Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
GEMMA
In all my years indebted to the Horsemen, I had only ever dealt with Grim. Rarely, his brothers would provide backup, but never alone.
Never like this, showing up in my fucking world.
I went to Lock and shoved his boots off my duvet. “Excuse you. This is imported.”
Something like a smile tugged at the corner of his thick red lips. As quickly as I saw it come, he wiped it off.
“You can’t just come into my home, my world. What if someone saw you?”
Lock stood off my bed. He was towering. Too imposing. “Now you care if someone sees you?”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Where were you tonight, princess?”
The night rushed over me. Grim’s touch searing my skin. The ravenous gleam in his eyes when he’d asked me to leave.
I shrugged. “Out.”
I don’t know why I lied. It’s not like Grim wouldn’t tell them, or they couldn’t see on the billions of cameras they had.
But it felt special…secret.
Lock and Raze shared a look.
“You sure about that, Barbie?” Raze stepped away from my window, closer to me. His features were a mixture of bored and angry, like my existence was nothing save an active irritant.
I barely saw his cold eyes beneath his silky, wavy hair—black and white, split equally down the middle of his part. I knew he didn’t dye it; it was that bright white naturally on the one side. There was a story there, one he didn’t share.
Next to Wraith, Raze had the most tattoos.
I folded my arms. “Why do you care?”
The muscles in his jaw flexed, making the tattoos on his neck snake. “You’re getting too comfortable.”
“I assure you I’m not fucking comfortable right now—”
“You’re forgetting your place,” Raze continued, cutting me off. “You don’t call us, you wait for our fucking call. You don’t show up places without an invite. You belong to us.”
They had seen…but that still didn’t explain why they were here. Lock and Raze took a step toward me and instinctively I stepped back—into something hard.
“You know what happens when a dog disobeys?” His voice was like rocks, jagged and rough. Lower, somehow, than Grim’s. The heat of it made the hair at my neck rise. “They get a leash.”
Wraith.
My heartbeat froze, just stopped completely in my chest, before nose-diving into my gut.
I didn’t consider myself very fearful. I wouldn’t say I was courageous, just…numb. Jaded, I guess. When you’d seen the shit I had, lived the life I had, you stopped caring.
But Wraith?
Yeah, he still made me shiver.
I stepped off with a jolt, putting space between me and him, and the other two.
At first, everything about Wraith screamed normal boy in his twenties. From the nondescript black hoodie and jeans to his dark sneakers. In high school, girls were all over his ass. He had that silky, curly hair you just wanted to run your fingers through.
His hoodie fell over his face, shadowing him. In the night, where you were most often likely to see him, that hoodie obscured his truth. He almost looked normal, until he stepped into the light. Then you knew why they called him Wraith.
Wraith was the only Horsemen with tattoos that covered half his face, a terrifying mask of black ink.
“Does Grim know about this—”
Wraith cut me off. “You don’t worry about him; he’s none of your concern.”
My massive wing felt small, shrinking under them and their implications.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.
We had a fucking deal.
Stay out of my world. Stay out of my world.
Fuck. This.
I pushed through the wall of men. Lock grabbed my arm and shoved me against the wall. “Where are you going looking all determined?”
I stared up into Lock’s blue eyes.
No use in lying.
“To see Grim.”
He pushed his tongue into his cheek, looking me up and down. Finally, after what felt like forever, he said, “Nah, you’re not. You’re gonna stay right here.”
I yanked my arm free. “Like fuck I am.”
He slammed his hand against the wall as I tried to leave. “You don’t go anywhere without one of us. You don’t piss without us. If for some reason we’re not with you, be back at your house before nightfall.”
I think I did a double take. “Excuse me? A curfew?”
“I’m guessing that’s something your spoiled ass has never had.” He craned his neck to stare at my ass.
I turned away because, no, I’d never had a fucking curfew.
“If one of us texts, text back.”
“And if I break these rules?” I stepped to him. “I already know the worst thing you can do to me, and I don’t care.”
He grabbed me by my hip bones, bruising. “You have no idea the things we can do to you.”
I sucked in a breath.
He smiled, then let me go and walked back to my bed. Raze leaned against the wall, pulling out his phone.
They were settled in. Comfortable. Like they were planning to stay.
“So, it’s late,” I said. “You’ve made your point. I’m thoroughly terrified. I’ll be a good little girl now.”
Wraith sat down on my settee, his scary mad dog vibes totally at odds with the cream velvet.
I blinked. “You’re not seriously thinking you can sleep here.” Silence met me. “Grim knows about this?” I tested.
“All that fancy boarding school learning and they didn’t teach you basic vocabulary?” Lock asked. “As far as you’re concerned, Grim is dead. But don’t worry, we’ll be there for you, princess. Every day.”