Dark Kings (Feathers and Fate #1) - Sadie Moss Page 0,44

useless, in other words.

Beck is taken with her. She’s gotten under his skin. He’d never admit it, but he doesn’t have to. We know each other too well for him to keep that kind of shit from us. It’s obvious in the way he looks at her, in the way he’s gone so far out of his way to help her.

He’s not wrong—a bunch of corrupted running around New York would be bad news on a lot of levels. Earth is our territory. They already have Hell, and they can keep it.

But we could defend Earth without an annoying, alluring little angel following us around. There’s no reason for her to be part of this.

Except she is. And no matter how much I hate it, that doesn’t look likely to change. Not as long as she’s got my brothers wrapped around her little wing feathers.

Which leaves me to figure out what the fuck kinda game she’s playing, and why she seems so dead set on getting help from a bunch of sins.

Pushing away from the door, I stalk over to the bed, my feet completely silent on the hard floor. Trinity shifts in her sleep, rolling over onto her side and nestling deeper into the pile of pillows she’s surrounded herself with. Her long lashes cast shadows on her cheeks, and her round face and slightly sharp chin frame a straight nose and full lips.

My gaze lingers on her lips, and something uncomfortable stirs inside me.

Desire.

Fucking hell.

Curling my lips back in a silent snarl, I shove the feeling down as deep as I can get it. I’m not my brother Sawyer, ruled by lust and carnal cravings. Desire is a distraction, a flash of color outside the ring that draws your focus and leaves you open to attack.

It’s the kind of thing that makes you stupid. Gets you killed.

The kind of thing that breaks you.

My hands form fists again, anger boiling up from deep inside me. My wrath feeds off of other people’s rage, but also off of their fear. When I had the angel pinned beneath me, her wings splayed prettily behind her and her body writhing in the skimpy little pajamas she was wearing, she was definitely afraid.

But the scent of her fear didn’t spur on my battle lust like it normally does. The sight of her terrified brown eyes didn’t ignite my predator’s instincts to lunge in for the kill.

Instead, I wanted to… protect her.

I don’t understand it, and I don’t fucking like it. This angel is dangerous, and it’s not just because of the secrets she’s harboring. If we allow her to stay with us, to keep working with us as we try to close that damn portal, she’ll bring nothing but trouble to my brothers and me.

There’s nothing keeping me here. I don’t owe her shit. I could walk away from all of this, go back to fighting in the ring, and let my brothers fuck themselves if they want to.

I didn’t take the favor she offered because I refuse to bargain with a goddamn angel, no matter how useful it might be to have her owe me down the line.

I have no reason to stay.

But despite all of that, I can’t quite bring myself to walk away.

Not from my brothers. Not from the mystery surrounding the sinkhole and the portal. And not from the soft little angel sleeping in front of me, so small and innocent it feels like I could ruin her with a single touch.

Would she break under my touch?

Or would she come alive?

The urge to reach out and trace a finger over the curve of her cheek nearly overwhelms me, but instead, I spin on my heel and stride out of the room, cursing all angels under my breath.

“Are you sure this is where he is?” Trinity asks, her eyes widening as we all step out of Beckett’s car.

We’re in a shady part of New York City, an area I know well, and although I’m a little amused by the scandalized look on her face, I’m annoyed by it too.

“What’s the matter, your highness?” I grate. “You too good for a place like this?”

Her mocha skin flushes a little, and a little line appears between her brows. That seems to happen when she’s pissed.

“I didn’t say that,” she shoots back, a little burst of anger flaring out from her. I inhale it like a drug. It’s sweet, just like she is, but there’s a bite of something sharper at the back