5

Sal

"Okay. I can't get past what you said," Cozen finally said in the car and shifted to look at me. "Beckett is one of your boyfriends?"

I nodded. "Abel is the other. You'll meet him tonight if he's not asleep."

He made a noise. "I can't believe you have one, let alone two. Who is next? Kier."

"Trying," Kier said.

I snorted. "You don't want a relationship. You want pussy."

"How do you know what I want?" he glanced back at me in the mirror.

"You tell me every day."

He nodded. "Touche."

Cozen shook his head, smiling. "Anything else new you'd like to explain?"

I shrugged. "I'm in the Forsaken Oracle Academy and have seven days to prove I am a highly trained killer."

"Oh… that's not hard," he muttered, a smile slipping from his face.

"Don't tell Viper. My skills aren't what they used to be. I adapted to kill vampires with one hand and lost some skills."

Cozen shrugged. "I can help you while I'm here, as long as I'm getting paid."

I rolled my eyes. "That's all you care about? Money?"

He scoffed, eyeing me. "Says the person who will be getting paid in the academy. I worked hard to get my own shop and to get better. I am taking a week off from work for you. The least you can do is pay me this time."

I nodded. "I know! I know! I got you. I'll even pay for everything you need to upgrade. We can make a list tonight and send one of the guys out tomorrow to get the supplies."

"One of the guys. There's more than these three?" Cozen eyed the guys.

I nodded. "Beck's twin, Kier's brother, Abel's brother, and then his boyfriend. They'll be around a lot this next week."

"Wow. You even made friends. Boyfriend and friends? Who are you?" His dark eyes ran over me, a smirk playing on his lips.

I snorted at his sarcasm, but he knew that about me. I wasn't very sociable and kept to myself most of the time. So being so outgoing and making friends was new to me.

Kier pulled up to the house and Cozen shared a look with me. I smiled, trying not to be too shocked. We grew up with nothing, and I knew that.

Cozen's eyes widened the moment we stepped in, and he said, "Beautiful home, Kier."

"Thank you."

"Are you in the academy too?"

Kier shook his head. "I am a Father, while everyone else in this house is a Bishop, besides Abel and Sal."

Cozen's bright eyes widened. "Didn't peg you as that student who goes for teachers."

I rolled my eyes. "They aren't much older than me. Kier is the oldest at like, what? Thirty?"

Kier growled at me like a dog.

"Forty, sorry." I corrected it.

"Pushing it, Ashbourne," he muttered, moving towards the kitchen where Osiris was… shirtless. He looked like he hadn't been sleeping. Sweat drenches his olive skin, jet-black hair stuck to his skin. He licked his lips, tongue running over the scar on the corner. Our eyes met, and I could remember the party and how he eyed me like I was going to be his. And then… the guy he saved me from.

Though I didn't need the help that time.

"Osiris, this is Ashbourne's mechanic and friend, Cozen," Kier introduced before I could get a moment. "Cozen, this is my younger brother."

"Nice to meet you."

Osiris took Cozen's hand and said, "Nice to meet you too. Didn't really know about you until today."

"Same for you," Cozen said. "She's full of surprises, isn't she?"

Osiris nodded, looking back at me. "Briar said we are ordering out tonight so… I pick the movie."

"Not how that works," I muttered.

"Too late, Ashbourne." He teased, passing me. I bumped his shoulder, checking him. He chuckled at me, moving back to… wherever he came from.

"Let's get you set up," Kier said. "We need our girl's arm back."

Cozen looked at me when Kier said, "our girl." I had to admit I was just as shocked as well. Kier had never said that about me before… though I wish it didn't have the effect that it had on me now.

Kier led the way through the living room and down the hall where Osiris had gone. I could hear the faint thudding each time his fist hit something, maybe a bag. We entered a giant gym room with multiple workout appliances.

"Feel free to use whatever you need or like to use. Make yourself at home," Kier mentioned to Cozen.

I scoffed. "You didn't say that to me."

"Oops." He shrugged, moving to a room off to the side.

My eyes landed on Osiris who was punching a punching bag. He was focused, barely looking at us. But as we were following Kier, his head turned.

Was he looking at me? Would he even look at me?

The room was some type of training relaxation area with a table. Kier and Cozen took their time setting up the room to Cozen's needs while Beck sat against the wall with me.

"Looks like he's going to have a new friend," Beck explained to me.

I snorted. "Whatever makes this go by quicker."

"You don't want him here?"

A sigh escaped me. "It's not that. I just don't need people getting hurt for me. I just want everyone to be safe."

"Hurt… Who's after you?"

"No one in particular, but if someone wants to stay hidden and dead, they have to really stay hidden and dead. That's the price he made because he wanted to fake his death."

Beck cocked a brow. "I feel some sourness in your tone…"

Rolling my eyes, I ignored him. I wasn't sour. It was just not the choice I wanted us to make. He made the impulse choice to die and not return to Ashbourne with me. I was left alone. Maybe, I was a bit hurt. I missed him a lot, but we both had different lives that we couldn't drop for one another.

Cozen patted the table, and I moved to it, using one arm to take off my shirt, leaving me in just a bra. He barely blinked like he'd seen me like this before.

I lay on the table, letting my dead arm be pulled toward Cozen.

"What the fuck did you do to it?" Cozen groaned.

I shrugged. "Fought…"

He growled, working on getting a closer look and making a list of what he needed. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to fix this."

"You're not," Kier said. "You're going to build a new one."

Our heads snapped to him.

"Even with all the money I have saved and what the academy is giving, I don't have enough."

"I'm paying for it," he announced, hands on his wide hips.

"Excuse me?" My brows pulled.

"I am paying for you to get a new arm. That one is old and can barely do anything in a fight."

Cozen sighed. "He's right. It's rusted and half of the nerve slips are slipping."

"I can tell," I muttered, constantly feeling each slip that happened. "But that doesn't mean you should pay for this. That's a lot of money, Kier."

"I know… I'm paying for it, and that's final. Don't fight me."

Our eyes met, and though the gesture was sweet, I couldn't help but worry about a motive.

His eyes ran over my body before he crossed his heavy arms and left.

Cozen began taking off my arm, which was Beck's cue to leave, or at least just step out.

My eyes were glued to the ceiling, replaying everything that he said. Kier didn't like me, or I thought he didn't. And now he was paying for my new arm.

"Wish I had rich boyfriends to pay for things," Cozen muttered, looking at my flesh and making sure everything was still intact for a new arm.

"He's not my boyfriend," I corrected.

"Yet. I see how he looks at you, P."

I looked over at him at my nickname. He was focused, eyes locked on my shoulder. The Cozen I knew wasn't like this. He was awkward, short, and stubby and had the worst attitude. Now he seemed calm, though nothing could piss him off. We were probably both living better than we ever had before in this house. He sat up, finally realizing I was staring.

"What?"

Then I remembered Jade and the attack she led on the Oracle Academy. "Jade's alive."

"What?!" His dark brows pulled together, lips pulling down in a frown.

"She's a vampire, Coze."

He froze, staring at me.

"She didn't even recognize me."

"Are you sure? How—"

I sat up, nodding. "I spoke to her. Her voice. Her looks… Everything was the same."

"W-we watched her die… right before us."

I nodded. It was weird. I felt comfortable around him with my arm off, but I guess it wasn't too weird. He was there when I lost it, crying and begging me to stay awake. We were kids, barely knowing what the word alive meant, yet we had to grow up so fast. Jade cared for all the kids, making sure we were fed and clean, even though she was a kid herself.

My eyes teared up thinking about her.

She was the only family I had left, and the moment I watched her die, I broke.

"How could we be sure it's her?" Cozen asked in a whisper.

"No one believes me. I have to find a picture or get blood or something. I know it was her. I know my sister."

He leaned in, reaching up and brushing the tears from my face. I stared at him, realizing that's what he used to do when we were kids. "We will figure this out. First, let's get you your arm. Okay?" he sighed looking at my old arm. "It'd be cheaper to buy one, you know."

"It's not my money," I muttered.

He shook his head laughing. "Look at you being spoiled. Finally."

I blinked at him. "What do you mean finally? I don't deserve this. I just… I met Abel, and we connected, and then Beck and I… the others… I didn't know if they were rich or anything. I don't deserve their kindness."

"Why not?"

"I was fucked up kid. I made you get hurt and Jade… She deserves to be here if I had to pick between us."

Cozen sighed. "Well. You're here, so we have to deal with you."

I smirked.

"Viper asked about you… asked if you were doing good and better hunter than he was."

"I'm the best."

"Yeah?"

His hand brushed my fingers on my left hand, looking at the tattoos across them.

"They call me Spectre… I don't know why, but… I'm one of the most skilled hunters here and in Ashbourne. I'm very good, even with one arm."

"You'll have to prove that to me sometimes," he said, flashing a small smile.

"Want me to kick your ass again, Coze?" I asked with a smirk on my lips.

"You can't even touch my ass, P," Cozen teased with the same daring look we've always given each other. Though things were awkward between us, it still felt a bit like the same as it always was.

"You wish I couldn't. Just don't go crying to your new BFF, Kier, when I whoop you."

He froze for a moment, and his tone changed. "I see how he looks at you… He likes you."

"Kier is an asshole. He doesn't know what he likes or anything. He's rude and—"

"Yet, he's paying for a new arm for you and paying for you not to be on the streets."

I sighed, glancing over my shoulder. "I feel like there's a motive."

"Can't people love you without a motive, P? Why do you always not trust anyone?"

"I trust people."

"Not me."

"Not anymore. I don't know you. You've," my eyes scanned over him, "changed."

"And you haven't?" He snapped back.

"Why are you getting mad? You just came back and what me and the guys do is none of your business."

He sighed. "You're right. Just… you need to finally trust someone. You never know when you'll be in need of someone."

I blinked, looking down as he continued his work in silence.