Chapter Seventeen
Nomi
I’d been ready to meet the Horsemen, however they did or didn’t look, but the two women suddenly sandwiching me between their arms like an old friend took me off guard. They’d rushed me the moment we appeared and Ghost had gotten out of the way.
My tall Horseman was next to an equally tall man with dark, swept back hair and pale eyes. His presence was unnerving, though I couldn’t explain why.
The dark-haired stranger was propped up against the wall in a leather jacket with an assortment of metal skull rings and a t-shirt with the same skull emblem as the one on his index finger. His arms were crossed and he’d fixed his possessive gaze on the beautiful redhead next to me.
The other guy had bright red hair which fell to one side but was shaved on both sides of his head. His unnaturally colored eyes reminded me of sunflowers, bright and open. He was covered in tattoos and piercings, but his lips were tilted in a sly grin.
He gave all the impression of that sexy, naughty type. Singer of the band front man vibes—the gorgeous playboy who’d break your heart as soon as he was done with you. But his eyes stayed trained to the tiny blonde girl on my other side as if nothing and no one existed outside of her.
Together, the three of them were a damn sight. Easily the most handsome men I’d ever seen in my life. All impossibly tall, all giving off alpha energy, and all unnervingly quiet as I was swarmed by the two women they kept a close eye on.
“I think we’re scaring her, Ems,” the redhead said, pulling away to offer me an apologetic smile. She was a few inches shy of me, gorgeously curvy, and absolutely killer in the black dress she wore. “Sorry, girl. We’re just excited to meet you.”
“Me?” I asked, confused. “Why?”
“Because you’re part of the club now,” the blonde one said before the yellow-eyed guy cleared his throat and shook his head. She stopped, glared, and flipped her middle finger at him. “I know, asshole. Just keep quietly standing there and do us all a damn favor.”
Despite her poisoned words, I got the sense they were together-together. The sexual tension rolling off them when they shared a glance was hard to miss even if I hadn’t been good at reading faces and body language.
It did make me wonder if she was the soul he was meant to collect. Ghost mentioned they each had one. I peered at the blonde, then the redhead, and did the math.
“Are you the other human souls they need to take for the end of the world?” I asked the redhead.
She laughed and patted my shoulder. “Exactly right. Glad you know at least that much. That’ll make this easier.”
The blonde cut in, “Yeah, it means less screaming and hyperventilating. Don’t worry. I totally freaked out when I found out about all of this.” She gestured in no real direction, but I got it. She’d probably had a surprise the way I had.
“I thought it was a dream,” I told them candidly. “He scared the shit out of me after my colorful cuties—”
Both of them blinked as if they didn’t know what I was talking about. I snuck a look at the cute little wisps flickering and blinking around me. Ghost stayed silent and was absolutely no help to me.
“Uh, the wisps?” I went on, gesturing at my little cuties, and still, the two women blinked like they hadn’t a clue. “Never mind. I just figured it out pretty quickly.”
The blonde one nodded and brushed back her beautifully silky hair, a total knockout at a glance.
“I’m guessing yours stalked you, too. They all have that factory setting, I’m afraid.
” She shot a glare at the yellow-eyed guy who was still smirking like he loved every bit of it. “I couldn’t get away from this jerk.”
“A Horseman thing?” I asked, sneaking a look at Ghost.
“Totally a Horseman thing,” the blonde confirmed.
Ghost’s eyes flared as I stole another glance. His expression was as apathetic as ever, but I got the sense that if not for the others in the room, he’d be over here touching me. It was a wildly possessive stare he was giving me with an awful lot of heat to it.
If I hadn’t been sure I was clothed, I would’ve been convinced I was naked by the way his eyes glided down my figure. It was the look he wore every time he sunk his cock into me and—
I blinked, suddenly worried that I’d be found out for my lusty thoughts. I couldn’t help that I turned bright red every time, and it appeared at least to some degree, Ghost smelled arousal on me like this was a shifter romance. What if the other two had that factory setting, too?
Oh, god.
“I’m Asha, and this is my best friend, Emily. You’re Nomi, right?” the redhead greeted finally, yanking me out of my slow spiral into panic. I appreciated the misdirection. Any longer and I might’ve wandered over to Ghost for a kiss or gone full red in my captivation of him.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s nice to meet the both of you. I’m sorry it’s not under better circumstances. You two seem like so much fun already.”
And that was the truth.
It wasn’t that I didn’t have friends. I did. I’d collected a few over the years at school, but I mostly kept to myself. I preferred a quiet night hanging out with Felix over stumbling and making terrible choices with the women I knew.
It also didn’t help that I was always working. I didn’t have time to go out. I focused on helping Felix at Dolci Caldi, so it was hard to keep friendships alive when I was never free to go do friend things.
“I love her already,” Emily said wistfully. “And that blue hair is to die for. You are one gorgeous lady. I’d kill to be as tall as you. Just thinking about all the poor, helpless bastards I’d trample with my heels…”
The redhead dude next to the dark-haired one scoffed, as if she was speaking nonsense, but I detected the jealous flare in his eyes and predatory shift of his body. He didn’t like the idea of anyone else doing anything with her, and it confirmed my suspicion about them.
But I hadn’t expected the compliment and heat reached my cheeks before I could stop it.
Women were quick to lay on praises—Clara was the same—but I never handled them well.
I didn’t think I was unattractive; I just didn’t put a whole lot of effort into it.
I barely wore makeup most days. It was impossible to when I spent all day in a hot kitchen, covered in flour and working my ass off.
Plus, I was covered in scars thanks to a rough childhood.
Not that I didn’t admire how put together my two female companions were.
Emily and Asha were both arresting for different reasons.
So pretty I’d struggle to put their beauty into words.
In a room with the other two, I’d have a tough time stealing the spotlight.
I was surrounded by beautiful people, and it really felt like I’d walked right into one of my fanfics.
I didn’t mind at all. I was totally cool with being the tagalong.
Realizing I hadn’t said anything, I came back with, “You’re both hot as fuck.”
The girls dissolved into giggles, while the oversized tattooed redhead against the wall snickered loudly. Next to the other two men, he was the most expressive. But it meant that when the dark-haired one smirked in response to my comment, it had way more impact.
Points to Nomi.
I caught Ghost’s gaze again. It was still lit with an emotion I couldn’t name, but he only nodded once before making eyes at the other two men. They followed him into the back room, and it was just us girls left.
This place was a bit smaller than the other two I’d been to, but I didn’t think we’d be staying long once he talked to the other Horsemen. He hadn’t really introduced them. I’d been bombarded by the ladies the minute we arrived.
I watched them go with a little twinge in my chest. I didn’t have any right to demand he tell me why we were here and what the other Horsemen could do to protect me, or even what had changed that made it important to come here.
While I was grateful he wasn’t abandoning me, I couldn’t help the sadness that reached my throat knowing he still didn’t trust me the way I trusted him.
“Asha, should we offer her food or something? Or is this an occasion for alcohol?” Emily mumbled searchingly, as if she’d been uncomfortable asking.
“It’s always an occasion for alcohol, what are you talking about?” Asha clapped back.
“You right, you right,” Emily said with a decided nod. “The girl just learned there’s angels and demons chasing after her and super-hot assholes who want to destroy us in more ways than one…”
“Tequila then?” Asha offered with a smirk, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m okay, unless you two would like something. I can make it. I can also cook anything you like. It’s not good to drink on an empty stomach. If there’s ingredients, I can whip something up real quick.”
I wanted to be useful, and food had a way of bringing people together. Alcohol, too, but I was less keen on that idea. My stomach was already making threats after blinking into existence here. I barely trusted myself making food, but I didn’t want these two to think I couldn’t be a team player.
Who knew what they’d been through. I’d been on the receiving end this whole time, and it made me so happy to think I might be able to do something for someone.
I wandered into the kitchen, on a mission to prove my worth.
The two women followed me as I peeked into the fridge and cabinets.
It was fully stocked like the last two houses, and it brought a smile to my face.
I could blow their minds with my famous berry cobbler.
I’d seen both fresh and frozen berries in the fridge, so it’d be easy to throw together.
Hopefully I had the utensils needed, but I could do everything by hand if necessary. Felix taught me how to use the bare minimum in the kitchen if ever there were a need.
“You cook?!” they both asked in unison, making my lips twitch into a smile.
“I’m a baker, actually.” I pulled out a few ingredients, bowls, measuring cups, and utensils.