Page 47 of Grave Devil
Aries moves to us, taking the spot behind me. He strokes my back. “Let it out. Get it all the fuck out.”
I haven’t felt this helpless, this vulnerable, since the day Sonny went missing. I’ve relived it in my nightmares over andover again but when I’m awake, I strut around this town with skin so thick, you’d think it was synthetic. It’s how I cope. Because if I ever stopped to truly think about it, I’d be doing exactly what I’m doing now. Breaking. Falling apart. Sobbing like a baby between my two best friends.
Aries rubs my shoulders. “That’s it. Deep breaths. In and out. Good.”
His touch soothes me, and the way his voice commands… it steadies me. He can change his tone to match my mood. He’s always been good at that. Whether he’s fucking me or helping me train for a fight, he knows how to mirror my emotions. It’s one of the things I love about him the most. It’s what made me fall for him to begin with. Back when we were just rebellious teenagers with way more money and power than anyone our age should’ve had.
Draven hands me his monogrammed handkerchief while Aries pours me two fingers of whiskey. I down it in one gulp and shove the glass back at him. “Hit me again.”
Aries pours without hesitating, filling it to the top of the bucket glass this time. “I’ll keep them coming all night. And we’ll all take care of you. Get as fucked up as you want.”
I nod and take another big sip but don’t quite clear the entire glass this time. Draven offers me a cigarette, and I take that as well. I swirl the vanilla-tinged smoke in my mouth before taking it deep into my lungs. It’s laced with poison.
I release all my tension on the exhale. “Mmm. Belladonna?”
Draven lights one for himself as well. He nods. “I soak the tips in it. Just enough to give me a little head rush. You like it?”
I nod as an effervescence and a tingling heat start to stir in my chest and belly. “Yeah, I’m gonna need you to start supplying me with these.”
“Done. There will be a case at the garage waiting for you.” He squeezes my thigh. “I’ve got you.”
I lick my lips as the toxin teases my senses, seducing me into a gentler, more relaxed state. “Fuck, I love both of you so much. I couldn’t do this without you.”
Aries places a soft kiss on the top of my cheekbone. “And you’ll never have to.” He brushes his lips over my ear. “Whatever you need, Bones… it’s yours.I’m yours. You just let me know.”
Fuck. I want to bury my cock inside his mouth right now while Draven watches. But first, I gotta deal with this. Felix needs to know. I tilt my head and kiss him gently on the lips. “Thank you. Let’s all meet up at Harker Mansion later. You guys fill Nox in. Imma grab Lettie and go back to the garage so we can call Felix.”
Draven hands me the rest of his pack of poison-laced cigarettes. “You need these more than I do.” I give him a long hug, savoring the way his chiseled frame curves against mine. He’s leaner than me but just as strong. I tell him often that he would crush it in the Circle. But he always insists that he wouldn’t be able to stop. Once he sees red, he sees it until he blacks out.
Aries tucks the half-empty bottle of whiskey under my arm. “Have Lettie drive.”
I snort. “She is not driving my bike.”
Aries laughs and tosses me his keys. “She can drive my car then.”
“The turbo? Fuck, you must really love us,” I tease.
He winks at me just as Lettie and Mia strut back into the parlor. Lettie groans when I hand her the keys. “This thing is a fucking eyesore. You just had to get it in banana yellow, didn’t you, Ries?”
“I had it custom-painted to match the suit I was wearing that day,” Aries quips.
Mia makes the most serious stank face I’ve ever seen. “Fuck, I forgot how you people live. Absolutely fucking wild.”
Aries bursts out laughing. What a hot fucking mess we all are. And yet the ties that bind us are unbreakable. And they will be the only thing that gets me through this. I hope Felix can say the same about his lovers. Because I’m about to drop a bombshell on him so big, it might push him over the edge he’s always teetering on.
“Are you alone? You shouldn’t be alone. And you need to sit down because I’m about to ruin your whole day. Maybe even the rest of your life. So go get Riot, Atlas, Valentin, and Maureen. I’ll wait. You’re gonna need them close by.”
“What is it, Bones?” Felix’s voice is dark, haunted. He’s been like this our entire lives. It’s as if he moves with something always clawing at his back.
“I’m here too, brother,” Lettie squeaks out.
“Lettie? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Any semblance of energy or concern has always been reserved for our baby sister. And perhaps now his lover, Maureen.
“She’s fine,” I say for her. “We’re both fine. Well, as much as we can be. There’s a lot of fucked-up shit happening in Ever Graves right now.”
Felix sighs. “We’ve suspected. All right, everyone’s here. I’m not alone. Tell me everything.”
I start at the beginning, or as far back as it is relevant. I tell him about how we used the raven’s blade to strike a deal with the devil for Nox. I tell him about Mia’s nightmares, the voices in her head, and how only copious amounts of poison can silence them. I tell him about the shadows that follow Draven and the thingswe’ve learned from Nox about the Wild Hunt and the original Bishop sisters.
