Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
A knock at the door had me forgetting everything and jumping to my feet with my heart in my throat. Had Mammon or Flynn found me? No way. Maybe Kope wanted to talk. I sent out my hearing but the visitor was silent. I slipped out of the bathroom and tiptoed to the door to look through the peephole. It wasn’t any of them; it was Dad.
I flung the door open and he pressed a finger to his lips, shaking his head to ward off any greeting. When he turned to face me, darned if his eyes didn’t go straight to my neck, which I’d stupidly forgotten about in my astonishment at seeing him.
Oh, holy mortification. I slid a hand over the marks and felt myself turning beet red as he glared at me. His eyebrows tightened. I imagined him yelling inside his own head: I thought I’d chosen to send you off with the safer of the two boys!
Yeah, well, little did he know that he’d sent me packing with a Lust Neph after all. I sure wasn’t going to tell him. I sat on the bed, pulling my knees up. I rested my chin on my forearms, hiding my neck.
Dad scribbled a message on the notepad from the desk in the corner. He tore it off and flung it on the bed.
Azael couldn’t come—had to do rounds. I’m going to surprise Mammon and get him out of town for the night so you can meet with his kid. He’ll think I’m here to track down a rogue dealer who fled the U.S.
I reached out a hand for the notepad and pen, which he handed over, frowning again at my revealed neck.
Thanks for the heads-up. Let me know when it’s safe for us to go to Flynn.
He took the note, read it, and nodded. I lay my head on my arms, sighing. Dad sat down next to me and rubbed my back for a second. When I leaned toward him, he put his arm around me. For a demon, he was pretty sweet. I guess he had been an angel at one time, after all. I considered asking him about Neph having double sins, but decided now was not a good time. We stayed like that for a few minutes, until he patted my arm and stood. He scribbled something and tossed it at me.
No sex before marriage.
Oh, ha-ha. I crumpled the note and threw it at his chest before burying my face in my knees. He chuckled and went in the bathroom, flushing the papers.
I waved him off as he left, then sent Kope a cryptic text message about going back out tonight for round two. As soon as I sent it I blushed from head to toe. I meant round two of talking with Flynn! But surely Kope knew that. I flopped over onto the bed, depleted of energy.
I should have tried to nap, but there was no way that would happen with my brain in a tangle. I showered and then watched television, waiting to get the “go” from Dad.
Hopefully this break could clear away the weirdness between Kope and me so we wouldn’t be distracted when we spoke with Flynn.
Three hours after my father left, I received a text: Good 2 go till tomorrow.
I let out an obnoxiously loud sigh. “Hey, Kope,” I called to him through the wall, knowing he’d be listening for me. “Time to go. I’ll be over soon.”
I got up to get ready. It was a good thing I healed fast, because the two spots on my neck were barely visible now, and after applying some makeup, they didn’t show at all.
Now I had to face Kope. My friend. Who I kissed today.
He opened the door to his room before I had a chance to knock. We looked at each other for a long moment before he turned away, stepping into the hall and closing the door behind him. We walked in silence down the corridor on the squishy paisley carpets.
“I figured we could just get a cab,” I told him as we approached the elevator. He nodded. Earlier in the day I’d mentioned taking one of the cool trains, trams, or buses, but the fun touristy mood was now gone.
When we got on the elevator he practically crammed himself into the corner farthest away from me. There was really nowhere to look except down because the walls and doors were all mirrors. We accidentally made brief eye contact once in the panel’s reflection. The tension was as palpable as the silence. We sped through the hotel until we were outside around other people, breathing fresh air, with plenty of city scenery to keep our eyes busy.
This was ridiculous.
I lifted a hand to hail a cab, wondering just how awkward sharing the backseat of a taxi would be. Heaven help us if we touched by mistake. Kope turned to me.
“Wait,” he said on a burst of breath. I dropped my hand and looked into his sad eyes. “Anna, may we speak first?”
I agreed, relieved. “Yeah. That would be good. Let’s just . . .” I motioned toward a bench. It wasn’t private, but I doubted anyone in the fast-moving city would care to listen to our hushed conversation.
The noises of Melbourne made it necessary for us to sit close, my head upturned and his inclined down toward me. A loud group of people passed us with jingle bells on them, laughing and pushing one another. Kope glanced their way.
“Are we still friends?” I asked him.
“I will always be your friend, Anna. I would be more if you would have me.”
My chest clenched and I chewed my lip as I grasped for how to address this. I opened my mouth and snapped it shut again, at an awful loss for words. Somehow, in that silence, Kope must have understood.
“Your heart will always be with Kaidan.”
We looked at each other and I gave him a single nod.
Kope watched me with a tightness to his face.
“Kaidan envies the choices I have made. He believes it’s impossible to stand up to our fathers, so when he looks upon me and what I have done, it makes him feel like a coward. But this is not a fair comparison. My actions were not brave. In my heart I knew Alocer would not kill me. So, in many ways Kaidan is the strong one. When it comes to you, he is the stronger man.”
“What do you mean?”
Kope leaned closer, and I caught my breath at the full intensity of his light eyes.
“If you wanted me, Anna, I would not deny you. I would put us both at great risk, but I would have a life with you. That is my own selfishness. Kaidan will not endanger you in such a way.”
A red tram passed, ringing its bell, and caused me to break away from Kope’s powerful stare.
I could no longer pretend that Kaidan felt the same for me as I did for him.
“I heard you talking to him on the phone today.”
Kopano’s eyes widened in surprise, and then dropped in embarrassment. “I—I did not think you would listen. I overstepped myself. It was clear he still cares.”
“Um . . . did you hear the same words I did?” I asked. “Because he totally gave me up.”
Kope shook his head. “No. He was angry. He said what he felt he had to say, but he did not mean it. That much I could tell. I had no intention of pursuing you after speaking to him.”
Another lash of guilt whipped inside me as he continued.
“I thought, perhaps, his feelings might have changed, but I was wrong. Kaidan has been torn. In the end, his choice to keep you safe was the right one. He is not the only one with jealousies. I have hoped perhaps one day you would look at me as I saw you look upon him. It’s a cruel irony.”
I bit my lip, a knot of emotion keeping me from meeting his eyes. I wasn’t as sure as Kope about how Kai felt, but I hated that it had to be this way—all three of us unhappy, unfulfilled.
“You may not know of this story, Anna, but it’s famous among our kind. Long ago I had a sister who fell in love with another Nephilim.” He stared out at the busy street in thought, his eyes skimming the lines of Christmas lights. “They were murdered in front of everyone as a reminder that we are meant only to work, not to love.”
The features of Kope’s strong profile were set with heartache for the sibling he never knew.
“It was centuries ago,” he continued. “But I believe my father still mourns her.”
“Was he the one who . . . killed her?”
“No. The Dukes forced a brother Neph to take their lives.”
I shuddered at the thought.
“I tell you this, not so you will fear love but so you can understand
We were quiet, and I didn’t know what to say.
Kope cleared his throat and stood. “We will find Flynn now. Come.”
I followed him, feeling gutted.
Flynn lived in a shiny glass apartment tower on the water in Melbourne. The building looked like hundreds of mirrors reflecting the bright blue sky. He lived at the top of the high-rise.
Kope and I stepped off the elevator and looked down the hall at Flynn’s door. We’d been silent. Nodding to each other, we sent our hearing into the apartment. With a quiet gasp, I yanked my auditory sense back to normal. Flynn was busy with company at the moment. Very busy. Kope made a low sound and closed his eyes, shaking his head as if to clear away the sounds he’d heard. My face heated and I shifted from foot to foot, fighting back the nervous smile that always wanted to surface at inappropriate times.
I found a small sitting area around the corner with glass walls overlooking the city. We sat, taking in the view. When my stupid urge to smile finally settled, I braved another look at Kope and pointed to myself, using my new, limited sign-language skills to tell him I’d listen. Given the new information about his inclination for lust, it was only fair. I quickly looked away, embarrassed by the crassness of the situation. I wasn’t going to listen the whole time. I’d just pop in for a quick check.
Ten minutes passed. Still busy.
Half an hour passed. Busy.
Forty-five minutes passed. I shook my head to let Kope know they were still at it. He fidgeted and paced, out of his normal, calm comfort zone.
An hour and ten minutes passed, and I took a turn at stretching my legs. I was getting hungry. I thought we’d be through with our talk by this time. We could interrupt Flynn, but I didn’t want him to freak out in front of somebody. We needed his guest to leave so we could talk alone.
At the hour and a half mark, Kope checked his watch and looked at me. I sent my hearing into the room. Oh, they weren’t in the bedroom anymore. Finally! I wiggled my hearing around until it hit the sound of running water. A shower. This was a good sign. But wait . . . nope. I shook my head, eyes wide. Was this normal?
Kope did something uncharacteristic then. He grinned, giving a little huff through his nose. This elicited a small giggle from me and I pressed both hands over my mouth. It was too late, though. At this point, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. I could feel the crazy, unfortunate amusement rising. I jumped up and ran as spritely as I could to the stairwell with Kope on my heels. We sprinted down several flights before I fell back against the wall, laughter bubbling out. It went on and on, only getting worse when Kope joined in with his deep chuckling, a joyful rumble.
We laughed away the anxiety and discomfort of the day, and though we’d never be able to ease back into the innocence of friendship the way it used to be, I knew we’d be okay.
We stayed in the stairwell until I heard Flynn’s guest leave his place and get on the elevator. I marched back up the steps and went straight to his apartment. I stood there with my hands on my hips and Kope at my back. When Flynn opened the door and raked his eyes up and down my body, a case of nerves came back full force and my bright idea to smile at him disappeared. My hands dropped at my side.
Flynn leaned against the doorjamb with one forearm propped up on it. His red hair was darkened by water, and he was wearing a towel around his waist. Just a towel. He was short, with a prizefighter’s physique. He eyed our badges.
“Been waiting long?” he asked. The question was casual enough, but a warning lived in his eyes. He was wary of us.
I smiled tightly, which brought a giant grin to his rugged, handsome, freckled face.
“Your father is away and he won’t be back until tomorrow,” I told him. “Can we come in?”
He shrugged, turning his back on us with the confidence of a man who was either not afraid to die or not scared to defend himself in an attack. We followed him inside and closed the door. Flynn walked into the bedroom, but Kope and I stayed in the living area, on alert.
His apartment faced a stunning water view, magnified by floor-to-ceiling windows. Walking toward the glass gave me a weird sense of vertigo as I realized just how high we were. I placed my hand on the top of a sleek, black couch. His furniture was sparse and modern. The only decor was on the far wall—shelves filled with hundreds of trophies and ribbons.
“You will not be needing that,” Kope said. I turned and saw Flynn placing a handgun on the bar top that overlooked the kitchen. My heart gave a hard pound. At least he wasn’t in a towel anymore. He’d changed into red, silky shorts.
“Well, I certainly hope not, mate, but you can never be too careful.” Flynn leaned against the bar, eyeing us, with the steel of the weapon gleaming next to him.
Okay, he was just making a point. Now it was time for me to reassure him. “This is Kopano, a son of Alocer. And I’m Anna, Belial’s daughter.”
He pointed at me. “You nearly got yourself killed last year. I remember your sweet little arse.”
Before I could open my mouth, Kope stepped toward him, tension punctuating the air. I moved forward, giving Kope’s forearm a quick squeeze.
“We have come to your homeland to bring good news, Flynn Frazer, and we come in friendship. But you will show Anna respect.”
I clenched my teeth as another wide grin stretched over Flynn’s face. He looked back and forth between us, not sure what to make of all this.
“Sure, yeah. No Neph’s ever demanded respect from me before, but I may be able to pull it off this once, depending what you’ve got to say.”
“Let’s all sit down,” I said, jumping in. “It might take a while to explain everything.”
Flynn took the pistol and tucked it into the back of his shorts. He strode over and sat in a red chair, lounging with his legs wide apart and his arms behind his head. Flynn kept a look of suspicious speculation on his face the whole time I spoke. I had to remind myself about the research my father had done on Flynn, and trust that he was soft somewhere under that really hard, sarcastic demeanor. Each time we revealed ourselves to a Neph there was the possibility that we could be betrayed. It was a chance we had to take. I hadn’t been as afraid with Zania. Maybe because her father treated her horribly. Flynn was more of a wild card. He could harbor guilt and anger about the life he’d been goaded into taking, while still having feelings of loyalty to his father.
I didn’t like this.
“Flynn,” I began, “what I’m going to tell you can never leave this room. We could all be killed for even discussing it.”
His eyebrows went up. “That right?”
“Yes.” I swallowed. “I need to know I can trust you.”
“I need to know I can trust you, as well,” he said. “For all I know this could be some test of my loyalty to the Dukes. So, what do you suggest?”
I thought about it. “Show me your colors,” I said.
He chuckled. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
Very funny. But it sounded fair. Frightening, but fair.
“Okay,” I said. With a rush of apprehension I opened my mind.
Flynn blinked at me, becoming serious, and then showed his colors, too—a mix of gray distrust and orange excitement. Thoughts of Kaidan stayed far in the back of my mind, so I didn’t worry about any of those colors showing. My mind was fully on the task at hand.
“How ’bout you, mate?” Flynn asked Kope.
Kopano frowned but pushed out his gray worries as well.
To take it a step further, I curled my skirt up a few inches and removed the dagger from my thigh, placing it on the table between us. Flynn grinned.
“Know how to use that thing, do ya?”
“I do,” I assured him.
“I’ll bet.”
Kope grunted, causing Flynn’s grin to grow.
Riding a leap of faith, I told Flynn every single detail. The distrust faded bit by bit, dominated by a swirl of yellow and orange hues. The entire ordeal excited him. I
“So what’s in it for me? I mean besides not having the old man breathing down my neck all the time?”
I looked at Kope, who kept an expressionless face, and then back at Flynn.
“What I mean is”—he leaned forward and draped his forearms across his knees—“the Dukes get a shot at heaven. What about us?”
Surprisingly, nobody else had brought up this detail. Even I hadn’t given much thought to the inequity. But I could only shake my head, because I didn’t have all the answers.
“We weren’t promised anything in the prophecy,” I said. “I wish I could say there was something in it for you, but I can’t guarantee it. Our main reward will be life on earth without the Dukes. But maybe that doesn’t appeal to you. Mammon treats you well. . . .”
It was my test for him, and he knew it. His lips pursed and his aura darkened into loathing.
“I’m nothing more to my father than a high-priced amusement. He has no idea what he’s stolen from me. I want him to rot.”
His words and matching aura hung between us, and I believed him.
“Are you willing to help us?” I asked.
Flynn held my eyes. Then he pulled the gun out from behind his back and laid it on the table in front of us, next to my knife.
“I’m not really heaven material anyway, chickie babe. Sign me up for your team.”
Next to me I sensed Kope’s light blue aura of relief just before he closed his eyes and hid his colors once again.
I took a deep breath and nodded. I wasn’t so sure about Flynn not being heaven material. When he gave me that knockout smile, I returned it in full.
Merry Christmas to us.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SINGLES AWARENESS DAY
Before Kai, I’d thought Valentine’s Day was a sweet notion, even though I’d never had a boyfriend. But now I could see this day for the evil it was. Okay, maybe evil was too harsh. Cruel was more accurate.