“You want to…” A bark of laughter erupts from my chest. “You want to talk? I…I…” My head starts to shake, even as I begin to step backwards. Retreating. Always retreating. Because despite my bravado, I’m a coward, just like my mother. I run from things when they get hard, and sooner or later, people will stop chasing me. It may not be today. Hell, it may not even be tomorrow. But the time will come when I’m truly and completely and irrevocably alone. I’ll have no one to blame but myself.
I break into a run before I can think better of it, retreating back inside of the house.
“Peony!” Elias. I’d recognize his raspy voice anywhere.
I make it to the ladder and begin to climb when I feel a hand caress my ankle. Tilting my head down, I see all four Devils standing directly underneath me, expressions unreadable.
“Please,” Lucas pleads softly, and I can’t resist. I don’t want to. Lucas has never in his life begged for anything, but he’s doing it now for me. To just listen. To talk. I can do that, right? I can listen to them.
I’ve only just nodded when all four of them rush to the ladder at the same time. Cassian releases a growl when Lucas jams an elbow into his chest.
“Ow, you fucker. Be careful.”
“This is my date,” Lucas says calmly as he begins to climb. He reaches the top of the hole just as I pull myself over the edge, collapsing on the wooden boards.
“You coerced her into it,” Cassian argues as his head pops up next, eyes lighting up as he surveys my room. “It doesn’t count.”
“Yes it does,” Lucas mumbles in irritation, brushing nonexistent dust off of his clothes. He eyes the room with a barely concealed grimace, gaze lingering on the collection of dust on the highest rafter. His lips tighten as he stares at my small bed, before a tiny smile appears on his face. I follow the direction of his eyes to see he’s looking at the three peonies I collected during the impromptu scavenger hunt. He doesn’t make a comment, though, as he moves to gingerly sit on a rocking chair in the corner of the attic.
“I don’t think this room was designed for big people,” Karsyn huffs, bending forward to avoid hitting his head on one of the numerous wooden rafters. He shuffles forward until he’s able to sit on my bed beside a nosy Cassian, who’s currently rifling through my nightstand. Only Elias remains standing, his back hunched slightly in order to fit.
“You can’t go through her drawers!” Karsyn exclaims, whacking Cassian on the back of his head.
“Do you not keep the dildos in your nightstand?” Cassian asks me, sounding genuinely affronted.
“No,” I deadpan. “I use the real thing.”
The teasing smile on Cassian’s face instantly fades as he releases a low growl.
“You know how we feel about you talking about other cocks, sweetheart,” he snaps. “Especially the cock of that dumb fuck.”
“Her fiancé’s?” Elias raises an eyebrow, even as anger hardens his eyes.
“Worst. Her ex-boyfriend, Uriel.” Cassian mock shudders.
“Uriel and Ryan are actually brothers,” I point out helpfully as I move to sit crisscross on the plush rug in front of my chest.
“Brothers?” Cassian gasps dramatically. “Well I’ll be damned, my little spitfire. Why wasn’t I invited to that sandwich?” He pauses, left eye twitching, before a severe frown creases his brow. “On second thought, I don’t want to see that dumb fuck touching you, so we’ll save the threesomes for later, m’kay?”
“Enough.” Lucas doesn’t yell, but he doesn’t need to. I always thought the guys deferred to him because he was bossy and demanding, and while that’s true, it’s not the whole story. Power radiates from Lucas, and even I feel an undeniable pull towards him that demands I do as he says. I would almost describe it as…respect. Desire to do as he wishes. If we were considered a wolf pack, there’s no doubt in my mind that Lucas would be the alpha. “We need to discuss what happened with Peony’s mom.”
This is the exact conversation I was dreading. I don’t even know how to begin to respond. Do I apologize for everything I did in the name of revenge? Do I beg them for forgiveness? Do I even deserve it? I bring my fists up to my eyes and scrub at them desperately, almost as if I can dispel the last few hours from