Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(69)

Shaz’s car was gone from the parking lot when I returned. Letting myself in the back entry, I double checked the door lock behind me and headed for Harley’s room. I grit my teeth as I passed the room where I’d caught the two of them. To my relief, I felt no sense of Bianca or anyone else inside.

When I stood awkwardly in the middle of Harley’s room, I sent a text message to Arys to tell him I wouldn’t be home at dawn as planned. He’d be pissed that I didn’t call, but I didn’t want to have that conversation.

The strangeness of sleeping in the same room where Shaz and I had killed Arys’s sire was quickly replaced by stomach turning nausea. Oh, damn you, tequila.

I soon fell into a dizzying sleep. Thanks to the ass-kicking booze, I fell past the point of dreams into the black abyss of liquor-induced slumber.

Chapter Eighteen

It was evening by the time I rolled down the short stretch of highway to Stony Plain. Several hours of drunken sleep had left me feeling like a zombie. My head throbbed, and I felt both hungry and nauseous at the same time. A deadly combination. The entire drive home was spent swearing up and down I’d never touch tequila again.

I made a brief trip through a drive-thru for coffee and a yogurt cup. I really should get something in my system. If I didn’t pull myself together, I would be no help to Kale.

“Aw, crap.” The sight of Shaz’s little blue Chevy Cobalt parked in front of Arys’s house brought the curses streaming from my lips. Couldn’t he just leave this alone? I didn’t want to look at him right then let alone talk about it.

I half-heartedly considered driving right by and going to Kylarai’s for a shower and meal instead. It had been home once. She’d welcome me with open arms, and I could use a friend right now.

Feeling like death and in great need of a hot shower, I made the decision to suck it up and go inside. I would face the music, but that didn’t mean I had to dance. With a firm hold on my tongue and the nasty things I wanted to spit in wounded fury, I sidled up the walk and opened the door.

It was quiet. The inside of the house was draped in darkness. Leaving the afternoon sun behind, I stepped into the veiled cover of Arys’s house. Right away, I could feel it. Energy hung heavy on the atmosphere, remnants of power that stank of bloodlust, desire and pleasure. What the f**k?

Letting the door slam, I swept through the kitchen to the living room. Shaz was asleep on the couch with a light blanket draped over him. He stirred at my approach. The scent of a fresh wound drew my attention to the vampire bite on the inside of his wrist. Along with the spiced up residual energy in the house, it wasn’t hard to put it all together. This had to be a bad dream.

Arys was a dark shadow in the hall as he emerged from the bedroom clad in a robe. “What the hell happened to you?”

Shaz blinked a few times, his jade gaze taking in my bruised face. “Lex?”

I didn’t have the energy to be as furious with them as I was. Something had clearly gone on here, something that involved bloodletting between my two lovers, without me.

I shoved by Arys with my focus on the shower. “I’m not speaking to either of you right now.”

I slammed the bathroom door and peeled my clothes off. Bruises decorated my body, but like my face, they had healed substantially while I’d slept. Another day and it would be as if it had never happened. The worst of it was the killer shiner, nothing sunglasses couldn’t take care of in front of humans.

From beyond the door, I heard Arys say, “Well that went better than I expected.”

It was impossible to enjoy the hot shower. Knowing they were out there waiting for me put the pressure on. I should have gone to Kylarai’s.

I took my sweet time shampooing my hair and soaping my sore body. I didn’t turn the water off until the hot tap ran cold. Ranting and raving to myself beneath my breath, I wrapped a towel around my hair and slipped into Arys’s room where I dressed in yoga pants and a black tank top.

I should have been a number of things as I returned to the living room: angry, jealous, betrayed… Instead, I was just weary.

They both began to speak the moment I stepped into the room. I held up a hand to silence them while deciding whom I could stand to look at.

“Please, both of you just shut up and let me talk.” My voice was surprisingly calm. “The last twenty-four hours have really sucked ass. The FPA has Kale, and I got my ass beat by a gang of vampires. A fallen angel got them off me, the only reason I’m standing here right now.”

I let my gaze sweep over each of them in turn. They each sat on opposite ends of the couch. Shaz’s hair stood up on one side from the way he’d slept. His t-shirt was rumpled. Fatigue and guilt shone in his eyes. He clearly hadn’t slept well.

Our eyes met, and the sick sensation of betrayal began to gnaw at me again. I saw my pain reflected in his eyes. It was hard to look at him.

“Coming back to the two of you and the metaphysical stink in this place is not an improvement on top of everything else,” I continued, my gaze landing on Arys. “You want to tell me what the hell went on here? Or, do I even want to know?”

Arys was completely unruffled. He leaned back, arms folded across his chest. He regarded me with the wariness of one regarding a venomous snake, cautious and bracing for the unpredictable.

“Shaz came here when he couldn’t find you. He needed a fix. I’m not one to say no.” Arys shrugged, daring me to get mad.