Goddess of Pain - Katie May Page 0,62

Burke?” I’m barely breathing as I wait for his response. Fuck, his answer could either destroy me or rekindle the flames that have steadily diminished with time.

“The party planner?” Ray quirks a brow. “Jesus, Em, you’re not making any sense. Why are you pissed about this?”

“Ray, please.” I’m trembling like a leaf in the wind, and only Helio’s hand around my wrist can steady me. I feel another body press against me on the right, and I snuggle into Desmond’s warm, muscular chest.

“Well, as you know, we’ve been seeing this girl for a while.” Twin flames erupt on his cheeks as he ducks his head. He clears his throat noisily before forging on. “It’s her birthday coming up, so we decided to hire a party planner to surprise her.” He glances up then, and his eyes are almost desperate as he pleads with me. “But we were planning to invite you, I swear. I know you’re pissed, but I promise you, we planned to invite you and introduce you to her.”

A small tendril of hope takes root in my stomach, the damning emotion growing and growing until it has sprouted into a magnificent tree. I can scarcely believe what I’m hearing.

They didn’t betray me.

But…

All of us immediately turn to stare at Helio, much to Ray’s bemusement. He’ll be able to know innately if Ray is telling the truth using his gifts. He once told me it’s a feeling in the center of his chest, something indescribable. That feeling dictates whether a person is guilty or innocent, and if it’s the former, what the punishment should be.

When the God of Karma nods, eyes glimmering with suppressed emotion on my behalf, I just barely stop myself from sagging against Desmond in relief.

A stupid part of me wants to cry as emotions assault me from all angles. Intermingled with them is that pesky guilt once again. This time, I’m easily able to decipher where it stems from.

How could I have believed that they would betray me? That they were behind this entire mess in the first place? It makes me feel like a shitty sister for seeing the worst in them when they always saw the best in me.

“You’re acting weird,” Ray says slowly, carefully, eyes poring over my face. “Why are you acting weird?”

“Because I’m happy,” I sob, launching myself into his arms. He stumbles under my weight before reluctantly hugging me back.

“There, there,” he whispers awkwardly as he pats my back, and I stifle my laughter. Because Ray and comfort? They go as well together as peanut butter and dog shit.

“Okay, enough of that!” Desmond, of all people, quite literally rips me from my brother’s arms, a smile firmly in place. I really need to talk to my men about their jealousy issues.

Though, at the same time, the demented bitch inside of me kind of likes it. And when I say kind of, I mean she spreads her legs like a hussy and constructs a neon sign that says, “Open for business.”

I know some women won’t think this, but I adore their caveman, possessive attitudes. Call me twisted or fucked up, but it’s the truth. I like knowing I can get under their skin in a way no one else has ever—and will ever—be able to. I like knowing that they're mine just as much as I am theirs. A bond like ours? It can’t be replicated, no matter how much a bitch like Athena tries.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Avery begins conversationally, flashing my brother a charming smile. And though his features are a bit softer, a bit kinder, a bit more angelic than my other mates’, I have no doubt that if they ever hurt me, Avery would kill them. He’s fucking fierce and borderline psychotic when it comes to protecting the people he cares about.

Normally, Ray would smile back, but this time, he merely glares at his best friend, his lips as sharp as a dagger.

“Actually, I very much would mind you asking,” Ray seethes. “You traitorous cunt—”

“What’s the name of your girlfriend?” I interrupt, knowing where Avery was going with his question.

Ray refuses to break his tense stare off with Avery. I have a feeling that a bloodbath between the two is imminent, capable of wreaking havoc and mayhem on the unsuspecting population. I’ll have to warn my God of Death not to use his powers on my brother.

Huffing out a breath when Ray doesn’t respond, I dig into his pockets and remove his phone.

Tate hisses,