Maybe a part of Angel had numbed to this sort of situation because instead of jerking in his seat, he just lifted his eyes to see Verana Smith slam his doors open and storm in. His eyes widened when he saw the bruises, the bandages winding up her arm as she strode in with a hand braced against her abdomen.
“Vera?” Luke began softly and started towards her when she dodged out of his way and slammed her hand against the rods of his bed. Angel didn’t flinch when the bed jerked violently. Just breathed out and raised a brow as the other girl snarled dangerously,
“What thefuckhappened out there?”
Ray. Bomb. Bullet.
Angel couldn’t help the ugly twist of his lips as he gripped his sheets and growled back, “Why don’tyoutell me? Considering howyousquandered thefucking announcement.”
Verana, to her credit, only barely blinked at the blatant accusation. Just shook her head and gripped those metal rods harder, “Ray was last withyou.Tell me whyshewas found in a worse condition.Howshe ended up in a fucking coma.”
Angel scoffed, “Why don’t you ask Sorin? He’s the savior of the day, isn’t he Kyle?”
The blonde boy strode into his room quietly and Verana turned on her heels at his presence. Didn’t back down, instead just shot ahead and jabbed a finger right in the middle of his chest, “You believe him?” she seethed, “The guy whoplacedthe wretched bounty on her head?”
Kyle blinked down at her but didn’t move to push her hand away. Did something far worse instead.
“What’s done is done.” He said without a hint of emotion in his voice, “We’ve lost an important part of the alliance. But it will proceed. We will find another mediator.”
Angel’s mind blanked at those words.
So easy,he thought as he stared into those cold, green eyes,it was so easy for him.
And that rose an unholy sort ofragein his mind. In his chest.
But it was Vera who snapped first, “Another mediator?” she started softly and snapped her head to glare up at him, “Our member isn’t even fuckingdead–”
Angel flinched then.
“And you care about replacing her?”
“She might as well be,”
Even Vera fell silent at that. A sudden roar began in the back of his mind as Kyle continued calmly and stepped away from her, “We can’t focus on–”
“You asshole.”
Was theonlywarning he got before Verana lost her patience and forgot about her injuries.
Just chose to whirl back in his direction andpouncedwith her fist raised in the air. Kyle’s eyes widened in surprise, and he stumbled back when Luke stepped in between them and grabbed a hold of her with a silent grunt. Angel's blood was still simmering when Verascreamedsomething incoherent and struggled in Luke’s arms.
He looked at Kyle's surprised face just once, but it was Luke who said in a quiet,dangerousvoice, “Watch how you talk of the dead, Kyle Larsen.”
Goosebumps erupted on his arm as Luke looked over his shoulder and Verana relaxed in his arms. Began shaking terribly as he pulled her closer and glared at Kyle, who had paled.
“They have a way of coming back to haunt you.”
Epilogue
“Where is she now?” Her voice was calm. Was quiet. It was the same voice that had lured him inyearsback. Had coaxed to him and and whispered in his ears, filling his mind with venom andpoison.Now, however, all it did was bother him.
“In the hospital.” He responded gruffly, twisting his hands behind his back, “I,” he paused, contemplating whether to continue when her eyes swiveled to face him, “Was this your doing?” he asked finally.
The woman leaned back inhisseat, her hands on the handle ofhischair, her long nails tapping insistently on the leather,
“What do you think?”
Tap, tap, tap.
