Page 53 of Soulless Angel

She fished a joint out of her bra and tossed it on the counter. “Here. Spark that up.”

I gladly did as instructed. I took a large puff, coughing as it hit my lungs. We plopped down on the couch in the living room together, chatting about school and gossiping about fellow students.

“I think Lyra is catching on,” Raina said between bites of cookie. “She’s starting to suspect that Jet had something to do with Ryan’s disappearance, although I’m not sure she realizes the guy is dead.”

Feeling high and at ease, I thoughtfully munched a cookie. “Deep down she knows the truth. Jet is obsessed with her. Between you and me, I think part of her likes it. She’s had plenty of opportunities to get rid of him. She’s protective of him, even though he’s awful.”

Raina nodded, considering my statement. “You’re probably right. Eventually, he’ll force her to make a decision. Nobody can do that for her.”

I understood what it was like to have feelings for someone when everything in you said that it was wrong. I’d been there. Sometimes the heart wanted what the brain was firmly against. Logic and emotion weren’t always on the same page.

A few minutes later, Gage stormed down the stairs. His hair was damp, his expression livid. “Who the hell used all of the hot water?”

Raina shrugged. “We didn’t use any.”

Gage went to the basement door, jerking it open. He shouted down the stairs. “Which one of you dumb fucks used all of the hot water? Other people need to use it, you know.”

Daire ascended the stairs, shoving past Gage as he reached the main floor. “I took a shower. It wasn’t that long. Wasn’t actually that hot either. Maybe your hot water tank sucks.”

Raina and I exchanged a look. I should have known staying here wouldn’t work out. Having these guys crammed in the house together was a recipe for violence and chaos.

“Are you going to pay for that hot water you used?” Gage asked, following Daire into the living room. “Maybe we need to work out a payment system here.”

“Come on, guys,” Raina spoke up. “It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours yet. Is this really necessary?”

Gage’s eyes flashed with anger. Being two different colors made them both intriguing and intimidating. “If I can’t come home and take a hot shower without it turning cold partway through, then we have a big fucking problem that needs to be dealt with. I say we lay down some ground rules. Now.”

With a roll of her eyes, Raina gave an annoyed sigh. “Don’t make me play dirty, Gage. They’re guests in our home. Stop being such a dick.”

Turning his fierce stare on her, Gage strode over to where she sat on the couch. He stroked a hand gently through her hair before tightly fisting a handful. “Sounds like you’re looking for a fight, Cherry Pie. Be careful. You know how much I love a good fight.”

“We won’t stay long,” I said. “We can go to a motel or something.”

“No. You’re not going anywhere until you’re damn well good and ready.” Raina held Gage’s gaze, a silent battle ensuing between them. “Back down, Gage. This isn’t the time.”

He released her hair with a vicious smile. “You’re right. We’ll continue this discussion later.” To Daire he said, “Next time I shower first. You get the leftovers.”

“Sure. Whatever you say.” Daire feigned a yawn. He sat next to me, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

Raina did her best to change the topic of discussion. She started to discuss supper options, suggesting that we order from a local pasta place. That didn’t stop the two guys from shooting silent glares at one another. Having so many intense personalities in one house was proving difficult already.

When Havoc and Knight got home an hour later, the bickering and nonsense escalated. Cash and Blaze came upstairs, filling the main floor with far too many male egos.They argued over what we should order for supper. When Raina pointed out that they could stop being lazy assholes and cook, there was an uproar of protests.

Ignoring all of them, Raina went with the pasta place she had originally suggested. I chewed my lip nervously. Being here was already risky enough. These guys had barely learned to tolerate one another, and now they were all crammed under one roof. It meant a lot to me that they all got along, at least well enough to maintain the peace for Raina and me.

The Gods sat around the kitchen table while they ate. The Angels and me occupied the living room furniture. Raina suggested that we have a few drinks. Something to relieve everyone’s tension. Before we could even consider it, all six guys received a text message simultaneously.

“Uh oh.” Raina leaned over to peek at Knight’s phone. “Is it my dad? What does he want?”

It had to be Desmond for all six of them to receive a message at once. They were all part of his crime organization now. That meant when he needed them, they had to go. They all enjoyed it though. Being part of such a powerful operation gave them a chance to do what they did best.

“He has a job for us,” Havoc said, eyeing his phone screen. “He wants us to go get back some stolen goods. This should be fun.”

“All of you?” I glanced nervously at my Angels.

Daire nodded. “Yeah, all of us. No worries, Angel. We’ve got this.”

The thought of being separated from them, even for a little while, made me antsy. This wasn’t a good time for us to be apart. Blaze seemed to feel it too.

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