Hell on Wheels (Faetal Attraction #1)

Just The Way You Are

Wheels let us help her get up and gather up all the shit Florissa said she needed—with a promise to return all of her equipment once Rogue was finished healing. Unfortunately, her acceptance of our solution to her safety problem ended there. She fought with Angelo over which car she was riding in until Javi cajoled her. When we got to her apartment to pack her bags, she growled every time someone helped despite being one-armed. Her screeches when she found Rebel dumping her lingerie into a bag could have awakened the dead. If I didn’t dig the hell out of her, I would have strangled the shit out of Rogue by the time we got home.

That woman needs someone to tie her down and paddle the brat right out of her.

I’d happily volunteer for the job if I could get her alone without Rebel losing the fucking plot. The two of them have been dancing around their shit for years, and now they’re old enough to admit it. Even the twins are growing weary of our friend’s willful blindness about her. Javi swears he continues to label her ‘little sister’ to keep himself from acting on his attraction, and she tells him to stop because deep down she knows how they feel about one another. All of us have waited patiently for him to declare his feelings, and it’s getting really old. This stay in our house might shake something loose for one of us; I’m glad I thought of it.

Not that I’m going to tell Rogue it was my idea. I don’t want to get punched in the nose.

“Why are you so quiet?” Rebel grunts as he turns onto our street. “Usually you talk my goddamned ears off the entire way home.”

I arch a brow at him, and when he doesn’t bite, I sigh. He and Rogue are two of the most stubborn Fae I’ve ever met despite not being blood related. “If you’d quit antagonizing Rogue, this will be a lot easier on everyone. You can’t boss her around like a child, even if it’s because you want to protect her. She’s nineteen, Reb.”

He huffs, taking the turn into our massive driveway harder than necessary, so I get jostled around. “I don’t antagonize her. She’s a pain in my ass.”

Adroa, save me from this clueless idiot.

“Fine. Take it easy on her. How about that? She’s fiercely independent because of your parents, and we’ll never be able to keep her safe if she’s running off all the time to spite you.”

The engine purrs as he lets it idle in his parking spot in front of Angelo’s massive garage. My friend is quiet while he considers my words, and I watch the twin pull up in his ‘71 Hemi ‘Cuda, Rogue perched on Damon’s lap. They made Javi drive Damon’s matching car and, because he’s the peacemaker, he complied. Rogue throws her head back and laughs at something Angelo says and finally, Reb speaks.

“She’s the most important person in my life, Arch. I won’t fail her again, even if she hates me for it.”

Okay, now I’ve had it.

“Dude, the only way we have a snowball’s chance in Hades of keeping Rogue safe is if she’s comfortable here. For her, being self-sufficient is a way of life, and you need to curb your dickish control freak shit. If we want her to stay …” I glare at him as I put emphasis on that word. “... and we all do— you gotta let her spread her wings. Metaphorically, I mean.”

Whipping his head around, he pins me with an angry glare. “What do you mean, we all do ?”

Sighing, I shake my head and open my car door. “You’ve really got to pull your head out of your ass, man. Think about it for a while, and you’ll figure it out.”

I roll out of his tiny car and jog over to the ‘Cuda, holding my arms out so Damon can hand Rogue to me. She thumps my shoulder, bitching about being able to walk on her own, but it’s half-hearted. If she truly wanted down, she’d do a lot more than swat me. The twins hop over the sides of the car and Javi does the same, all three of them grabbing Rogue’s things as they follow me inside. Rebel stays in his car, and I let him—he has some serious thinking to do.

“I still cannot believe your father bought the five of you this freaking house,” Rogue grumbles at Angelo.

He shrugs and winks at her. “Luca believes in rewarding his soldiers, cara mia . Damon and I handle different things—some legal and some less so—but they value us as employees of the Gemini empire.”

“Don’t forget he giveth, and he taketh away,” Damon grumbles under his breath. “We’ve paid in blood for this place, so I don’t begrudge receiving it.”

Luca Gemini is a sociopath, but the house is amazing; she’s right.

Rogue looks up at me, yawning. “I’m gonna need to sleep for a bit. The meds Florissa gave me before we left are kicking in.”

“Take her to her room.” The voice from the doorway is Reb’s, but his tone has changed.

Rogue peeps over my shoulder at him before turning back to the rest of us. “My room?”

“Your room.” Angelo and Damon chime in before glaring at one another.

“I haven’t heard you two do the twin thing in a long time,” Rogue murmurs around another yawn.

I chuckle and shift her in my arms as I climb the long staircase to the second floor. The twins are arguing and socking one another as we make our way to the extensive suite on the left side of the house. She doesn’t know it, but when we all moved in, we left the largest unoccupied. It never felt right for any of us to take it, so only the cleaning staff go into it. After three years of it sitting empty, we may have finally found its intended occupant—Rogue.

Okay, we were a little creepy crushing on a girl three years younger than us, but no girl has ever compared to Rogue.

When I step over the threshold, she lifts her head from my shoulder and frowns. “I’ve never seen you guys open this door before.”

“Special occasions call for special locations, Wheels.” I walk over to the enormous bed, sitting her down carefully on the bright blue satin comforter. “Now, you go to sleep like a good girl, and when you wake up, we can talk more.”

She looks like she wants to tell me to get fucked, but she murmurs, “Stay with me? Don’t tell him, but I had nightmares the last time I snoozed.”

As if I could say ‘no’ to that request.

“Okay, Wheels. I’ll stay.” I smile as she curls onto her good side, leaving her arm propped up. Once she settles, I climb in next to her and lay my head on the pillow, closing my eyes.

I am pretty damned tired from being up all night…

“What the hell is going on in here?”

The sound of Rebel shouting like a fucking idiot wakes me up, and I squint in the waning light in the room. I take a moment to put all the pieces together, but once I notice Rogue has wiggled her way into my arms while we snoozed, I get it. He’s a jealous asshat, and he’s going to wake her with his stupid hissy fit.

“Shhhhh,” I whisper. “She’s still asleep, though that’s a minor miracle with you bellowing.”

His eyes narrow and he stalks over, his angry gaze landing on the injured arm she has resting on my stomach. “I can see that, asshole. Why are you here?”

“Because she asked me to stay, dumbass. I mean, I didn’t start out exactly in this position, but…”

Before he can start yelling again, Javi pops his head around the doorframe. “Is Dragonfly awake? I made tacos.”

Rebel doesn’t move and I swear, if he was a cartoon character, there would steam coming out of his ears. “No, she’s not awake yet!”

“She is now,” Rogue mumbles, stretching along my side as she yawns. When her eyes open, I wiggle the fingers of my free hand at her. She turns bright red under her freckles as she realizes what position we’re in.

Her injured arm moves, and I put it back gently. “You’re fine, Wheels. I’ve been told I make an excellent pillow, footstool, and a multitude of other furnishings.”

“Punching bag,” Reb mutters.

“Knock it off.”

Angelo and Damon appear on the other side of the doorway, and Rebel throws his hands in the air in frustration. I wave at them as well, and Angelo pinches the bridge of his nose. Damon gets that weird look on his face and drops his eyes back to the ever-present phone in his hands.

“Did I hear something about tacos?” Wheels asks, looking over her shoulder. “Cause I could eat.”

“ Sí, senorita ,” Javi replies as he pushes past the irritable Fae blocking the entrance. “And since I am the chef, I will escort you to my kitchen.” He leans down and picks her up, causing her to squeal as he carries her.

“What is it with you jerks picking me up today?!” Rogue growls as she struggles in his grasp.

“It was my turn,” Javi says as he gives her a brilliant grin. “Besides, Archie started it.”

Oh, way to throw me under the bus, amigo.

Once they’re gone, Rebel turns his death stare back at me as I lounge on the bed. I pointedly ignore him, smiling as Angelo and Damon bring the rest of Rogue’s things in. Her purple bags and cases seem to match the vibe of the room, and I feel inordinately pleased with myself. I made the right choice bringing her here rather than one of the guest rooms downstairs.

“You know, this really is a beautiful room,” Damon says as he hefts one case onto the couch. “The decor even suits her.”

Angelo snorts. “Bro, don’t even pretend none of us have ever had that thought before. All of us had a hand in creating this room. Even those of us who helped under protest .”

“I didn’t protest; I just didn’t see why we were wasting time decorating a stupid shrine!”

“Rebel Kelly, you are the biggest idiot under this roof.” I roll to my feet and head out the door, heading to find Javi and Rogue.

“He’s right,” the Gemini chorus as they follow me.

Well, at least they’re on my side. Now I just need to get the girl there and we’ll have something.