think you’re able to make that sort of decision, do you?”
The flat, dark edge to Raif’s voice told me he sure as hell wasn’t happy. “Look, the kid can fight. He’s smart, too. And”—I chewed my bottom lip, trying to find the words to convince him—“yeah, I know, he’s one of Xander’s, not yours, and you think he might be a little untrustworthy, blah, blah, whatever. But I think we need him. Don’t ask me why, my gut’s just telling me
I
need him with me.”
I tossed my fork down onto the plate, for some reason perversely satisfied at the loud clang disrupting the quiet. I pointedly ignored Raif’s hawkish gaze, letting the sound of silver on porcelain distract me. Shit. He was going to shut me down. It was written all over his face. So I didn’t give him the chance. He couldn’t deny me if I wasn’t here to listen.
“Where are you going?” Raif asked as I slipped past him and out into the hallway.
“You need to get a new hobby, Raif,” I said over my shoulder. “Because if you don’t stop breathing down my neck, I’m not going to like you so much anymore. I’m taking Asher.”
By his derisive snort, followed by a low chuckle, I knew he was willing to risk it.
* * *
After a screaming-hot shower, I changed into my signature black. The shower hadn’t done much to revitalize me, but at least I didn’t smell anymore. My body wasn’t happy with me; I’d thrown it into patterns of sleep and malnutrition and then shocked it back to life with gourmet food and insomnia. If I was going to retain any shred of sanity, I was going to have to find balance. Soon.
I strapped my katana to my back and sheathed the dagger at my thigh. I reached for my duster but reconsidered. Long, flapping tails and loose sleeves weren’t conducive to close-range fighting, and I needed to be as unhindered as possible if anything sketchy went down. I cracked each of my knuckles, lifted my arms to the sky, and stretched. Was I ready to take responsibility for someone’s safety? I usually took lives; I wasn’t in the business of saving them.
My cell phone vibrated on the dresser, an annoying pulse that set my teeth on edge. I grabbed it, checked the caller ID, and my heart took a nosedive right into my gut: T YLER . Fingers twitchy to answer, I held the phone in my palm and stared at the digital screen. I wanted to answer. I needed to hear his voice, to know in his tone if he’d truly fallen out of love with me. But my pride clamped down ti {amped. Was I ght on my emotions and prevented me from doing what I longed to do. Instead of answering, I shoved the phone in my back pocket and left well enough alone. I didn’t need to hear his apologies, his heartfelt well wishes, his lamentations that things hadn’t worked out between us.
I waited for the buzzing to start up again, like it always did when I didn’t answer. The silence that stretched out for what seemed like forever both frightened and disappointed me. I should’ve answered. Just to hear his voice. No matter how painful it might have been. And honestly, without even a voice mail, I had no reason to call him back. Damn my stubbornness. Now I’d never know why he’d called. What he’d intended to say.
As I whispered through the hallways, a breath of air toward the gym, I focused on the task at hand. No room for personal demons and emotions while Anya—and her unborn child—needed me on high alert. I tucked that excess baggage deep down inside of me, turned off everything but the hard, coldhearted bitch Azriel had taught me to be. I guess he’d been good for something after all. The sound of low voices coupled with the dull clink of metal on metal greeted me as I took corporeal form and entered the armory off the gym. Asher and the rest of the team had assembled, and they were arming themselves for battle.
“Check it,” Julian said, flashing the pair of guns clutched in his fists. “I modified the clips. Homemade ammo, too. Totally badass.
The flat, dark edge to Raif’s voice told me he sure as hell wasn’t happy. “Look, the kid can fight. He’s smart, too. And”—I chewed my bottom lip, trying to find the words to convince him—“yeah, I know, he’s one of Xander’s, not yours, and you think he might be a little untrustworthy, blah, blah, whatever. But I think we need him. Don’t ask me why, my gut’s just telling me
I
need him with me.”
I tossed my fork down onto the plate, for some reason perversely satisfied at the loud clang disrupting the quiet. I pointedly ignored Raif’s hawkish gaze, letting the sound of silver on porcelain distract me. Shit. He was going to shut me down. It was written all over his face. So I didn’t give him the chance. He couldn’t deny me if I wasn’t here to listen.
“Where are you going?” Raif asked as I slipped past him and out into the hallway.
“You need to get a new hobby, Raif,” I said over my shoulder. “Because if you don’t stop breathing down my neck, I’m not going to like you so much anymore. I’m taking Asher.”
By his derisive snort, followed by a low chuckle, I knew he was willing to risk it.
* * *
After a screaming-hot shower, I changed into my signature black. The shower hadn’t done much to revitalize me, but at least I didn’t smell anymore. My body wasn’t happy with me; I’d thrown it into patterns of sleep and malnutrition and then shocked it back to life with gourmet food and insomnia. If I was going to retain any shred of sanity, I was going to have to find balance. Soon.
I strapped my katana to my back and sheathed the dagger at my thigh. I reached for my duster but reconsidered. Long, flapping tails and loose sleeves weren’t conducive to close-range fighting, and I needed to be as unhindered as possible if anything sketchy went down. I cracked each of my knuckles, lifted my arms to the sky, and stretched. Was I ready to take responsibility for someone’s safety? I usually took lives; I wasn’t in the business of saving them.
My cell phone vibrated on the dresser, an annoying pulse that set my teeth on edge. I grabbed it, checked the caller ID, and my heart took a nosedive right into my gut: T YLER . Fingers twitchy to answer, I held the phone in my palm and stared at the digital screen. I wanted to answer. I needed to hear his voice, to know in his tone if he’d truly fallen out of love with me. But my pride clamped down ti {amped. Was I ght on my emotions and prevented me from doing what I longed to do. Instead of answering, I shoved the phone in my back pocket and left well enough alone. I didn’t need to hear his apologies, his heartfelt well wishes, his lamentations that things hadn’t worked out between us.
I waited for the buzzing to start up again, like it always did when I didn’t answer. The silence that stretched out for what seemed like forever both frightened and disappointed me. I should’ve answered. Just to hear his voice. No matter how painful it might have been. And honestly, without even a voice mail, I had no reason to call him back. Damn my stubbornness. Now I’d never know why he’d called. What he’d intended to say.
As I whispered through the hallways, a breath of air toward the gym, I focused on the task at hand. No room for personal demons and emotions while Anya—and her unborn child—needed me on high alert. I tucked that excess baggage deep down inside of me, turned off everything but the hard, coldhearted bitch Azriel had taught me to be. I guess he’d been good for something after all. The sound of low voices coupled with the dull clink of metal on metal greeted me as I took corporeal form and entered the armory off the gym. Asher and the rest of the team had assembled, and they were arming themselves for battle.
“Check it,” Julian said, flashing the pair of guns clutched in his fists. “I modified the clips. Homemade ammo, too. Totally badass.
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