by J. J. Dean
"Well, I'll be damned. Again," Eli mutters on a long exhale.
I snort, wide eyes still on Brutus the Cerberus. Shaking my head, I stand slowly. Tilting my head to the side, I watch the dog while he watches me. Taking a leap of faith, I step forward, raising my hand towards Brutus. A chorus of protests ring out, but I ignore them. If he wanted to hurt us, he would have already. But he hasn't. Instead, he's sitting there like a good boy with his tail wagging and drool dripping from his mouth.
Taking another step forward, I raise my hand a little higher. I keep moving forward, watching the dog just in case. When I'm close enough to touch him, he attacks.
He pounces on me once again, knocking me to the fucking floor before dropping his body on top of me and slobbering gross kisses all over my face. It was bad enough getting kisses from one dog who can't control his saliva. Times that by three? I'm going to need a thorough shower to feel clean again.
"Huh. Guess he's still the same dog then," Asher comments, sounding amused as I get a face full of dog drool. This is so gross.
"Any of you want to help me out here? He's crushing me!" I call out dramatically. He's not crushing me at all. If anything, it seems like he's holding most of his weight, only allowing enough of it to rest on me to keep me in place while he kisses the crap out of me.
I'm the recipient of another round of laughter, and I turn my head to face where I last saw Noah. His hand covers his mouth, his honey-colored eyes lit up with amusement. Narrowing my eyes on him, I say, "You're supposed to be the nice one. Damn you."
He tries to wipe the smile away, but it's no good. It breaks out anyway. Even with the humor-filled grin, Noah comes to my rescue, hooking his hands under my arms and dragging me away from the seriously oversized dog. Helping me stand, making sure he doesn't touch any of the drool that's gotten everywhere, he moves me away to stand next to Devon.
"Well then, I'm going to go take a shower since I just got bathed in drool. Thanks for the help, asswipes," I tell them, walking around the dog and towards the stairs for my room. Just as I start ascending the steps, I call over my shoulder, "Someone clean the rest of the dog's dribble. And make him small again. Or smaller."
I hear all four of them bickering about who's going to do what, but I'm up the stairs and slamming the door, cutting out the sounds of Eli yelling that he's wounded and won't be doing shit to help.
Laughing, I walk towards my bathroom, stripping my clothes as I go. I drop them all in the hamper before heading towards the closet and picking out a pair of black high-waisted jeans and a black long-sleeved cropped shirt. I carry them to the bathroom and shut the door, dropping my clothes onto the toilet seat before turning towards the shower and turning it on. I wait for the room to start steaming before pulling my silver strands out of the hair tie and stepping under the spray of the shower.
As soon as the water cascades over my body, I start to relax. The tension seeps from away, and I drop my head back, the spray of water pouring over my face. It disguises the tears that immediately start falling as soon as the worry and panic for Francis fades. I'm still worried, but I'm now more worried about how we're going to find her rather than if we're going to.
Since the shower is pouring over my head, I don't hear the knock at the door or the voice calling for me. When I drop my head, it's to see a still wounded Eli leaning against the wall next to the shower, smiling sadly at me.
I step from under the water and wipe at my face. I'm sure he can tell I've been crying, but I ignore that fact. Instead, I ask, "You okay? What are you doing up? You should be resting. Your back is still sore."
His smile grows, but there's a warmth in his eyes that has my chest constricting and warming all at once. He pushes himself off the wall, only wincing slightly, and comes to stand just outside the shower. "Wanted to make sure you were okay. I did knock, but..."
He leaves his sentence to trail off, shrugging his shoulders while his smile grows even bigger, his dimples popping out and turning my insides to goo.
"Yeah, sorry. Didn't hear a thing," I pointlessly tell him, shrugging my own shoulders while the warmth of the water soothes me as it pours over my chest.
I turn back to the shower, feeling vulnerable with my emotions all over the place. While my head is turned, Eli finds the time to strip his sweats and shirt and climbs in the shower with me. I turn my head a fraction and ask, "What are you doing?"
His tattooed arms come to wrap around my waist, and he steps close behind me, hugging me tight to his toned body. "Thought you could use some company. No funny business. Promise."
Damn my heart all to hell. My chest tightens, and I feel the tears welling up again because these guys are simply too much. I nod against his chest before turning in his embrace and wrapping my own tattooed arms around him, clutching him tightly to me.
He brushes his hand through my hair while the other glides over my back with soothing motions, and he whispers, "It's okay, Flower. We'll get her back in once piece."
With those words I... well, I break.
Tears stream down my cheeks and sobs wrack my body, my breath hitching painfully. I feel like I can't breathe properly, the heavy weight of Ms. Frenchie's disappearance falling down on me tenfold now that I know Lucifer's angels have taken her and she's nowhere near where we've been searching.
Elijah holds me through it all, whispering words of comfort into my hair and rubbing my back while he hugs me tightly to him. I cling to him like he's the only thing keeping me from swirling down the drain of the shower.
I'm not sure how long he holds me while I finally have my long-awaited breakdown, but by the time I pull myself back together, the water is lukewarm and Eli's shivering.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, brushing my soaked hair from my face.
His hands come up to frame my face, tilting my head so my eyes meet his. He shakes his head and quietly says, "Don't be sorry, Flower. You can lean on me anytime you need to."
He gives me a dimpled smile that I return a little shakily and leans to drop a sweet kiss on my lips. He winces and pulls back, so I tell him, "Let me have a proper wash, and we'll go read or something. My mind needs a break for a minute before we think about everything we've discovered."
Instead of providing me with an answer, he plucks the shampoo from the shower rack and squeezes a generous amount in my hair before proceeding to wash the long locks for me. It feels amazing, and my eyes close on a blissful moan when he massages my head with deft fingers.
"Keep making those noises, and this entire thing won't be as innocent as I planned for it to be," he tells me. I pop an eye open to see him smirking, and I snort. I wrap my arms around him, holding him close while he washes my hair and takes care of me. He continues to wash my body from head to toe, keeping it respectful but sensual as he does it. He doesn't once complain about his back, though I know it has to be hurting.
"Alright, all done. Let's get you dry, dressed, and relax for a couple of hours before making a plan, okay?" he asks, brushing my hair out of my face.
I nod and reach up to give him a kiss, offering my gratitude without saying a word. Proving that he's getting to know me as well as his brother, he whispers, "You're welcome," before giving me one last kiss and climbing carefully out of the shower. He holds a towel out for me to take, taking one for himself and leaving me to dry off and get dressed before joining him in the bedroom.
He's sitting on the bed waiting for me when I emerge. He tries to get up, but pain crosses his face when his back twinges. I rush over and say, "Need a hand?"
I offer him my hands, wiggling my fingers in his face. He rolls his eyes but takes them anyway, muttering, "I knew I shouldn't have sat down."
"Lesson learned," I tease, pulling him up off the bed. As soon as he's up, he pokes me in the ribs, and I laugh, leading him to the door and out of my room.
I peek over the banister, looking for the giant dog, and a breath of relief escapes me when I find the normal-for-him sized Brutus lying on the floor next to Asher's
feet while the angel sits on the couch watching whatever movie is playing.
We make our way down the stairs and find Noah in the kitchen cooking something that smells absolutely divine. Devon is laying out the table, looking like he's just trying to keep busy, but it makes my lips twitch seeing them all be so domestic.
"Okay, so the plan is to take today to relax and recuperate. We'll make a plan before we all go to bed. Tomorrow the search for Ms. Frenchie continues," Eli tells them all, his voice leaving no room to argue.
Surprisingly enough, they all nod their agreement. Even Devon, who I'm pretty sure never relaxes.
Shaking my head, I walk to the bookcase, pluck a book from a shelf and make my way to the couch. I sit down next to Asher, his arm coming down around my shoulders as soon as I'm comfortable. Eli joins us a moment later, picking a cushion off the couch and dropping it to my lap before taking up the space on the rest of the couch by lying on his stomach, head in my lap.
We spend the rest of the day with me reading out loud to Eli, the others cooking and watching movies, and taking the time to chill out before the real test begins tomorrow. I really hope we find Francis soon. I'm going to throttle the old bird for all this drama she's caused.
Chapter 17
Noah
It's late , and the day has passed in relative peace. Brutus hasn't changed from his usual form since surprising us all with his secret, there have been no more visitors, kidnappings, or surprise attacks. It's been a good evening, other than the looming cloud of Ms. Frenchie's absence.
We're all sitting around the table after having just finished eating way too many desserts and pieces of candy that Luna insisted on ordering and going to the store for. Luna's just finished eating her third plate of cookies and cake assortments, wiping her mouth on a napkin.
"What do you mean they visit you every fifty years?" Devon asks, pushing his plate away and looking a little green. I can relate. I've had far too much sugar in such a short amount of time. It's good to know Luna has an incredibly sweet tooth, however.
"Exactly how it sounds. Since I Fell, I've had visits from Javos and Brolos every fifty years, both trying to make me pick a side. They've never resorted to kidnapping, though. That has me worried," Luna replies, sneaking a chocolate cookie off my plate. Restraining a smile, I slowly slide the plate over to her, and her eyes dart towards me as her cheeks stain an alluring light pink color. Keeping her voice no louder than a whisper, she says, "Thanks."
I nod, letting my smile free and her eyes drop to my mouth like they always do when I give her a smile. I'm not sure if she simply hasn't been on the receiving end of many smiles in her lifetime or maybe it's something to do with... my smile? Regardless, her eyes dart to my mouth and back up again, her eyes softening and a small smile tugging at her own lips.
Just as they always do, the gesture warms my chest, and I work hard not to stare at her like I've been caught doing on many occasions. It seems to amuse her more than anything, but the embarrassment is still fierce any time she catches me. It's not like I can help it. She's beautiful.
"And you didn't think to mention that sooner?" Devon asks, falling back to the demanding attitude that always riles Luna to the point of retaliation.
She rolls her eyes and says, "Didn't think to mention it since they haven't tried to abduct and torture me into picking sides before. Excuse me for leaving it off the list of things I should mention."
"Alright, feisty kitten. Put the claws away," Asher comments, throwing a candy bar at her which she catches before opening and biting into the chocolate that lies beneath the wrapper.
Eli snorts and shakes his head while Asher narrows his eyes on Luna when she smiles behind the candy bar and offers him her middle finger.
"You all have the attention span of gnats, honestly," Devon grumbles, sitting back in his chair with a scowl. I can understand his frustration seeing as though he's the one out of all of us that seems to want all of the information and answers the most. Sure, I'd like to know what's going on most of the time, but it would seem my priority is Luna and her safety. Everything else can come in second place.
Luna scarfs down the candy bar like she hasn't already eaten her body weight in sugary confections before saying, "Can you really blame me for not sharing things? After all, all four of you crashed into my life under false pretenses. I can forgive, but I don't forget. I'm sorry that I still have a few hang-ups I need to work through before trusting you completely with everything that happens in my life."
All of us around the table look down, Asher and Eli included. Though they've Fallen, they still hurt Luna just as harshly as Devon and I did.
"That wasn't a dig at you all, I'm sorry. I'm just saying you can't expect me to divulge everything when things didn't exactly start off honestly with us all, you know? That's going to take a bit of time to get over, even though I'm not angry about it anymore," she explains softly. Surprising me, her hand comes over to grasp mine on the table, her other doing the same with Eli. She squeezes them both before letting go and sitting back in her seat, finding another candy bar and munching away like all is right in the world again.
"Are you sure you're okay after what they did to you?" I ask quietly. I've asked no less than three times, but only because I want to make sure she is alright and isn't hiding any pain she might be in, physical or mental.
She offers me another smile, her eyes turning the color of liquid silver, and says, "I really am fine, Noah. But thank you."
Eli watches her carefully, his elbows leaning on the table since he can't put pressure on his back just yet. "Flower, that was a lot of pain to endure. I heard you screaming. You'd tell us if something was wrong, right?"
She rolls her eyes, but I see the way her entire face softens. She likes that we care and worry enough to ask about her wellbeing. She just doesn't like showing it. Lifting her hand, she braces it over her chest and draws a cross, forming her words clearly. "I swear my mental and physical being are not suffering since the ordeal at the construction site when Javos and Brolos attempted to force me into picking between Heaven and Hell."
The cross glows white before sinking into her chest, the glow remaining for a brief second under her black shirt before disappearing. think I speak for all four of us when I say the relief is strong as soon as the cross fades. There's a collective releasing of held breaths, and the sudden tension that appeared evaporates into nothing. We all seem to relax that little bit more, happy in knowing Luna isn't secretly suffering to spare us worry.
"Anyways, I’ve suffered worse, so that was a walk in the park in comparison. But moving on, do we have a plan for tomorrow?" Luna asks, changing the subject.
Asher pauses before I catch his wince, his eyes suctioned to Luna. Slowly, he answers, "We're heading to England, by the looks of things."
Luna sends him an unimpressed look before throwing a cookie at him, which he catches with his mouth. "I meant an in-depth plan, you jerk. What's the whole plan?"
Before Asher can open his mouth again, Devon butts in and answers her question properly. "I'm going to look for plane tickets for all five of us to take early in the morning. Pack lightly, only things you'll need. We'll figure the rest out when we're in England. We'll need to know where the airport is and its surroundings before we start looking, and that would be better to do when we land instead of trying to work it out here."
Luna, as nonchalant as only she can be, says, “Oh, we don’t need plane tickets. I’ve got that covered.”
She looks down at the table as though she didn’t just tell us we don’t need the key aspect of getting us from here to England, seemingly searching for more snacks to eat while we all stare at her in confusion. Asher sits up in his seat and lowers his head to look at Luna before asking, "Want to elaborate, Peaches?"
"Not with you all looking at me like that, no," she smarts without even glancing up. Sure enough, the others are all staring at her with various expressions of bewilderment. Glad to know I’m not the only one who�
��s completely baffled. But how did she know we were all looking at her since she’s incredibly focused on finding those snacks she’s eager for? She clearly pays attention to us and is learning how we all react to certain things.
"What do you mean, Luna?" I ask her softly, waiting patiently for an answer.
She lifts her head, looks around, and, with the attitude of someone who believes we're idiots and should have put two and two together already, she shrugs and tells us, "I have a private plane."
Silence.
I’ve never heard the room so quiet before. I find myself blinking at the angel like she just told me she’s a leprechaun in disguise. The others hold the same sentiment, looking more confused with her declaration than before.
"Want to repeat that, Flower?" Eli asks with an addled grin.
Luna shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. As though she’s talking to a group of morons, she slowly enunciates every word. “I have a private plane.”
There’s another pause.
“What? Why are you all looking at me like that?” she asks with a furrowed brow and confusion plastered over her beautiful features. Great. Now we’re all confused.
“Peaches, why the hell do you have a private plane?” Asher asks, leaning closer to the table so he can rest his elbows on the surface while he watches Luna with a close eye.
She shakes her head and mutters a few choice curse words under her breath. I’m pretty sure I hear her mutter something about everyone needing a plane and the word idiots. With a deep sigh, she says, "It’s really not that bizarre. When you live as long as we do, you tend to accumulate a lot of things. Over the years, I’ve accumulated a lot. I'm not exactly hard up for money. I have a lot invested in companies and shares. I’m actually surprised not one of you have asked about my lack of job. Anyway, I splurged a little a few years ago, but only because Francis wanted to go to Paris, and I didn't want her to sit on a cramped plane when I could get a luxury one and spoil her a little. So… I have a private plane. Her name is Bessie, and she flies just fine."