Page 34 of Soulless Angel

We were kicked off campus and given a warning. If we returned that day, we’d be charged with trespassing. We were also told to report to the dean’s office the following morning. Son of a bitch.

“I am going to kill that motherfucker.”

Daire raged all the way back to the house. I didn’t blame him. Jet had pissed me off too. We’d brought this on ourselves. We’d gained a reputation for taking out the trash. Although we’dnever admitted to our activity, people knew. The Demons knew. Now they were cashing in.

“Let’s just do it,” I said when we got back to the house. “Then we’ll make sure that Jet knows he owes us. Anything we damn well want.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

DAIRE

“I really wish you guys weren’t doing this. What am I supposed to say to Lyra?” Clover did her best to look betrayed. She’d been harping at us for a solid hour now.

“Simple. You don’t say anything.” I mimed zipping my lips shut. “She doesn’t need to know. It’s better if she doesn’t.”

Clover scowled. “I wish I didn’t. I feel like I’m lying to my friend. Like I’ve done something wrong.”

“You’re not doing anything, Rainbow,” Blaze reminded her. “We are. It’s not like we have a choice.”

She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip for dramatic effect. “I know. I just hate all of this. When this is all over, and we’re finally done with Paradise, can we go on a nice trip somewhere? Maybe Disneyland? I’ve never been there.”

I chucked her under the chin before leaning in to bite her pouty lip. “Sure. Disneyland. Anything you want.”

Tonight we were going to meet Jet and get this shit over with. This was the third day since our beef with him on campus. Even though I’d prefer to let the little fucker do his own dirty work, I couldn’t risk him posting that video of Cash and Clover.

One day Jet Reinhart would regret making this move against us. I would make sure of it.

After dark, we dropped Clover off at Raina’s house. I needed to know she was somewhere safe. She did her best tomake us feel guilty even though she knew damn well her own ass was on the line this time. She didn’t want that video to drop any more than the rest of us.

“If you get the chance, bitch slap Jet for me,” Clover said when I left her in the front entry of the Gods’ house.

“Give him one for me too,” Raina called from where she stood near the kitchen. “And if you ever decide to kill him, you have to let me help.”

“Noted.” I paused to kiss Clover before vacating the house.

Despite my efforts to neutralize the weird tension between Raina and me, traces of it lingered. Maybe it always would, although she did seem to be lighter around me now. Not so consumed with the need to kill me.

I’d done my best to bring peace between our groups. That was all I could do. The cuts she’d inflicted on me with my own knife were in various stages of healing, slowly turning into pink scars. Along with the bruises on my face, I looked like shit.

Blaze was looking pretty rough too. Poor fucker’s nose was huge. His face bruised and swollen. I had to hold back a laugh every time I looked at him.

We headed to a grocery store parking lot where we were to meet Jet. Lucky for him, he was already there when we arrived. Since I refused to take any of our own vehicles on a job like this, we left our car behind and got into the black Escalade with Jet.

“You actually showed up,” he said, surprised to see us.

“It’s not like you gave us much choice.” I barely resisted the urge to smack him upside the head. On second thought, no, he deserved a smack in the head at the very least. I gave him a good one, knocking his head into the side window. “That’s from Raina and Clover.”

“What the fuck, dude?” Jet shot me a fiery glare.

“Shut up and live with it, or next time it will be a fist.” I sat in the passenger side of the vehicle, glancing into the backat Cash and Blaze. “Where are your sidekicks? Not willing to get their hands dirty for your sick obsession?”

Jet’s mood seemed to change. A darkness passed through his eyes. “They have something else to take care of. Nothing that concerns you.”

“Creepy cult stuff?” Cash asked, leaning forward in his seat.

“Sure. Something like that.” Jet started the Escalade, pulling out of his parking space. “You know, if you guys weren’t so likely to blow the whole thing, I would invite you to join us.”

Blaze scoffed. “There is no reality that exists where we would ever want to do that.”