Kai grunts, but he doesn’t comment.

“Release the flame, Paca. Let’s see if he’s okay,” Ezekiel says softly as he moves in behind me, kissing my shoulder as I hesitate.

Jude pats my hand as though he’s encouraging the same, the flame kissing his skin, but certainly not burning it.

Warily, I let my flame dry up for the first time in forty-eight hours. My eyes immediately dart up to Jude’s, finding him intently staring down at me.

Kai starts snoring in the corner, and…nothing else happens.

“Is it gone?” Ezekiel asks, peering over, presumably to see if the red and black smoke reappears.

Jude’s eyes stay locked on mine as he slowly nods. “It’s gone.”

“Well, that’s good to know,” Gage says as he sags to a chair and runs a hand through his hair. “This thing isn’t a joke. It’s powerful. That spear ripped right through you, and even drunk, you should have been able to take them down. It’s like it knows our movements, and sees them before they happen. The only ones who died by our hand were put in our paths as intentional sacrifices to slow us down. Maybe we caught a few by surprise, but…”

He lets his words trail off, and Ezekiel clears his throat, as my heart hammers in my chest.

The only reason I’m not storming off to blow holes in my siblings is because three of them saved my guys.

“You’re not allowed to go anywhere without me. Ever again,” I note aloud. “Not even the Black Heart. I promise I won’t blow everything up.”

Ezekiel sighs heavily as he lies down on the ground. “Anyone else feel emasculated?”

At the silent response, he adds, “No? Just me? Awesome.”

“She has a point,” Gage says quietly as I return my attention to him in surprise. “Until we figure out how to fully recharge our batteries, it’s best if she stays close. She’s moving along quicker than us now.”

“That’s because I learned—”

I stop short, deciding not to tell them that if I push myself into survival mode from the beatings…I feel the power-ups. Nope. I don’t want them doing that.

I really will blow shit up if they do things my way.

“What?” Ezekiel asks.

Clearing my throat, I remember how terrible at deception I am, and go with deflection instead.

“Kai told me why you went missing,” I say as I smile up at Jude, even though the smile is forced and I don’t feel all that spunky.

His eyes narrow on me, and my smile starts turning more genuine.

He’s still Jude. Jahl isn’t anywhere close to his head anymore, because he looks like he’s ready to kill me or fuck me. I never can tell which.

Since he only touches me when at least one of the others is around, it’s a toss-up in this moment.

“Why would he tell her that?” Jude gripes, looking over my head at Ezekiel.

Ezekiel groans. “For the sake of distraction, because we wanted her to stop setting the room on fire. Lying on the floor sucks. Call Lamar. Tell him to refurnish the room.”

I put my fingers to my head, and silently chant the request to Lamar.

“Does that work?” Jude asks in surprise.

“I don’t know, but have you seen a phone in hell?” I ask him as I look up.

His look turns flat, and he goes back to the kill-or-fuck glare.

“They have communication devices,” he says as though he’s an idiot for being gullible, and I’m an idiot for forgetting that.

“Oh yeah! Sorry. I’m delirious without any rest after my big fight, because you all got pissed and went off on your own to get caught in a trap,” I remind him, arching an eyebrow to drive home the thick condescension.

“This is why I want to throttle you most of the time,” he grinds out, even as he wraps his other arm around me.

“Really? I thought it was because my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,” I deadpan.

He blinks a few times, and Gage snorts. I smile up at Death, who…is still glaring.

“When you say things like that with a straight face, I half worry you’re serious,” he says as he shakes his head and blows out a breath of frustration.

“I am serious. I’m vain like that. Didn’t you hear? It’s one of my impurities,” I tell him as I push away from him, resisting the urge to wrap my arms around him and squeeze him tightly in a hug that he would likely despise.

There’s a knock at the door, and we all swing our gazes to it. Gage hops up to swing it open, and there stands Lamar.

I blink a few times, and Gage stares in disbelief.

Lamar gives us a bright smile. “I heard the downed horseman had awoken. I take it you’re ready for new furnishings now?”

“Oh sweet hell. That really worked,” I state with total shock and utter excitement. “I’m so freaking powerful that I can connect to minds too!”

Lamar blinks a few times as I fist-pump the air.

“What’s she talking about?” he asks, deflating my bubble.

Or…maybe he doesn’t want me knowing that I have that power…

Lucifer could be forcing him to play dumb.

I rub my hands together wickedly as a thousand and one fun ideas come to mind to test the theory. Later. I’m too tired to control people right now.

“We’re ready,” Gage says, even though I notice he’s staring at me with a knowing look, as though he can read my mind.

I stop rubbing my hands together and school my features, playing it cool. Gotta act like you belong around here.

“I’m going to escort your boys to Manella’s room so they can go over some of the journals I’ve been poring over. You get some rest, and pick one to stay with you so you can rest without nightmares,” Lamar says like the most thoughtful person in Hell. “I’ll know if we’re getting sucked into an illusion, and I’ll be able to siphon us out. Jahl can’t block my siphoning abilities, because Manella has fortified me over the long centuries,” he adds like he’s read my mind and knows all the buts I could have.

I don’t want them out of my sight for long. At least not until I pry information out of Lamar about these Jahl attacks. But if they can help them get stronger without using my get-beaten-all-to-hell trick, then…I have no choice but to trust Lamar.

Especially since he knows I’ll kill him if something happens to them and is willing to put his life on the line to help out.

I’m also too tired to argue.

“Unless you’re too tired,” he tells the guys.

“I’m certainly not,” Jude says as he stands, going to pull on one of the few pairs of sweats that have survived my fiery mood swings.

I struggle to my feet, swaying, and finally realize just how exhausted I truly am. I go to plop down on Kai’s lap, and his arms immediately go around me, even as he continues to snore.

“I guess she’s picked her horseman,” Ezekiel grumbles.

“I’m attention starved too,” Gage inserts with dry humor that I can’t appreciate right now.

I’m too busy snuggling up on Kai’s lap and getting comfortable, eyes almost fluttering shut.

“I’ll give you plenty of attention when I wake up,” I promise him around a yawn.

I’m not sure if I doze off or if they all disappear so suddenly, but when my eyes reopen, it’s silent, and Kai’s lips are dragging across my forehead in the newly furnished room that doesn’t look like a bomb went off.

“Why are we alone?” he asks as he lifts me and spreads my thighs.

He turns me in one swift motion. When he drops me, I’m straddling him.

Even though I’m tired, a lazy grin spreads across my lips.

“They’re with Lamar and Manella,” I tell him.

He stands abruptly, effortlessly carrying me to the bed, and his lips are on mine before my back even hits the mattress.

“I’ll do all the work,” he assures me against my lips. “And then we can go back to sleep,” he adds.

I go phantom, turn naked, and turn back whole…all within a few blinks. He wrenches my hands above my head, as he skips all the foreplay and shoves inside me before I can even respond.

I kiss him, happy to lose myself in him for an hour or two, and remember the good part about having four boyfriends I have to worry to death about.

Kai’s kiss is almost frantic, as he works me to my first orgasm so quickly that it blindsides me, and I’m forced to break the kiss to gasp for air.

He kisses his way down my neck, still thrusting with abandon, as he drags one of my legs over his hips.

That’s when I feel it.

My soul that shouldn’t exist reaches out, and I know what it means when his touches mine. I realize very quickly this is a lot more than just some quick and hot sex.

Instead of some candle flickering, fire blazes around the room, but he doesn’t stop. If anything, his rhythm gets rougher, and I smile against his shoulder as I wrap my arms around his neck, bringing my lips close to his ear.

“I love you too,” I whisper.

A groan escapes him when the words seem to end the fun part very abruptly, and his hips still against me before I can find the second orgasm.

But I don’t need it.

Tears cloud my eyes as I cling to him, and he shudders against me as I wrap myself around him more.