“What? It’s not like you shift into anything else. Besides, I figured it would make her smile. She’s scared right now, so get over yourself.” He smirks at me. “Be a good kitty.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration, and he bursts out laughing before quickly sobering up.
“I know she said to spare Darren, but I will kill him if he gets in our way. Nothing stops us from getting our girl back. Agreed?” I ask them, deciding Colten is right.
She needed something to make her smile, and I hope it worked. Even if it was at the expense of the sliver of sanity I have left.
My patience for these two only goes so far when Harleigh isn’t around. Although, it has grown in the past year.
“Agreed,” they both chime as we pull over.
Mark and Lucifer have been having their own conversation up front, so they haven’t heard anything we’ve said yet.
“Harleigh is sort of, freaking out. Not in a crying mess way, but more of a murderous rage,” Brian informs them when we all get out of the car.
“You can still communicate?” Lucifer asks, and we all nod. “Good. That means they don’t feel threatened, and there won’t be a lot of wards to get past.”
That’s one positive to all this.
“Have they done anything to her?” Mark asks us with concern, and Brian and Colten both wince.
“She won’t tell us, but when I asked her if my father had touched her, that’s when she begged us to get here. My guess is yes,” I growl, and the thunderous looks on Mark and Lucifer’s faces make even me take a step back.
I may be a sociopath with zero feelings, but I have a brain, and that brain screams, ‘Don’t fuck with a pissed off Satan.’
“She did say she was scared,” Brian adds, and I want to throttle him. Like we need to piss them off any more than they already are.
“I’m going to burn that motherfucker alive,” Mark screams, and I wince. It’s really not the time to be yelling. We are trying to go for stealth here.
“He’s mine.” Him and Lucifer look at me like I’ve wronged them, and I shrug. “Look, you know I am all about protecting Harleigh, and only her. She is the one and only thing that I care about. I don’t care if you’re pissed at me, but we all need answers, and I’m guessing the angel that helped him tonight isn’t going to give them up easily.”
Lucifer lets out an animalistic growl that is definitely not of this world, and gives me a dirty look. “What is your plan then?”
I nod. “She wants Darren alive. I also want my father alive, but for different reasons. I need to torture the truth out of him. We won’t know how many angels are working with Raphael if we don’t.” Him and Mark assess me while the other guys stand on each side of me in quiet support. “You guys torturing him would tip the scales. I can do it without consequence. Mostly, anyway.”
“It makes the most sense, but I don’t like it,” Mark snaps. “She’s my daughter. You three better make sure he never gets near her again.”
We all nod in agreement.
“No one will hurt her again,” Brian says passionately.
“We love her fiercely. She is the one thing the three of us have in common. With us at her back, she is safer than anyone,” Colten growls out.
“Good. Tonight is on all of us.” Lucifer runs his hands through his long hair. “We knew something would happen. It’s why I gave her the necklace. But knowing Raph is in on this? I fear this goes deeper than just Harleigh. And if I’m right, the chances of a war are great.”
No one speaks for a few moments as we take his words in.
“How possible is it that he’s working alone?” I ask, trying to calculate the probability of everything.
“It’s not very likely.” Lucifer’s eyes are still glowing red with anger.
“I’m positive she isn’t the first.” Mark draws all of our attention to him. “They didn’t want me choosing good. Tried their dammdest to get me to change my mind, but I’m Lucifer’s son. Forcing me, or making me disappear, wouldn’t have been an option. They would have had to accept it.”
“So, you think he’s done this before?” Brian questions, and Mark and Lucifer nod.
“It’s plausible. We won’t know until I get my hands on Raph and find out the truth.” His eyes shoot flames from them before Mark grips his shoulders.
“Dad. You can’t do anything more than deliver him back to the council, and tell them your findings. Maybe seek a meeting with The Father.”
He shakes his head. “I haven’t spoken to The Father since He banished me, Mark. That’s not going to be an easy feat.”
Mark nods. “Maybe not, but she’s worth it. You know He won’t stand for this kind of imbalance once He knows even one person involved.”
Lucifer’s eyes dim back to their normal darkness before he speaks again.
“You’re right. She is more than worth it. Brian,” he turns toward the angel at my side. “Your Dad and the other angels are still with Adeline?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. I’m going to need everyone but your Dad to go up now, and speak with the Council about what they saw. That way, when I get Raphael to the gates, they will be ready. They’ll need someone’s voice that they trust, and mine isn’t one of them.”
Brian nods and pulls out his phone, tapping out a message to his father before pocketing it again.
“Harleigh offered to do a power surge before we walk in there,” Colten says, bringing them back to the topic of our girl.
“No. Tell her to conserve her strength. A surge may render her powerless with her emotions running so high, and we don’t know what we’re up against,” Mark says firmly, and we all nod.
O: Your Dad and Lucifer don’t want the power surge. They said you need to conserve your strength.
