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“I told him he needed to sleep tonight, and if he didn’t, I would cuddle his ass.”
Raven giggled, and I moved her up so I could wash her hair. “Do you do that often?” she asked.
“More than you’d think. Sometimes Porter and I will sandwich him. He just doesn’t get the extra ingredients,” I teased, making her giggle.
“I’m glad you all had each other. A little jealous of the bonds you guys created but happy all the same.”
“It wasn’t like that with the other girls?”
She shook her head, picking water up and pouring it through her fingers.
“No. We liked one another and would protect each other at all costs if it came down to it. But probably due to how Man found us all, we were skittish and wary of too much bonding. Then once we understood the risks of being an assassin, it became natural to hold each other at arm’s length. If they died, it wouldn’t hurt as much, you know?” she asked, lifting her shoulder.
“Sounds lonely.”
“It can be. But not always. Darcy’s the oldest and like a big sister. We play pranks on each other; even if she doesn’t realize we’re in a prank war, we are. One time she got me with a drone that exploded pink, tiny dick glitter all over me. I still find those suckers in my room. Then there’s Karma, who bakes the most delicious treats ever. Harlow and Royal are both OCD and disagree on where things go, and so are constantly moving them to piss one another off.” She laughed, and I joined her.
“Tell me more,” I begged, wanting to hear more about her time there.
“Hmm, well, Selena can be quite the slob but will hack our phones to leave funny screensavers. Ivory and Naomi are twins. You don’t mess with Ivory though; when she gets in the zone, she can be a little unhinged. Tabitha is very much like a cat. She doesn’t say much and spends most of her time tinkering in her workshop. She tried to teach me how to drive once, and I was so bad that she threatened to blow up any car I got in because it would be better for the world. I didn’t like driving anyway because I’m so short, so I took it as my excuse to never try again, and just bought a plane.”
Raven laughed, the love for the other girls evident as she spoke about them. She might not believe they were close, but it was obvious they cared for one another. For the first time, I worried she wouldn’t want to stay with us.
“Will I get to meet any of them?” I asked instead of the question I wanted.
“You’d want to?” She turned and looked over her shoulder.
“Of course, Raven. They’re your sisters.”
“Okay. That would be kind of cool, I suppose. Selena just got married, and Harlow no longer lives at the house. But after this job, we can go back to get my stuff, and I’ll introduce you to whoever is there.”
Inwardly, I sighed in relief. “Will there be any secret handshake I need to know? A vow of silence I need to take?” I asked as I finished rinsing her hair.
Raven giggled and shook her head. “No. None of that. Though, don’t look Tabitha in the eyes. She takes offense to that.”
“Duly noted.” I nodded as I helped her out and dried us both. I wasn’t sure if she was messing with me after hearing about her prank war or not, but I’d take it seriously.
The house was quiet as we left Rueben’s room and went to Otto’s, where we’d all taken to sleeping most nights. When I spotted him in bed, I nudged Raven toward him, spooning behind her and doubling our chances of keeping him there. Kissing Raven on the cheek goodnight, I relaxed in the knowledge this was our forever—together.
27
RAVEN
The next day,we made our travel plans and landed in the city at midnight. The guys enjoyed the luxury of having a plane on standby, eliminating finding flights and being on the grid. It was my favorite investment, and with how Phillip didn’t bat an eyelash at my latest travel buddies, I would definitely be giving him a raise.
“Why do you guys always stay in a rental?” I asked around a yawn. “Hotels have room service.”
“It’s more private, for one,” Otto said, squeezing my thigh. “And we like not being on the radar. Four guys traveling together raise a lot of flags.”
“Hmm, I guess that makes sense. I do miss my 2am cheesecake.”
“I have a cheesecake you can have, Cutie-Pie,” Porter quipped.
“Really? And you’re just now telling me. Give me!” I demanded, twisting in the seat.
Phoenix smacked his brother, narrowing his eyes at him. “That was mean, asshat.”
“You don’t have cheesecake?” I asked, knowing I was missing something but not sure what. I frowned, the thought of not getting it upsetting me.
