Maleficium: Duo (Devil's Playground 2)

“To the Abyss then.”

He started to turn away from the map, I placed a hand on his forearm to stop him. “This box wasn’t on the other one.”

He peered over my shoulder, eyes going to the red square sitting in the upper left-hand corner. There were three names listed within it. Each had a symbol that matched mine and the girls.

“Azrael. Stolas. Vetis,” Dion read off.

Hearing them out loud made something wiggle in the back of my head.

Like with the strange symbol, there was a hint of recognition I couldn’t fully grasp hold of. Why was I having issues remembering stuff?

It was beyond frustrating knowing you knew the answer to something, but your damn brain wouldn’t produce what it was.

Feeling the hairs on the nape of my neck rise to attention, I tore my gaze away from the map and combed over the street and buildings carefully. My gut told me someone was nearby. Whoever it was they were making sure they stayed hidden.

I brushed some loose hair behind my shoulders and nudged Dion to get his attention, playing off I was on to the person creeping.

“We should head to the school.”

He looked around like I had before nodding his head in agreement.

“Good idea.”

CHAPTER FIVE

A scream of hysteria and disbelief. I knew this sound as well as someone knows their favorite song on the radio. It carried through the speakers and filled the room. Too bad it was poorly timed and a waste of energy. If she could have held off for about fifteen more minutes that would’ve been perfect. A solid nine out of ten.

She screamed again, the sound raw and cracking.

I lifted my earpiece off the console top in front of me and held the button on the side. “Can someone please shut her the fuck up?”

Within seconds the screams ceased.

I think it was Brody who gladly punched the girl in the back of the head, effectively knocking her out. He hated the screamers.

“Thank you.” I tossed the gear back down and stretched my arms above my head.

“Tired of the fun already?” Maverick asked.

I spun my chair around to look at him. “I’m not tired of anything except you still putting your shoes on that ottoman.”

“Bro. This furniture isn’t going to be coming with us to the manor. Why do you care what happens to it?”

“He’s training you for later, like any good owner would,” Charon joked, switching between different camera feeds.

Maverick lowered his boots to the floor, middle fingers raised at both of us.

“It’s no good when they scream before the fun begins,” Kyrous murmured.

Maverick gave him a quizzical look. “You always jump in sixty seconds too late, Ky.”

“Your mom didn’t have any issues with that.”

I was quick to suppress my laughter while Charon let loose, not giving a fuck. This jab never got old. It was only as funny as it was because Ky wasn’t being sarcastic.

“You always gotta go there.” Maverick tossed down the Maxim magazine he’d been reading and stood from the leather sofa, coming to stand between me and Charon.

“It’s cool. I think I’ll return the favor.” He made a point to look at the second screen from the left.

It was muted, but the image remained in perfect crystal-clear color.

Gracelyn was currently glaring at the walls of her cell, as if her hazel eyes alone could make them burn it down. I don’t think she was a fan of the straitjacket she’d been placed in.

Ky didn’t take one look at the screen. He already knew what was there. Instead, he settled his weighted stare on Maverick, expression blank per usual. We didn’t need him to speak to know where his head was at.

Once you’d been around someone long enough you tended to know exactly how to make them tick. Maverick lived to piss Ky off. It had been this way since we were little, despite the countless times he’d shown how befitting his ‘Psycho’ namesake was.

“Hey, I was just screwing with you,” Mav assured, raising his hands defensively.

“You pussy,” Charon goaded when he realized why he had come to stand by us.

I had to agree with him.

It was a smart move, nonetheless. Mav knew we’d keep the peace. Occasionally someone would get put on their ass, but I wouldn’t let any of us get too serious and do something that couldn’t be came back from. We were a tight-knit crew, brothers with a bond stronger than the linage we shared.

It was something well worth preserving when you came from the place we did. That’s what made this such a big deal. We were adding new links to our solidified chain. It would be a major adjustment. Also, highly entertaining.

I was honestly surprised Ky was on board with it considering the way he was with most men and women. He had never been in a relationship for anything other than experimental gain.