“Wrath…” Hell’s voice rumbles from a short distance away, low with warning.
Wrath halts in an instant.
With his arm still firmly wrapped around the back of my thighs, his fingers press into me, like he’s battling with himself, not wanting to let me go. As if I’m now a precious toy he wants to play with.
Then, as quickly as it all started, he lowers me to the floor, my body sliding down the front of his. My legs give way, and instinctively, I grab his leather jacket, my fists balling into the material to steady myself.
I take a slow, unsteady breath, my head bowed, before lifting my gaze to meet his. His eyes are wide now, frustration simmering just beneath the surface.
I release his jacket like it’s burning me, and the moment my hands fall away, he moves past me, disappearing into a room behind me without a word.
“Here, sit down,” Noir says, hurrying over and gently guiding me into a seat.
I settle, and she continues. “Sorry about him, he’s a bit...”
“Deranged.” Hell finishes her sentence, cutting in smoothly.
I glance up at him, surprised by the bluntness.
“Deranged?” I scoff, still trying to catch my breath. “I’ve never heard someone be described as that before.”
Hell raises an eyebrow, amusement plastered across his face, and I glance aside, feeling a bit self-conscious.
“If I wasn’t feeling so damn weak, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Hell chuckles lightly, shaking his head. “Maybe youarefor Oddity after all,” he muses, taking a seat across from me. “But don’t underestimate him. Ever. You’ve just made yourself the target of the most psychotic bastard in this place.”
I place my elbow on the table, rubbing my forehead with my eyes closed.
“And what does that mean?” I ask, though I’m not sure why.
Hidden interest, maybe. Or maybe it’s because I’ve been in situations before where I didn’t see anything coming, just blind and naive to the people around me, and in the end, it’s always been me who ended up worse for it.
Hell leans back, exhaling deeply, his gaze flicking up to Noir, who’s standing at the end of the table.
“It means…” Noir begins, but before she can finish, Hell stands quickly, his presence suddenly towering over her.
His eye locks onto hers before he grabs her wrist, pulling her away from me. My brow furrows in confusion, their sudden exit leaving me feeling anxious. I glance behind me, hoping not to see Wrath standing there again. Luckily, he isn’t.
Vaguely hearing Noir and Hell whispering in the other room, I strain to catch their words.
“You can’t let her go into this blind, Hell,” Noir snaps, her voice tight with concern.
“Did anyone tell you what and who I was?” Hell shoots back, his tone sharp and unapologetic.
“Yes, actually. Blush gave me a small heads up.”
“And did it help? Did it stop me from doing what I wanted? Did it stop me from getting what the fuck I wanted? You.”
“But this ain’t the same, and you know it! He’s only just met her, and he almost fucking took her right in front of us.”
My face twists, the words filtering through the walls making my mind race. I lower my head, exhaustion sweeping over me, my thoughts spinning too fast.
“Just leave it, dolly.” Hell’s voice lowers, but it still holds a hard tone. “Nothing you or I do is gonna stop this shit now he’s seen her. She needs to figure it out on her own, just like the rest of us. What he is and what this place is.”
Feeling like I’ve had enough, I push myself out of the chair and head in the direction of their voices. As I reach the threshold of the dark living room, both of them turn to face me.
“Look, thank you, but can’t this wait until tomorrow or something?” I say, my voice tired, my gaze darting between them. “To be honest, all I want right now is a hot shower and some sleep.”