Fated Insurrection (Book 3)

Chapter 27

"Was it just me or the world
was burning again. It was
all burning, yet no one
could see the smoke!"

~~Shikha Mehta

****************

~Robbie~

The moment I jumped into the SUV and slammed the door, August sped away from the curb. Torch cursed in the back of the vehicle as his head smacked into the glass after barely getting the hatch closed. He and my gran were cramped amongst our belongings after shoving things to the side to make a small space but neither would find sympathy from me. 

My gran had used me as a tool in Torch's plan, one that could have gotten us all killed if Michael hadn't been willing to risk his life. She knew I would have been worried after she disappeared and used it to her advantage, and that wasn't something I would forgive easily. I didn't appreciate being an unwilling pawn in a potentially deadly game.

Michael's legs were hanging awkwardly off the edge of the seat and his face looked at pale as death as it sat cradled in Nova's lap. If it weren't for the faint arhythmic sounds of his heart and shallow breaths, I would have believed the warlock to be dead. Blood trailed from his nose and down his neck, smeared across his lips and pallid skin, a clear display of what he had just done.

My eyes traveled from the unconscious man up to my love, who sat with his eyes closed and jaw clenched as if trying to keep himself in check. I knew he was angry about what happened and concerned for his friend, the last forty-eight hours taking its toll on him dramatically. It had been nothing but chaos, first the attack at the house and then the shit with his mom, and now this… I could only imagine what was going on inside his head.

I looked down at Michael's face again, moment envious of his ability to read minds. Initially, Michael was a thorn in my side, someone I loathed on principle more than anything and I wasn't particularly fond of him even now. But even though he was in love with my mate and a pain in my ass, I had to admit that he had earned my respect. It took guts to do what he had done, knowing the risks and willing to do it anyway, and even I had felt the high levels of power he had called to him.

Sighing, I picked up his feet and placed them on my lap to allow his body to lay in what had to have been a more comfortable position. Nova looked at me in surprise but smiled after a moment, silently mouthing the word 'thank you'.

"Want a donut?" Nevada asked suddenly, thrusting a pink box into the backseat towards us. "Or coffee? We've got coffee."

"You're too cheerful and it's creepy," Nova grumbled even as he took the box from her hand. 

"I'll take one of those," Torch said, starting to reach over the back of the seat towards the box.

I grabbed his wrist in a tight grip, preventing him from reaching the food. 

"Touch anything before he's done and I'll rip your face off," I growled, baring my teeth at the other man.

He regarded me for a moment through narrowed eyes and I tightened my fingers, feeling the bones in his wrists rub together. Torch clenched his jaw but backed down with a nod. Flinging his arm away, probably more roughly than necessary, I watched until I was sure that Nova was actually going to eat before taking the box. Just as I was about to take a donut for myself, Nova leaned towards me and the space between us before taking a bite of his. 

"What are you doing?" I asked, eyeing his strange position that definitely couldn't be comfortable. 

"I don't want to get crumbs or icing on his face," he answered as if it were obvious.