Hell on Wheels (Faetal Attraction #1)

Do I Wanna Know?

“No fucking way, Rogue! You’re not this stupid!”

Burying my hands in my hair, I struggle not to tear it out. She flounced out of her room this morning with barely a word to anyone. Once breakfast was over, she helped clean up and headed for the game room, locking the door behind her.

Archie told us she spent most of the morning there and Damon confirmed she was online playing with simulators, so she must have been practicing for the triathlon—not that we’ve even confirmed we’re entering. Angelo heard the sounds of skates in the training room later, but outside of grunts and loud rock music, she stayed radio silent.

Until now.

That’s when my recently injured sister came striding down the stairs with her eyes full of fire and her posture ramrod straight, declaring she’s going to the rave under the Bay City Bridge whether we like it or not.

Even if she hadn’t gotten her ass beaten two days ago, there are a thousand reasons she shouldn’t be going to the largest rave in the area. I might have won the argument with logic had I been able to get my fucking brain to work, but that’s not what happened. Instead of pointing out that the rave is under the bridge between Bay and Silver cities, so it will have both a huge law enforcement presence and criminal organizations, I said the dumbest possible thing I could have.

I took one look at the purple booty shorts, thigh high fishnets, and strappy bra contraption and lost my goddamn mind. She’d upgraded her earlier look with long Sailor Moon style pigtails, a collar, and winged iridescent butterfly platform combat boots. Oh, and a metric fuckton of glitter that I’d wager is actually pheromone laced Fae dust covering her from head to toe.

She looks like a manic pixie dream girl and there’s no chance in Hades I’m letting her go wade through that crowd dolled up like she’s the center spread.

“Newsflash, fucker… You. Don’t. Own. Me. I’m nineteen and I don’t need your permission. You’re not even my actual brother .”

Looking at the guys, I growl. “A little help here? She cannot go out until we have a handle on this shit, especially to the biggest party in the Bay!”

Archie winces, shrugging as he looks at his feet. Javi rubs the back of his neck as he pours another shot of tequila at the counter—a sure sign he’s worried—but he doesn’t speak. Angelo and Damon are studying her carefully, as if weighing their options.

Cowards, the lot of them.

“Look, I don’t know what’s crawled up your ass and pinched, Reb, but get it out. I may be healing, but I’m the captain of the Bombers… who will all be there. I won’t hold that title long if I puss out because I got my ass kicked. You know derby is vicious; Mina’s defection will leave a second-in-command vacuum that weakens my position.”

Fuck. Of course she would make a very calm, logical point while insulting me. It makes my outburst look childish and now my friends’ expressions are uncertain. “Rogue, I get that, but this rave is probably the most dangerous place you could choose. There will be hundreds of people, including an unknowable amount of enemies, and your wings are out of commission. You can’t protect yourself!”

Before I can blink, a fist slams into my jaw and a knee rams into my crotch, dropping me to the ground. I feel breath on my cheek as a saccharine voice asks, “I’m sorry; I couldn’t hear you. Did you say something about not being able to defend myself?”

Goddamn, she moves fast. It’s why she’s a terror on skates.

“Uh, bro? I think we’re going to have to consider a Plan B because Wheels just laid you out with her injured arm and didn’t even make a face,” Archie ventures in a choked voice.

The fucker is trying not to laugh; I can tell. “Laugh it up, fuzzball.”

“I could see you being Han,” Angelo says. “However, our Princess is fierce, and they are both correct. Despite our instinct to protect Rogue, she needs to be seen publicly not being beaten down to combat that puttana ? 1 . So we will need a Plan B, as the lion said.”

I roll over, still clutching my junk as I glare up at the sparkling vision I can never get out of my head. “You didn’t pull your fucking punch, sis .”

“Nope,” she says with a bratty pop of her lips. “You earned that.”

Maybe I did, but my intentions were good. She could have gone for the ribs instead of my dick.

“Fine. I can be reasonable,” I sigh. “Since my cock is throbbing and my brain is mush, someone tell me what the fucking plan is.”

Rogue’s eyes get as big as flying saucers and I smirk. I might have done that on purpose. Archie smothers another laugh and I wink at him. The dude has been my best friend since I got here and if there was ever a guy who can play peacemaker, it’s Archer Glaser. His himbo jock act is exactly that—an act he puts on to keep people at a distance. He’s sharp as a tack, especially with reading his friends.

Damon clears his throat. “I have options.”

“I’ll bet you do,” Rogue snarls, stalking over to the steps and plopping down. She puts her elbows on her knees and her cheeks in her hand, affecting a bored posture.

What the hell is with her tonight?

The vengeance demon flushes and taps something on his tablet before clearing his throat. “First, I’ve got a group chat and tracking app on all our phones now. We can pinpoint one another as close as a five-foot radius as long as the other person is within fifty miles. It will work with wireless earbuds and the on phone voice commands as well, so you can be a little sneakier if you choose.”

Before Rogue can open her mouth, I growl. “Non-negotiable. If they knock you out, you can’t do what you did last time.”

She rolls her eyes and pulls gum out of her pocket to pop into her mouth. I have no idea how since everything she’s wearing is like a fucking skin suit, but she chews as if we’re the dullest thing she’s ever experienced. “Fine. What else?”

“I’ll also tuck a tracker dot inside one of your boots in case the phone gets ditched. Its range is even better, and I’ve set a net around the bridge area to send a distress call to us if you leave the specified area.”

“Uh-huh,” my sister drawls, blowing an enormous bubble and then popping it dramatically. Every one of us shoots an angry glare at her and she shrugs, twirling the gum around her finger.

I swear to fuck, it’s going to be a fistfight over who gets to turn her over their knee.

Damon shakes his head as if to clear it and then says, “We’ll take turns staying near her as she glad hands through the crowd. Use the earbuds and keep your eyes peeled.”

My gaze swivels to each of my friends, not wanting to give into this idiocy, but also knowing that they won’t back me up if I try to lock Rogue in the house. “No one drinks tonight. Make it look good, but no drinking and, for fuck’s sake , watch for Fae dust of any kind. Our people love raves and we frequently flit through them, causing chaos to amuse ourselves.”

“You know that makes you all assholes, right?” Archie smirks at me, crossing his arms over his chest.

“We have an exponentially longer lifespan than humans, most shifters, and many magic users.” I walk over to Rogue and tug on one of the long anime style ponytails so I can get past her. “We have to amuse ourselves somehow. Now, go get dressed so we can get this over with.”

“You could have been a little less… obvious, you know,” I say to Rogue as we race along the cliffs towards the edge of town.

She pops that damned gum again, lolling her head to the side as she gives me a bored look. “Less obvious?”

“You look like a gamer geek’s cam girl tonight. I could give a fuck how you dress normally, but you dolled yourself up like a little raver when you’re going to wade through a crowd of drunken, drugged up idiots.”

“Rebel Elvis Kelly! Don’t you dare make me responsible for others’ poor life choices. If anyone lays a hand on me, what I’m wearing will not absolve them. You know better than that.” Her arms cross over her chest and she stares out the window, fuming.

Sighing, I check the mirror to make sure the twins are following with Javi and Archie. “That’s not what I meant. I’m not making an excuse for a rapey asshole, sis. I’m saying you draw attention with your mere presence and in that outfit, it’s going to multiply. It will make it harder for us to protect you.”

“I. Don’t. Need. Protection,” she seethes.

“Damnit, Rogue!” I slam my hand on the steering wheel. “You almost died two days ago, so I’m pretty sure you fucking do !”

“Oh, here we go! The great and powerful Rebel Kelly has descended from his throne on Mount Dickhead to pontificate to his na?ve, weak little sister. All hail, the phony fucking king of Bay City.” Rogue rolls her eyes and throws up her hands, making me swerve a bit on the curves leading to the embankment below the bridge.

“You are a giant pain in the ass !” I yell back as I whip into a parking spot. “All I’ve ever done is try to be there for you and keep you safe, but all you do is bitch and complain and act like a goddamn brat!”

Her eyes are full of murder as she yanks her seat belt off and gets out of the car, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the frame. She walks toward the crowd without us, calling over her shoulder. “Get fucked , big brother !”

I don’t get out of the car; I simply disapperate and reapperate in front of her. “Don’t slam my doors, brat. And if you think you’re stomping off on your own because we’re fighting, you’ve lost your mind.”

Rogue darts forward, standing toe to toe with me as she snarls, “You don’t own me, Rebel.” Before I can respond, she turns to the guys as they’re walking up behind us quietly. “ None of you own me. I took care of myself at places like this before Mina’s betrayal, and I’ll do it again. Stop acting like any of you have a right to tell me what to do or when to do it.”

A chorus of protests echoes in the night, and I snort. “We have a right to want to keep you safe. We’re your friends , Rogue.”

“Obviously not ,” she retorts. “Because none of you trust me. So hasta luego, bandejos ? 2 !”

A portal opens and all that’s left in her wake is a trail of glittering purple..

Son of a fucking whore. When did she learn to do that ?

I look over at the guys and they shrug, though I notice Angelo giving Damon a dirty look.

What is my sister doing to us?