Page 203 of Deadfall

“God, I missed you, Griff.” She pulled away and looked me over. “Glad to see you in one piece.”

“Missed you too, Sis,” I tugged on the end of her french braid that was tipped with peach pink through her blond hair. “Wow, more subtle than usual.”

She batted my hand away with a grin. “Shut up. I know you hate it.”

I chuckled. “No, I hated the blue. This suits you better.” At her raised eyebrows, I smirked. “It says I’m a renegade, and will probably fuck your shit up, but in a classy way.”

She playfully shoved me. “Yeah, yeah—”

The amusement faded to interest as her attention drifted over my shoulder where North approached with Nyx and Atlas. North held out his hand to my sister.

“You must be our pilot.”

My sister gripped his hand. “I am.”

“This is Theron North,” I said. “North, meet my sister, Arkady Griffin.”

“Thanks for flying in, Arkady,” North nodded. “And for loaning us your Little Bird.”

Arkady waved away his thanks. “She was getting bored.”

“You, or the bird?” I asked dryly.

“Both,” she smirked.

Movement across the clearing caught her attention, and she did a double take before the smile was wiped completely from her face. I stiffened automatically, familiar with that look enough to know trouble was imminent.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” She asked.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise?” Knight smirked as he walked over. “If it isn’t my little Arkangel.”

Arkangel? I looked back and forth between them in confusion.

“Don’t call me that,” my sister growled.

“You used to—”

“Shut up, Trent,” she snapped.

“Whoa, whoa,” I said. “How do you two know each other?”

They both spoke at once: “We don’t,” she said.

“It’s complicated,” he said.

Silence took over as Knight smirked and my sister scowled.

Nyx broke the silence with a knowing chuckle. “Oh, so it’s like that.”

As I reached the same conclusion, I was hit with annoyance. “What the fuck, Ark?” I exclaimed.

“It’s not like that,” Arkady said in exasperation.

“Aw, come on, Sunshine,” Knight said in amusement. “It’s kind of like that.”

Knight met my glare and held up his hands. “I swear I didn’t know she was your sister, man.”

“He has nicknames for her and everything,” Nyx whispered loudly to Atlas.