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The twins watched me as I ran my fingernails over his scalp, their eyes focused on my hand. I didn’t think it was all that interesting, but I wasn’t one to judge another’s curiosities.
“I’m glad I met you all,” I whispered, scared to say it too loud. “Do you think Otto will like me? Is that a common name? I’ve only heard it once before,” I rambled; images of a brown-haired boy with gray eyes and a big smile filled my mind.
“He’ll love you, pipsqueak. You don’t have to worry about that,” Phoenix said, his hand skating over my arm up and down, leaving goosebumps in his trail.
“How did you guys meet to form the Loxley Crew?” I asked; my mind needed something else to focus on. The guys looked at one another like they were deciding who would speak. In the end, it was Porter.
“We all met at a group home. Phoenix and I had survived a while on our own as pickpockets. It was a hard habit to break even when we weren’t on the streets. Rueben caught us one night sneaking out and told Otto. The next day, we were moved into their room. I never knew why he did it, but that’s Otto. He’s a collector of lost souls.” He sighed at the memory, a small smile lifting the corner of his mouth. Porter leaned back against the couch cushion, his thumb caressing my shin as he recalled his youth.
“Otto has this way about him, you’ll see. He can get just about anyone to do what he wants. He’s always planning and strategizing, looking for the best angles for any problem. At night, well, he gave us a reason to stay—”
I yawned loudly, interrupting him. All three males looked at me, calculating everything about me in that one look. I yawned again, unable to stop it now that it had started, the tiredness of the night catching up with me.
“Go to sleep, Raven. We can finish in the morning.” Phoenix curled his arm around me, his shirt soft against my cheek, his rain smell invading my nostrils.
“You smell yummy,” I mumbled, my eyes drifting shut. I could feel his chest vibrating under me, his shoulder shifting as he laughed.
“Sleep, my little harbinger of death. We’ll keep you safe until you can resume regular duties.”
“Thanks, you’re a peach.” I patted his cheek, his lips curving up against my palm.
His lips moved to my forehead, pressing against me before he drew back. “I had no clue how much we needed you, dearest. Please don’t leave us,” he whispered, again reiterating his plea.
Sleep took me under before I could respond, my body relaxing into the twins' embrace.
10
PHOENIX
The three ofus sat immobilized for a long while, our focus on the magnetic girl between us. I’d never met someone that had captured my heart so quickly. Raven captivated all our attention and did it effortlessly. I loved her carefree spirit, wanting to know what brilliant and hilarious thing she’d say next.
She soothed something in all of us, bringing us even closer. I had no doubt that Otto would feel the same. We needed to figure out a way to keep her with us. I couldn’t imagine losing her now that we’d found her.
“She’s perfect for us,” I whispered, tracing my finger over her cheek.
“I knew she would be,” Porter sighed happily, rubbing his thumb over her leg.
“How?” Rueben asked, peering at us. I didn’t know if he meant her or how we’d keep her.
“We’ll figure it out. Otto will have a plan,” Porter said confidently, apparently understanding what Rueben had meant.
“Speaking of, someone should check on him and bring him some food. He’s going to need it after that crash,” I said.
“And we need to contact the client and get everything ready to be transferred,” Porter added, yawning.
“We need to sleep as well.” I looked down at the pixie of death, not wanting to move but knowing I needed to.
“I’ll stay,” Rueben said.
Nodding, I placed one more kiss on her forehead and gently laid her head on the pillow Rueben put in my spot. Porter lifted her legs, keeping her sprained one on the pad as much as he could. She twisted, turning her face toward the cushions as she rolled. We both stepped back, our arms extended as we cleared the couch.
Rueben stayed where he was on the floor, resting his head back on the cushion. I didn’t know how he did that. I’d be stiff as a board in the morning. With one last glance, I grabbed a bottle of water and some crackers from the kitchen and headed to the other room. Otto slept on his side; his covers twisted around him.
I checked the time before shaking some pills out of the bottle next to the lamp, and wrote down the dosage and time on the pad of paper. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I gently shook him.
“Hey, man. It’s time for some more meds.”
Otto groaned, his eyes sluggish as he tried to open them. He blinked a few times, wiping some sleep from the corner, focusing on me when he could see. I showed him my hand and the water. He nodded, sitting up so he could take them.
