“Isn’t this so cool?” Tarilyn gushed.
All Fallon could do was nod as she forced a smile. Walking hand in hand with Lucian while Griffin and Tarilyn did the same wasn’t cool at all. First chance they got, they were going to make sure Griffin ended things with Tarilyn. And it wasn’t going to be a regular break up. Fallon was going to make sure it was the most humiliating break up in Warner High history.
While Lucian and Fallon paused outside Mr. Jeffries’ economics class, Griffin gave Tarilyn a hasty kiss on the cheek and then retreated. Fallon smirked to see a frown form on Tarilyn’s face.
“What do you think that was about?” Tarilyn asked.
“Griff’s not a PDA kind of guy,” Lucian explained.
“PDA?”
“Public display of affection. If you want to date him, you have to live with it.”
Tarilyn’s frown morphed to a smile. “Until I make him into a PDA guy.”
Fallon buried her face in Lucian’s shoulder to hide her rage. The longer this charade went on, the stronger her hatred of Tarilyn became.
“I love the evil in you,” Lucian whispered in her ear.
“Then you must really love me right now.”
“Now and forever.”
She smiled as she leaned back to look up into his dark eyes. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Make me forget my bad mood and think of nothing but how much I love you.”
Lucian grinned at her. “Maybe I’m a master of manipulation.”
“Then I guess I like being manipulated,” she murmured.
“I don’t know if you like it, but you’re definitely susceptible to it,” Christian said.
Lucian’s face reddened. Heat rose from his body as he whipped around to face Christian. “You need to learn to mind your own business. I’d hate to see you nailed to a cross alongside your father.”
Christian offered him a serene smile. “Didn’t you already try that once?”
Lucian stepped toward him. “Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be happy to try it again.”
“How about we try it now?” Seth snarled and slipped behind Christian to trap him in a tight bear hug.
As if they could smell the blood about to be spilled, a crowd of onlookers began to gather around them. Instead of fighting against Seth’s hold, Christian stood there taking it like some kind of modern day martyr.
Lucian resumed his grin. “What are you going to do now, Church?”
“What are you?” Christian asked.
“Want me to kill him?” Seth offered.
“In the worst way,” Lucian agreed. “But we both know now isn’t the right time.”
“Don’t you mean you don’t have the balls to do it?” Christian countered.
Lucian moved to stand eye to eye with Christian who was still trapped in Seth’s hold. “Let’s see if you have any balls.”
There was a collective gasp when Lucian brought his knee full force into Christian’s groin. Not even Christian was strong enough to take pain like that. His entire face contorted as he slumped in Seth’s grasp.
“What’s going on out here?”
Everyone turned wide on eyes on Mr. Jeffries. Seth let go of Christian, and he dropped to his knees.
“Just helping a friend,” Lucian answered.
“Looks to me like you were hurting him,” Mr. Jeffries observed.
“No way,” Seth said. “I stopped him from hitting the ground.”
Mr. Jeffries knitted his eyebrows together. “How’s that?”
“I don’t think he got a good breakfast this morning. He almost fainted, but I grabbed him in time to keep him from hitting the ground,” Seth explained.
“Lucky for him you were there,” Lucian agreed.
Mr. Jeffries peered into Christian’s pale face. “Christian, do you have a different version of the events?”
“No, sir. Seth stopped me from hitting the ground.”
Fallon snorted. Leave it to Christian to find a way to lie without actually lying. Lucian winked at her.
“Maybe you should go to the nurse,” Mr. Jeffries suggested.
“I don’t need to go to the nurse,” Christian assured him.
“Then everyone get to class,” Mr. Jeffries repeated as the second bell rang. “Now.”
Fallon and Seth filed into the class followed by Christian. As she took her seat, she caught sight of the concerned look Angelica fixed on Christian. With as focused as she’d been on Tarilyn, she’d forgotten about the need to deal with Angelica. Maybe it was time to remind her of her debt.
When they came out of first period, Lucian was already leaning against the opposite wall.
“Where’s Griffin?” Tarilyn asked.
“Look, you need to remember which twin you’re dating,” Fallon snapped. “Just because they look the same doesn’t make them the same person.”
“I know that.”
“Then get over the idea that Griffin’s going to be the same kind of boyfriend Lucian is and just accept him.”
“I do accept him.”
While Tarilyn scurried down the hall, Fallon slid into Lucian’s waiting arms.
“Too bad that isn’t quite the last of her yet,” he said and then grinned. “Ah, poor Church still looks a little pale.”
Fallon gave into a giggle. “I can’t believe you kicked him in the crotch. Isn’t that against some kind of guy code or something?”
“In my defense, I thought the guy was a eunuch. Besides those are human codes. They don’t apply to angels and demons.”
“Speaking of angels.”
Lucian cocked his right eyebrow as Fallon withdrew her phone from her pocket and typed out a quick text message to Angelica. “What’s up?”
“Just need to remind an old friend where her loyalties are supposed to lie.”
“Do your thing, devil girl.”
Fallon laughed at how corny he sounded. “You got it, LJ.”
“LJ?”
“Lucifer Junior.”
He placed a finger over her lips. “That’s our secret.”
“That and a thousand others.”
She stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss before going to meet Angelica. Since there were still a few girls lingering in the bathroom, Fallon locked herself in one of the empty stalls and waited for them to clear out. When the tardy bell rang, and the last of the giggling and talking died off, she emerged from the stall. Angelica wasn’t anywhere in sight.
That bitch better be here.
One of the stall doors opened and Angelica stepped out. Fallon smiled as they stood face to face.
“What did you need?” Angelica asked.
“Just making sure you’re okay.”
Angelica frowned at her. “What?”
“You seemed so worried about poor Christian.”
“Look, I haven’t forgotten the deal if that’s what you think.”
“Really? Because you haven’t given us anything new in a while.”
“That’s because there’s nothing to tell.”
“Then maybe we should work out a new deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“Your soul for your brother’s life,” Fallon said, and Angelica drew in a sharp breath. “What? It’s not like you’ve given us anything else to help us out.”
“I will. As soon as there’s something new to tell, I’ll tell you. I promise.”
“You better because I’d sure hate for your brother to have a relapse. I heard those things are harder to recover from if they come back.”
Tears shone in Angelica’s eyes; tears that Fallon didn’t feel the least bit bad to see. Christian Church brought this on himself by refusing to help one of his own and forcing her to come to them. And he brought this on himself by refusing to stay out of their business. Very soon, he was going to pay for both mistakes.
“Where have you been?” Lucian asked.
While he and Fallon had been sprawled in the game room for almost an hour, Griffin hadn’t put in an appearance until now.
“Driving that bitch Tarilyn home,” Griffin answered and then shivered. “Ugh, I feel like I need a shower.”
Fallon frowned at him. “Why?”
“She just gave me the worst French kiss in the history of French kisses.”
“What?” Fallon shrilled.
“Yeah, I lean over to kiss her cheek and next thing I know her tongue is in my mouth and her hand is on my crotch.”
“That’s probably your fault,” Lucian said while Fallon’s anger skyrocketed.
“How the hell is it my fault? This was your idea.”
“You must have,” Lucian said and paused to laugh before adding, “You must have been putting off your come fuck me vibe.”
“Fuck you,” Griffin retorted.
“Now, Griff, you know your vibe doesn’t work on me,” Lucian said in between his breathless laughter.
Fallon stood and locked her hands behind Griffin’s neck. “It’s works on me.”
The moment their lips touched, Fallon recoiled.
“What’s wrong?” Griffin asked.
“Your lips are all sticky and they taste like strawberries.”
“That’s her crappy lip gloss.”
“No offense, but I can’t kiss you until you wash that off.”
Griffin vanished with the snap of his fingers. When Fallon resumed her seat on the couch, Lucian dropped his head in her lap. Fallon smiled as she ran her fingers through his silky hair.
“It’s funny,” Lucian said.
“What’s funny?”
“Its funny how something can make you feel safe and turned on at the same time.”
She pulled her knees to her chest, bringing his face closer to hers. Instead of kissing him, she traced the shape of his lips with her index finger. As she did, his temperature escalated a few degrees.
“Like that,” he whispered.
“Like what?” Griffin asked as he appeared beside Fallon.
“I was saying its funny how something can make you feel safe and turned on at the same time,” Lucian answered. “Like when Fallon runs her fingers through my hair or touches my face.”
“I get it. I feel like that when she’s in my arms and she runs her hand across my chest or outlines it with her fingers.”
“I feel like that when we’re all in bed and I’m spooning Lucian and you spoon me or the other way around,” Fallon admitted softly.
With Lucian’s face still inches from theirs, Griffin brushed his lips against Fallon’s. As close as Lucian was, she heard the quivering breath he took and it stirred something inside her. She moved her lips to Lucian’s and marveled in the fact that both sets of lips had the same sweet taste.
“We should stop,” Fallon murmured.
Lucian reached to touch her face. “We don’t have to.”
Griffin’s face darkened when his cell phone rang in his pocket. “Damn, can’t that bitch give me an hour to myself?” he snapped and withdrew the phone from his pocket. “What?”
Though she didn’t appreciate Tarilyn’s call, Fallon welcomed the distraction. The last thing she wanted was Simeon walking in on the three of them making out.
“I thought I told you to text me.”
Fallon sat up straighter and then giggled when Lucian’s head dropped down into her lap.
“I’ll meet you in front of your house at seven thirty tomorrow morning.”
“Did Eric get another message?” Fallon guessed.
“Yeah, so I guess we know what we’re doing tonight,” Griffin said.
“Staking out Eric’s house?” Fallon said, and Griffin nodded.
“Screw that. Have Sebastian do it,” Lucian suggested.
Fallon could hardly contain her excitement. By this time tomorrow, they’d finally know the identity of Griffin’s secret admirer.
“That bitch!” Griffin snarled when Sebastian handed him the pictures.
Of all the girls in the school, Fallon didn’t expect Griffin’s secret admirer to be someone who’d been right under their noses all along. It made her wonder what else Tarilyn was doing that they didn’t know about yet.
“This could actually be a good thing,” Lucian said.
“Explain to me how this is good,” Griffin demanded.
“This will be the perfect ammo for you to dump her.”
“I’m for that. Tell me how.”
“We’ll get the note from this kid Eric and put it in Tarilyn’s backpack. Then we’ll make sure it falls out at lunch for Daphne to see.”
Griffin broke into a grin. “And since she’s Daphne she won’t be able to resist reading it.”
“Yep, and then you can go off on her for humiliating you for so long even after you trusted her and then--”
“Then I dump the ugly bitch and get rid of her for good.”
“Then we better get the note from Eric,” Fallon pointed out. “It’s almost seven thirty.”
The three of them linked hands and disappeared. Just as they materialized on Eric’s door step, he opened the front door.
“Whoa,” Eric said, and Fallon frowned at him.
Griffin held out his hand. “You have something for me.”
“Man, it’s a good thing you said that. I couldn’t tell which one of you was which.”
“Whatever, just hand it over.”
Eric did as he was told. “Guess this will be the last one of these. Too bad, for me I mean. I was getting a nice little stash of cash built up.”
“You’ll get over it,” Lucian said.
“Holy shit, you guys sound exactly the same too. Is that weird?”
“No,” they answered in unison, and Eric grinned at them.
“All right then, I guess I’ll go,” Eric said. “But if you guys ever need another favor I’m your man. Just ask and I’m there.”
“Thanks,” the twins said.
Eric gave them a final grin before he closed the door. As soon as he was out of sight, they returned to Locke Manor.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to sit next to her and pretend I don’t know anything,” Griffin complained as they climbed into Lucian’s car.
“Just think, it’ll all be over in a few hours,” Lucian pointed out.
A few more hours, Fallon thought. The words sounded like the most beautiful music in the world.
“I don’t know how you can look so happy,” Ava complained when they came out of fourth period and she spotted Fallon’s ear to ear smile. “The bitch gave us a pop quiz.”
Fallon shrugged as she took Lucian’s hand. “Why can’t I just be in a good mood?”
Ava giggled.
“What’s funny?” Tarilyn asked.
Ava glanced at Lucian. “Nothing I want to say out loud.”
“And why is that?” Lucian demanded.
“Look, there’s the gang,” Ava changed the subject. “So, where are we eating today?”
“I vote for Taco Bell,” Seth said.
Ava wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, don’t you ever get sick of that place?”
“Not as much as I get sick of your voice.”
“Asshole,” Ava said and shoved him.
“You know, I could go for some Taco Bell,” Lucian agreed.
“Asshole,” Ava muttered.
Lucian flashed her a grin. “Sorry, what was that?”
“Sounds great,” Ava lied and gave him a wide smile.
When they moved toward the car, Tarilyn’s note to Griffin tumbled from her backpack. As if she’d been in on their plan, Daphne leaned over to retrieve it. Instead of handing it back, she unfolded it and began to read.
“OML,” Daphne gasped.
Everyone stopped and turned to face her.
“What’s wrong?” Fallon asked.
Daphne looked up at Tarilyn with wide eyes. “It’s you.”
“What?” Tarilyn said.
“You’re the one who’s been leaving those love notes for Griffin on Lucian’s car.”
Tarilyn’s face turned crimson.
“What are you talking about?” Griffin asked.
Daphne handed the letter to him. “This just fell out of her backpack, and it’s got the same handwriting as the other notes.”
“How did…”
Tarilyn’s words trailed off as she looked up at Griffin’s angry face.
“It was you all along?” Griffin snarled.
“Griffin, I--”
“I thought you cared about me.”
“I do.”
“Then why did you spend weeks humiliating me with these stupid letters?”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“You didn’t mean to? That’s why you still wrote them after we got together and you never told me it was you.”
The tears in Tarilyn’s eyes broke free to slide down her cheeks. “I was afraid if I stopped everyone would find out it was me.”
“So you figured you’d humiliate me to save yourself?”
Tarilyn reached for his hand. “Please, we can fix this.”
Griffin shook her off. “No, we can’t. We’re done for good.”
“Please don’t say that.”
“I mean it. I don’t want to see you ever again. I don’t know what I was thinking going out with you in the first place.”
Fallon moved to stand in front of Tarilyn. “I think you better go.”
Tarilyn turned desperate eyes on Ava who stayed quiet. On seeing she wasn’t going to get any help from even her closest friend, Tarilyn turned and fled.
“Our association with that girl ends now,” Griffin said and focused his gaze on Ava. “That goes for all of us. Anyone who wants to be friends with her will answer to me.”
“And me,” Lucian added.
“I get what you’re saying,” Ava said.
Fallon couldn’t hide her smile any longer. Being rid of Tarilyn for good was like having her birthday and Christmas all rolled into one. If it wouldn’t have freaked out everyone but Seth, she would’ve kissed both twins.
Guess we’ll have to have a private celebration later, Fallon thought.
Lucian waved Tarilyn’s latest love letter in the air. “Sure you don’t want to read this for old time sake?”
“I’ll pass,” Griffin sneered.
Having gotten rid of Griffin’s secret admirer and Tarilyn, who were one in the same, Fallon was a little bit curious to check out the newest and last offering.
Griffin turned to Fallon. “You go ahead.”
“I want to read it too,” Lucian admitted.
“And my feelings don’t matter at all to you two?” Griffin snapped.
“What are you talking about?” Fallon asked.
“I wasn’t kidding about the humiliation she put me through. That girl made me look stupid in front of my friends and my brother and my girlfriend.”
“And your dad,” Lucian added. “Sim read one of those letters too.”
“Thanks for me reminding me. I wasn’t embarrassed enough. I needed a little more.”
Lucian grinned at him. “Happy to help.”
“Yeah, well I’d be happy to kick your ass.”
“And why is it you want to kick your brother’s ass?” Simeon asked as he entered the game room.
“For adding to my humiliation.”
“Sorry, could you be a little more specific?”
“Griff’s pissed about all the people who read Tarilyn’s love letters, and somehow that’s my fault,” Lucian explained.
“It’s your fault for rubbing it in,” Griffin said.
“And I take it you’ve all taken measures to ensure it won’t happen again?” Simeon guessed.
“Yes,” the boys answered together.
Simeon smiled at them. “Then I suggest you let this go and bury the hatchet considering you’re incapable of doing any harm to each other.”
Simeon had a point. If this thing with Tarilyn taught them anything it was that they couldn’t trust anyone but each other. No sense letting a girl they didn’t even like come between them.
Wednesday night, Fallon sat between Lucian and Griffin watching a movie when her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She smiled to see a text message from Angelica.
“Check this out,” Fallon said and shoved the phone under Lucian’s nose.
Lucian grabbed it and pulled it back. On seeing the message asking to meet with them, he broke into a grin. Griffin leaned across Fallon to read the message.
“Wonder what she wants,” Fallon mused.
“Only one way to find out,” Lucian said.
“Where should we meet?”
“What’s wrong with here?”
“Are you serious? You want to invite one of the God Squad’s most faithful into your house?”
Lucian shrugged. “Why not? We’re safe here.”
“What if she doesn’t go for it?” Griffin asked.
“Then she doesn’t need to see us that bad,” Lucian pointed out.
Fallon typed out a quick reply to invite Angelica to their house and then sat back and waited. Instead of responding with a refusal, she agreed to come.
It took just minutes for her to get there. They’d just gotten back into their movie when Sebastian interrupted to announce she was at the front gate asking to be let in.
“Let her in, and then show her in here,” Lucian instructed.
Sebastian left only to return a few moments later with Angelica trailing behind, and she wasn’t alone. Wyatt was at her side. While Angelica looked as though she wanted to run for her life, Wyatt was all smiles.
“Hey, Lucian and Griffin,” Wyatt called as he bounced into the room. “You guys have your own private theater? That’s so cool. Your house is amazing.”
“Thanks,” the twins answered together.
Wyatt beamed at them. “Man, it’s so cool when you guys do that.”
Fallon couldn’t help smiling. It was hard to believe this bundle of energy was the same bag of bones who’d been wasting away in the hospital just last month.
“Hey, where are your dogs?” Wyatt asked.
“Dogs?” the twins echoed.
“Yeah, you know, the Rotweillers. I thought it was like mandatory for Satan to have a pair of devil dogs,” Wyatt explained, and the twins laughed.
“I think you’ve seen too many movies,” Lucian said.
Angelica threw them an apologetic look. “I told my parents I was taking him to ice cream after church. It was the only way they’d let me out with the car.”
“Ice cream, huh?” Griffin said. “We can probably get Sebastian to find you some ice cream.”
Wyatt furrowed his brow. “Which one are you? No offense, but I can’t figure out how to tell you guys apart.”
“No one can,” the twins agreed.
“I can,” Fallon spoke up.
Wyatt turned to frown at her. “Prove it.”
Fallon smiled. “How can I do that? How will you know I’m not lying?”
“That’s true. You are Satan’s mistress and all.”
“I am not,” Fallon huffed, and the twins laughed again.
“We’re not actually Satan,” Lucian reminded him. “We’re just a couple of his kids.”
Wyatt swept his eyes around the room. “Does he live here?”
“Nope, just us and our older brother, Simeon,” Lucian said. “So, you ready for me to call Sebastian and have him take you to the kitchen for that ice cream?”
“Heck yeah,” Wyatt enthused.
Angelica hesitated. “Why can’t he just eat in here?”
“You need to relax,” Wyatt said before the twins could answer. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I wanna see more of the house. This place is freaking amazing.”
“Watch your mouth,” Angelica scolded.
Wyatt shrugged. “I said freaking.”
There was a pause in the conversation while they waited for Sebastian to retrieve Wyatt. Angelica mashed her lips together and squirmed in her seat when he followed Sebastian from the room. Fallon laughed to hear Wyatt subjecting Sebastian to his excited chatter. Crusty old Sebastian probably didn’t know what to make of the kid. When the noise died off, the silence in the theater became more pronounced.
Angelica turned wide eyes on the three of them. “How, how big is your house?”
Lucian grinned at her. “Did you really come here to ask us that?”
“No,” she said and darted her eyes from side to side. “It’s just not what I expected.”
Griffin laughed. “Thought we had the fiery pit in our living room, huh?”
“No,” Angelica repeated.
“So, why did you want to meet with us?” Fallon prompted.
“Tarilyn showed up at church tonight, and this time she talked to Christian.”
Fallon frowned at her. “You go to church on Wednesday?”
“Yes, and twice on Sunday.”
Fallon wrinkled her nose at the thought of having to give up that many good hours of her time for something so pointless.
“Why do we care if Tarilyn was at your church?” Griffin asked.
“After church she came to talk to Christian and tell him he was right about Griffin being bad news and hurting her,” Angelica explained.
“Yeah, so?” Lucian said.
“So, she told Christian she’d do whatever she could to make sure she got rid of the evil of Griffin and Lucian Locke,” Angelica continued. “Then Christian told her he would too and when the time was right he’d let her know what to do.”
“Did he say what he was planning?” Fallon asked.
“I asked, but he wouldn’t tell me. He said he didn’t want to involve anymore people than he had to because it was going to be an all out war between you two and him.”
A couple of years ago, the thought of a holy war would’ve had Fallon fearing for her soul. Now, she thought maybe it was time to end this thing between them and Christian once and for all.