The Black Rider

by J B Trepagnier

  “You have a funny idea of what dates should be, Leif.”

  “That totally wasn’t a date! That was work. When we do get our date, I will plan the best apocalypse date ever.”

  “Movies and food were a good first date, Leif. I enjoyed snuggling with you.”

  “Oh, we will have a date that’s just you and me like we originally planned. Then, you’ll have one with Aeron. I imagine you’ll eventually have one with Dice and Asher too.”

  I stopped walking.

  “Slow your roll there, cowboy. I don’t even know them, and you said I could change my visions. I already said no orgies. I can’t handle four boyfriends.”

  Leif just let out this little huff like he knew something I didn’t. I didn’t know why Leif was okay with sharing me with Aeron. Why did he want to bring two more men in?

  I changed the subject because I didn’t want to think about it.

  “What did you need Zombie Jose’s blood for?”

  “I combined your blood with mine and tweaked it a little. There’s a way to kill the Rage Heads without killing the rest of humanity. I have to figure out a vaccine first, so I need a little bit of Rage Head blood to do that.”

  “How do you kill a Rage Head without killing the rest of humanity?”

  “Mistletoe. I just need to use the strains not toxic to humans.”

  “The Christmas kissing plant will be how we kill zombies?”

  Leif just laughed and kissed the top of my head.

  “Mistletoe is so much more than that. I’ve got some growing here. I planted it when I first set up the lab. I need to test this, Ariel.”

  I shrugged. I’d kiss his happy ass under every single mistletoe plant in this lab if it worked. As for me, I had some emails to go through.

  Chapter 25

  L

  eif had to let his samples do something for the night in one of his machines, so we took a break for the night. It was still early. Way earlier than it usually was when we stopped for the night. Leif kissed my hand as he led me out of the lab. And yeah, I held his hand again on the way out.

  “I have something for you,” Leif said.

  “A present?”

  “Well, it’s mine, but I wanted to give it to you because it might help trigger some of your memories.”

  “What is it?”

  He just booped me on the nose with his finger. I know he did not just boop me on the nose. I snapped at his finger when he pulled away, and I was only half serious about not biting him.

  “If I told you, it would ruin the surprise.”

  Leif led me to the couch and sat me down. He came back into the room with something behind his back. He presented me with a book. I remembered the cover before I saw the title.

  “The Blood Feud omnibus?” I gasped, snatching it out of his hands.

  “I thought you might want a different kind of gore in your life right now.”

  I bolted to my feet and grabbed his hand.

  “This is exactly the kind of blood and guts I need in my life right now. Want to go lay under the covers and read it together?”

  Leif scooped me up and held me like a baby.

  “I’ll take any excuse to touch you.”

  Leif carried me to bed, and I had a feeling we would not get any reading done. He gently set me on the bed, and we burrowed under the covers. I had memories of discussing this graphic novel with Leif and how much I hated the movie. I could remember the film, but all I could remember about the graphic novel was that it was full of blood and sex. I also remembered how much I loved it and waited for a new edition to come out.

  This felt normal. This felt like a part of my old life back. I was jumping into bed with my favorite books, but this time, I had a snuggle buddy who enjoyed them just as much as me. Leif’s copy even had the proper smell of a hard-bound book. I cracked the cover and opened it to the first page.

  The first four pages were the lead vampire coven mistress Daria feeding and fucking her way through an entire pub. It was graphic, and the artist didn’t shy away from nudity or gore.

  I was having flashes of the first time I read this. I picked it up on a whim at the comic book store next door to my tattoo shop. I’d had a long day and wanted to escape reality for a little while. I’d given the guy at the counter a full Marvel-themed sleeve he was quite happy with, and he recommended it to me. He said it was brand new, hot off the press, and he enjoyed it.

  I didn’t read it like this the first time. Sure, I got horny the first time I read it, but there wasn’t a hot Horseman of the Apocalypse lying just right there to help me out. I had to reach for my toy drawer. I had the exact same reaction reading it now, and I was coming to care for Leif.

  I trailed my finger down his arm.

  “Did you need a cold shower before you even finished the first chapter?”

  Leif laughed.

  “Yeah. This has to be the most graphic book anyone has ever recommended to me.”

  “Can you pull a condom out your angel pockets like Aeron did?”

  “Aeron owes me a condom. I don’t have to reach through time and space. They are in the nightstand.”

  I rolled Leif on his back and straddled him.

  “Good. Then we don’t have to get out of bed.”

  “Speedy, we don’t have to—”

  “What if I want to?” I purred, grinding myself on his cock. I felt him harden beneath me.

  Leif had me on my back in seconds. He nipped at my nose.

  “Then that’s all I need to know.”

  Leif pressed his lips to mine. He was so tender. It was like he thought he would break me. And I so needed that right now. After reading all the awful things Doctor X and my father wrote about me over email, I just needed to feel like someone cared about me. Leif was kissing me like I was the most precious thing ever to exist.

  I nearly screamed when he stopped because I needed this so much right now.

  “Stand up, Ariel. You have too many clothes on.”

  I bolted to my feet and wanted to just tear all my clothes off, but that wasn’t where Leif was going with this. He stood over me slowly removing my clothes and leaving a trail of kisses behind. My entire body was one big goose bump. He even kissed the top of my foot. Leif kissed his way back to my mouth and then just wrapped his arms around me and held me.

  I buried my face in his chest. Leif smelled like the lavender soap we all used, but there was also the scent of sandalwood underneath it. It should be illegal for someone to smell that good during the apocalypse.

  He picked me up and set me gently on the bed. Have you ever had every single inch of your flesh kissed, nipped, or licked? Everyone should try it at least once, but not with Leif because I found him first and called dibs. It was the apocalypse, and the rule of dibs should matter now more than ever.

  I gasped and arched my back when Leif focused all his attention between my legs. The angel knew how to take his time. He’d bring me right to the edge, then back off. You’d think that would piss me off, but it just felt so amazing, all I did was moan and beg for more. I trusted Leif knew precisely what he was doing.

  I could hardly take it when he slid two fingers inside me and sped up his tongue. All that teasing had something barreling at me I was pretty sure would kill me when it hit. It would happen when Leif decided, and that was okay with me.

  And Leif made that decision. He curled his fingers up to work my G spot and flicked his tongue faster. I guess my Nephilim side decided to come out and play because when I came, the light bulb on the bed next to us exploded I came that hard. The room was pitch black until Leif started glowing a soft white.

  He just grinned at me from between my thighs.

  “I take it the explosives meant it was good?”

  “I will need a minute, glow-worm. You were down there for a long time. You probably do too.”

  “Angel, remember? I have unlimited stamina.”

  “Well, keep in mind I’m only half angel when you go all Energizer Bun
ny in the bedroom. It’s the apocalypse. Are we even going to be able to get a new lightbulb for that lamp? How the fuck did I even do that? I’ve never made anything explode before.”

  “I compared your DNA to mine. Aeron got a blood sample from Mabel before he left so I could look at Nephilim blood. You’re more angel than the average Nephilim. I’m a little surprised you haven’t caused a power outage before.”

  It was weird talking about my DNA with the Horseman of Pestilence between my legs, drawing little circles on my stomach with his fingers. Not to mention the fact that he was currently glowing because I came so hard, I blew the lamp out. I got the feeling that wasn’t the weirdest thing that had ever happened to me, but all my memories hadn’t come back yet.

  Leif must not have wanted to talk about science for once either because his thumb found my clit and he started making gentle circles. He kissed my thighs.

  “You have sped up stamina and healing too. Ready for round two?”

  I ran my fingers through his black hair.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  Leif started licking my stomach.

  “Do you know how I imagined this when you felt comfortable enough to do it?”

  I groaned when Leif’s tongue dipped into my belly button. Yup, I was already ready to go again, even with the explosives and the fact that my entire body felt like jelly. If I could have purred like a cat, I would’ve been.

  “What’s your big fantasy, Leif?”

  “I want to watch that beautiful face of yours while you ride my cock.”

  I perked right the fuck up at that, and all these nasty thoughts started flooding through my mind.

  “The big, bad Horseman of Pestilence will let the Nephilim drive?”

  Leif groaned and gave me a little love bite.

  “I think it would be sexy as fuck.”

  I couldn’t have done this unless he let me. I flipped Leif on his back. He said they were just in the nightstand, but neither of us wanted to be separated to grab a condom. Leif made a little motion with his hand, which was growing a little brighter, and a condom appeared.

  I guess even angels got a little nervous because Leif fumbled with it for a bit before he got it rolled down his thick shaft. I wasn’t even thinking about the fact that I was about to ride an angel. I just hopped on his cock as soon as the condom was on. I just sat there for a minute, enjoying his girth and feeling him stretching me out. I’d only been with two angels so far, but they had undoubtedly been blessed in the cock department.

  Leif gripped my hips. Not only was his entire body glowing and giving the room a soft light, like when I had sex with Aeron, but his eyes were also almost pure white. The fact that he could do that, but he was letting me take control, was such a turn on.

  I placed my hands on his chest to brace myself and started rocking on his cock. Leif’s hands urged me to go faster and harder. I didn’t need much urging. His cock managed to hit pleasure spots inside me I didn’t even know existed. It wasn’t long before I was treating his cock like my own personal mechanical bull.

  Leif wasn’t passive. I didn’t care if he took some control back. I was wrapped up in the pleasure. I dug my nails into his back when he sat up and buried his face in my neck. I scratched his back when he bit my collarbone. His hands reached around me to cup my ass and bounce me on his cock faster.

  I threw back my head and wailed like a porn star. I was pretty sure I would explode the entire building this time. Our bodies were slick with sweat, and the friction as we rubbed against each other was unbearable.

  Leif didn’t let go until I did. It shattered my entire world as I came. All I could do was just sit in his lap and shake. It was like the entire world had been brighter, and it wasn’t just because Leif was glowing.

  Suddenly, the overhead light flipped on. I was so caught up in the moment, it startled the fuck out of me, and I nearly flew across the room to kill something.

  Aeron was standing in the doorframe cleaning under his nails with his knife.

  “Damn. I miss all the fun.”

  I threw a pillow at his face. Aeron just smirked at me.

  “If you think sex with one angel is fun, you should try it with two at the same time.”

  I should have been pissed at that, but I was considering all the possibilities, and I couldn’t say the idea didn’t intrigue me.

  “Maybe. But I’m still not having an orgy with your friends.”

  Chapter 26

  G

  etting light bulbs apparently wasn’t as hard as I thought it was. When I woke up, the glass was cleaned up, and the blub was replaced. I was exhausted and slept in again. Leif and Aeron were on their usual spots on the couch in front of the laptop. Breakfast was waiting like it always was.

  Leif and Aeron were talking instead of studying the laptop. I grabbed my plate and sat down.

  “What’s going on?”

  “We heard from Dice and Asher,” Aeron said. “Isaiah is pitching a fit that we have blocked his radio show, and he can’t figure out how to get back on the air. He knows it’s us. I’ll bet he’s regretting not having a big enough military to take us out now.”

  “Oh, god. Don’t even wish for that,” I groaned.

  I had some sort of weird sex hangover, but it differed from a beer hangover. The world felt a little more colorful, and it was almost like I could hear birds singing from here. Yeah, I could go for a bit more angel sex.

  “I’ve possibly got a cure in the lab. Did you want to work in the lab with me or go kill things with Aeron?”

  Aeron just laughed.

  “She wants to be in the lab. She wants to end this.”

  Did Aeron feel left out? I was spending all my time with Leif, and he walked in on us having sex. Was he mad at me? He was sitting there smirking, but was he hurt deep down?

  “Are you okay with that, Aeron? I know I’ve been spending most of my time with Leif.”

  Aeron just grinned at me.

  “You’re where you need to be, Speedy. I don’t have the answers as to what’s on those flash drives. I asked the doctor in the lab if you were still alive, and he didn’t know. I asked what room you were in, then I killed him, downloaded his research, and went to find you.”

  “Did you do the whole glowy angel death thing?”

  “No. I was pissed off, and that was too quick for him for everything he did. I stabbed him in the stomach and left him to bleed out. That’s probably one of the worst ways to die and takes the longest.”

  Good. At least he suffered for all the people he killed. I hope his last thoughts as he bled out were regrets and realizing he should have been afraid of more than just my father. Actions have consequences. A knife wound to the gut probably wasn’t nearly enough considering everything he had done. There would be something poetic in smashing my father’s brains in with Smurfette, but I wasn’t dumb enough to think it would bring me peace or make up for everything he had done to the world.

  “What will happen if we kill him? Do you all just go back to Heaven and wait for the next Antichrist? I mean, there’s still work to do, and you’ve gone from being my online boyfriends to my proper boyfriends. Am I Earth shore leave?”

  I had two huge angels on me in seconds, wanting to hug me, and there didn’t appear to be enough of me to go around. They were playing tug of war with me for a hot minute there before they settled into a group hug that wasn’t rattling my brains in my skull.

  “We don’t go straight back,” Aeron said. “We stay and help deal with the fallout. And there’s a lot of fucking fallout this time. Plus, Heaven is a lot more lenient about angels falling in love now. We can just ask permission to stay with you until you are called home. We’ve never asked for a single thing before, and you’ll be a hero after this. Trust me, we’ll be staying with you, and you might get sick of us when we aren’t saving the world.”

  I shrugged.

  “Neither of you leave the toilet seat up or leave underwear with skid marks on the floor.
I’d say you’ve already got two things on my list going for you.”

  Leif kissed the top of my head.

  “What’s on this mysterious list, Speedy?”

  “Money is useless, so I don’t know if you pick your teeth with folded up five-dollar bills. I already know your mother won’t hate me and try to break us up. I haven’t met your friends yet. What I know of you now, I’m pretty fucking fond of.”

  “How do you feel about toothpicks?” Aeron asked.

  Where in the world did that come from? Number one, I hadn’t seen either of them with a toothpick this entire time. Number two, if a toothpick were the only option to get shit out your teeth during the apocalypse because you couldn’t find floss, I’d rather watch someone go to town digging pork out their teeth with one than look at it just stuck there.

  “I’m toothpick neutral, but I don’t understand the question.”

  “Dice quit smoking six decades ago, but he still has this hand and mouth fixation. He always has a toothpick on him.”

  “Yes, but I’m not dating Dice, and I swear to god, if you bring up my orgy painting, I will nut punch both of you.”

  They both just chuckled and squeezed me like if I dated two of the Four Horsemen, I had to take the entire set. I didn’t even know their friends, and we needed to be focused on stopping my father, not what was in my painting.

  I changed the subject.

  “You said you might have a cure in the lab?”

  “I have a theory I’ve been working on since I got the Rage Mutation research. All I was missing was you. It might not work. Aeron, can you bring us another test subject? Jose might not make it if this works.”

  “I hate that you name them,” Aeron muttered as he left the apartment.

  Leif held out his hand.

  “Want to see if I made a miracle?”

  Yeah, I totally did.

  Chapter 27