“Gladly.” I head over to the remnants of the Bitch Squad holing up in the dining room. It looks as if I’m forced to trade one wicked entity for the next. “Bree, text Emerson Kragger. Tell her to bring that winged brother of hers, too. Watching Chloe retch and vomit might bring a little joy to this otherwise dismal night.” Just as I’m about to give Chloe the heave-ho, the doorbell rings.
Mia’s eyes laser with rage. “Oh, for shit’s sake.”
Footsteps head down the hall just before a clean-cut-looking, strikingly handsome man appears in the family room, and the entire house quiets down to inspect him.
“Your dad let me in.” He looks to Mia with giant puppy dog eyes, and speaking of dogs, D-O-G heads his way and nuzzles his giant canine body around the man’s neatly pressed chinos. D-O-G, aka Bullet, happens to be partially owned by Mia and Rev. Sprinkles, our tinier, furrier, far more anxiety-riddled canine, is busy cowering under a chair—an action he’s taken to daily ever since the Landon house started to double as a daycare.
“You’re not wanted,” Mia strikes back. “I’m a happily engaged woman. I have the ring to prove it.” It’s true. Gabriel Armistead upgraded that twist tie that belongs on a loaf of bread with a genuine piece of gold-toned plastic with an obscenely large red ruby dotting the top—that I would swear on my children’s lives is edible—the back is adjustable to fit any of Mia’s wedding hungry fingers.
“Mia”—the clean-cut dude steps forward, and Gage’s chest puffs out because he’s a kind protector of my sister, something that I firmly appreciate about him—“you belong with me. I’m the only husband you should ever have. I’ve changed for you.” He holds out his arms as a testament, and there’s something about that face, those desperate eyes that look more than vaguely familiar.
“Oh my God!” I thunder. “Rev, is that you?” Revelyn Booth is a leather jacket wearing, ripped jean, Mohawk wearing bad boy, and here he is looking as if someone sent him to prep school as punishment—only he’s too old for prep school. He’s too old for Mia, but right about now, he’s looking like an all-around better prospect for my sister than Gabriel Armistead, poster child for boy bands the world over.
“Revelyn.” He nods. “I’m going by my formal name now.”
Poor guy. It’s not really much of an upgrade. But that suit, that clean-shaven face? Rev, Revelyn, whoever the hell he’s reinvented himself into, belongs on the cover of GQ, or stalking Wall Street, not begging my teen sister for her hand in marriage.
“Ugh,” Mia grunts as if someone just socked her in the belly. “Gabe and I already have a date set, our e-vites are getting their finishing touches, and I’ve already ordered my dress from Hollister.” She stalks over and flicks his tie, rather heartlessly, might I add. And e-vites? A date? A dress from a surf shop? Mia and I have to talk, stat. “All vital information that would have been useful to me yesterday. Everyone knows once that wedding train pulls out of the station, you don’t just jump ship. You see it through, and I’m afraid that’s what I’m going to have to do. Besides, Gabe’s mother is a real bitch. If I try to cancel now, she’ll make the next fifty years a living hell for me.”
Mother-in-law problems already? God, can I ever relate. It feels as if Emma’s disdain for me only grows by the minute. I’m sure if I dumped Gage and latched myself to Logan, she’d be my new best friend. Not that I’d be up for knocking back margaritas with her at happy hour. Not that I’ve ever done that with anyone. The only best friends I need are Bree and Laken—and at the moment, they’ve both lost their minds. Bree with her haphazard spending, not to mention haphazard tax evasion—and Laken with her mental blackout concerning the best moments of her life, i.e., her time with Cooper Flanders.
A thought comes to me. Hey? Maybe her time at Ephemeral is inaccessible thanks to Wes and the legion of binding spirits he’s set over it like a hedge, but what about last year? What about just a day before she was kidnapped by the feds? Surely she would be amused to see how happy she was to be with Cooper. I think a little kidnapping of my own is in order. Although, Wes did bring up a good point regarding her delicate state. Our little jaunt through time just might have to wait.
Mom blasts back into the room with the boys toddling in front of her. Misty and Ember head over to play with their dolls. It’s adorable how they morph into mini- mommies whenever the boys are around. The only attention Beau ever shows Nathan or Barron is when he trips them for laughs. He is his father’s son, I’ll give him that.
Mom inspects Rev with wild eyes. “What in heaven’s name is going on here?”
Demetri glides his arm over her shoulders, and it looks alarmingly intimate, all too natural. I have a feeling he’s gliding more than an arm in that shared bed of theirs. “It seems a wedding is on the horizon. Mia here has invites and a date.”
My sister chokes. “My God, you’re such a fucking snitch. I never could stand you.” Nice. I’m secretly cheering Mia on for verbalizing exactly how I feel, but, technically, she did spew those details openly. Not that I would ever defend Demetri.
“Mia!” Mom howls so loud that for a brief moment nothing but sweet silence follows the assault. “You may not speak to a guest like that in my home. And what is this nonsense? You can’t have a date and invitations. You haven’t cleared any of this with me.”
Mia’s lips tremble like she might cry. Either that or she’s telling us all off under her breath. I’m betting it’s the latter. “You know what? If that’s the tone you’re going to take with me, then it’s none of your business.” She takes a bold step toward Rev. “And you! How dare you look like you should be modeling underwear in Times Square after the fact! I will never speak to you again for looking so hot in my presence. And don’t you dare think about dating my sister. Her mouth might be watering for my sloppy seconds, but you are not allowed to give it to her.”
He nods like an obedient puppy, eager to please, and something about the gesture breaks my heart.
Chloe steps up and licks her lips, her gaze fixed on Gage. “I’m up for some sloppy seconds. How about you and I cut to the chase, head upstairs, and I’ll let you make me your dirty little bitch?”
Gage blinks back, clearly appalled. “You are a vile, demented pig.”
“You know it really turns me on when you talk dirty to me.” Chloe smirks. “I’m stealing your phony wife for the night. It’s Miller’s bachelorette party. Watch the brats, would you?”
Gage grunts as if she sucker punched him. “You may never reference my children that way, Chloe. In fact, don’t reference my niece that way either. That would be your daughter in the event you lost track of who that might be. And yes”—he drops a sweet kiss to the top of my forehead—“I’ll watch the boys. Have a great time. Don’t do anything crazy.”
“You know I won’t.” I hike up on my tiptoes and gift him a proper kiss.
“Aw!” Mom bleats while looking to the two of us. “If those two weren’t meant to be together, I don’t know who is.” She reaches up and takes ahold of Demetri’s hand as if they too were a couple—as if she were underscoring their own crooked destiny.
“Chloe, can you leave so we can have some privacy?” The words stream from me catatonic.
“And miss the show?” She snorts while crossing her arms and settling in for the long haul. “Not on your life, Messenger. Who’s up for your meager wrath tonight? Don’t forget to save a little fire and brimstone for yours truly. My day wouldn’t be complete without having you threaten me properly at least once before bedtime.”
Mia and Melissa have cornered Rev. Em and Bree are off in their own world. It’s just my mother and that monster she has coiled around her like a serpent.
“Stand in line, Chloe. I’ll get to you later.” I take a step in, flaring with anger at my mother and that beast she’s wearing like a winter coat. “What in the hell is going on between you two?” Gage takes up my hand and gives me a little tug, but I’m not interested in interpreting it at the moment. “Are you sleeping together right th
ere in front of Tad? On the very same bed, for shit’s sake?”
Mom and the demon exchange amused glances before Demetri turns to me. “Yes, Skyla. I’m sleeping with your mother. We do it every night, and we have been for months.”
“Oh my God!” I stagger backward as if he just blew through my chest with an Uzi.
“Skyla!” Mom breaks out into a rash of inappropriate giggles. “He’s being literal. How many times do I have to say it? Both Tad and he have terrible backs. Demetri insisted Tad share a bed with him. And, of course, Tad being the macho man he is insisted I create a buffer between them. There has been no hanky-panky, I can assure you.”
I recoil a bit because my mind went straight to the visualization of what hanky-panky between the two of them might look like.
“Demetri”—I say it low, threatening, but truthfully, I’m just trying not to vomit—“please end this farce. I know that haunted castle of yours has to have at least one livable room to land a bed in. For that matter, I reiterate the offer for you to sleep at my own house behind the gates. It’s closer to ground zero, and that way you can supervise those sloths you hired to pick their noses at an hourly rate.”
He shoots an exasperated look to Gage. “We’ve been around the block with this, Skyla. That is your home with my son. You and your family should be there. I refuse to tread on your brand new family any more than I already am. Lizbeth is my oldest, dearest, most beautiful friend, and I’m forever indebted that she offered up her own bedroom to me in the first place.”
Mom blushes at that long list of adjectives he just hurled at her like a dozen lovesick roses. “Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. Don’t you ever let my daughter try to intimidate you. My bed is your bed, and I’ll gladly warm it with my own body, night after night. You’ve been nothing but generous to my husband and me—paying our electric bill, offering Emily carte blanche at the Cost Club.” She shoots me a dirty look. “Demetri has paid for your every meal. He’s the reason you have that handsome, strapping young man by your side and those two babes who suckled on your bosom.”
“Please leave my boobs out of this, Mother.” I glower over at Demetri. “Fine. You might be winning this battle, but you will never win the war. Not on this front, not with the Factions. You can’t have my mother. She has a husband. She acknowledged the fact with her own lips. And if, God forbid, anything ever happened to poor Tad, I think we’d all know where to pin the blame.” Honestly, why hold back? We all know Tad is ripe to have a work-related freak accident. But then again, Tad is splashing in the deep end of the Spectator swimming pool. Knowing him, he might come to his clumsy end all by his lonesome. A thought comes to me.
“Hey, Demetri?” I sweeten my tone a sugary notch. “I think it’s safe to say we are all apprised of how extraordinarily powerful you are.” I bat my lashes at him while my mother wraps both her arms around his waist and offers up a hearty squeeze—a move I’m sure she’s perfected underneath the sheets. Gag me. “How about you offer up a little supernatural protection for my wonderful stepfather? I mean, it would be tragic if anything happened to him when we all know you have the ability to stave off just about any unforeseeable horrific event. I’m sure my mother would greatly appreciate it. She’s already been widowed once. I can speak firsthand that it’s something she’d never want to experience again.”
That greasy grin of his glides off his face as his eyes stiffen over mine. Apparently, Demetri has hard limits and ensuring Tad’s safety is one of them. It appears I’ve screwed with tomorrow’s afternoon plans of dismemberment and decapitation.
“Demetri!” Mom cinches her grip over him as if she were trying to hold him down to earth. “That’s a fantastic idea.” She frowns my way as if maybe it’s not. “But I’m not entirely sure it’s necessary. I mean, how dangerous is it to take a ten-minute ferry? Skyla, Tad is a security presence on an island that virtually needs no protection. He walks the backwoods every day. He’s told me so himself.” She pats the imaginary dust off Demetri’s shoulder. “Please don’t waste your precious time with Tad. He’s a grown man who can fend for himself. If you need anyone to look after, Nathan and Barron would appreciate all the time you’re willing to give them.”
“As you wish.” He lands his cheek lovingly over the top of her head.
Damn. Foiled again. I growl at the two of them because obviously coherent words spoken in the King’s English have gotten me nowhere.
“Come on, Demetri.” Mom shakes her head at me, not bothering to hide her disappointment. “I’ll run your bath.”
He gives a sly wink my way as they pass us by. “Perhaps I should consider moving into the garage?”
“Not on your life, mister.” Mom steals a moment to glare at me. “You are not going anywhere.”
Nope, Demetri’s not going anywhere, but I have a feeling Tad is.
I turn to Gage. “It looks like Demetri has just garnered his long-term residency pass.”
“Please.” Chloe scoffs. “I could have had him out on night one. You’re a novice in every arena, Skyla. You let people walk all over you so often you’ve practically turned it into a sport. I can’t wait to sit back and watch in the peanut gallery as life knocks you over like a bowling pin—yes, soak in the irony. The first place your lust-fueled ass landed on this planet was at that decrepit place, standing in front of Logan and Gage like an offering. And your life has been a living shitstorm ever since. What I won’t enjoy is watching you take down the Factions along with the rest of your life. I have no idea why anyone from one of those godforsaken Factions you rule over hasn’t thumped you over the head with a frying pan and told you to wake up. Put an ice pack between your legs and ignore your heart for once. You are this close to losing everything for everybody. And as time goes on with you as our leader, there will be less and less people for you to mismanage.” She gets in close, her bitter coffee breath offending me. “There will be a body count, Skyla. A big one if you don’t get it together. Have you really listened to what that wicked witch who calls herself your mother has to say? How about that Sector with a boner for you the size of a lightning rod? Have you opened your ears to anyone but the one you lay your head next to on the pillow at night? Skyla, he’s your enemy. I don’t care how much I adore him. I’m smart enough to know he’s toxic to our people. And the longer you let your kids marinate in his presence, they will be, too.”
My hand connects with her cheek so fast I can hardly catch my breath. “There’s the slap I owed you. You’ll get the rest of what I plan on gifting you later tonight. Call your mother and say your goodbyes. I’m through with you, Chloe. You have less than twenty-four hours left on this planet.” My voice steels itself as my body shakes with anger.
“Wow.” Her eyes enlarge a moment. “I can use your dead husband’s head like a dildo and all I get for that is a beating, but I bruise your ego and watch out. It’s time for me to meet the Reaper.”
“The Reaper has the night off, Chloe. I’ll be filling in for him.” I pump a short-lived smile. “I’m going to say goodnight to Gage and the boys. I’ll meet you and the girls out front.”
She scuttles off toward Bree and Em, and instantly the two of them let out a painful yelp in unison before shooting me a dirty look. It’s nice to see Chloe has already started singing her swan song.
“Skyla”—Gage pulls me in by the elbow, his eyes darkened with concern—“I don’t know what to say. Do I cheer you on? Do I stop you?”
“You can’t stop me, so I’m pretty sure that narrows the field.” I hike up on my heels and gift him a lingering kiss on the lips. “Besides, I’ve cheered you on for years. Turnabout is fair play.” I give a little wink.
“What if you can use her?”
I know that look on his face. What he’s really asking is what if he can use her. Just the thought of Gage using Chloe in any capacity makes my stomach turn.
“She’s been yoked to my side for over a year now and I’m still on the same hamster wheel with Wesley. I th
ink it’s time to make some changes. I can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. And the first change I’m going to make is revoking Chloe’s earthly visa. That bitch stops breathing tonight, and I’ll be the root cause of the oxygen deprivation.”
He grimaces a moment, and those signature dimples of his dig in making me want to scrap all plans of mischief and murder off the table and do nothing but bed my husband.
“Skyla”—he leans in and plants a kiss just above my ear—“I will support you in whatever you decide, but have you thought about the consequences? The Justice Alliance? Your mother?”
“Yes.” I pull back, stunned that he even went there. “Chloe has killed both of my husbands. She is a clear and present threat to my wellbeing and the boys. She’s had a personal vendetta against me since before I knew she existed. You’re forgetting that I’ve already killed her once, Gage. This time, I’m simply going to make sure she stays dead.” I look back at her as she huddles with Bree and Em, clearly defying my orders to wait for me outside. “She’s rogue. She’s dangerous. And if I don’t exterminate her once and for all, I’ll live to regret it. I can feel it in my bones, Gage. Something drastic and horrid is on the horizon. And trust me, Chloe is never far from that equation in my life. As much as she tries to paint herself as a bystander, she’s very much the opposition.”
“You’re on the same side. She has never truly helped my brother.”
My eyes snap back to his. “You’re a good guy, Gage. But the one person you don’t have to defend is Chloe.”
“Fine. But she wasn’t the one who killed me. The only husband of yours she slaughtered was Logan.” His cheek cinches a moment at the mention of the boy he once saw as a brother, probably still does. “She defiled me.”
“I’m not sure which is worse.” I offer up another quick kiss before attacking the boys with tickles and hugs. “I won’t be too late,” I assure the love of my life.
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