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Chapter 23
RAVEN
Kingdom Come
“HEY, SATAN! YOU are so unlucky that you chose now to show your damn face.” I glower and point in Lucian’s direction, but he ignores me to focus on the others.
Dante sets me on my feet on the back lawn. Kase, Andre, Micah, and Lucian stand huddled together in what looks like a dramatic conversation. Lucian and Kase must’ve taken a Hell portal from wherever Lucian has been hiding, because I don’t think me and Dante have been gone that long. I mean, sure, he convinced me to join the Mile High Club with him devil style, but it was a fast and furious quickie—by his standards. It was long enough for me to get off three times.
Too bad seeing Lucian waving hands at Andre steals my good mood right out of me. “Lucian, you better give me a good reason why Tamia called me asking for you.” I storm away from Dante, feeling the heat of Hell radiating from the devils.
Lucian smiles, showing off his perfectly straight teeth. “You’re jealous already.”
Micah punches him in the gut, wiping the grin off his face. “Fucking respect her. You know she isn’t jealous. She wants to keep Tamia safe. I should gut you for continuing with whatever the fuck you think you’re doing.”
“Relax, both of you. I was merely sounding my appreciation over Raven’s possessiveness already.” Lucian breaks away from the circle and makes it all of two feet in my direction before Micah grabs him by the back of the shirt.
“You damn well know it’s not the time or fucking place to bring the Hell out of her.” Micah jabs his ribs. “Whatever you plan to say next better be an apology and an answer that pleases her. You know our agreement.”
Lucian huffs out a breath and yanks himself free. “Like I could ever forget when you assholes will beat it into me every other second for the rest of eternity.”
I slow as Lucian strides toward me and a mixture of emotions threatens to turn my mind to mush. “I don’t want you near my cousin. No calling. No texting. Nothing.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Why do you think she called you? I’ve been an angel, Raven. It has been excruciating ignoring someone who has information I seek. Did you know she has connections to some of the wealthiest people in the area?”
I never thought about it much, but I guess she would as an event planner. It’s been so long since we’ve really connected, so things were easy to slip my mind. “You’re trying to use her to network? Are you serious? You’re fucking Satan. Don’t you know every bastard?”
“I do in a sense, but...it’s complicated. I’m sure you have far better things to do than listen to me ramble on about devil affairs.” Reaching up, Lucian risks his hand by touching my chin. My first instinct is to bat him away like always, but something about the dark depths of his eyes locks me in place. “I heard you had a confrontation with my brother.”
I slump my shoulders, letting my guard down a little. “I beat the fuck out of him and then kicked his balls hard enough to send them inside of him, which by the way, I’m nearly fucking certain got his rocks off just like your masochistic ass.”
Lucian releases a low growl under his breath, his eyes sparking with fire. His anger isn’t directed at me though. I’d feel it deep in my soul if it were. “Did he hurt you?”
His question surprises me. I can’t tell if it’s because he cares about me or wants another reason to unleash Hell on Cassius.
“He tried to fucking kill me.” The memory explodes through my mind as I replay the bullshit Cassius pulled. “He took me to another plane while the guardians went after Dante. He got pissed off because I called him out on his bullshit, and he can’t see his wrongdoings. Kind of like you.” Low blow? Maybe. Warranted? Absolutely. This little truce is in place as a test. We all need to see if Lucian is truly on board with following through with his original plan when he, Dante, and Kase first abandoned the Higher Power.
“I guess I’ll have to continue making it up to you. How would you like me to catch a guardian, and I can teach you the most effective way of breaking my brother?” Lucian leans in a bit more. “Could be fun.”
Whacking him on the back, Kase nearly knocks Lucian into me. “Don’t let him fool you, angel-girl. The fucker already has captured a featherhead. We were discussing how to proceed. Heaven’s army is up to some bullshit, so we need to get it out of him.”
“The twats are circling and waiting for their chance to grab our prisoner,” Andre adds. His jaw tightens with his words.
“I want to fucking break every bone and pluck every feather to get him talking.” Lucian jerks his head to Andre. “But this soft fucker still carries damn feelings toward them. He wants to take our prisoner to Hell instead and try things his way.”
“I hate—and I really hate to admit it—but I think Lucian’s way would be faster.” Micah rubs his hand over his stubbly jaw. “We don’t have much time to deal with a battle.”
Something about his comment stabs me through the heart. It’s now that I realize that Elias would usually be with him, especially discussing things that will affect his future. I don’t get a chance to ask him though. Lucian’s cocky bastard smile lights up and he holds out his hand and gets Micah to fist bump him, the gesture weird but somehow cute. Who knew I’d love the truce between everyone.
“I think it’s bullshit and will only cause more fucking problems.” Kase’s eyes glow with his red power. “Plus, I know you, Raven. You’d have to hear every second of it. We can’t do it anywhere else except here. We’re the strongest force of protection.”
“She shouldn’t fucking care! This is what we need!” Lucian gets in Kase’s face, and the two of them break into a fight.
Okay, so not so much a truce as it is a sometimes they tolerate each other type of situation.
I step forward against my good senses, planning to separate the two of them, but Dante cuts me off and Micah grabs my shoulders and pulls me back. I spin and look at him, his eyes flicking across my face with thoughts he doesn’t freely let me hear. Once again, my nerves bunch, sensing something unfamiliar but a lot like dread.
“Micah? What’s wrong?” I ask, my soft words sounding through the air.
