“Sister? It’s Zachary. I’m sending Jasper and Perry to you.” His voice moves away. “Twenty each. No, I’m afraid I have other matters to attend to. And no dinner for either of them.”
I almost swallow my tongue when I hear the sound of the curtain hiding the lair’s entrance being whisked away. Reuben and Apollo are on their feet a second later. Orange light blooms around the edges of the curtain shielding this side of the room, and then cuts a slice through the darkness when Zachary throws it back.
“What the fuck?” he demands in a deep growl that makes my hackles rise.
“I can explain—” Cass begins.
Zachary points back to the living area. Cass cuts off and steps into the living area without so much as a backward look.
Then he points to Reuben and Apollo. They follow Cass.
Zachary stares down at me, his face unreadable.
Without taking his eyes off of me, he tilts his head to the side and calls out, “Go get my things.”
Chapter Five
Zach
When I move forward, Trinity leans back like I’m gripping a blood-stained ax. I hold out one hand, then the other, showing her I’m in fact unarmed.
Fucking savages.
I knew this would happen. Which makes me a bigger idiot than they are. Luckily, those two queers were so busy fucking they probably wouldn’t have noticed if Armageddon came and went. It’s sad that I have to perpetuate the school’s canon on homosexuality, but just like the fucked up car I’m forced to drive, some things are an intrinsic part of my persona. I can’t break out of character yet.
Except here, in our nest.
I’d decided to cut my trip short after all. It’s a blessing in disguise that Jasper and Perry agreed to sodomize each other down here—Miriam will be so caught up in giving them lashes that I’m sure she won’t notice I’m back an hour early.
They gagged her again. I’m not surprised. In fact, I’d honestly expected her to be hogtied and deflowered already.
As soon as the gag is off, she scowls at me. “What’s so fucking funny?”
I briefly close my eyes and let out the chuckle I’d been suppressing. “You should be thanking me,” I tell her.
I try to help her up, but she shakes off my hand with a muttered curse. She stands, and then hurriedly tugs at something around her knees.
Her panties?
Jesus H. Christ.
I hold out my hand. “Give.”
She looks like she might disobey, but then her shoulders sag and she hands over her underwear. I scan her as I untangle the fabric. For once, she’s wearing something that fits, but that pale, clingy dress is like a red flag to a bull.
“Nice dress.”
She doesn’t look at me as she slips past to go out. “What, this old thing?” she mutters.
Underwear finally untangled, I go to fold it and stop.
It’s soaked.
I turn a little, frowning after her as she disappears into the living area.
Why, I believe our little Trinity has a crush on us.
She’s sitting stiff as a board in my chair, hands placed just so on her lap and her eyes down. But I can see her watching me through her lashes as I go to put her underwear in one of my tins. I had no intention of keeping it, but it will drive her mad knowing she’d left evidence of her presence down here.
Cass is gone. Probably hoping I’d cool off before he comes back with the things I bought in town.
“Twenty?” Apollo says. “That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”
“Second offense,” Reuben says before I can open my mouth. “Should have gotten thirty.”
“No one can stand thirty,” Apollo says, sounding aghast. He flicks his head, tossing his hair from his face as he looks my way. “That Miriam’s got a good arm.”
“What is she doing here?” I ask them.
Trinity replies. “I’m here to talk.”
I turn, my eyebrows quirking up before I can school them. “You came down here after I expressly told you not—?”
“We fetched her,” Apollo says, sounding bored. I’m sure, without his camera, he’s about to die. “Made sure no one saw. Right, Rube?”
“Right.” Reuben stands. “Drink?”
“Double.” My eyes are still on Trinity. “And for her too.”
“I don’t want—”
She cuts off when I shake my head, and drops her gaze back into her lap.
Such a pretty thing. Is that why Gabriel brought her here? I’d been thinking about it all of last night. Relocating Trinity to Saint Amos was a risky move for the Guardian. So risky, I’m still trying to figure out why he’d do it at all.
If he was in fact such a close family friend, then there’s a strong possibility she might have seen him interacting with a Ghost from their church.
We’re not a hundred percent sure how he chooses the Ghosts he works with. We assume they’re all clergy members, but from a different diocese, or all from the same? I’d expect there would be nothing tying them together except Gabriel, and that he’d keep his distance.
Bringing a remnant from his previous life here, to Saint Amos, is not keeping his distance. Maybe he thinks he’s safe now, after all these years. But he’s never been reckless.
Until now.
Until Trinity.
But why risk everything…for her?
Unless his plans for her are short-term.
Because the only reason I can think Gabriel would bring Trinity here is because he knew she wouldn’t be staying. So where is the poor orphan girl headed?
My thoughts go to the worst possible conclusion.
Trinity isn’t here to finish out her senior year. She’s here to meet someone very special. Perhaps a few somebodies.
My gut tells me Gabriel is planning on introducing her to her very own Ghosts.
Chapter Six
Zach
I sit in Apollo’s armchair, and he sits beside Reuben. Trinity’s barely touched her drink, but every time I make a point of looking in her direction, she does at least take another sip.
Gabriel’s back tomorrow. There’s nothing we can do—short of breaking down his door—to speed up this process. And if that had been a possibility, we’d have done it by now.
There’s time to kill. I should be grateful for the diversion Trinity affords us.
Cass arrives with my things and sets down the bags alongside the back wall of the library. “Two cameras?” he asks a moment later.
“Couldn’t make out your handwriting,” I say, directing my voice at Cass, but staring at Apollo.
But he’s so busy scrambling off the sofa, I don’t think he even notices. I drop my eyes and let out a soft chuckle as I drain my whiskey.
It’s taken us years, but we’re finally starting to find joy in the little things.
“This is the one,” he says, snatching the offending box from Cass’s hands. “But I’ll keep this as a spare.” He tucks both boxes under his arms and looks about to leave.
“Sit down,” I tell him, holding my glass out for Reuben.