97
GAbrIEL
I heard the sound of rotors, and anticipation gripped me. I hadn’t seen my sister in almost a year. We talked frequently, but it wasn’t the same. I knew we needed to get better at having face time with each other, but our lives continued to take us to opposite sides of the world.
“That’ll be the helo,” Knight said. “North said your sister is the pilot?”
“Yup,” I smiled. “Better go greet her, or she’ll hunt me down.”
I stepped out of the tent and watched the MH-6 Little Bird descend on the camp. Once it landed, a woman stepped out. She tossed her helmet on the seat and raced straight to me, a massive smile on her face. I pulled her in for a tight hug that she returned enthusiastically.
“God, I missed you, Griff.” She pulled away and looked me over. “Glad to see you in one piece.”
“Missed you too, Sis,” I tugged on the end of her french braid that was tipped with peach pink through her blond hair. “Wow, more subtle than usual.”
She batted my hand away with a grin. “Shut up. I know you hate it.”
I chuckled. “No, I hated the blue. This suits you better.” At her raised eyebrows, I smirked. “It says I’m a renegade, and will probably fuck your shit up, but in a classy way.”
She playfully shoved me. “Yeah, yeah—”
The amusement faded to interest as her attention drifted over my shoulder where North approached with Nyx and Atlas. North held out his hand to my sister.
“You must be our pilot.”
My sister gripped his hand. “I am.”
“This is Theron North,” I said. “North, meet my sister, Arkady Griffin.”
“Thanks for flying in, Arkady,” North nodded. “And for loaning us your Little Bird.”
Arkady waved away his thanks. “She was getting bored.”
“You, or the bird?” I asked dryly.
“Both,” she smirked.
Movement across the clearing caught her attention, and she did a double take before the smile was wiped completely from her face. I stiffened automatically, familiar with that look enough to know trouble was imminent.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” She asked.
“Well, isn’t this a surprise?” Knight smirked as he walked over. “If it isn’t my little Arkangel.”
Arkangel? I looked back and forth between them in confusion.
“Don’t call me that,” my sister growled.
“You used to—”
“Shut up, Trent,” she snapped.
“Whoa, whoa,” I said. “How do you two know each other?”
They both spoke at once: “We don’t,” she said.
“It’s complicated,” he said.
Silence took over as Knight smirked and my sister scowled.
Nyx broke the silence with a knowing chuckle. “Oh, so it’s like that.”
As I reached the same conclusion, I was hit with annoyance. “What the fuck, Ark?” I exclaimed.
“It’s not like that,” Arkady said in exasperation.
“Aw, come on, Sunshine,” Knight said in amusement. “It’s kind of like that.”
Knight met my glare and held up his hands. “I swear I didn’t know she was your sister, man.”
“He has nicknames for her and everything,” Nyx whispered loudly to Atlas.
Arkady turned her scowl on Nyx. “I don’t know you, but shut the fuck up.”
Nyx grinned and waved his fingers. “Hi, I’m Nyx.”
“I don’t care,” Arkady growled.
Nyx nudged Atlas. “I like her.”
Arkady turned back to Knight. “Where’s Cal? Or did you run—”
“I’m right here, Arkady.” Cal cut her off as he stepped forward to Knight’s side. At Arkady’s words, Knight’s smirk wavered and something strange flickered in his eyes. The tension was suddenly heavy between the three of them.
“Causing a scene—how typical,” Cal said in a tone that caught me by surprise with how icy it was.
“Okay,” I stepped up and put an arm around my sister’s shoulders. “Don’t know why I didn’t expect this,” I muttered. “Let’s go get you settled, Sis.”
Arkady let me guide her away from the scene of what definitely would have been an impending crime. My older sister was about as subtle as a grenade. We made it as far as my team’s tent before she exploded.
“That asshole!” She paced the small aisle between bunks muttering to herself.
“Care to share with the class?” I asked dryly. “I work with these people, Ark. You have to play nice.” I winced as she whirled on me, immediately knowing I’d chosen the wrong words.
“I don’t need to do anything,” she growled.
I leaned against one of the bunks and crossed my arms. I raised my eyebrows but didn’t say anything. I was used to her antics and I knew she wasn’t angry with me.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew Knight?” She demanded.
I shook my head. “Seriously? Should I have run the roster by you so you could make sure you hadn’t slept with any of them? Jesus, Ark.”
“Hm, that’s a great idea. Next time I’m cross-referencing,” she muttered.
At my pursed lips and disapproving stare, she scowled. “What? Are you judging me?”
I huffed, my brow furrowed. “Of course not. I don’t care about that. If you’re worried about being in close proximity to him—”
“I’m not,” she snapped.
“It should be fairly easy to avoid him,” I continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “You two don’t have to work together. He’s on explosives with me. You don’t have to fly him anywhere.”
Arkady scoffed and muttered a few more obscenities before she settled her hands on her hips and changed the subject with a sigh.
“Was your girl out there? I hope I didn’t scare her—”
I scoffed. “That’s impossible.”
“Oh? Has my little bro finally met his match?” Arkady’s grin slowly reappeared.
“Yeah, I think so, she’s—” Before I could find adequate words, and put a stop to the mushy look that was transforming Arkady’s face, Seven pushed the tent flap aside.
“There’s my favorite pilot!” Seven exclaimed. “I thought I heard you come in. Causing trouble already?”
“Sev!” Arkady embraced him hard. “You know it—oh wow—” She cut off mid-sentence because behind Seven was Emersyn, watching the exchange with stoic interest.
I could practically see Arkady processing everything from Seven’s hand holding Emersyn’s, to the way the three of us clocked each other in the tent.
A slow smile spread across her face and then she was on Emersyn, folding her into a hug.
Emersyn was stiff for a moment before she dropped Seven’s hand to give Arkady a tentative hug back.
“I’m sorry,” Arkady gushed. “I’m a hugger. I should have asked.”
She stepped away, not looking sorry at all. “God, she’s gorgeous,” she said to me, then turned back to Emersyn. “I’m Arkady. Griff’s older, wiser, and better looking sister.”
I shoved her shoulder. “You know that’s not true—I’m the wiser one, I thought we agreed I’d get that at least.”
Arkady laughed and Emersyn’s lips twitched.
“Fine, fine. I’m just so excited—my brother never lets me meet his dates,” she held up her hands.
“Not that he’s had a lot. Fuck, I’m not saying that right.
” She laughed at herself and shrugged. “You know what I mean. This is a first. So, naturally that means you’re a badass and probably far too good for him. ”
“Hey!” I protested with a grin.
“And this one,” Arkady turned to Seven. “I hope he’s been behaving himself. He’s like an extra little brother I didn’t want.”
“But also didn’t know you couldn’t live without,” Seven teased.
Emersyn studied my face intently, like she was observing a part of me she hadn’t seen before. A soft smile tugged at her lips.
“Yeah, they’re a lot sometimes,” Emersyn said and shyly looked back at Arkady. “I’m glad I have backup now.”
Arkady slung her arm around Emersyn’s shoulders. “I’ll give you my number. You call me if they ever give you trouble. Or even if you just want some girl time,” she pursed her lips. “It feels very dick heavy around here.”
“Dick heavy?” Seven laughed. “Ah, I missed you, Kady Cat.”
Arkady rolled her eyes. “You are literally the only one allowed to call me that so don’t go spreading it around. That’s just what I need—another nickname for that asshole to latch onto.”
“Yeah, about that—” Seven smirked, but Arkady interrupted him.
“Nope! Not today, Sev.” She headed toward the tent flap. “I’m off to find some food.” She turned at the entrance and grinned. “I won’t be back for a good while,” she said suggestively with a wink, and then she was gone.
Seven shook his head. “God, I missed her.”
“Me too,” I said fondly.
“She’s—” Emersyn shook her head. “Not at all what I pictured as your sister.”
I chuckled and ran a hand through my hair. “Yeah. She’s wild.”
“Anyway,” Seven wrapped his arms around Emersyn’s waist. “I think we’re done talking about all of that. I think we’re done talking in general. What do you think, G?”
“That sounds like a good idea,” I said.
Seven’s hands trailed to the bottom of Emersyn’s sweatshirt. I watched him hesitate as he checked in with her. When she nodded, he pulled it up over her head. Her sports bra followed and then her pants and panties. She leaned into Seven with a shiver.
“It’s cold,” she protested.
“Well, we need to do something about that,” Seven said.
He pulled her over to the bed and threw back the covers. She climbed in, and Seven settled between her legs and yanked the covers up over them both. Emersyn turned to me.
“Aren’t you coming?” She asked.
“I will. For now, I want to watch Seven make you come.”
“Oh!” She gasped, and her eyes shuttered at whatever Seven was doing, and her breathing sped up. The sheet slipped down her chest to reveal her breasts. Her nipples quickly hardened in the chill air of the tent. I unzipped my jeans and took out my cock.
Her attention zeroed in on it as I stroked my length.
I was already semi-hard, her breathless panting and heaving breasts quickly got me the rest of the way there.
Her eyes darkened as she watched my hand.
The tip glistened and I stood up and walked over.
Emersyn licked her lips and wrapped her hands around my thighs.
“Do you want to taste it?” I asked.
“Yes.”
She stuck out her tongue and I rubbed the bead of precome across her upper lip and guided my cock deeper into her mouth. She wrapped her lips around me and sucked gently, her eyes hooded in pleasure at the combination of sensations. I groaned, overwhelmed with the wet heat of her.