“Stop, Dominic,” Silas snaps. “She doesn’t need to be bombarded with all this sin shit.”
“Wait,” I say, glancing at the three lingering behind Dominic—Lust. And Sloth and Pride… and the number seven displayed on their helmets.
My blood runs cold as a dawning realization takes hold. I thought luck was on my side when I found this listing—a single room within walking distance of classes and priced at half the cost. I swallow against the churning of my stomach, fighting the urge to run.
“What thoughts are swirling beneath those eyes of yours?” Silas asks, his voice a whisper along the back of my neck. It takes everything in me not to flinch, not to run. Lifting my chin, I force myself to speak the accusation out loud.
“I think this is the home of the Seven, the most ruthless motorcycle gang in Southern California. Images of them vanish within minutes of being posted—except for the ones with masks. All charges are dismissed on the grounds of insufficient evidence. Even crimes involving…”
“Murder.”
Silas’s voice rumbles behind me, vibrating through every cell in my body. The word should scare me. It’s an admission as much as anything, but the heat of his breath on my neck, thescent of leather and spice filling the air, short-circuits my thoughts. My breathing hitches as his boots echo with each step he takes, bringing the predator into view.
“Erik’s lion of Pride, Dominic the devil’s goat of Lust,” Silas continues, pointing to each of his brothers in turn. “Then there’s Mavros, Adrian, Noctis, and Bane.”
The others shift, moving to stand behind him. And I realize I know who each of them is. Mavros, with the red, snarling bear, must be Wrath. Adrian, with the golden dragon coveting treasure, is Greed. Noctis and Bane are harder to place. I glance between them before my eyes snag on the light-blue bull tattooed on the forearm of the one called Noctis.
“The Bull of Belphegor,” I breathe, more to myself than to them. “I always thought his condemnation was harsh.”
“Is that so?” Noctis asks, his voice almost encouraging me to work through my thoughts.
I nod. “He didn’t partake in Lucifer’s rebellion, but stood idly by. That was enough to get him banished to hell. But once he got there…”
“Keep going, little fox,” Silas purrs, lifting Noctis’s hand to show off the bull. “What was Belphegor’s greatest sin?”
“Inventions,” I reply, licking my lips as Silas drops Noctis’s hand and steps forward. Striking emerald eyes pierce through me, compelling me to continue. “In hell, Belphegor created Pandemonium—the Palace of Demons. And for humans, he bestows the power of discovery.”
“Discovery—questioning the world around us—should never be a sin,” Silas murmurs, forcing me to crane my neck to hold his gaze. “Don’t you agree?”
I swallow under the weight of his stare, sensing something shift between us.
“Answer me, little fox,” Silas demands. “I don’t like when my playthings disobey.”
My eyes narrow, Silas’s words echoing in my head as he mouths the word:Mine.
Mine.As if I’m not a full person by myself—with thoughts and questions and fucking dreams. I almost ended everything, preferring the possibility of an afterlife rather than spending one more second trapped in my current one. But college is supposed to be my chance to start over. And I’m not about to let a group of arrogant assholes fuck it up.
“I’m not yours.”
I ram my knee into his balls, causing Silas to double over. I dart around him, aiming for the door as he spews curses behind me. Adrenaline courses through my veins as I reach for the handle—only to find it turning before I make contact.
“Evie, is that you?” A feminine voice cuts through the panic gripping my body. A short, curvy figure with long black hair framing heavily lined eyes and a flawless, makeup-adorned face pushes through the group. She’s wearing shorts and a casual tank top, but they might as well be designer clothes by the way she moves in them. More importantly, she looks just like her pictures from online—Tempest.
Silence lingers for a moment before Erik speaks. “Yep. We were just welcoming Evie to the pack.”
“Oh good,” Tempest says, shutting the door before kicking off her sandals. “I lost track of time in the library and was worried Evie would have to move everything by herself.”
The edges of her smile dip as her footsteps falter, taking in the slight swell of my ankle, the scrape on my knee, my disheveled hair, and the sweat coating every inch of my body. Her gaze shifts to the men around me, narrowing on Silas. “What did you do?”
“Don’t be like that, baby,” Erik says, throwing an arm around Tempest as he shoots me a lopsided smirk. “Your big brother would never do anything to upset your new friend. Evie is fine.”
Brother?My eyes widen, darting from a narrow-eyedTempest to Silas, who looks like he’s debating whether to kick me out of the house or pin me to the wall. I bite my lip, not sure which option frightens me more.
“Aren’t you, Evie?” Erik prompts. The others shift, seeming to wait for me to give them a pass on everything that’s just happened.
“Enough, Erik,” Tempest says, shoving him off her. “Evie will be all right if you idiots back the fuck up and give her some space.”
“No need to get all stormy.” Erik smirks, barely managing to avoid a second shove.
