Chapter 6
Callie
I lay on the couch in the living room, my hair spilling onto the floor as I prepared to text Sulien. Last night, when I asked if I could come over after class, he said he was working. As a bartender, it made sense for him to be busy most Fridays, but it wasn’t like him not to text me first thing in the morning.
He liked to tell me good morning and send me the weather forecast for the day. He always said it was so I’d be properly dressed, but I had a feeling he didn’t know what else to say. Still, I liked it. It was like he had his own weird way of caring for me, and it was sweet.
I frowned at my phone, staring at the blank message I’d typed and erased a thousand times. Sulien woke up every day at six a.m. sharp. He liked to run and study before the day got busy, so he should have been awake for three hours by now.
I knew I shouldn’t worry so much, especially not about Sulien, but the nagging voice in the back of my mind wouldn’t stop. So, I swallowed my pride and texted him first.
"Good morning! I missed you last night. Any chance I can come over today?"
I sent the message before I could think twice, holding the phone to my chest to avoid secondhand embarrassment from my own desperation. Our whole relationship could have been a social experiment on how quickly humans grow attached to each other when placed in contact with a stranger.
I tried to remain calm, but despite my best efforts, I found myself anxiously tapping on my cherry-covered phone case. My mind raced with possibilities, some more far-fetched than others.
Even heroes needed a day off, and Sulien was probably just tired from work and school. He probably turned his alarm off and let himself sleep in, and he wasn’t ignoring me because I was annoying, too clingy, or because he was screwing his roommates.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack finally wander out of his room. I shook my head, trying to dispel all the intrusive thoughts.
“Good morning,” he yawned, walking past me into the kitchen.
I quickly scrambled to my feet, following at my brother’s heels. I knew he didn’t like Sulien, but he had class with him yesterday. Maybe he could tell me something I didn’t already know, and if Jack didn’t willingly provide the information, I could poke around in his brain a bit.
“Morning! Hey, how was class yesterday?” I tried to sound way more chill than I felt.
Jack cast me a sideways glance as he made his way to the Keurig. He plucked one of the plastic cups off the rack and placed it in the top before selecting his mug.
“Fine,” Jack mumbled, putting a white mug under the coffee spout before turning the machine on.
It growled to life as it began spewing a solid line of black coffee and steam.
“Yesterday, Sulien mentioned that you guys were getting partners for the yearly showcase. Who did you get?”
Jack’s jaw tightened as he tapped his fingers on the counter. I peeked into his thoughts for just a moment, catching the frustration flickering through his mind.
“Sulien,” he growled as the machine finished brewing his coffee.
Maybe that’s why Sulien isn’t talking to me.
Jack grabbed the cup as he headed toward the fridge. I stayed close beside him, finding a safe vantage point to watch Jack add milk to his coffee.
“You don’t sound happy about that,” I ventured.
Jack shot me a look as he grabbed a spoon from a nearby drawer.
“Let me strap a ticking time bomb to your chest, and you tell me how you feel,” he grumbled, stirring his drink with more force than necessary.
I worried a lip through my teeth as a sinking feeling filled my stomach.
“Sulien’s not a time bomb… Mom says he’s the most promising student at Vanguard.”
Jack looked at me like I was dumb, and his thoughts were in line with that sentiment.
“Callie, his father is Necro. You know, our dad’s nemesis, the man who almost killed him like ten times?” Jack laughed, placing his mug on the counter. “Sulien has evil in his DNA, and you don’t see it, but I can tell it’s there.”
My brow furrowed as I tried to reconcile Sulien, the man who wouldn’t let me cross a parking lot alone, with the image of someone evil. Sure, his living situation was odd, but outside of sex, I’d never caught as much as a mean thought crossing Sulien’s mind. He wanted to be a hero; he wanted to prove he was good, but more than that, he wanted to protect those around him .
“I don’t think you know him like I do,” I argued.
Jack snorted. “What, just because he’s your little boyfriend, you think you know him?”
Heat flared in my cheeks as I looked down before mumbling, “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Just because you’re not allowed to date him doesn’t mean you’re not.” Jack lectured. “I’ve seen you two in the halls, and it’s the talk of the whole fucking school.”
An icy feeling of dread ran down my back. “Don’t tell Dad.”
Jack’s gaze sliced through me as he brought his mug to his lips.
“I’m not going to tell Dad. If you want to let the villain ruin your life, that’s up to you.” He paused to take a drink of coffee.
I was a little offended that Jack would say that. “Sulien won’t ruin my life.”
“Calista, you’re going to be lucky if all he does is break your heart.” He said, pushing past me. “Sulien isn’t like you and me, and you need to let him go.”
I wanted to keep the conversation going, but as Jack was leaving, my phone vibrated. I fished the device out of my pocket. My heart fluttered when I saw Sulien’s name. Quickly, I ran into my room before answering the call.
“Hey,” I said, pressing my back to my bedroom door.
“Good morning.” Sulien’s voice came across rougher than usual. “How’d you sleep?”
My lips pressed into a thin line as I fought the urge to smile.
I was a little offended that he didn't give me my daily weather report, but that could wait.
“Fine, I guess… Hey, I miss you. Can I come over?” I said, trying not to sound as desperate as I felt .
“You know I’d love to see you.” The audible shifting of covers filled the line before Sulien drew in a sharp breath. “But I have to work a double today.”
Confusion caused my brows to draw together. “A double?”
“Open to close.” He yawned.
… That was legal? “Okay, how about after? I could spend the night if you wanted.”
A silence filled the line, and something in my gut told me Sulien was about to lie. My abilities had been quietly expanding for the last year or so, but I still wasn’t able to read minds from a distance.
“I’ll probably be beat after work, and I don’t really think it’d be safe for me to drive to your house to pick you up… Maybe another time?”
“Well, I could have my driver drop me off and—”
“No!” Sulien cleared his throat after snapping. “Callie, my neighborhood is dangerous, and I don’t want to risk you being here without me.”
The sharpness of his tone hurt my feelings in a way I didn’t think it would.
“I understand,” I whispered.
“I promise. I will call you the second I get home, and we can talk all night.” Sulien sighed.
“Sounds good,” I said half-heartedly before we exchanged goodbyes.
I knew it would probably be best for me to give Sulien his space, but after that phone call, there was no way in hell I wasn’t visiting him today.
***
The trip from my house to Sulien’s apartment was only a fifteen-minute drive, so I assumed it wouldn’t be a terrible walk. Oh, how wrong I was .
The first few blocks were fine, especially because the weather was nice. But the longer I walked, the grittier the area became. By the halfway point, I could feel eyes lingering on me wherever I went, so I picked up the pace. I knew that if anyone planned to hurt me, I’d hear their thoughts before they had a chance to lay a finger on me—but what would happen then?
I had absolutely no way to protect myself. Thankfully, it never came to that.
By the time I reached Sulien’s apartment building, my feet were aching from the journey. My heart fell a little when I noticed his car in the driveway, but I tried to ignore it, hoping he’d just run back to the apartment to grab something he forgot.
I trudged across the cracked pavement and felt relieved when I realized someone had left the main door propped open with a rock. If they hadn’t, I would have needed to wait for someone to let me in.
I probably should have left the door the way I found it, but I could practically hear Sulien telling me that was a bad idea. So, I kicked the rock aside and let the door slam shut before walking down the hall of nearly identical doors.
The hall lights flickered, making my search that much more difficult, especially because I didn’t remember Sulien’s apartment number. What I did remember was that the sheet of wallpaper beside his door was torn. Once I located the damaged paper, I knew I was in the right spot.
I stood in front of Sulien’s apartment with my hand poised to knock and my pulse thundering in my ears. The lights flickered above, causing me to jump and my fist to make contact with the chipped wood.
Before I could work up the courage to knock, heavy steps echoed from behind the door .
“I’m coming!” a gruff voice called.
My mouth went dry, and I folded my hands to prevent them from shaking. I knew Sulien’s voice very well, and from what I’d heard, the voice didn’t sound like Jace’s, either.
The door creaked open, leaving me face to chest with the scariest-looking man I’d ever met. He wasn’t as tall as Sulien, but he was brawny. His arms were coated with thick cords of muscle that twitched as his biceps pressed into the sleeves of his black T-shirt. Both his arms and neck were covered in dark tattoos, and a few scars marred his otherwise flawless tan skin.
“You gonna say something?” His whisper sounded like a threat, and I debated running.
I quickly rifled through his thoughts just to make sure I wasn’t about to get kidnapped or anything like that before deciding to stay firmly in place.
“I’m here for Sulien,” I said with my shoulders held high before realizing there was a small chance that my Sulien wasn’t the only one in the world. “Sulien Seo.”
The man in front of me scratched the dark stubble on his chin, hiding a smile beneath his massive hand.
So, this is the girlfriend. His thoughts rang loud and clear, and I relaxed a little, knowing I was in the right place.
“Hate to break it to you, but he’s not home.” The man leaned against the door frame, almost filling the whole space in the process.
“His car’s outside.” I pointed toward the vague direction of the parking lot.
The man shrugged. “He’s at work and likes to have a drink or two after. Dude won’t drive with any alcohol in his system, so he walks. Probably some weird, fucked-up hero moral. ”
“Oh,” I said, trying to figure out where to go from here.
I could probably call my driver, but that would result in a lot of questions about why I was there. Mom would probably be happy that I was so enthusiastic about helping Sulien, but Dad would look deeper into it, and if he figured out that I was dating, I’d be in massive trouble.
The man in front of me seemed to sense my hesitation because, after a beat, his shoulders fell with a deep breath.
“If you want, you can wait here, but he won’t be home until late.” He offered, but I didn’t want to feel like a burden.
“That’s okay,” I relented. “Can you just tell him I stopped by?”
The man nodded and shut the door. I turned to walk away, but before I could, he had a change of heart. The door shot open, and his hand appeared on my shoulder.
I glanced back to see his dark eyes wide with a semblance of panic.
“How did you get here?” the words raced out of him.
I studied him for a beat before clearing my throat. “I walked.”
“You what? ”
His voice boomed through the hallway, bouncing off the dingy walls and drawing a distant “Shut the fuck up!” from somewhere in the building.
“Sorry!” The man in front of me called.
His tone was more respectful than I’d expected from him, seeing as the guy looked like he could literally bench-press a Toyota Prius. As soon as the apology was out in the air, the man completely focused on me. The warmth of his hand seeped into my shoulder as he refused to move .
“You walked, like by yourself?” He repeated, his dark eyes narrowing as if trying to figure out if I was serious.
“It wasn’t far.” I lied, hoping it’d ease the tension.
“Are you fucking dense?” His voice dropped to a rough whisper, and the man looked like he was one wrong word from exploding. “This neighborhood is a warzone! If Sulien finds out that you not only walked here but that I let you walk back, he’s kicking both of our asses—mostly mine.”
I tipped my head to the side as I listened to the thoughts streaming through his mind. Images of leather, ball gags, and bruises filled the spaces that weren’t occupied by how dumb I was for walking. How I could have gotten kidnapped, or mugged, or raped, and no one would have been any wiser.
“I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.” I shifted from one foot to the other. “I just wanted to make sure he was okay.”
He let out a low, grumbly breath. “Sweetheart, I know you wanna go home. But you gotta come inside with me.”
“Sweetheart?” My nose pinched. “I don’t even know your name; I’m not coming inside with you.”
If Jace had greeted me, I’d probably have accepted. But this man looked like a villain.
His forehead wrinkled in confusion, and his thoughts shifted to being shocked that I resisted.
“I’m just trying to keep you safe.” Some of the edge left his voice, but the gravel remained. “My name is Kane. I’m Sulien’s roommate. I’ve been here every time you’ve visited, just... staying out of sight in my room.”
“Every time?” I challenged, crossing my arms.
It seemed impossible that a man as large as Kane could hide without a trace .
He nodded. “The first night you came over, Jace saw you and said you looked like some prep-school princess, and I didn’t want to spook you.”
His mind echoed his words, and I felt a little safer.
“I don’t scare easily,” I said with a smile despite the lingering uneasy feeling in my chest. “But thank you… and you’re right, it’s probably better if I stay.”
Relief washed over Kane’s rugged features as I allowed him to guide me into the apartment.
I’d been here a handful of times by this point, but I’d never really looked around. Usually, I made up some excuse about wanting to cook so that I knew Sulien would eat that night. Then we’d eat in the kitchen, have sex in his room, and he’d take me home.
So, I took this opportunity to look around, and honestly, the apartment wasn’t much. Mismatched furniture all looked like it’d been pulled off the curb, cigarette burns on the carpet, and walls were in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint. Did Sulien really live like this?
“You seem tense,” Kane said as he ventured into the kitchen.
“Not tense… just a little surprised.”
My attention stayed focused on a high-backed chair in the far corner of the room. No light seemed to venture over there, and after a moment of staring, Kane appeared in the chair as if pulled from the depths of that shadow. His massive frame seemed to materialize out of nowhere, tendrils of black smoke curling around him like a sea of serpents—almost as if he were part of the darkness.
I blinked away my confusion and reminded myself that not all powers looked the same. While everyone in my family had what could be considered typical hero powers, that wasn’t always the case .
“Sulien doesn’t bring people over often,” Kane admitted, crossing his legs as he cracked open a bottle of water. “He’s willing to do anything to prevent himself from looking like a villain, and well—” Kane gestured to the dilapidated apartment with a wry smile. “Heroes don’t live here.”
A pang of sadness hit my chest as I wondered if people would really think Sulien was a villain based solely on where he lived. Then I remembered how Sulien was treated at school, how no hero center wanted to touch him with a ten-foot pole because of his reputation: a reputation Sulien had done nothing to earn, nothing other than being Necro’s son.
“Well—I don’t think he’s a villain,” I promised, venturing into the living room and folding myself onto the couch.
“Good, because he’s not.” A dark laugh filled the air before vanishing into a soft whoosh. Before I could even process what happened, Kane’s hands materialized on my shoulders. “But I am.”
His grip wasn’t painful, but it was enough to send a jolt of fear down my spine as shadows wrapped around us, making the already small space feel even tighter. Any protests I had dried in my mouth like sand as my pulse thrummed in my ears.
“And, seeing as we’re alone, that means I can do whatever I want with you.”