by Weil, J. L.
At least she let me come up with the codename—wipeout. I thought it was pretty clever since I was planning to wipe out Emma’s memory.
Lexi, not so much. She blinked and then told me, “You need to get out more.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. You are the one who wants to strategize in a lingerie store with half-naked mannequins.”
“I know—brilliant, right?”
God save me.
With a one-sided smirk on her glossy lips, she tossed me a pair of pink leopard thongs. “You should totally get these. You know, to bring out Chase’s animal-side.”
I choked and dropped the silky material like hotcakes. “Trust me. I definitely don’t need undies to summon the beast.”
Lexi grinned. “I bet you don’t.”
“Focus, Lexi,” I groaned.
“Right. Deception and strategy,” she said, tapping her lip in thought.
I waited. And waited.
“Oooh,” she cooed. “I have to get these.” She pulled a satin negligee from the rack behind me and ran her fingers over the expensive material.
I looked at her like she had lost her mind. “Who the hell are you going to wear that for?” Because that was the whole point of those skimpy things, right?
She shrugged her dainty shoulders. “A lady never kisses and tells.”
“I’m your best friend.”
“You are also dating my overbearing, hotheaded, impulsive cousin. Not to mention the two of you have some kind of alien-bond. My secrets are no longer safe with you,” she informed me.
I thought about that for a moment. “Right. Don’t tell me. The less I know the better. For the both of us.”
Her pretty brows drew together like she was thinking too hard. “Man, this scheming stuff is hard work. Let me pay for these, and then we can get down and dirty.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant by “down and dirty” and whether I should be frightened or relieved.
Hearing the cha-ching of a credit card made Lexi’s whole demeanor change. Her dimples sparkling on both of her cheeks as she looped an arm through mine and led me toward the exit. “So, first thing first. We need a way to get Emma alone—without Chase. That is our biggest obstacle.”
“I’d say he is a ginormous obstacle,” I grumbled, pausing.
She shook her long hair. “Don’t be such a buzz kill. There are two of us and only one Chase Winters.” She didn’t have tell me that. “How hard can it be to ditch him?” she asked.
I sunk against a wall lined with lacy bras. “We’re doomed.” And as if to seal my impending failure, an entire rack of black bras rained down on my head.
Lexi snickered. “I’m telling you. It’s a sign. You should have totally gotten that thong.”
I pulled Lexi out of Victoria’s Secret as fast as possible before someone noticed the mess I’d left behind and banned me from the store. Lexi, of course, started laughing loud and uncontrollably as I tugged her along.
Planting my butt in one of the chairs in the food court, I gave her the stink eye. “Lex, I swear. If you hauled me to the mall just to shop, I’ll murder you.”
She was utterly unfazed by my threat. “And I’m supposed to be the violent one. Of course I didn’t. That was just an added bonus.”
I dropped my head onto the table, not caring about the amount of germs I was subjecting myself to. “Seriously, what are we going to do?” Propping my elbows on the table, I leaned my chin on my hands. “I can’t stand another night knowing that Chase is out there combing the woods, looking for Travis. I hate thinking that either one of them could get hurt.” I might not be Travis’s biggest fan right now, but he was still my friend. I had to do everything I could to fix this, even if it was going to make a certain half-demon extremely angry.
A gleam of determination flickered in Lexi’s aqua eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan.”
Oh goodie gumdrops.
~*~*~*~
The doorbell rang, and Mom looked to the front entrance and sighed. Untying the apron at her waist, she ran a hand down her caramel hair, smoothing any loose pieces.
I sat at the table smirking, already knowing who waited on the other side of the door. We might see each other every day, but it didn’t stop the excited anticipation from bouncing in my stomach. And of course the tattoo at my hip radiated whenever he was near.
My mom might have been irked by the disturbance, but it was a much welcomed reprieve from the awkward conversation she had started. “Chase, what a surprise,” Mom said, not really sounding surprised. She leaned on the doorframe. “I swear you can smell my cooking. We just sat down.”
He gave her a heart-melting grin. My insides sang, and I wasn’t even on the receiving end, but, Lord, I knew how devastating it could be.
She waved him in. “You might as well come in and take a seat.”
“Thank you, Ms. Morgan,” he said.
She crossed her arms and gave him that mother glare I knew far too well. For once I was glad it wasn’t aimed at me. “What did I tell you? It’s Chloe. Cut the formalities. You practically live here anyway.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, stepping inside, his lips still curled.
She shut the door. “Oh God, that’s worse.”
He winked at me. I think Chase enjoyed ruffling Mom’s feathers.
“Don’t think that smile of yours is going to save you,” she said as she went back into the kitchen to gather a plate for Chase. It was twice the size of ours. “Actually, it’s a good thing you came over.”
Crap on a stick.
I did not like where this was going. Not. One. Bit. I quickly glanced around the room, trying to think of an escape.
She set his plate in front of him and took her seat across from us. “Angel and I were just talking about sex.”
Chase coughed.
“Mom,” I groaned, prepared to spill my milk. Anything except have this discussion with my boyfriend present, especially since I had just recently told him I wanted to have sex with him.
She barreled on as if we all weren’t squirming in our chairs. “Chase, first let me just say how much safer I feel knowing that when I am at work, she has you here. Particularly after the disappearance of that man right here in Spring Valley and the police have no leads or suspects. It makes me nervous knowing that Angel is alone, but…”
Here it comes.
“I still worry,” she finished. “Except now I am worried about babies.”
Dead silence.
I didn’t even know what to say. My cheeks burned red, and I wanted to find the smallest hole to crawl into.
Chase cleared his throat. “You don’t have to worry. Angel and I aren’t having…sex.” The word seemed to get stuck in his throat. Poor guy.
Mom twirled a fork of pasta, a staple at all our dinners. “Is there something wrong with my daughter? You two are dating, right? And you are here late almost every night.”
Chase choked.
I dropped my head on the table. God kill me now.
Only my mom would think because Chase and I had not gotten our freak on, that there was something wrong with us. Or that he found something lacking in her daughter. There really was no understanding her reasoning. Some days I was damned if I do and damned if I don’t.
“No. Umm.” Mr. Smooth was sweating it now. If this had been any other situation, I would have enjoyed seeing him writhe. “Just the opposite. It’s not that I don’t—I mean, I do. It’s just we’ve only been dating a few months. I don’t want to rush anything. I won’t pressure her.”
Wow.
How the heck did he pull that off and manage to look like a saint in Mom’s eyes? If she didn’t already love him, she would be sunk now. “Well, good. I am glad that you two are being responsible.”
I twiddled with my fork, pushing the green beans around on my plate. My cheeks were still the color of ripe tomatoes, and I had completely lost my appetite. I couldn’t have been happier and more relieved when dinner was finally over. Cha
se and I did the dishes, which was like taking a bath. I ended up soaked with bubbles in my hair, and it took longer than it should have. Afterwards we snuck upstairs while Mom snuggled on the couch, catching up on her reality shows.
I grabbed a towel to dry off my hair and changed my clothes. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Chase was lounging on my bed. “Are you as confused as I am about what just happened?” he asked, running his fingers through his hair.
I belly flopped on my bed. “I’m officially scarred for life.”
“Is that normal?” He rolled to his side.
With my feet swinging in the air, I answered, “Very.”
His eyes glanced at the closed door. “Do you think she thinks we are—?”
“Don’t even say it. I have had all the talk I can handle about doing the nasty with you, unless of course you are down?” I turned, curling into him.
“Don’t tempt me.”
That was just it. I did want to tempt him. Every bone. Every muscle. Every fiber of my being wanted to be with him. Only him. “I don’t get why you’ve suddenly grown a conscience. If I was any other girl—”
He cut me off. “Angel. You aren’t just some girl.”
When he said things like that, I lost the ability to breathe.
His fingers were combing through my hair. “It’s because I do care,” he continued. “The stakes are higher for us. That one act changes both our lives—forever.”
“Don’t you want to be with me?” I was showing a vulnerable side I hated.
“You know I do. This isn’t about me, and actually this is the most selfless decision I’ve ever made. If I wasn’t thinking about you, we would have ended up in bed months ago. I am a selfish person, but I can’t tie you to me without giving you the chance to leave before it’s too late.”
The thought of leaving Chase gave me a panic attack. My breathing became short, my chest felt tight, and I thought I might pass out. “I don’t ever want to leave.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “You say that now.”
I took his face in my hands, staring hard into his eyes. “Not ever.
“Angel.”
I silenced him with my lips and climbed into his lap, straddling him. “Ever,” I murmured into his mouth and kissed him again just to make sure he got the point.
His lips grinned under mine. “Okay, I got it.”
I dropped another light kiss on him and another, because one, heck two was never enough. “Good.”
Both his hands spanned at my waist. As usual, he never gave me any warning before hoisting me off him. I landed on my butt, my mattress springs squeaking under the impact. Blowing pieces of my hair out of my face, I stared at the ceiling.
“So what did you get at the mall?” he asked, dangling the small shopping bag at the end of his finger.
I had totally forgotten. “I got this killer new video game,” I told him as I sat up. “It’s got flesh-eating zombies in it.”
He gave a light shake of his head, smirking. “You are the only girl I know that can go to the mall and not buy one pair of shoes, not one article of clothing, but come home with a gory game.”
“Thank you. That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” I dabbed at the corner of my eye. “It brought a tear to my eye.”
“This has been the strangest day.”
“It’s not over yet, big guy,” I said, snatching the game from his hands.
His mouth tightened. “That’s what I am afraid of.”
I snorted. “I thought you weren’t afraid of anything.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “I wasn’t. Then I met you.”
“Funny.”
“Who’s laughing?” He always had to have the last word.
Chapter 8
I hadn’t lost my freakish charisma.
Nope. To my annoyance, I was still some kind of guy-magnet at school, but with a tall, dark, scowling half-demon by my side, I was spared just passing glimpses. It was those rare times that I found myself without him that gave me anxiety.
A crowd would form around me, and they would all be vying for my attention, along with the endless questions and cheesy lines.
Do you want to hang out sometime?
We should totally hook up sometime.
You look so hawt today.
I smacked at a hand that was twirling my hair.
“This is not a petting zoo,” barked a voice behind me. “Scram.” And like the parting sea, the horde of boys moved. Lexi had her hands on her hips and tapped her heel impatiently. “Sorry I’m late.”
“Don’t sweat it. Blake was just asking me to marry him.”
“Wow. Only one marriage proposal?” Her eyes widened playfully. “You’re losing your touch.”
“Don’t make me hit you,” I said while juggling my books.
She giggled. “It is a good thing you’re feeling bitchy.”
“Yeah, why’s that?” I regretted asking the moment the question popped out of my mouth.
We started walking side by side down the hall in mimicking strides. “Today is the day we get my brother back.”
I tripped. “T-today?” I stammered.
She gave me a foxy smile. “You got it, GI Jane.”
Suddenly I was feeling trembly inside. “What’s the plan?” I asked warily.
Her step had a skip to it as if she was looking forward to what we were going to do. “Just follow my lead,” she instructed.
I stopped. “That’s your freaking master plan?” I whispered forcefully.
She gave me a one-shoulder shrug. “You got a better one? And don’t worry. Sierra is going to take care of Chase.”
I pinned her with a sharp look. “I just bet my bony ass she is,” I mumbled, frowning.
We waited until the ninth period bell rang. Normally, I didn’t ditch class, but this was a dire circumstance, which called for drastic measures. Lexi used her demon mojo to get us out of class, a class I had with her and not her cousin. I had to conserve my mystical abilities for the grand finale.
“How do you even know she is going to show up?” I asked as we snuck out the back entrance of school that led toward the football field, which still gave me the heebie-jeebies. I refused to look into the woods bordering the property.
She fixed a candy apple smile on her lips. “Because I slipped her a note she couldn’t resist.”
I rubbed my hands together, wishing I’d had the good sense to have grabbed my sweater. It was freezing out here. I sucked at planning ahead. Demon blood normally ran degrees hotter than human blood, so Lexi wasn’t affected in the least by the biting winds. “Great,” I said sarcastically. “You’re going to get us killed.”
The winter air teased strands of her blonde hair. “Where’s your faith? Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“I lost it when I died.” I could feel my cheeks getting wind burned. That was going to be attractive.
She didn’t find that funny. Truthfully, neither did I, but it was a case of my mouth moving before I knew what I was saying. I had that mouth-flapping ailment.
Just as Lexi had predicted, Emma was there, waiting for us with hawk eyes. She was propped against the chain-link fence in her black cargo pants and mean looking shit-kickers.
Deep breaths.
Long deep breaths.
Wouldn’t want to alert the boyfriend, but I think he might be getting used to my neurotic emotions.
We crossed the distance to Emma. Her brows knitted, and a flicker of anticipation crossed her emerald eyes. She was itching to drive a sword through my back. I could feel it vibrating in the atmosphere surrounding her.
It was go time.
She didn’t give us any warning, but then again, I hadn’t really expected her to. Emma immediately launched herself at Lexi who sidestepped the attack easily enough. I scrambled to get out of the way, and just in time. Spinning around, Emma twirled a shiny red dagger between her fingers.
Emma. Brought. A. Weapon. To. School.
Son of a bitch.
This just got ugly.
“I wondered when you were going to try to mind-rape me,” she sneered. “Took you long enough, but I always knew you were slow. I’m not going to make it easy on you.”
Of course not. It wouldn’t have been in true Emma style if she had. I was a little put out that she knew the plan. It gave her an edge.
Fear jackknifed in my chest. I knew that if we were going to pull off this insane stunt, I needed to get my emotions in check. Pronto. Or we were going to have a very super-pissed Chase up our tushies.
While I was battling my emotions, Emma swung out at Lexi. My girl Lexi blocked the first jab, quicker than I could see. Circling each other, they exchanged swipes, only to be dodged again and again. I could hardly believe how Emma was able to keep up with Lexi’s movements when I could barely see them.
Emma sliced out at Lexi’s torso. Lexi dashed to the right, her eyes flaming amber.
“Stay out of the way,” Lexi grumbled under her breath.
I assumed she meant me. No problemo.
Advancing on Emma, Lexi managed to stop another arching attack from carving the tip of her button nose. She held Emma’s arm in an ironclad grip above her head. Then, in a total girl move, Lexi grabbed a fistful of Emma’s strawberry-blonde ponytail with her free hand and yanked. Emma squeaked and then kicked, catching Lexi in the stomach.
I watched as Lexi lost her breath for just a fraction of a moment, but it was all that Emma, the ninja, needed. The broad side of her arm slipped past Lexi’s blocks, cutting Lexi on the forearm. It hardly deterred her, but the pleasure on Emma’s face spiked something inside me.
I propelled forward.
In a gasp, we tumbled to the ground. Emma hadn’t expected me, and the element of surprise caused her to lose her hold on the blade. The knife clattered to the ground. I didn’t think. I just acted. In a rush, I sat up on her chest and cocked my arm back, punching her right on the side of her jaw. Sharp pain exploded across my knuckles, but I didn’t so much as wince. No pain, no gain, or some crap like that. At least I’d finally gotten her attention.