Cady...
Did I ever give Aiden that crystal?
Nope.
Did I make a mistake?
Probably.
Am I hiding the key to my own life or death in a drawer in my desk that doesn't even lock?
Yep.
A sound of pure, unfiltered rage rang through the warehouse and I was jerked free of my sleep so violently that I died inside. Sure, my body flung me up and blood continued to pulse through my veins, but inside I was deceased.
Curse words bounced around my skull like the candy inside a child's stomach on Halloween. When I blinked, I was sure I could see the inside of my grave already.
"Where is it?!" Griffin's voice roared followed by a sound of splintering wood.
Well, crap.
"I'm sorry, sir," Josiah ducked behind his bed as a small metal instrument flew past where his head had been, "I have no idea. They must've taken it while we were all at the work-sight."
Cassie, Grace, and Eva were gathered in the furthest corner of the girl's side of the room, whispering among themselves. Eva was still in a haze from the early morning wake up call of Griffin's wrath. Her hair was frizzed out in every direction and dark circles hung under her eyes. It was a shock to see her not pretending to be some kind of supermodel.
"Dude!" Allan held his hands up in surrender, "Calm down! I really have no idea who it could've been."
Griffin grabbed his collar, "I know you were here. You're saying you slept through someone stealing my crystal?"
"Alright, that's enough, Griff. Lay off, it's not his fault," Damon drawled, setting a stilling hand on his twin brother's shoulder.
Griffin dropped his head, silky, black hair falling onto his forehead and shading one of his piercing crystalline blue eyes from my sight. I was shocked he was in human form. He was talented, but I didn't know he could actually change without touching his crystal.
Just another thing to add to his list of impossibly perfect qualities.
"I need a walk," he growled, the intimidating sound of his Other Skin rattling through his natural voice.
I was shivering.
Griffin could really scare the living crap out of you when he wanted to.
He went out the door and slammed it closed behind him. The pent up energy and anger inside of him was palpable.
"Someone should follow him," Damon suggested, "Make sure he doesn't rip someone's throat out."
My head snapped up, "He would do that?"
"No. It was an exaggeration," he chuckled at me confusedly, "You alright, Cady?"
"Fine," I replied, harsher than I'd meant to.
You're acting psycho.
Calm down.
"I'll go find him. He knows well enough not to mess with me," Cassie offered, patting Grace's shoulder.
Oh. Poor Grace looked grim. She hated to watch people among the team fighting. She had such a fragile soul.
"Thank you, Cassandra," Damon nodded his head in his typically gentleman way. He might've been the less attractive of the Steel twins, but he was certainly more charming.
"So," I started shakily, getting out of bed and sliding into a pair of jeans and a hoodie, "What exactly happened?"
Allan sighed, "I screwed up. Bad."
Josiah quirked an eyebrow suspiciously, "Did you steal the crystal?"
"No, don't be ridiculous," Allan grumbled.
Yeah, you dirty rotten scoundrel, don't be ridiculous.
My mental eyes were rolling like bicycle wheels.
"I came back early last night," Allan explained dejectedly, "There was someone in here and I chased them off. I didn't think they actually took anything, but Griffin woke up this morning and his crystal was gone."
"Wow," I murmured.
Idiot.
I wasn't even sure who I was calling an idiot. Me or Allan.
Probably both.
You are the one that stole from the actual monster under the bed, after all.
Stupid genetics giving me stupid powers and turning me into a stupid monster that I couldn't control without a stupid crystal only the stupid Army of Night could give me. I could've been living a normal life, relaxing in a hammock reading a book with no problems beyond a chipped nail.
But no. I had to work with a secret organization for the rest of my life and live in secret bases and scare people out of houses to protect expensive things for politicians. And I had to be sucked into a vicious battle between two powerful, intimidating, attractive guys that have about the charm of a dead lizard when put together.
Life was unfair.
"I'm going to have a chat with Aiden," Damon decided, "He probably has something to do with this. Only God knows what lengths he could be going to after not getting into the troop last month."
Eva brushed her hair swiftly with one hand and wiped powder on her face with the other, "I'll come with you if you give me a minute."
Damon smiled warmly, "Of course."
"Thank you," she dropped the brush back on her bed and stepped daintily into her knee-high, black stiletto boots.
How she could walk in those so comfortably was beyond me.
Damon opened the door to find Cassie strolling back in with all the nonchalance of a clown in the circus. She had a small smile on her face and distinctly lacked a particular, angry, dark-haired person-ish creature following her.
"Back so soon?" Eva questioned.
"He didn't need me anymore," Cassie shrugged, pushing past her and Damon and falling back on her bed tiredly.
"What does that mean?" Josiah chewed on his lip nervously. For someone that could turn into the actual boogeyman, he was awfully meek.
Cassie gave him a look and he released his lip, "Griff wasn't angry anymore when I left him. In fact, he was quite happy."
Weird.
Very weird.
"Why?" I stammered.
"Because I reminded him that this gives him an excuse to hit someone in the face really hard."
Oh, Cassie.
Why?!
Damon rumbled. It was a laugh, I knew. But it sounded more like a roll of thunder. The guy had the vocal chords of a dinosaur.
"Are we going?" Eva pressed.
"Yes," Damon stepped back and let her leave, "Behave while we're gone. If Griffin comes back make sure not to provoke him. Or put any crazy ideas in his head."
***
Griffin came back to the warehouse with a bright look in his eyes less than ten minutes later. Cassie and Grace were already gone for breakfast and Josiah had chased after them with fervor, not wanting to be around when the monster under the bed made his grand return.
Allan was silent. It made me nervous and I found myself fidgeting with the knob on the drawer I'd hidden the crystal in. He was likely sitting there trying his best to figure out who it was that was in the warehouse last night.
But surely he didn't see my face. Right?
I hope not.
"Griff!" Allan scrambled so quickly to stand up that he tumbled to the floor for a second before he popped back up, "Hey, Man, I'm so sorry. I had no idea someone was gonna be in here stealing from you. I would've been much more careful if I had."
Griffin rolled his eyes casually, "Don't worry about it. I know you wouldn't let me down on purpose."
Wow. He really did look happy.
Allen let out a long breath of relief, "Thanks, Man. I was worried there for a minute."
"Just needed time to see the bright side of this," Griffin sat down on my bed for a reason never to be discovered and Allan joined him.
I stayed in my desk chair, holding my breath. He never came over to sit near me. Maybe I was overthinking it, but I didn't feel like I was overthinking. In all honesty, I felt like I was suffocating.
Then stop holding your breath.
"You have a plan, right?" Allan wiggled his eyebrows at Griffin and I groaned internally, "For when you catch them?"
"Of course," Griffin grinned wolfishly, "It depends a bit upon who it was, but I have a pretty solid foundation for ruining their life."
Is that bile?
Yep.
I am going to be sick.
"If it's Aiden?"
Griffin's smile faltered, "I'll introduce him and his sensitive skin to the full blare of the sun for a few days. He'll be a raisin by the end."
"That'd definitely take care of him."
"But that's only if it's Aiden, right?" I blurted, swallowing hard when Griffin's eyes landed on me.
Steel was the right last name for him. His eyes were like a steel prison that could trap you in a single instant, a single look. I wanted to look away, but he wouldn't let me.
He's suspicious now.
Good job.
"Yeah," he finally looked away, "If it's any other guy, I'll just get in a fist fight with him. Get a good knock in on his head and leave him to grovel at my feet for forgiveness."
My palms were sweating.
I desperately clung to the fact that he specifically said guy. He wouldn't do that to me. It wasn't in his nature to hurt a girl. At least not like that.
"And if it's a girl?" Allan pushed, nudging his friend.
The wicked glint in Griffin's eyes caught my attention.
This couldn't be good.
"I'll probably brand her."
My heart stopped.
Dear Heavenly Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy...
Screw it.
Please, Lord, let someone invent time travel within the next three seconds. I'm so sorry that I curse sometimes. Please forgive me and SAVE ME.
I'm too young to die.
"What?" I squeaked.
Allan laughed boisterously, "Sorry, Kid, it's an inside joke."
"A joke? That hardly seems like a joke. I mean, you're either talking about defiling someone or burning them with a hot, hunk of metal."
I'm hyperventilating.
"No, no," Griffin stretched his body to its full length and caught the arm of my desk chair, dragging it over to the foot of the bed, "Nothing like that. I wouldn't hurt someone like that."
Thank you, Lord.
"Then what does it mean?"
"Kiss a girl until she literally passes out," Allan winked at me.
"Griffin," I chuckled forcibly, "You wouldn't actually do that, would you?"
"You kidding? Of course I'd do that."
Dang it.
I opened my mouth to say something, but Allan placed a hand over my face, "Wait. Defiling someone? Defiling?!"
My eyes rolled back into my head. I was concerned with my life ending and Allan was hung up on my use of a simple synonym. With a glare, I made a mental note to buy Nair soon. Just in case I needed to teach him a lesson from beyond the grave.
"Excuse my attempt at staying pure and innocent," I muttered against his fingers.
Griffin smacked Allan's wrist so he'd move the hand touching me. Did he have an odd look in his eyes?
Yes.
Interesting.
Allan shook with silent laughter, "I love your mind, Kid."
You mean the one you almost destroyed with a vase last night?!
My grudge holding abilities deserved a record. At least in a regional competition if not in nationals.
"Speaking of your mind," Griffin leaned towards me, and his next words came out softer – almost worried, "What's with you today. You've been really quiet."
Just worrying about all the ways you'll torture me.
"I'm tired. I was expecting to get more sleep," I flashed my eyes at him pointedly. My facade nearly cracked. It was mysteriously endearing that Griffin noticed my state of near silence.
He snorted, "Sorry that my moment of terror this morning woke you up."
Terror?
Hello, heart strings. Yes, the hardened, maniacal Griffin just pulled on you. Yes, I'm surprised too. No, I don't think he realizes that he just pulled on you.
"Ooh!" Allan interrupted, "I just thought of something else you could do if it's a girl."
Cover your ears.
Do it.
I didn't do it.
"And that is?" Griffin prompted.
"Make her give you a sponge bath."
My jaw unhinged.
That was the only explanation for how it fell open so far.
"You need Jesus," I whispered.
Griffin nodded, "Good thing you're coming to church with me tomorrow."
"Oh, relax," Allan shoved my shoulder, "I was just kidding."
"Get outta here, Allan," Griffin commanded, getting up and dragging him to the door, "Get breakfast and a new mind."
The door shut and Griffin spun on his heel to face me, his eyes narrowed. I leaned back in my chair, acting as cool as the Saharan Desert and staring back at him with the effect of a peep hitting someone in the head.
The silence dragged on. I couldn't take it much longer. He was waiting to see if I'd crack. I wouldn't. But then... maybe he'd be nicer if I just admitted to what I did. Maybe he'd take pity on me.
"What're you gonna do if it's someone nice?" I rushed the words out, breaking gaze with Griffin with some effort.
He tipped his chin up and studied me over the bridge of his nose, "Someone nice?"
"You know, like someone who knows they messed up and is hoping and praying that they can fix it before you figure out it's them."
Griffin paused, giving the suggestion it's rightful moment to be considered, "I'd improvise. Obviously, I would still have to teach them not to mess with me, but perhaps I would be more gentle on them."
"That's kind of you," I cracked a couple of my knuckles, "Which category would I fall into?"
His brow furrowed, "Why?"
"Just curious about how you see me."
His chest rose and fell slowly, his muscles pressing against the fabric of his shirt. I found myself staring at his abs and quickly averted my eyes back up to his face. He was smirking, the two blue windows to his soul answering my question.
No.
Please, no.
I pursed my lips at him, "You're insane."
"Don't worry, Stormy," he ruffled my hair and I nearly flipped the chair over backwards in fright, "You have nothing to worry about."
Four years ago, when I'd started with the AoN, Griffin had been an open book person. He spoke to people with his body language and gave hugs - amazing ones. Year number two, there was a big accident on the job and he closed up, not talking as much and not daring to touch anyone but his brother and Allan, his closest friend. Unless, of course, he was punching them.
He really was much happier.
Too bad it'll completely ruin me.
"I don't?"
"Of course not. You're crazy, but not stupid enough to steal from me."
I gave him a salute, "Obviously."
The corners of his lips curled up, "Good."
You know what the worst part of the dread was? I wasn't dreading him maybe realizing that I stole from him. I wasn't dreading if he caught me. I was dreading when he caught me. And I knew that when wasn't too far away.
Just so you know, none of this story has any kind of professional editing. I just read it over a couple of times to look for any typos or dumb mistakes. So, feel free to go, 'hey, this is NOT the right word' and I'll go through and fix it.
Thank you for reading! I super appreciate all of you! This is totally me being like clairvoyant or something because at this point in me posting, no one has read this story. I'm putting this here in case anyone ever discovers me in my corner over here.
Please PLEASE comment and drop jokes and all that hilariousness. Feel free to be cheeky and snarky. It makes my world go around.
Love you guys!
Joy.