Shower. Just have a shower, relax, and chill out a bit. Forget him.
I glanced around the bathroom, and realising there were no clean towels in here, unlocked the door and went back into the bedroom. There were a couple of clean white towels folded on a chair near the door and I went to grab one. As I did so, I saw a large cup on the nightstand near where Cas had been when I woke up. I picked it up, wrapping my hands around the china. Black coffee. He’d remembered. I shook my head in confusion and headed back into the bathroom, taking the coffee with me.
After our rather pleasant encounter in my kitchen, Sam had convinced me to come back with him. Despite not wanting to live in the same house as Cas, and a deep-rooted desire to do the exact opposite of what someone was trying to make me do, I’d given in. To be honest, I’d been fairly freaked out by the fact that someone had managed to break into my apartment and get through three deadlocks without any sign of interference or damage. After Sam’s comments about magic users, I’d already decided that independence was still my thing, but the fact remained that I’d be a hell of a lot safer staying in a house with supernatural guys who’d been tasked to keep me protected. I was strong willed, not stupid. Sam had waited around while I packed a bag, and at his suggestion, I’d left my bike in the lockup with Sam’s promise that he’d bring me back over to get it at any time.
Sam and Cas lived with the other two members of their team in a large house by the coast. According to Sam, the house belonged to Cas. Though the Concordia usually provided housing for its teams, Cas had amassed a bit of money over the years and had decided he wanted somewhere a bit more comfortable to live. Comfortable was an understatement. The house was down a private gravel drive, about half a mile from the main road. It was a large, modern barn conversion—half red brick, half dark stained wood siding. As we drove up, I had seen the huge two-story window in the centre of the front of the building. The day had been dark and overcast, and the golden light had flooded out through the panes, revealing the modern wood and glass staircase. Sam had given me the grand tour, seeing as no one was home, though he passed the guys’ bedrooms, which I could have quite fancied a nosy in. The downstairs was huge, in some parts two storeys high, revealing the beautiful wooden beams which striped the high ceiling. The kitchen was in the centre, right in the part with the glass walls. Wooden units with a polished concrete top gave it a rustic but modern feel, and next to it was a snug, comfy study. Expensive looking built-in bookshelves lined the walls, and there was a long chesterfield sofa along one side. Another door led down to a large basement, which housed a basic gym, a laundry room, and a small home cinema that had a huge L-shaped sofa. On the other side of the kitchen was an open-plan living room with three squashy sofas, a woodburning stove, and a pool table. Not a bad home, to be honest, and a far cry from the dingy flat Cas had taken me to when I’d dated him. When I’d mentioned that to Sam, he’d shrugged it off, simply saying it was part of a cover for an investigation Cas had been doing at the time, but he told me no more, even when I prodded. The upstairs was smaller but still huge compared to my cupboard-sized place, with five bedrooms, all en suite, as well as a larger bathroom with a double walk-in shower and a bathtub that would easily take four people and looked like it had jacuzzi jets. I had made a mental note at the time that I needed to avail myself of that bath before I left.
This morning, though, I had simply taken advantage of the waterfall shower in my own en suite. The water pressure had far surpassed my own, and it was nearly an hour before I ventured out of my room. I had switched my T-shirt up for a Metallica one, and after gazing sadly at my torn bike leathers, picked a pair of ripped black skinny jeans and my normal biker boots. Not finding a hairdryer, I towel dried my hair, combing it through and leaving it hanging over one shoulder.
The bedrooms upstairs were all on one long hallway. Where the oak and glass staircase reached the landing, there was a lengthy balcony, allowing me to gaze down into the open-plan kitchen. Cas was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, looking at his phone, but Sam was leaning against the worktop across from him, orange juice in hand. Deciding I could risk Cas’s wrath with Sam there, I padded downstairs on my bare feet. Cas glanced up for a moment then looked back down, clearly deciding to ignore me. Good. You do that.
Sam looked up as I reached the kitchen and gave me a dazzling smile. “Hey, baby girl, how’d you sleep?”
“Fine. Good. I was exhausted. That shower is amazing though. I might have to take it with me when I leave. Oh, and thanks for the shirt.” He’d lent me one for the night when I realised I hadn’t brought anything to sleep in. In all fairness, I usually just slept in my underwear, but I hadn’t wanted to mention that in case it gave him ideas to join me. I’d been exhausted and craving my sleep by the time we’d finally made it back to the house, stopping off on the way for a burger.
“No problem. It looked better on you than me anyway, and I usually have spares.” Sam smiled.
Cas snorted without looking up from his phone. “Yeah, he wrecks loads by forgetting to strip before he shifts.”
“Like you can talk. Yours are always covered in blood and guts and who knows what else, and we can never get the stains out.” Sam laughed, but I could tell he was serious. I stared at Sam, not wanting to look at Cas. I’d forgotten in our little encounter this morning exactly how dangerous Cas could be. Sam winked at me. “Don’t worry, baby girl. It’s not usually his.”
I cocked my head to the side. “What a shame. Now, you guys have anything passing as food here, or is it the bachelor breakfast of warmed up pizza I have to look forward to?”
“Nah, we actually eat pretty good here. The other guys will be down in a minute, and Amadi cooks a mean breakfast.” Sam pulled out a chair for me. I hesitated, not particularly wanting to sit across from Cas but not wanting to offend Sam who was being so charming.
“Amadi?” It couldn’t be.
Sam nodded. “Yes, we have two other housemates, but they work at Concordia too, so—oh, here they come now.”
I looked up as Amadi and Alex came down the stairs. Alex nodded at me, but Amadi flashed me a grin. “Faith! Babe! I thought I was irresistible, but having a lover waiting in my kitchen for me is something new.”
I blushed as I stood and took his proffered hand. Noticing with some small satisfaction that Cas had snapped his head up at the word “lover,” I smiled prettily back at Amadi. “What can I say? I was hungry for more.”
He laughed. “Talking of hungry...” He moved around the table and began opening cupboards. My eyes followed him as he moved. Breakfast was obviously quite a casual affair in this house, as he wore nothing but a pair of loose grey sweatpants. I was impressed to realise those swirling black tribal tats covered his chest as well as his arms, and the muscles had continued underneath as well, with every single one defined very clearly.
“You two have met, I take it?” Cas’s eyes glittered darkly at me over the table, and I smiled innocently.
Wondering how long I could string this out, I began to answer, but Alex beat me to it as he slipped into a chair at one end of the table and opened a small laptop. “In the cathedral yesterday. We were there looking for... something... and we ran into Faith.”
Cas visibly relaxed, and I sulked slightly. Alex was no fun. I looked over at him. He was much more formally dressed than his partner, wearing smart trousers and a pale blue shirt with one button open at the top. His glasses were perched on the end of his nose as his eyes flickered over the screen in front of him. As I watched, he raised his hand and absentmindedly ran his fingers over the stubble on his square jaw. I licked my lips.
“So, you guys all live and work together? That’s... odd.” They seemed a bit old for having housemates. Though, to be fair, I’d maybe consider one if I got to live somewhere like this.
“We’re a bit odd.” Amadi grinned. “But we’re also a team who likes to work and play together.” He leaned on the table next to me. “You a real woman, Faith?”
&n
bsp; I was confused. “What?”
“You a real woman? You eat proper food, right? Or do you prefer bowls of leaves? Please don’t tell me you’re a salad and smoothie only kind of girl?”
Sam laughed. “Well, I took her for dinner last night, and she put away two burgers, a large fry, an ice cream, and most of the shared cheese melts. I’d say you’re pretty safe, Amadi.”
I shot Sam a dirty look, then turned back to Amadi. “Yes, I like real food. I dance for a living and I work out quite a bit, so I’m lucky to burn through it all.”
Amadi straightened with an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Thank Hell. I was worried you were one of those girls who lived on salad. So, the full works?”
I glanced over to a load of bacon and sausages heaped on a chopping board next to the hob. “Hell yeah, Amadi. Load me up.” Sizzling noises began almost immediately, and a lovely smell filled the air. My stomach growled slightly, so to cover the noise, I turned back to Sam. “So, what exactly do you all do? Do you... I don’t know... sniff out demons or something?” Sam appeared horrified, while Amadi and Cas burst out laughing. Looking down the table, I could see even Alex was trying to conceal a grin behind his laptop screen. “What did I say?”
“No, we don’t ‘sniff out demons.’ I’m not some kind of bloody spaniel!” He looked rather put out, but I couldn’t help but grin at his hangdog expression.
“Aw, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just new to all this. I’m guessing you’re more like the big bad wolf than a sniffer dog…” He looked slightly mollified.
“Well, yes, I suppose I am.”
I nodded seriously. “I’m so sorry if I offended you.”
He smiled. “It’s okay, you don’t need to apologise.”
I sighed in mock relief. “Oh good. Just, when you gave me those puppy dog eyes…” Laughter exploded around me again, and I gave him an evil grin over the top of my juice glass. Sam rolled his eyes then reached out and poured himself some juice, pointedly ignoring me. “So, we’ve established you’re not some kind of supernatural dog unit. What do you guys do?” Amadi slid a plate in front of me, and I looked down and groaned with delight. Bacon, sausages, eggs, beans, and even fried bread. My mouth watered, and I grabbed some cutlery, ready to dig in. My gorgeous chef placed another couple of plates on the table in front of Cas and Sam before sitting down with his own next to me.
“I don’t know how much Grumpy and Puppy Dog have told you…” He winked at his housemates as they both slowly raised their eyes to send him death glares. “But, yeah, we’ve all worked together for... well, a while. In a nutshell, pretty boy Alex pretty much runs the Northeast Paranormal Science Department, and he’s also the resident computer nerd. Cas and Sam are the cannon fodder patrol boys, also known as guardians, and I do all the hard work by training the guardians, so they don’t get their asses kicked by rogue demons and other nasties. Oh, and I cook like a Michelin chef, dance like Patrick Swayze, and am a demon in bed. So, in summary, ignore Cas’s brooding and Sam’s fluttering eyelashes and stick with Alex and me.”
I paused, a forkful of sausage and egg halfway to my mouth, and stared at him, watching him take a bite of toast. The others had stopped eating to stare at him too, so I glanced at them. “Is all that true?”
Sam shrugged. “Well, he’s not a half bad dancer, and I’m not going to criticise the food, cause he’s the only one who cooks, but I’m afraid I can’t attest to his bedroom skills. Alex?”
Everyone looked down the table at Alex, who was still tapping away at his laptop. “Fair to middling,” he answered, never taking his eyes from the screen or changing his typing pace. Sam and Cas laughed, and Amadi rolled his eyes.
Across from me, Cas’s phone vibrated on the table. He picked it up and frowned as he read the text. “Hargreaves wants me to check in first thing. Sam, would you take Faith back to the house, and I’ll meet you there in a bit? I’d like to give it another once-over in the daylight without hellhounds looking over our shoulders. You okay with that, Faith?”
“Me? Oh, yeah, sure.” The conversation had brought me straight back to the events of the last night, and I suddenly felt tired. I leaned back against the chair, and Sam came to stand behind me. I could have moaned out loud when I felt his hands settle on my shoulders and start to rub firmly. Feeling his solid body against me reassured me slightly. And did other things, I thought, as I breathed in the scent of saltwater and fresh air.
“You think we missed something?” Sam dug his thumbs into a couple of knots in my back, and this time I did moan. Cas and Amadi glanced over at me, and even Alex lifted his eyes from the computer screen for a few moments. Cas cleared his throat, and Sam sadly removed his hands from my shoulders, taking the seat next to me and grabbing the plate Amadi shoved his way.
Cas shook his head. “I don’t know, I don’t think we’d have missed anything, but Faith mentioned a hidden room downstairs.” He turned to me. “I want to see if there’s anything down there that might give us an idea of what your mum was working on. It might give us a direction to go in. I think we need to follow any lead we can.”
“Sure, no problem.” I wasn’t too enthusiastic about going back down to the creepy room, but he was right. We needed to investigate every lead.
“Great. I’ll meet you two there after I’ve called in and seen Hargreaves.”
Sam looked up, his mouth bulging with food. “Hssss erd sumfing?”
Cas shrugged. “He didn’t say. Maybe. I’ll fill you in when I see you later.”
Amadi laid his knife and fork down and stood up to grab a coffee refill. “Fine, but I want you both in the gym by six tonight, or there will be serious ass kicking.”
Sam groaned. “But Faith’s here, I was hoping to…”
Amadi rolled his eyes. “And she’ll be here a while longer, but you two already skipped this morning’s session, and I’m not letting other parts of you grow soft just cause your dicks keep growing hard.” Cas snorted, but I was very amused to see that Sam was blushing. “So six on the dot. Faith can always come and watch me kick the crap out of you both.” He grinned over at me.
I cocked my head and pretended to think it over. Three hot guys working out, with a possible bonus of seeing Cas get his ass kicked? Hell yes! “Meh, might as well. Doubt there’s anything else to do round here, if you’re all still insisting on keeping me prisoner.”
Cas got up from the table and started to clear the plates. “We are. Everyone finished?”
I glanced around the table as the guys began to get up and noticed Alex still tapping away. “Aren’t you having any breakfast, Alex?” A hush fell over the table as everyone paused.
Alex looked over at me, his fingers finally halting on the keys. He stuttered, “Err... I’m a... uh…”
“He’s a vegan,” Amadi interjected smoothly, whipping the plate out from in front of me. “And I’ve stupidly run out of his vegan sausages. He said he’s fine grabbing something at work.”
“Oh, okay... sorry.”
Alex smiled, visibly relaxing. “Nn... nn... no, it’s fine. Th-thank you.”
Amadi bumped his shoulder with his hip as he walked past. “Sorry, man, I know the vegan thing is a real turnoff for most, but I don’t think you’d be able to hide it for long with her living here.” Alex blushed and closed his laptop.
Sam stood up and held out his hand. “Ready to go, Faith?” I looked at his hand and then met his gaze, rolling my eyes as I stood and walked out of the door, glancing back to see if he was following. He was.
Chapter Nine
CASSIEL
“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Both of the men standing in front of me raised their eyebrows at my language. Hargreaves cleared his throat. “For fuck’s sake, sir. Begging your pardon, I’ve got enough to do without babysitting one of these guys. Besides, he might get dirty, and we wouldn’t want that.” I glared at the guy in the white suit.
He glanced down at his attire, then met my gaze with a steel
y look. “I shall adapt my dress as per normal human customs, and I do not require babysitting.”
I rolled my eyes and looked back at Hargreaves who was sitting forward in his chair, tapping his fingers together. “Cassiel, this is not a request. Lord Euriel has been assigned to us by the Heavenly Council for the time being, and he will need a place to stay and transport. You and Sam are not doing much at the moment, besides supervising Miss Matthews, and you have plenty of space. How is Miss Matthews doing, by the way? Settling in okay?”
I gave him a hard look. “She’s fine. Sam’s with her now. She’s not going anywhere without our say so.”
Hargreaves nodded. “Good. Even so, I have heard things from Rose that suggest she can be a bit of a handful, so another pair of eyes can’t hurt either.”
Euriel’s silver eyes narrowed. “With all due respect, Sir Phillip, I am not here to deal with the sheep, I am here to investigate shepherds.”
“Of course you are, my lord, and I shall endeavour to be of as much assistance as I can. I merely meant if our charge were to try and sneak out or something, another pair of eyes can always come in useful.” He passed Euriel a smartphone. “I assume you’ve had experience with these before?”
Euriel took the phone from him. “Yes, I was here about eight years ago, though I shall need to do a little research into the newer technology.”
Hargreaves nodded. “Well, one of your new housemates, Alexei Makarov, is our resident computer technician, and I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to help if you need any.”
Nephilim the Awakening (Wrath of the Fallen Book 1) Page 8