Page 22 of Penance

Nox stares me down for what feels like forever. Waiting for me to yield, roll over like a puppy, show my belly and submit to the snarling wolf. But I don’t, Iwon’t. Finally, his gaze drops, and he nods, a defeated sigh leaving him in a rushing exhale.

“Also, you’re lucky she didn’t stab you, she’s really not shy, dude,” I warn with a raised brow.

“Yeah, I know, she wasn’t like that before,” he blows out an exaggerated breath, his eyes locking onto mine once again. “I liked it,” the fucker smirks and I snort.

I feel myself needing to adjust my dick at the thought of her holding a knife to my own throat, but I manage to resist.

Jesus Christ,I’m turning into Kacey.

I look up at the sound of heavy footfalls on the stairs. Kacey’s huge body rounding the banister, his sleep filled eyes hardly open as he mumbles under his breath to himself. A hand shoved down his joggers, the other running through his forward flop of blonde hair. He drops onto the stool beside Nox, drumming his fingers on the countertop before snaking them across the counter, snatching Nox’s coffee straight from his hands.

“What the fuck?” Nox frowns.

My eyebrows jump into my hairline. Kacey doesn’t drink caffeine.

“Care to explain whatthat,” I flap my hand in his general direction, “is all about?”

He mumbles, sliding the coffee back to its rightful owner, rubbing the heel of his large hand into a tired eye.

“In English, dickhead.” Nox grunts.

Elbowing the big, inked beast, scowling into his now mostly empty coffee cup.

“It’s just disorientating waking up without Kyla-Rose,” Kacey grumbles, yawning.

His giant mouth wide enough to steal all the room’s air like some sort of black hole vortex, I can practically see his tonsils.

“Disorientating,” I repeat, shaking my head, “what the fuck are you talking about?”

“Well, when you go to bed with someone and then wake up without them, it’s a little fucking disorientating,” he growls.

That possessive monster rearing its ugly head, he’s still surprisingly good at sharing, regardless.

“Yes, I understood that fucking part,” I snap back, “but if you didn’t wake up with her, then where the hell is she, you big lummox!” I slam my hand down on the counter as his yellow eyes lock on mine.

“Ain’t she down here with you?” he blanches, rapidly looking between Nox and I. “Outside?” he questions, already moving to check, sliding the stool back and heading for the garden.

“She’s gone,” I state knowingly, rubbing a hand down my face, I catch the piercing in my eyebrow and sigh. “It’s my fault. I fucked it. Yesterday, I scared her.”

I squeeze my eyes shut as Kacey slams the backdoor, the window above the sink rattling in its frame.

“You did no such thing!” he booms, “she was worried aboutyou!Kept sayingshefelt bad for scaringyou.”

I crack my neck, tilting my head from one side to the other.

“You can get her back,” Nox says quietly, staring into his coffee, his brow drawn, he swallows. “She doesn’t ever do what’s best forher;she’ll think this is her saving you a problem-”

“She’s not a fucking problem!” Kacey shouts, his teeth barred like a wild beast.

“Iknow that, just sit the fuck down, you twat,” Nox barks.

Kacey growls back like a fucking dog, foaming at the mouth, but follows the order all the same, parking his arse back onto the stool.

“Huxley, call Elijah,don’tcall Jacob, that’s the last person we need a lecture from,” he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Kacey, get a fucking grip, we’ll sort it out, all right? Lock down your animalistic bullshit and take a breath. Yesterday was a fucking shit show. Today’s a new day. Let’s just go get your girl back, okay?”

Nox looks between the two of us, his pitch-black eyebrows high on his head, awaiting our agreement. We both nod, and then I’m dialling Eli. Kacey moving back to the stairs and Nox knocking back his leftover coffee before disappearing after him.

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