Page 63 of Hell on Wheels
Angelo strides in from the twins’ adjoining room, grinning broadly in his licorice colored suit. His combo is in a dark brick red with rust, orange, and dark red accents. It fits him perfectly in species and temperament, which I’m sure is intentional. The Geminis keep Guillermo to themselves for a reason and I finallyget why. He’s kitting us out to be elegant, but show the vibes of our inner nature,andmatching our physical look. It’s fucking genius.
“He’s a mouthy old monster, but his talent is unmatched, right?” Damon joins us in his black suit with faint charcoal pinstripes and the lightest lavender accents. The colors reflect his darkness and the vein of light running through him in a muted palette befitting his personality. “I have to admit, calling him to whip something up for this party was sheer brilliance on Rogue’s part.”
“Our woman is sharp as a tack. Telling him it’s to announce our mating will give him the chance to piss off my mother, as well as make certain we reflect the family as desired. Guillermo isn’t a fan of our mother and never has been. She’s disrespectful of his judgement and expertise, which I don’t blame him for being angry about.” Angelo sighs and shrugs. “He never makes her anything lacking in quality, but this kind of flair isn’t what he does for her.”
Smirking, I do a spin to look at myself in the mirror again. “That’s a fucking shame. But then, talk shit, get hit, right?”
“Something like that,” D chuckles. “Quit eyeballing your own ass and let’s see what the sparkly folk are wearing. I’m curious as hell.”
That makes two of us.
Reb answers his door with a narrowed eyed glare. He’s not happy about this event—it’s tripping some weird Fae/Guardian wire inside of him that Rogue isn’t feeling. The combination of his paranoia and her lack of it has made the past three days a pain in the ass. He’s trying and I know he’ll get there, but damn, he’s good at getting in his own fucking way.
“What the hell do you guys want?” he growls as he tugs at the loose tie around his neck.
Of course his get-up is made to be worn in a messy dressy fashion.
Our friend is clad in an electric, springy green that is the exact shade of his eyes. His shirt is a blue-green and his accessories are a contrasting cyan. It’s amazing with his hair and tats, especially since his shirt was designed to be worn half open. He’s being a dick, but I can see he painted his nails in a dark blue to go with his shoes. Rebel might not like the idea of attending this party, but he’s not stupid enough to offend Luca Gemini in his own home.
“You look like the Joker,” Angelo says with a snort. “Satan knows I love Gui, but this is the tits.”
“Shut it, Gemini,” Reb hisses. “This damn event isyourfault. If your parents weren’t such flashy criminals…”
“At least ours give a shit,” Damon mutters.
Annnd now it’s time to intervene.
“Guys, we’re all worried about her, especially since we’re taking a calculated risk letting this drop in public. We can’t let people think our playful poking is actual division.” I bob my brows at them, hoping they can get it through their thick ass skulls.
After a brief pause, Rebel rolls his eyes and heaves a sigh. “Fine. Let’s go see what little sis got. I’m sure I won’t be angry in the slightest.”
“That’s the spirit,” Javi says as he comes out of his room dressed in a color combo that makes him look like living flames. “Togetherness is the theme of the evening.”
“Whatever,” the Fae says as he stalks towards the main bedroom we gave our girl. “Let’s get this shit show over with.”
I ignore his shitty attitude, striding up to knock on her door. Even if her step-brother is giving me a disbelieving look, I think we should afford her a modicum of privacy by not barging—or in the twins’ case beaming—in without her permission. “Wheels? You ready yet?”
“Just a minute!” she calls out. I hear a bunch of rustling and more than a few curses, but eventually footsteps announce her as she approaches the door.
I wasnotready for what I see when she opens it.
Rogue has on a floor length dress with what looks like a corset top, but that’s not what makes her radiant. The fabric is bright sky blue with flowery beaded embellishments in a dark, sparkling midnight shade. It has a lacy trim with little bows at her chest—not enough to look weird, but enough to look girly in the light purple color. She’s got some sort of filmy, floor-length pink jacket-thingy hanging from her elbows and it trails behind her like her dust. Her multicolored hair is pinned in a soft, messy poof of blue, purple, and magenta waves that accent to the matching makeup and her glowing Fae tats.
“Holy fuck buckets,” Damon says as he pushes up his specs. “You look like a freaking painting, Sparkles.”
“Hell yeah, she does,” his twin rumbles.
Javier, smooth as always, steps forward and kisses her temple. “You’re beautiful, even if you hate being this revealed.”
“Stop it, Birdie. No bond reading tonight,” Rogue snarls. “And I’m not that naked—I have ten weapons hidden on me.”
Thatfinally gets Rebel to snap out of his daze. His lips curve up and he arches a brow. “Only ten?”
“Fine,” our girl says with a huff. “Thirteen, if you countbeinga weapon personally.”
Laughing, I mimic Javi, taking her hands to bring them to my lips. “Don’t worry, Wheels. Tonight you have to wear this, but tomorrow you can wear my jersey and be my favorite puck bunny.”
Her glare could cut diamonds as she hisses. “Favorite puck bunny? As in, more than one?”