Page 102 of Hell on Wheels
Rogue puts her hand on her hip as she pulls the one piece of ribbon that was left after the magical invite disappeared from her decolletage like a sexy magician. “This is all that’s left, dudes. You can accept it or call your bosses over; I don’t give a fuck which. However, since I’m escorted by the two heirs to the Gemini syndicate, a Guardian, a phoenix, and a hockey star, I feel you’re gonna get an ass chewing.”
“Having famous men surround you doesn’t make you important, whore,” the wolf snarls.
Before any of us can move, our girl holds her hand up, smiling in an extremely friendly anddangerousfashion. Waving her handdramatically, she replies in a fake sweet voice, “Oh, you’re going to regret that, mouth breather.”
I have to cover my mouth with a chuckle when her wings pop free, spreading out around her in anticipation of releasing the fatal Fae dust she rarely uses. Rogue isnotfucking around tonight, and this is her way of showing it. “Mate, I’d keep my fat yap closed from now on. There’s a reason the Society doesn’t like her wearing her birthright.”
Rebel grins as he unleashes himself, his eyes dancing. “But I’m free to use mine if I feel threatened. Are we being threatened? Is this an unsafe situation for two Guardians or?—?”
The pit demon recognized he was fucked when she said Gemini, so he hasn’t said a word since. The wolf shifter, however, is as ‘all brawn, no brains’ as many of the local pack are, so he gives us a stubborn look. His unwillingness to respect those more powerful is likely why he’s stuck guarding this door—genuine leaders know when they have foot soldiers who aren’t bright enough to handle actual work, so they use them as bullies. Luca does it too, and he doesn’t give a single fuck if they get killed in the name of defending his bullshit.
“Guardians aren’t in control here, Fae.”
This is why people hate these motherfuckers—zero awareness of their place in the pecking order.
Angelo growls, his horns sprouting as his eyes turn dark. He steps forward, blue flames surround his hands as he gets in the wolf’s face. “I don’t think you fully comprehend the consequences of denying entry to the heirs to the Gemini throne and their mate.”
“Uh, Cash, perhaps you should… let the Prince and his group in. The Boss will be pretty pissed when he hears his sons were insulted…”
Usually, pit demons aren’t smart enough to discern nuance, so I look at him curiously. “What’s your name, demon?”
“Drazrath, your excellency,” he replies as he dips his head.
Oh, how I hate that reaction, but I know I have to play the role here.
“You have been assigned below your ability, I believe. I will make sure Luca knows this,” I say before I turn to glare at the wolf again. “My twin is not joking with you, shifter. I suggest you step aside and we won’t report this to your alpha.”
Angelo snorts, and I roll my eyes internally. Of course, that’s a lie; this idiot insulted Sparkles, so encouraging his swift death for the crime is on the agenda. But if he thinks we’ll have him spared, we can stop standing on the doorstep like fucking Christmas carolers.
“Enough of this idiocy,” Rogue grumbles as she pushes in front of Angelo and me. “I’m done with your male posturing, fleabag.” Her tattoos light up, and a pulse of energy emits from her frame, pushing the lunkhead out of the way with enough force to send him flying. With a sigh of annoyance, our girl cocks her head at us, then heads inside of the warehouse without a word.
“Damn, Wheels,” Archie says, and I hear the desire in his tone. “That was badassandsexy as hell. Too bad we’re walking into a pit of vipers or?—”
“Shh,” Rebel cautions him. “We should assume that anyone here could be listening via magic or supe hearing. We don’t want to give up any information that isn’t necessary.”
I wink at the lion and he grumbles something unintelligible but joins me behind our girl, Reb, and Angelo in the lead. Javier flanks him and together, we’re a shield against any enemies coming up from behind. “This place looks deserted. I thought the outside was probably an illusion, but it’s really a dirty warehouse.”
Rogue shakes her head in front of me. “Not entirely. There’s portal magic somewhere in here. We’re meant to find it as a test, probably. I’d wager the big wigs got invitations that didn’t implode and there were instructions.”
Sounds about right for the asshole leaders of the crime organizations in this town.
“We’re supposed to see something in this huge empty space?” Archie asks, looking confused. He squints, then takes a deep sniff of the air, then his face lights up. “Maybe notsee, butsmell.”
“It may require various abilities to locate,” Javi says quietly. “We should follow Archie’s scent until there’s a lead, even if we’re walking in circles.”
“Fuck these pretentious assholes.”
Rebel’s statement is echoed across the group, but we take Javi’s suggestion, letting our big predator lead us around the space until he finally stops.
“Scent’s gone here. What’s next?” he asks.
Javier tilts his head, looking especially bird-like as he stands in place silently. “There’s a sound. It’s very faint and low-pitched. Do any of you hear it?”
Rogue shakes her head, then Reb and Archie do the same. “I don’t. But I might if I—” She gestures at her ears with a shrug. “Our senses sharpen when we aren’t covering our heritage.”
“Follow it,” I reply. “Angelo and I can’t hear it, so your turn to lead, Javier.”
The path winds as he tracks the sound, then stops in front of a pile of boxes that reveal a potted plant of dubious origin. That’s Rebel’s trick and once he encourages it to grow, it releases a series of hellfire balls Angelo and I can see. When we finally stop wandering around the space like morons, we’re in front of a feral-looking beast that looks like it’s going to attack us at any moment.