CHAPTER 2
LARK
“Um. Hi?” I squeak and offer a small wave.
I’m hardwired to be polite no matter the circumstances. That apparently includes awkwardly waving to the armed, tatted-up guys who are probably going to murder me and burn down the dealership to hide it.
Out of all the ways I thought I’d meet my untimely end, this honestly isn’t the worst. So there’s that, I guess.
Look at me looking on the bright side of the situation. Charlie would be so proud. Too bad she’ll never know, since I’ll be dead and all that jazz.
“Who are you?” the tallest one rumbles. His deep voice is rough, like he doesn’t speak often.
“Lark,” I answer reflexively. Needing to do something with my hands, I shove a strand of chestnut hair that escaped one of my twin French braids behind my ear. “Who are you?”
His golden eyes assess me for a long moment, running up and down my frame. When he does it, I don’t feel the need to scrub every inch of my skin clean like I did with Dave. Instead, I just feel self-conscious, knowing my slim hips and small boobs aren’t much to look at.
The tall one’s face remains blank, not giving me any insight into what he’s thinking. “Azrael.”
My eyes widen in surprise. “That’s your name?” He dips his chin slightly in affirmation. “That’s a hardcore name. What, are the two of you named Lucifer and Satan?”
You’d think, after all these years, I’d learn not to blurt out my thoughts when I’m startled or flustered. But I haven’t. Clearly.
I shrink back as I realize how rude that question sounded, and all three of them notice it. My cheeks warm at the involuntary show of emotion.
You’re just doing it for attention. It’s disgusting how you’re throwing yourself at these men. It’s laughable you think they’d even want someone like you.
Gritting my teeth, I push her voice out of my head and blank my face. I would’ve thought the thousand miles between us was enough to break free of both of them, but I guess not.
The brunet one chuckles, trying to lighten the mood. “Nope, although Lucifer would be a cool name. I’m Halston, but you can call me Hal.” He points to the man next to him. “That’s Rook.”
My lips tip up slightly at Rook’s name. It’s rare that I meet other people with a bird name, but I like it.
An automatic “nice to meet you” gets lodged in my throat as I figure out why they probably gave me their names.
“Ah, yeah, I guess if you’re going to kill me, it doesn’t matter if I know your names,” I mumble to myself.
“What?” Hal’s eyebrows are almost to his hairline as he exchanges a confused glance with Rook.
Azrael continues to silently watch me, his large frame unmoving as he does so.
He seems awfully surprised I know exactly how this is going to go. I’ve seen this sort of thing play out too many times to count at this point. “You’re planning to murder the two salesmen, kill me since I’m a witness, and torch the place, right?”
“Uh, no. That wasn’t in our plans for the night.” Rook’s smooth, deep timbre curls around me and draws me in like a siren’s song. He gray eyes seem to stare into my soul as he watches me like I’m a puzzle he’s trying to figure out.
“Really?” Now it’s my turn to be confused. My nose scrunches as I try to figure out what’s going on. “What’s with the guns, abundance of tattoos, and gangster suits, then?”
Hal glances as his, Rook’s, and Azrael’s black suits and back to me before huffing. “We aren’t wearing gangster suits.”
“I mean, you kind of are. They’re expensive and well-tailored.” I can easily tell the difference between a very pricey and custom-fitted suit like theirs and a bargain bin, off-the-rack suit like the one Dave is wearing. “Combined with the tattoos, shoulder holsters, and silencers, your whole outfit screams mafia.”
If they had fewer visible tattoos and no guns, they could pass as old money bad boys who are going through their rebellious phase before taking over daddy’s company. Combined with Hal threatening Dave, though, I’m pretty sure they’re some sort of organized crime.
Before Hal can respond, Azrael cuts in. “If you’re so certain we’re here to kill you, why aren’t you running?”
I shrug. “Is there a point to running?” Azrael silently stares at me for what feels like an eternity. Eventually, he gives me a small shake of his head. “I didn’t think so. By the time I put everything together, you guys had already noticed me. So, I’m just going to chill out here and hopefully get to watch you murder Dave before me.”
Dave dying a painful death would almost make this shitty situation worth it.
