Page 71 of His Angel

She shakes her head, clearly remembering something about going home, her eyes watering once again.

“Hey, hey,” I say, trying to catch her before she breaks down again. “You’re linked with me regardless. Just stay with me whilst we get through this, okay, can you do that?”

She nods, shuddering a breath in and squaring her shoulders. There aren’t words to explain how proud of her I am at this moment, especially as Jacob sticks his head around the kitchen doorway, gesturing behind him.

We’ve stalled long enough. It’s time.

Wrapping her fingers in mine, I take a step back and she follows with a nod.

“Sorry about the delay,” I explain, opening the door but keeping Ivy behind me.There’s a reason they asked us for the masks.“My partner doesn’t have her mask with her. I can go and retrieve it on her behalf, but that will delay us further.”

“Turn around,” he clips out, the security lining the room turning around instantly to face away from us. “Problem solved. Please close the door behind you.”

“Thank you,” I reply, pulling her in with me and tucking her under my arm.

I can’t be much protection against what she’s about to be bombarded with, but I’ll always do what I can.

Whoever they sent sits in the middle of the sofa, the rest of us lined up against the screen once again. Only this time, instead of it being the early hours of the morning and us heading out into the campus to complete a challenge, this is at the end of something, and the Angels are here for the first time.This is getting real, quickly.

Tucking Ivy into my side and wrapping my arm around her waist, we wait, the door closing behind us.

“Please remember that The Sect sees all and knows all. There isn’t anything that will stay hidden from us,” he begins from the comfort of his seat, all attention on him. “There aren’t a lot of rules for being here, but there are consequences when they aren’t followed. Consequences that are mirrored when you’re linked.”

Ivy stiffens in my arms. She knows what’s coming. We both do. But that doesn’t soften the blow of the words, and no amount of soothing circles I can paint with my skin on hers will help.

“Complete the challenges.”Taylor skipped out on part of the clean-up the last time we stood right here. He watched George get beaten because he and Taylor carried on drinking instead of coming back with us, and then, by the end, he was too tired, had put too much shit up his nose, and his mouth ran. His leg took the brunt of the response from The Sect on that one.

“Support the rest of the team.”Jasper and Taylor both went to Tamsin instead of finishing off the flyers whilst we were supporting Oliver and his retribution.

“Two drinks. Now, that one is for the Devils, rather than the Angels, but the sentiment is the same. You represent The Sect; the elite and the best of the best aren’t rolling around wasted at the end of the night.”Taylor was smashed at the end of the party, the one we held to celebrate them tying their lives together, their fate.

Shit.

“Taylor and Tamsin have been removed from the competition.” Ivy whimpers beside me, her knees buckling for a second as I squeeze her waist, but I’ve got her.

There’s a hushed intake of breath in the room. This is the first one of the Angels that’s left, and I’m not sure how much the girls are aware of, Ivy clearly more than the rest.

“Choose your partners carefully. We’ll be in touch soon.”

He gets up but nobody moves, everyone is stuck in a stunned silence.

We were just celebrating them getting together, officially. They were showing it off to the rest of the campus, and now to The Sect, and just like that, they’re gone. Done. Out. Because of something stupid that he did to get her in the first place, the corners he’s cut.

Ivy manages to hold it together until the front door slams, all three of the security going with him before she crumbles. Luckily, I’m there to catch her, and Wyatt isn’t far behind.

“Can someone go get her a bottle of water, please?” he says, helping me get her to the nearest sofa.

She slumps into the soft fabric, curling in on herself as the entirety of this situation sinks in. Everyone else removes their masks, chatting amongst themselves.

“Well, I guess that explains the flowers,” Charlotte says, catching my attention. “Lilies are usually given during the period of mourning, roses are thrown on coffins, and the common name for Hedera is Ivy.”

My gaze flicks to Leo, he bought the flowers or someone bought them for him, but they knew.

Aimee returns with a handful of water bottles, passing them out to everyone and loitering closer to Jasper, clearly as shaken up as everyone else, except for Ivy…

Stephanie slides the black and silver mask off her face, flicking her hair over her shoulder before declaring, “Well, I’ve requested one of those for you,” and pinning Oliver with a serious look. “Do better.”

“Sorry, but that’s my girl.” His gaze follows her as she storms out of the room, one step away from slamming the door before he chases after.

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