“No, because you called the police to help the worthless human,” Julian said. I blinked, only then registering where he was going. “You don’t want to be found here with your raccoon that tore his nose off, his gun in your hands, and him unconscious,” he continued slowly, as though he was giving instructions to a child.
“Right,” I drawled. I picked up the gun, flicked the safety on, and tucked it in my waistband. Rysten bent down and retrieved the bullet, putting it in his pocket.
“You okay, love?” he asked. I glared up at him, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Cut it out, Rysten. We need to get her home,” Julian said. I turned my incredulity on him.
Take me home?
“I can take myself home just fine,” I said stiffly.
“No.”
No? Who the hell did he think he was?
I opened my mouth to argue and he stepped forward into my bubble of ill-conceived safety. Standing close to that cold persona, that raw power staring down at me, every word I had just dried up.
“You have two choices: I can either throw you over my shoulder and carry you to your home, or we can drive there. Your decision,” he said.
Was he joking? No. Definitely not joking.
“Drive,” I ground out. I think the ghost of a smirk crossed his lips as we left the alleyway.
**Julian**
She shot me.
And then she begged for the life of a raccoon.
I didn’t know whether I should be amused or frustrated. Rysten wasn’t wrong. She was not what I expected. We hid her for almost twenty-three years. From everyone. Including ourselves. It would be foolish to think that we know her, or even understand her, after we left her on earth with the humans.
Not a day went by that I did not look forward to finally coming for her.
But I didn’t expect to mourn the loss of time.
We had only seen her briefly. She was only a babe, not even an hour old, before her mother took her. Now…
I couldn’t deny it. She was all grown up.
I adjusted the rearview mirror in her direction and those brilliant blue eyes met mine. The center was so light, nearly white, but they fanned out into cobalt flames before fading to black. I don’t know how she stayed hidden for so long when the dark look in her eyes screamed of trouble.
Ruby was not a little girl, and we’d never known her as one. She was a grown woman. No. She was a grown she-demon who had yet to go through the transition. That made her vulnerable. She could stare at me with bedroom eyes all she wanted. It was our divine duty to protect her. To guard her.
The others may get distracted, but I wouldn’t.
Even if a single look from her had me hard.
Chapter 5
The heavy silence while I sat in the back of my own car was crushing me. Julian had insisted on driving. With one look, he made me hand over the keys to my 1995 VW bug…and then moved the seat for me to get in the back. It was probably for the best, given that Bandit was riding on my lap, but I wasn’t going to tell them that.
At least they gave me a choice about who rode in the back with me. Not that it really saved me. Rysten was just as massive as the other two and had his thigh flush against mine. As if that wasn’t enough to make me uncomfortable, he also hadn’t taken his eyes off me. Julian had purposefully moved the rearview mirror to face me instead of the back window, and I felt his gaze on me as well. Maybe he just didn’t have any kind of self-preservation like I did, given that a bullet to the head couldn’t make him blink. If I wasn’t blushing before, I definitely was now.
I couldn’t believe that I shot him. And that he let me live.
“Are you going to tell me who the hell you people are?” I finally asked. Bandit’s frustration was leaking through, and I was on edge. He didn’t like all the strangers in the car with us anymore than I did.
“Soon.” Julian said. “We’ll explain it when we get to your house. Laran is almost there already.”
“Wait, who’s Laran?”
I probably should have been more freaked out that they knew where I lived, but given that Allistair got me out of jail before Moira could arrive, it really wasn’t that surprising.
“Another Ho—” Rysten began, until Julian glared at him. “You’ll meet him soon enough. He’s a friend.”
Great. Another one. Well then. I guess that’s all there was to it.
Settling back into my seat, I held Bandit closer, stroking his fur to ease him. Blood smudged my clothes where he rubbed his face and paws. I was happy it wasn’t his, but I didn’t want to think about where it had come from. I lived fifteen minutes from the parlor and it felt like it took twice the time to get there. When we pulled into my driveway, whatever shock I felt faded away at the sight of my sleazy ex-boyfriend.
The car rolled to a stop, but no one in my company made a move to get out. Julian and Allistair shared a look in front of me, like they were seriously considering keeping me in here. Uh…not happening.
Not at all surprising, Josh had the nerve to walk up and tap on the window. Allistair didn’t respond. Instead, Rysten, the one I thought was the most easy-going of the three, said, “We should get rid of him.”
“If you let me out, I will deal with it,” I said. While the thought of ‘getting rid of him’ appealed to me as much as setting Kendall’s car on fire, I was already in enough trouble with the police.
They shared another look, but it was only when Julian shrugged that both he and Allistair actually got out of the damn car. Allistair silently held the seat forward for me. It would’ve been a kind gesture, but he barely gave me room. Forced to graze his suit as I squeezed by, my libido went into fucking overdrive. Didn’t even touch his skin. His suit. The scent of him filled my nostrils, sending tingles…
I was breathing heavy by the time I was standing on my own two feet outside the car, and it had nothing to do with physical exertion. I glared at him, an arrogant smirk on his face.
“Hi, Ruby,” Josh said, pulling my attention away. I turned my eyes to him and what I saw was disappointing.
When I met him, he had this whole lost soul thing going on. He kept his hair long and was in a band. I never loved him, but he was a good person to pass the time with. Until Kendall got her claws into him. Looking at him now, it was like two different people. This Josh dressed in Polos and loafers. His hair was short and gelled back, and from five feet away, the cologne he wore was enough to make me want to gag.
“What do you want?” I asked. I could hear the fatigue in my voice. Truth be told, I was fucking exhausted after the adrenaline high I’d already had today. I didn’t have the energy to waste on him.
“I wanted to talk…” he started slowly, giving a pointed look at the three guys who stood behind me. I didn’t even need to look. There was tension radiating through the air. I could feel it.
“I have nothing to say to you.” Bandit growled at him from his perch on my shoulder. Josh paled, but he didn’t back away. I sighed. Idiot boy.
“That can’t be true, Ruby. You blew up my girlfriend’s car. I know you still care,” Josh said, even going so far as to take a step towards me. I didn’t want to step back, because it looked weak. But I was worried Bandit might actually attack him. He’d never liked Josh, and right now he was being very protective of me and wanted him gone.
“That’s because your girlfriend’s a bitch. Don’t confuse the facts,” I said dryly. Without warning or permission, a strong arm wrapped around my waist. I tensed, worried that my raccoon’s anger was going to turn on the person who had just touched me, but it appeared that Bandit was dead set on wanting to get rid of Josh, and only Josh.
“Is this”— he stammered—“Is this why you won’t return my calls?” He motioned to the beautiful trio of men, his eyes bulging out. I could see what was coming next. “You wouldn’t even have sex with me, and you have—”