Dark Kings (Feathers and Fate #1) - Sadie Moss Page 0,25

a bite and chew my lower lip. “Well, actually… I was thinking I should try to call in some other angels.”

“I’m not dealing with angels,” he says shortly. “If they’re in, I’m out.”

My jaw drops open. The bluntness of his tone makes it clear he’s not bluffing or posturing. This is a hard line for him. “But… you’re dealing with me.”

“You’re different,” Beckett replies, and my mouth snaps shut. I’m not sure I want to know what he thinks is different about me.

I’m not sure I’d consider it a compliment if I did.

“Anyway,” he goes on. “I’ll get the word out. They’ll join us shortly.” He starts clearing our plates, and I follow him back into the kitchen. “Where have you been staying?”

“Um… sleeping on your couch?”

“You could’ve just crawled into bed with me,” Beckett drawls, rinsing the dishes and sticking them in the dishwasher. I can feel my face heat up, and I stoically ignore his comment. “I have a guest bedroom, you know. Several of them.”

“I worried I’d miss you leaving for work if I stayed in one of those. Or that you’d notice the sheets all rumpled.”

“Clever angel.” I know his words should feel like a compliment, but it really doesn’t. They do make my blush deepen though.

“Thanks,” I mutter.

He leans against the counter, folding his arms over his chest. He changed into a new suit while I was in the shower, and he looks annoyingly good in it. “Well, since the couch is covered in your blood, feel free to stay in any of my guest bedrooms while we wait for my brothers to show their faces.”

“They’ll really come?” I ask. After being thrown so off-balance by Beckett, I’m not sure I’m prepared to meet more of the sins so soon, but I suppose it was inevitable.

He waggles his head, as if he’s considering my question. “Maybe. Or we’ll track them down. I know we’ll have to track down Sloth, at least. It’s in the name—he won’t do a thing himself if he can get others to do it for him.” The handsome sin gives me a sharp smile. “Make yourself at home regardless, angel. And if it gets too cold and lonely in the guest bedroom, you know where to find me.”

My stomach flips over like an undercooked pancake, my body clenching involuntarily.

Great.

Taking that as my cue to make a hasty exit before I embarrass myself further, I wrap the robe tighter around myself and head off toward the guest bedroom farthest from the master suite. I should probably be glad that Beckett’s so overt in his innuendos; it reminds me to be on my guard around him.

And I need to stay alert and sharp, because pretty soon it won’t be just one sin I’m dealing with.

But maybe this will all work out. Closing a portal to Hell will have to go a long way toward redeeming the sins in the eyes of Anderson and the board. Beckett’s openly admitted to doing it for selfish reasons, but still—he agreed to help. He’s going out of his way, inconveniencing himself and getting his brothers involved, all to keep corrupted from swarming Earth. That’s a good sign.

Pulling the covers back, I crawl into the large bed and wriggle on the soft mattress. I wish I didn’t have to lie to him though.

I’ve kept the outright lies to a minimum, but there are plenty of lies of omission mixed in as well. I’m not being straightforward with him, and I don’t like that. It’s not how I like to do things. I try to console myself with the knowledge that he would have no such qualms about lying to me if he were in my shoes.

That’s a concerning thought, actually. He could be lying to me right now. Playing along to lull me into a false sense of security.

And if that’s what he’s doing, then what does he want from me?

Yikes.

I might officially be in over my head.

Chapter Ten

Trinity

The next morning, Beckett is up before I am. Now that I’m no longer his invisible stalker, I don’t feel the same need to rise at the insanely early hour he always does.

By the time I get up at seven, there’s already a new couch in the living room and no sign of the old one anywhere. It’s like he did a magic trick—just waved his hand and turned a blood-stained couch into a pristine one. Except I’m sure there was no actual magic involved in this particular trick. Just