School of Broken Wings

by C. R. Jane

  Kelly starts to lead us through the house that just gets more amazing as we go. I try and keep myself distracted, but when she pretends to trip and happens to fall into Alexander, I snap. She blushes when she inhales his scent, and I find myself looking around the room for a weapon to cut her offending hands off.

  A soft growl creeps out of me. Dante tightens his grip on my waist, as if he senses I'm about to pounce.

  "What do you think of the place?" Braxton says loudly after Alexander steadies her and then steps away.

  "Fine," I spit out, trying to tear my eyes away from Kelly, who doesn't seem to realize she's possibly in mortal damage.

  "Wait until you see the kitchen," she chooses to gush at that moment, turning a corner and disappearing out of sight.

  Connor, Finn, Nyx, and Alexander follow Kelly to look at the kitchen, but Dante holds me back. Braxton approaches me cautiously, but I can tell he's trying to hold back a smirk.

  "What's wrong, Adeline?" he practically coos at me. "Don't you like the house?"

  I suddenly feel like I'm about to cry. I look anywhere but at him and Dante, trying to get ahold of myself. I've never been aggressive, and here I am thinking about murdering our real estate agent. What is wrong with me?

  "I'm not sure what's going on with me, but if Kelly touches any of you again, I'm not sure what I'm going to do but it's probably going to end up with her being thrown out that back window," I tell them shakily, still keeping my eyes averted from them.

  I hear Dante snort, and a rumble of laughter also bursts from Braxton. Furious, I stare at them. "Did you not just hear that I might maim our real estate agent? What could possibly be funny about that?" I gasp out, my emotions feeling all over the place.

  "Shhh. It's okay, baby. I'll make sure that Ms. Kelly keeps her distance," says Braxton, still laughing as he walks away from us, shaking his head like I've just told him the funniest thing he's ever heard.

  "What is so funny?" I growl again at Dante, not sure if I want to cry or rage at him.

  He brushes a kiss against my forehead, also still chuckling. "We'll tell you after she leaves."

  I'm not sure what Braxton said to her, but Kelly keeps her distance from the guys for the rest of the tour. I can tell she's struggling not to send me dirty looks though.

  With her acting at least a little bit more professional, I'm able to calm down enough to look at the house. It's done up in light colors designed to mimic the beach and the water beyond its walls. The walls are painted a bright white color, and the floor is a light, aged hardwood accented with turquoise, dark blue, and white rugs. The kitchen is a chef's dream with more gadgets and gizmos than I could ever possibly use. The cabinets are a soft white color, and the countertops are a white quartz flecked with gold. There are seven bedrooms, a gym that rivals the one my dad went to back home, and an actual sauna.

  I think we should just stay here forever.

  "Well, what do you think of the place?" Braxton asks when we finish the tour, pulling me into his arms and letting the group go into the next room so that we're alone.

  "It's amazing. Far nicer than any place I've ever lived," I tell him.

  "We may be on the run, but it would be nice to be able to spoil my girlfriend at least a little."

  "Is that what I am? Your girlfriend?" I tease, feeling a little bit twitterpated.

  "Girlfriend doesn't seem like the right word for what I feel for you," he says in a low voice, and the butterflies in my stomach seem to grow exponentially.

  "Same," I whisper lamely, wondering how we got to this place.

  There's a long pause where we just stare at each other, the tension building in the room, and then I hear Kelly's voice from down the hallway. "Now where did Mr. Braxton go..."

  I stiffen in Braxton's arms, and he gives me that infuriating smirk that none of them seem to be able to get rid of.

  Kelly appears with the other guys close behind, all looking annoyed. She seems to be caught off guard by the fact that Braxton and I are embracing. Caught off guard...and jealous.

  I swim with satisfaction and give Braxton a deep kiss before stepping away from him. That's right, sister. He's mine.

  "So, what are your thoughts about the place?" she asks, a fake smile on her face as she tries to close the deal, even though she hasn't been able to close any of the guys yet.

  "We'll take it," says Braxton matter-of-factly.

  I see her eyes light up.

  "We'll move in tonight."

  "To...night?" she stutters.

  Braxton pulls a stack of bills out of his pocket. "Will that be a problem?"

  Her mouth hangs open like a fish. "No, I'll get the paperwork," she stammers, trotting off.

  "Who's sleeping where?" Connor asks with a sly grin as soon as she's out of hearing distance.

  Alexander scoffs. "Be lucky we're not making you sleep under the dock with the bums."

  Connor's grin fades, and he takes a step towards Alexander. It's obvious they're itching for a fight.

  "Let's go meet Kelly and get this settled so we don't have to sleep at the Motel 6," I joke, trying to settle the tension.

  Connor and Alexander shoot each other looks that makes it obvious this isn't over, but they luckily listen to me, and we all walk back into the main entryway to meet Kelly who is hustling from her car, holding a stack of papers.

  Twenty minutes later and the mansion is ours for the foreseeable future.

  Kelly tries to give Braxton a hug as she leaves, but he deftly sidesteps it, saving her from the maiming I'd been planning once again. She takes a step back and awkwardly waves at us before striding back to her car dejectedly.

  As soon as she gets out the gates, I turn on the guys. "Someone explain. Right now. Why am I growling and plotting that woman's death?"

  Everyone but Connor grins. Connor just looks non-plussed, like he's trying to hide his real reaction.

  "You're an angel," Finn says gently, stating the obvious.

  "Yes..."

  "Angels aren't the creatures that you probably imagine. They certainly aren't shooting people with arrows of love or lounging about in fluffy clouds," Dante inserts.

  "Well obviously," I retort, gesturing to myself.

  "Angels are aggressive and extremely protective of what they consider to be theirs," Finn continues, shooting Dante a dirty look for interrupting.

  "So you're saying that my reaction was because I think of you as mine," I say slowly, my cheeks flushing.

  "We're saying that you pretty much love us," Finn says, smiling widely.

  "You already knew that," I whisper, keeping my eyes averted from Connor. There was once a time that I thought I could love him, and now...I just feel confused.

  "Humans are fickle," Braxton says gently. "They say they love each other and rarely grasp the concept. But angels on the other hand… An angel showing possession over someone isn't something that is done lightly. It means far more."

  "Oh," is all I can respond with, more flustered than I can ever remember being.

  I've never seen them look so happy.

  "It's going to be a problem if I just start growling and attempting murder on anyone who flirts with you though," I say haughtily. "You're not going to be so happy when you're cleaning up bodies. And think of how awkward it will get in restaurants. We'll have to refrain from going anywhere public for the rest of our lives."

  Nyx throws an arm around my waist and begins to lead me away from the group, all of which are laughing uproariously at what I've just said. "Let's go pick out your bedroom, little warrior. Hopefully, they have one with a really big bed."

  My cheeks flush even darker at the thought of all the guys in bed with me at once. I glance back behind me before I turn the corner and I see Connor staring after me intensely. I'm going to have to figure out sooner rather than later if I want to answer the questions in his eyes.

  I never imagined losing my heart to five men...and here I am, pretty sure that I've lost my heart to a sixth.
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  Chapter 2

  Finn winces as Alexander once again knocks me to my back on the training mat of the gym. I let out a long moan. This is going terribly. Whatever strength had come out of me during that fight with Clarissa appears to have left the building. I'm wheezing as I lie here.

  I hit the ground with my hand. "Ok, I submit," I gasp.

  I hear the guys all chuckle. "It's been twenty minutes," says Alexander smugly in front of me as he reaches down to offer me his hand so that I can get up off the ground. Because I'm positive I can't do it myself at the moment.

  "Alright, guys. Let's give her a break," says Connor, and the room quiets.

  Alexander saunters over to where Connor is leaning against the wall. Alexander's body is lean like a panther's. And I will readily admit that half my trouble is how good he looks in his workout pants and nothing else. It's a little hard to concentrate on fighting techniques when you have a veritable Greek god in front of you.

  "I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you," hisses Alexander. "For her to be weak and defenseless and have to depend on you."

  Connor rolls his eyes. "I just don't see a situation where one of us won't be with her. We don't have to teach her a hundred years of krav maga in one day. You're a million times stronger than her. One wrong move, and she's dead."

  Before I can blink, Alexander has Connor off his feet and slammed back against the wall with his forearm digging in his chest. "Unlike you, I happen to know exactly how precious Adeline is. Now that I have her, there isn't any force in this world that will take her from me, nor will I ever hurt her. Whatever game you think you're playing, it won't work." With one more shove against his chest, Alexander pushes away and walks back towards me.

  Connor looks furious, like he has a million things he'd like to say. I'm prepared for a brawl to break out, but Connor surprises me by throwing me one more frustrated look of longing before he leaves the room.

  "Ready to go again?" Alexander asks in a level voice, as if his altercation with Connor never happened.

  "You guys should really try to get along with him," I tell him. "I've forgiven him for what happened. I think. But we don't need to fight. We're up against enough as it is."

  "I don't trust him. That boy has secrets, and I don't see him offering them up to us. And secrets are dangerous. As we've found out," Alexander responds bluntly. I sigh and look longingly out the window at the perfectly sunny beach day beckoning to me.

  "Adeline, we're not doing this to torture you," says Braxton.

  I immediately feel guilty for my attitude. I should be excited about this. I just hate the fact that I'm so terrible at it. "I'm ready," I tell them determinedly.

  Finn takes over for Alexander, since Alexander's tactics are obviously a little too advanced for me right now. Finn spends the next two hours going over basic defensive hand-to-hand combat tactics. We take a break for lunch, and then we spend another three hours in the afternoon going over the same. By the end of the day, I don't have the energy to drag myself out to the beach. Staring up at the stairs that lead to my room is even forbidding for me.

  "Sore?" asks Connor, making me jump. He moves like a ninja, just like the other guys. Just another example of how Connor is much more than he appears. Unlike the guys though, I'm not so sure Connor owes us all his secrets. He kind of got dragged into this mess.

  "I feel like I'm just one giant bruise," I tell him as I begin to limp up the stairs.

  "I wasn't saying that earlier because I think you're weak," he suddenly blurts out. I turn around and look at him in surprise. All the other guys have gone to take showers or surf, so it's just him and me.

  "You don't think I'm weak?" I ask.

  "I think you're actually the strongest person I've ever met. Time and time again, you've proven that to me," he says, walking up the stairs towards me until he is standing right in front of me. He's on the stair below me, so we're exactly the same height.

  Connor's voice is gravelly, like he's trying hard to restrain himself. His gaze keeps flicking from my eyes to my lips.

  It's like a stranger has taken over my body as my hand lifts up and I place the palm of my hand on his cheek. I watch as he closes his eyes and leans into it, like he's savoring the feel of my skin against his. We stand there like that for what seems like ten minutes before I finally come to my senses and take my hand away. I rush up the stairs away from Connor, my aching legs coming to life with my need to get away.

  I can't relax until the door is closed and locked behind me. I lean against it, flabbergasted over what just happened. I can't ignore the sparks I felt when my hand touched his face.

  But then again, attraction has never been a problem with Connor. His betrayal, on the other hand, is most definitely a problem.

  I quickly shower, too wound up to enjoy the enormous bathtub that had been calling my name throughout my training. The guys are still busy after I get dressed and walk out, so after I grab a snack, I head to the theater room to see what I can find to watch.

  I open the door to the room and inwardly curse when I see that Connor is already set up on one of the sofas, watching Wedding Crashers on the enormous screen. He did this on purpose. Connor knows how much I love that movie.

  I'm about to try and sneak out when he sees me. Evidently, I don't possess the same stealth that he and the others possess. "Adeline?" he asks.

  I take a deep breath, feeling like I have no choice but to walk over and sit with him. He doesn't take his eyes off of me the entire time, and I feel like I'm an open book, all of my conflicted feelings laid bare before him.

  We're both silent after I sit down, pretending to watch the movie even with the three-thousand pound elephant sitting between us that is my asinine move earlier on the stairs.

  The air in the room feels heavy...and hot, like I'm going to spontaneously burst into flames any minute now.

  I keep sneaking glances at Connor amidst Vince Vaughn's monologues, and I soak in his smiles and the laughs that sneak out of him as we watch. He has his guard up around the guys, so it's nice to see him relaxed like this. He doesn't seem to be feeling the same tension that I am. Maybe it wasn't a big deal to him? Maybe he just saw it as a friendly gesture?

  All of a sudden, he stops laughing, even though it was one of the funniest parts of the movie. I look over at him to see what's going on, and I find him staring at me now, all the earlier levity in his face gone.

  "Adeline?" he whispers, those questions back in his voice that I've been avoiding. Before I can think another thought, Connor's fingers are cupping my chin. He's trembling. With the lightest of pressure, he tilts my head gently back and slowly lowers his face closer to mine. “Please let me kiss you.”

  My stomach fills with fire, and my cheeks flush with heat. I can barely breathe from his whispered words.

  “Okay,” I answer, caught under his spell. As if a breeze, his warm lips brush against mine. Connor's hand trails feather-soft fingers down my neck, making my skin tingle under his touch. The sounds of the movie grow faint, and all I can hear is our quick, shallow breaths as his mouth moves against mine. Heat travels down my neck and across my chest, tightening my skin and coiling my muscles.

  It's always hard to believe that such a feeling can exist in such a simple touch of lips. I savor everything about this moment, knowing that it will disappear the second the kiss ends. When the tip of his tongue hesitantly brushes over my lips, I lose myself in his taste and his touch. I can feel his heart beneath his shirt, pounding so hard and fast against me that I imagine it bursting right out to meet mine.

  I reach my hand up and softly curve my fingers around the back of his neck and thread them through the silky strands of his hair. I've dreamed of touching him back at our old school, spent whole class periods daydreaming about what his lips would feel like...the touch of his skin against mine. He moans quietly under my touch, and his fingers press into my skin, fisting into the material of my sweatshirt.

  It feels...beautiful.

 
"What are we doing?" I breathe into his mouth, as I slide my tongue over his.

  "What I've wanted to do since the moment I saw you," he whispers back.

  A wild, breathless gasp escapes my lips as his hands press down around my face and his mouth crushes against mine once again. My hands fly up to his chest, fisting into his shirt, pulling him closer, greedily grasping, unable to get enough. The kiss is staggering, disorienting. Our lips move hot and wet over one another's, his tongue dipping into my mouth, shooting fire across my chest. His hands travel up, threading his fingers through my hair and he breaks away from our kiss. His hands fist my strands of hair and pull back until my face tilts up and our eyes are fixed on each other. His warm breath blows across my cheeks, and the rise and fall of his chest is wild as he grips my hair in his fists. His gaze darts back and forth between my eyes and my mouth, and his jaw clenches tightly. I feel his chest shudder and inhale deeply against mine.

  "Here’s the thing about the story of us, Adeline. Are you ready for it?" he growls and nips at my lips. "I'm going to make you fall in love with me."

  His hands grip me tighter. "I know I've fucked up. I'll never forgive myself for what I've done. But I'll do anything to get you to forgive me, to get you to feel this thing inside of me that only exists for you. It's like I've jumped off a cliff, Adeline. And the only thing that will save me is you. I’ve been in love with you this whole time. It's never stopped. I will never stop, and I will never give up on you." His voice lowers. "You're all I see, all I need."

  The tone of his breathless words coil heat through my belly. My heart is going wild. I never imagined we'd be here...that he would be saying those words to me.

  I want to say them back. I want to tell him how much he hurt me, how he drives me crazy, how I can't seem to get him off my mind, even when I know I should.

  But the words can't seem to come out.

  I open my mouth to try and say something, and the door to the theater room crashes open.