant to. With any luck, you’ll be on a plane home tomorrow.”

Ariadne visibly flinches at Caleph’s harsh words. My jaw locks in anger. I can’t get involved between them, but fury pulses through me at the way he’s acting like a dick toward her.

Still smarting at Caleph’s tone, she folds her arms across her chest and fixes him with a smirk. “Well, you be careful that you don’t get yourself killed now,” she starts, “Otherwise I’ll have to stay longer to bury you.”

Caleph’s eyebrows shoot up, his eyes blazing with challenge. There is something undeniably explosive between them. Caleph catches Ariadne’s arm before she turns to walk away and pulls her back to him, her body flush against his. His mouth is on hers in a brutally punishing kiss, his hand curling in her hair as he holds her to him. I watch on in awe as their chemistry ignites the room with its searing fire. I feel the flames licking at my skin, and I turn away so I’m able to breathe.

Ariadne struggles against him, then seems to give in, her body going lax, before she remembers herself and straightens again, pushing against him. Caleph stares at her, his eyes beads of obsession. There is blood on his lip, and I know she’s bitten him. He wipes the back of his hand against his mouth then licks his lip, scraping the last drop of blood into his mouth.

The whole encounter takes no more than two minutes, but I feel as though I am an intruder in their midst.

Neither notices me still standing there watching them in fascination. I don’t even think they would care; they are so wrapped up in each other, it’s almost obscene standing in the same room as them.

His words are venomous, dripping with malice and a hint of desperation. "You'd better pray I don't die," he hisses through clenched teeth, his eyes blazing with fury. "Because if I do, I'll make sure to haunt you from beyond the grave for the rest of your miserable existence, Ariadne."

The threat lingers in the air, heavy and foreboding, as their eyes lock in a fierce showdown. The tension between them is palpable, crackling like electricity and threatening to burn everything in its path.

* * *

“You’re an idiot, you know that?”

Caleph draws lazy eyes my way for an explanation.

“Why are you mocking her? Telling her you’ll let her go when we both know you won’t.”

“She’s free to go home any time she wants after our little problem is take care of.”

“Yes, I got the memo. And do you have any intention of letting her live in peace?”

“No one said anything about happily ever after,” he murmurs.

I shake my head and look out the window. When Caleph met Ariadne, he started to show a softer side and I worried that he was losing his edge as his human side obliterated the darkness within him. Now I understood he was too far gone to be anywhere near that scenario. The fracture between him and Ariadne has sent him into a downward spiral. My best friend has become a demon. An intolerable one at that.

“Hold up,” he says, his fingers biting into my arm. “You have a thing for her?”

I shake him off, giving him a disgusted look. I am many things, but I am not in the habit of falling for my best friend’s girl. Because essentially, that’s what she is. Caleph as good as marked her when he kidnapped her not once but twice and brought her into his life.

“She’s in love with you,” I remind him.

His lashes flicker in surprise at my words. Obviously, no one’s mentioned love, but I’m the outsider looking in. It’s not hard to see that they’re in love with each other, even if they won’t admit it to themselves.

45

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