Page 52 of Where Angels Fall

“As long as you’re safe,” she says. “And as long as you’re choosing whatever you’re choosing with your eyes open.”

Her thumb squeezes my knuckles once, firm and strong.

“If that ever changes,” she continues, quieter now, “you tell me. No pretending.”

I swallow. “Okay.”

She nods, satisfied, then glances back toward the window one more time, head falling into her hand as she sighs wistfully.

“...Still though,” she mutters. “Tell me you haven’t seen anything more beautiful than that male right there.”

I laugh, worried that if I told her there were two of them, she might explode.

“Thank you,” I mutter, fingers wringing together on top of the table, feeling shy. “I’ve... I’ve never really had a friend. Not one like you anyway.”

Her big smile is back, crystal blue eyes sparkling back at me. “I know.”

I laugh, my chest feeling warm and fuzzy in a way I don’t recognise.

“And I’ve never had a friend like you.”

“I know,” I tease back.

We sip our coffees for another moment, letting the words we spoke sink in. Roxy, being Roxy, doesn’t let the silence last long.

“You really had me there for a second, though,” she laughs. “Innocent, sophisticated little blonde thing, getting involved with men like that. It lowkey makes me like you more.”

“Well,” I start, eyes darting down to my half-drunk coffee. “You haven’t seen his dick. If you had, you would understand.”

Her laugh was pure disbelief, spilling out of her loud and sudden, her hand whipping up to catch the coffee she spits out. Eyes dart in our direction again, and when we look back at each other, we collapse in a fit of giggles.

Chapter 20

Ash

Tearing through the night, my bike swerves with the curves of the road. Both of my seconds follow close behind, flanking either side of me. Our bike’s roar in the night, crackling with life. Wind batters me from every angle, and even though this meeting isn’t going to be enjoyable, this ride almost makes it worth it.

Checking my rearview mirrors, I see a spark of excitement in the twins’ eyes as they speed along in the night like panthers. It’s been too long since my brothers and I sped along the asphalt with no destination.

Unfortunately, tonight we have a destination.

The grey zone.

Located in an abandoned shipping dock, in the middle of the rusted old shipping containers, is the only neutral spot in the city. The only spot the organisations can meet and talk without the fear of violence.

As much as I want to walk into this meeting with my gun drawn high, any act of violence is a death sentence for me and my men. Every gang in the state comes for those who disrespect the neutral zones.

Tonight, I need to speak with Zeke. The man who orchestrated the death of three of my brothers and doesn’t seem to be finished. Thomas reported back today that he found more explosives in one of the Devil-owned nightclubs. If we hadn’t found it in time, not only would devils be killed, but civilians too. I know that doesn’t bother Zeke, and it doesn’t necessarily bother me, but it bothers the police force that I pay a hefty fee to manage.

The tension between our two clubs is growing stronger by the day, and it started since the day I took my father’s place as president of the Devils.

I find myself drifting back to the ride I took my angel on. On the way she gripped me tight as we rode. How she stared out into the city. How I laid her on my bike and fucked her slowly.

My hands ache to roam her body again, to feel her perfect curves. It’s been too fucking long, each day ticking slower. But I have shit to deal with. Which includes one of the Wraiths we found sniffing around one of our drug shipments, tied up in the factory, currently bleeding all over the concrete. He’s still alive because he still has information to give. For the time being.

We veer into the dock, a black sedan waiting for us, as we slip off our bikes. The rules are, we must come unarmed, but with the twins, even with no weapons, I’m never unarmed. These boys have killing down to a fine-tuned art, and their bare hands are weapons enough. They follow me into the middle of the yard, gravel crunching under my boots, and the stale scent of mildew makes my nose itch. Spotlights illuminate the area just enough to cast long shadows along the ground.

He's already here.