But Mike was already shaking his head. "No, Ang. You can't do that. That's a life sentence. He'll never let you go."
"I have to," I told him. "I have to finish what I began."
Mike sat foreword on the couch, his head in his hands. When he looked up again, his hair was sticking up all over his head in a sexy kind of bedhead. Not for the first time, I wished he was more my type. In normal circumstances, and hell, even in the worst ones, Mike was a sweet guy. He never screamed at me. Never raised a hand to me. Of course, that could be because he was afraid of me. Well, afraid of my magic. But we got along great. And I knew he wanted to fuck me. And in better times, we spent most of our time flirting with each other.
But alas, we were destined to just be friends.
I started gathering what I needed to take with me. "I'll be back in a few days. Maybe a week." Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I checked that I had my keys and my wallet.
"Wait. Where are YOU going?" He ran his eyes over me, like he was just now noticing the clothes I was wearing. Jeans, a hoodie, and running shoes. Very dressed down compared to what I usually liked to wear. But I couldn't very well fight a djinn in heels and a feathery top. Besides, where I was going, no one was going to see me.
"I have to take care of this." I gave him a smile. "Stay here though, okay? This place is warded against intruders. You'll be safe here."
"Will it keep the djinn out?"
"No," I told him after a pause. "But it will let me know if he's here. And I'll be able to get help to you as fast as possible. Just try to stay alive till then."
Jumping up off the couch, Mike came to stand in front of me, his expression serious. "Seriously, Ang. Where are you going?"
"It's better if you don't know," I told him. "Not because I don't trust you, but because if you don't know, you can't be forced to tell."
He stared at me for a long time, his eyes roaming over my features. Then he cupped my face between his hands and leaned down to kiss me. A real kiss. Not the playful pecks he usually gave me.
It was strange, kissing Mike. Not unpleasant. But not exactly fireworks, either. And it wasn't because he wasn't a good-looking guy. He was. Mike was slender, but he was all muscle. And he had a face that reminded me of Zac Efron, only better. He was fun, and sweet, he showered regularly, and loved to hang out with me. He was everything a girl could want. Hell, he'd even dyed his hair to match mine, adding his own flair with the blonde. But there was just...nothing. At least not on my part. But that wasn't anything we needed to get into right now.
"Be careful," he told me when he broke off the kiss.
"I will," I promised. With another quick kiss on his cheek, I walked out the door.
Chapter 5
Jamal
"Have any of you guys seen Angel by chance?" Lizzy asked when she got home.
"Which one is she again?" Dae asked.
"The redhead," I told him.
"Ohhhh...thatone."
I'd been about to ask Lizzy why she was asking, but something about Dae's tone got under my skin. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I felt Killian's eyes on me from across the room, the book he'd been reading lowering to his lap as he studied me.
Just then, the dryer sang its little song, telling us the laundry was done. "She's hot," Dae said over his shoulder as he went to go get his clothes. "That's all."
A growl rumbled low in my throat, and I looked up to find Lizzy giving me an odd look. Before she could start asking me any questions, I got up and left the room, heading out the back door to go back to the guest house.
The guest house. Even the name of where I lived implied I was nothing but a temporary resident.
"Jamal, wait!"
I stopped, but didn't turn. The back door slammed shut, and a few seconds later, I felt Lizzy's hand on my arm. She peeked around my shoulder, her brow furrowed with concern. "What's going on with you?"
"Nothing I want to talk about," I told her, not unkindly.
She studied me a moment, but didn't push it. "Do you know where Angel is, by chance?"
"Why would I know that?"
