their lips to mine. “I asked for a drink, and you made me leave the house. Should I be offended?” I say with a dry chuckle as I motion around the dark, grassy yard. All I can see in this lightin’ is a wall of trimmed hedges down a slight slope, but other than that, all I can see is a neatly kept lawn.
“We don’t have alcohol in the house,” Alder explains as he starts leadin’ the way. I fall into pace beside him.
“Okay...so where we goin’?”
“Our bar,” he replies. “It’s just a short walk from here.”
“Y’all live next door to your bar?”
“Yep,” Flint says, comin’ up to walk on the other side of me. “Well...technically, we live next door to the Hellgate,” he corrects, and I look over at him with my brow furrowed.
“Y’all live next door to a gate that leads to Hell?” I ask nervously.
It’s clear they’re amused by my horrified tone. “We wouldn’t be very good Gate Guardians if we didn’t.”
Well, shit.
I made Alder promise that I wouldn’t wake up in Hell, but I’m technically awake now, so does that mean all bets are off? Are they trickin’ me?
For the love of peaches, please don’t tell me that the drink I’m hopin’ for is in actual Hell and not the bar, because that would be just my luck.
Heaven knows I can’t handle that right now. Or maybe it doesn’t, since I don’t exactly bat for that team, but still. I really don’t wanna go to Hell in a jean mini, my clubbin’ makeup, snakeskin cowgirl boots, and a head missin’ lots of information.
Nothin’ good can come from an impromptu trip to Hell, I’m sure of it.
12
Nervousness is suddenly crawlin’ all through my chest. I wish it wasn’t so dark out here so I could see their faces better. Surely I’d be able to tell if they’re bein’ sneaky?
But maybe not. Maybe all this flirtatiousness and attraction between us is just them trickin’ me? Bringin’ me into a false sense of trust so they can lure me to Hell?
Lord help me, I hope that’s not what’s goin’ on.
“Um, look, I’m not ready for Hell, if that’s where you’re really takin’ me,” I declare, my boots sinkin’ into the trimmed lawn as we make our way to the hedges and slip out through the archway. Ahead, I can see a slightly slopin’ hill and a ton of trees and wayward weeds.
“No, that’s not on the agenda for tonight. Promise,” Alder reassures me with an open smile.
I discreetly release a relieved sigh and a whole lot of tension as the three of us start headin’ past trees on a small, windin’ trail that leads further down the hillside.
“Good,” I say with a nervous laugh.
“But...it will be at some point,” Alder goes on, and I dart a look at him. “We want to be up-front about that, Medley, because it’s our job to guard the Hellgate. And...we think it could very well be your purpose too.”
I trip over the grass, more from his words than any divot in the ground. His blossomed arm comes shootin’ out to catch me around my waist before I can stumble. “Thanks,” I say shakily.
He lets go, albeit slowly, his fingers draggin’ over my waist, and even through the layer of my top, my skin prickles at the contact. “You’re welcome,” he says quietly before we start walkin’ again.
“What was that you said?” I ask nervously.
“Alder…” Flint warns. “Don’t overwhelm her.”
“No, it’s alright. I wanna know,” I insist. “Do you really think it could be my purpose? To guard a damn Gate to Hell?” Then I remember somethin’ else they said before. “Is this about that other woman you were tellin’ me about? What was her name?”
“Delta,” they both reply.
I get a little caught off guard at their quick response. Is it just me, or did they both answer that way too quickly? Are they...involved with this Delta? I mean, they said they didn’t have mates, but that didn’t address all the foolin’ around that goes on in life before you settle down, I guess.
I blink at my own train of thought and... Was that jealousy I was just feelin’ in the back of my throat? Well, ain’t that just absurd. I’ve known them for all of a day. Then again, I always did crush on the bad boys. I guess a couple of demons are me graduatin’ up to the next level, and there ain’t no doubt about it, I am crushin’ on them