Page 57 of Burn Like An Angel

“Rip—”

“No.” She speaks over me, her voice gaining volume. “Go make contact. We’ll wait here. But I want protection for everyone—Xander, Lennox and Raine. I’m not doing this without them.”

Not even Lennox has a comment to make as he processes her words. The magnitude of her request keeps them both trapped in silence.

“I never should’ve viewed you as a mark to be flipped,” Langley says in a low voice, footsteps coming towards us. “I’m sorry for that. I’ll make this right, Rip. I promise.”

“You were doing your job,” she eventually replies. “Just like I was doing mine.”

“That doesn’t make what I’ve done right.”

“Well, me neither. But we all make mistakes.” She pulls free from my arms. “Please be safe.”

From the ruffling of fabric, I think they embrace. Ripley steps back into me shortly after as Langley clears his throat.

“There’s something else,” he begins with a hint of uncertainty. “I guess the time for disguises is over, right?”

“Langley? What is it?”

“That’s not my name.” His feet retreat, crunching over debris. “My name is Warner. You deserve to know that.”

Bombshell dropped, he hastily leaves. The silence stretches on until the sound of the exit door slamming shut breaks it. Ripley is leaning so heavily into me, I wonder how she’s upright at all.

“What now?” Ripley murmurs.

“Now we wait. And try not to die.”

“Fuck,” she whispers back.

Yep. Fuck indeed.

CHAPTER 9

RIPLEY

GOD NEEDS THE DEVIL – JONAH KAGEN

Rolling overon the folded cardboard box I’m using as a mattress, I tighten a stolen green parka around myself, ignoring the pain from my shoulder and hip digging into the hard floor.

Even if I were comfortable, I’m too agitated to sleep. The invisible fire ants are back. After a week since my last medication dose, it’s inevitable. I’m surprised it took this long to set in.

I’ve managed to keep the signs to myself so far. Shaking hands. Agitation. Rising anxiety. I thought I’d adjust, but if this is an impending manic episode, I won’t be able to keep it quiet.

The sounds of sleep around me offer a small sliver of comfort. Raine and Lennox are both napping while waiting for daylight. We’ve been taking refuge around the abandoned pool for the last two days, living off odd snacks shared between all four of us.

Warner hasn’t returned.

Each passing hour is excruciating.

I can only assume that something went wrong, but when I suggested I go look, it was met with a resounding chorus of denials. Even from Raine. Xander stormed off to skulk around the abandoned building when I raised it again a while ago.

When did I sign up for three possessive men to tell me what I can and can’t do? Even if I did barter for their lives, it doesn’t give them the right to start this controlling shit. Our truce won’t last long if this continues.

“I can practically hear the gears in your brain grinding,” Raine whispers into the early dawn light. “Did you sleep at all?”

“How am I supposed to sleep?” I growl back.

“Typically, it involves closing your eyes, getting comfortable, dreaming about a stunningly attractive, blind violinist who can make your wildest dreams come true with his tongue…”

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