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38

IRIS

While the guys went off to shower, I quickly got dressed and now stand leaning against Angel’s bedroom door, feeling the cool wood against my back.

He’s pale.

Really pale.

Numerous tubes are attached to his arm, delivering essential fluids and medications for his recovery.

That’s a lot of tubes.

Dr Morrow carefully fastened two splints around his legs and placed a bottle of pain relievers on his bedside table. Additionally, he tightly wrapped a bandage around his torso to support the stab wound he had sustained.

We still don’t know who stabbed him.

Joining him on the top of the bed cover, I let out a sigh and carefully avoid touching the intravenous tubes, relishing in the comforting warmth and softness beneath me.

Kai must have given him a thorough cleaning because there is no trace of the smoke’s blackness on him, and his hair is still wet.

I don’t know what magic he used, but his hair is impeccably clean, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

With careful precision, I nestle my head in the nook of his neck, savouring the fragrance that emanates from him.

“Angel,” I breathe. “I’ll give you 24 hours to rest, but after that, you better come back to me. How am I supposed to deal with those three idiots if you’re not here?”

My hand finds its place over his heart, and I am mesmerised by the soothing sound of his heartbeats and the gentle movement of his chest.

“Idiots?”

I turn my head to Elijah, who is casually leaning against the door, a sad smile on his face.

“You’d have preferred assholes?”

He walks closer, waving me over, and I quickly scoot over to make room for him before lying down beside us.

As I tilt my head to look at him, he gently places his hand on mine, which is settled on Arch’s chest.

“Fix it.”

“I’m sorry, Sirène . I don’t have control over that.”

“But that’s what you do. You fix things. You’re the anchor, the fixer.”

The soft strokes of his hand on my hair immediately soothe me, making me feel at ease.

“I’m glad to see I have a purpose,” he whispers.

“You know what I mean,” I moan, my scalp tingling as his fingers dig deeper.

“I know.” He kisses my cheek. “I’m sorry, mon coeur.? 1 Time is our best ally.”

“They’re here.” We turn our heads to see Kai looking at us.

We probably appear quite amusing in that position, with Arch in the centre, me clinging to him, my hand pressed against his chest, and Eli sprawled behind me, his hand resting on top of mine.

“Can we have a bed big enough for everyone to snuggle up in?”

Where the hell did that come from?

“I already made the necessary arrangements. I doubted you would let Archer be alone, and we won’t either.”

“See. Fixer.”

He kisses my head before standing up.

“Theo will come to get you. Let me handle them for now before you release your havoc upon them.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

“You’re going to get a spanking for that.”

“Oh, no,” I gasp, my hand instinctively covering my mouth. “How shocking will it be?”

“Smartass.”

He quietly exits the room, leaving me alone, with Kai’s presence filling the space.

“How are you doing?” I motion for him to come closer, but he stubbornly shakes his head.

“I’m fine.”

Did I say he was stubborn?

I leave the cosy comfort of my spot and rise to my feet, taking a few steps closer to him.

“Show me.”

“I told you I was fine,” he groans.

“And I’m asking you to show me. You’ve been trapped in a place engulfed in flames. Your skin has been charred and blistered, so show me.”

“You and I don’t do sweetness. We fight; that’s what we do.”

“Oh, sorry.” I roll my eyes. “I’ll go back to being a pain after making sure you’re alright.” I reach out and firmly grip his chin, even though it’s a challenge because of his size. “And just to make it clear, I’ll do sweetness if I see fit. So stop being a twat, and let me see so I can stop worrying.” I stop in my tracks and squint my eyes. “Hold on, does that mean you wouldn’t even kill for me?”

“For fuck’s sake, you’re so dramatic.”

“Of course I am. I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t,” I scoff.

Turning with deliberate slowness, he lifts his T-shirt, exposing his back and bloody hell.

I suppress a gasp attempting to flee. The beam left a deep crimson burn on the majority of his back.

“And yes,” he says without looking at me. “I’d kill for you in a heartbeat.”

“I’m glad to hear that you’re still thinking clearly,” I mumble.

I’m still observing his wound, careful not to make any contact. There’s a high chance that if I go down that path, I’ll end up right back buried deep in the grave.

“It’s not as bad as it looks. Dr Morrow handed me a bottle of medication and applied a soothing cream to the affected area.”

The moment he hears me groan, he immediately turns back to face me, his head tilted inquisitively.

“What now?”

“I love you. All of you. The broken pieces and the asshole attitude. Don’t ask me when it happened because I have no fucking clue. But don’t lie to me. I can tell when you’re in pain. And right now, you are in pain.”

“I—”

“Tu tu tu. Keep your lies for someone else.”

“I—”

“Shh. I said?—”

“Would you shut up for two seconds?” He pinches the bridge of his nose, really annoyed now. “God, you’re infuriating. I was going to say, yes, I feel the pain, but it’s manageable. Also, I like you too.”

“Nuh-uh.” I shake my head with a frown. If he expects me to be content with that, he’s clearly mistaken.

“What now?”

“You like me? What am I? A puppy?”

“Christ. You’re maddening for a tiny human.”

He grabs my cheeks and applies pressure, causing them to bulge out.

“My heart skipped a beat when I saw you inside the bar, surrounded by flames, barely clothed, and gasping for air. I want to kill you as much as I want to fuck you.” His touch on my cheeks grows firmer, and I can’t help but feel a surge of emotions as his words sink in. “This body is mine, and no one should be able to see what’s beneath it. You came to take our life, and in a sense, that’s exactly what you accomplished.” He bends down to kiss my lips softly, his warm breath tickling my skin as he whispers. “You’re maddening and infuriating. But I like you. I love you. I am in love with you, Lily Adams. And if you didn’t want to keep your father alive, I would have handled the situation immediately.”

I know I have a silly grin plastered across my face.

I didn’t expect to find them.

Well, I did. I had the mission to kill them, after all.

I would’ve never gone through it, though.

Playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Eli, yes, but taking his life? That has never been an option.

Falling in love with all four of them… is not something I saw coming.

“That was…” I’m lost for words.

“Don’t get used to it,” he grumps.

Naturally, he had to ruin the whole thing.

“Oh, I thought I lost my grumpy boy for a second with all this sweetness.” I watch as he cracks a smile. I tiptoe and gently press my lips against his. “I love you too, Kale.”

He gives me a last peck before detaching himself from me.

“I’ll go downstairs. I know you won’t wait for Theo to come and get you, so stay up the stairs and remain completely unseen, okay?”

“Actually, I’ll just stay here with Angel.”

“ You are going to stay here?” He doesn’t believe me for a bit, which is fair.

I grab my phone and lift it.

“Well, I still have access to the house surveillance, don’t I?”

He shakes his head, but a slight smile appears on the corner of his lips.

“Okay, then.” He kisses the top of my head before whispering. “Be good, Poison.”

Just as he takes a step backwards, I reach out and grab his arm, preventing him from going any further. “Oh, and make sure to offer him the pie from the freezer, but be careful not to eat it or let Vivianne have a bite.”

A frown creases his face, and he shakes his head in disapproval.

“What have you done now?” He sighs.

“Why do you always doubt my intentions?” I cross my arms over my chest, but his eyebrow raises in curiosity, forcing me to blurt out, “Human flesh, okay? I was keeping it for a special occasion.” I lift my finger in front of his face. “And before you say anything, no, it wasn’t for you.”

A chuckle escapes him as he keeps shaking his head. “Okay, killer. I’ll offer him a slice.” He winks before leaving the room.

I go back to my spot and nestle against Angel as I open the app on my phone.

Let’s get this shit show started.

1 ? my heart