***Eliana***

 

I glance at my sister, who’s staring at a huge pile of bags that are draped over the new bed. Alastair had everything ordered and delivered, in twofold, within the hour. Because the Prez and the VP both had their rooms destructed, two prospects had to clear out their own rooms so we could move in. Those two prospects are now cleaning, and what I’m guessing after that, redecorating the old rooms so we can move back in.

“What are you gonna wear?” Velma looks up when I ask her that question.

We’re both wearing an oversized shirt with the patch of Death by Reaper MC on it, Hell Charter written in bold letters underneath. It’s kinda funny because my sister belongs to the Heaven Charter. Well, clearly not anymore. And in a way, that’s all because of me. That thought hits me hard.

“Are you mad at me?” I whisper.

Her eyebrows go down in question. “Mad? Why for heaven’s sake would I be angry with you?”

“Yeah, because of that…the for heaven’s sake part.” My head drops in shame for pulling her into this mess.

I feel how my sister drags me into her arms, muttering in my hair. “Don’t you dare think that way. And believe me, if anything…it’s the other way around. You saved me, Eliana. You don’t know half of how bad my life has been. I know how much my dad hurts you by rejecting you, but when you’ve been treated like I have ever since my mom died…let’s just say I can finally breathe again. It also helps I have an amazingly handsome mate. Did I mention he overwhelmed me with his kindness for stepping up for me? Just mere seconds of knowing me I might add, that’s more than I’ve ever experienced in all my life. Realizing this also proves it’s been as if I was on the wrong side of the track. Heaven Charter was Hell Charter, and now…being here, I’m in Heaven.”

Shit. Now we’re both sobbing like idiots. The door swings open and I see Os stepping inside with a fierce look on his face, his anger clearly directed at me. Alastair comes up from behind him.

“What the fuck did you say to her?” Os growls at me.

Alastair grabs him at the back of his neck. “Watch how you speak to the Prez’s Old Lady.”

Os shrugs him off but gives a tiny nod before he addresses me again. “Well?” His tone is flat this time.

Velma pulls back and gives me a kiss on the cheek before she turns and rushes over to be swept into Os’ arms. Those two look so cute together. I can’t help but spill some more tears before I’m comforted in my own man’s massive arms and against his powerful chest.

“Why are you crying, gorgeous?” He strokes my hair and leaves a kiss on the top of my head.

I clear my throat, before I meet his gaze. “Let’s just say we cleared up a misunderstanding and that these are happy tears.”

“Yes,” my sister adds, “what she said.”

“Okay, girls.” Alastair swats my ass and steps away from me. “You two should get dressed. We have Church in fifteen minutes and we’re making an exception…you two are present for the first part of the meeting.”

This makes me dash over to the bed to grab one of the bags. This one contains a few leggings. I see my sister grab another one and she pulls out a few t-shirts. I check two more bags before I find one that holds panties and a few bras. Pulling them out, I hold them up for a better inspection.

“I’m out of here, come on, you too. We can’t watch that shit.” I hear Alastair groan before there’s shuffling and a door closes.

It takes a minute or two to find a nice combination of clothes. I’ve chosen a deep purple, lace set of lingerie underneath black yoga pants with a light gray sweater. My sister is wearing the same outfit with a slight change in color because she seems to be obsessed with white. Even her sneakers.

I never wear white sneakers, well not for long, because they always seem to get dirty the moment I take one step. Yes, I’m the klutz who can’t keep new things new, something always happens to either stain or ruin them. Exactly the reason I’m wearing black ones, less chance to see stains on there.

“Okay, I have no clue why, but I’m pretty nervous.” I sigh and wipe my sweaty palms on my pants.

My sister makes a frustrated noise. “Tell me about it. Dad never let me in on any club business. The things I know are what I’ve either seen with my own eyes or overheard. But I can tell you right now, it’s all very different then with these guys here. I’m here for what feels like a blink of an eye and it’s like the freaking twilight zone. Seriously, I can’t comprehend it.”

Her statement makes me curious. I want to know what’s so different, but she’s cut off by knocking on the door.

“You girls ready?” Os asks.

We both rush out and follow Os to Church. And Church is so not what I expected. Not that I really thought about it before I set foot inside...but really, wow. There are like these graffiti walls with dramatic pictures of doom. I would have nightmares if I would ever fall asleep inside here, and yet it’s captivating.

“Well, no mistake this is the Hell Charter. Holy shit.” My sister breathes out her words while glancing around the room.

Chuckling, I turn to look at her and see how Os takes her in his arms and kisses her neck while he murmurs, “Definitely nothing holy here, darling.”

“Eliana,” Alistair snaps. “Come here.”

Damn, I thought between the both of us, he was the Hellhound, not me. The way he orders me around makes me feel like I’m the damn dog.

My face must be showing what I’m thinking when he adds, “Sorry, gorgeous, come here. I need to get things going.” His voice is a completely different tone than before.

Stalking over, I chose to sit in his lap. Yes, I’m aware it’s a weird place to sit for a meeting but he seems off and most definitely stressed. When he wraps his arm tightly around my waist and pulls me flush against his chest, I know it was the right decision.

“Brothers. As I mentioned before the two Old Ladies stepped inside, it’s an exception that these two will be here in this room for the first half of this meeting. Os and I explained the situation already, so we can get straight to the point.”

Lajos bends forward and looks me straight in the eye. “Prez. Can you answer my question now? Or have one of them answer it for you?”

Alastair’s arm tightens around me again. “No, I said drop it and I fucking meant it.”

“Fine.” Lajos sighs. “I’ll ask them myself later then.”

Clearly it’s something about Velma and me, especially because Alastair is now growling deep within his chest.

“What did he want to know?” I whisper in Alastair’s ear.

“If you two came with more than one sister,” Lajos fake whispers. And dammit why do I forget these Hellhounds have good hearing?

I glare at the idiot in question, not me for being stupid, because I can’t glare at myself, so Lajos gets my full attention. “No, asswipe. It’s just me and Velma, and both of us are already mated, so no slice of heaven for you.” I fake a grin and snuggle against Alastair’s chest.

Laughter rumbles around the room.

“Well...” my sister quips. “I’ve heard a rumor involving a half-sister who’s in hiding. Or they have her hidden away. I’m not sure. I tried to find out, like I found you, but everything I do is a dead end.”

Half-sister, I have another sister? How…

“What the fuck do you mean you’re not sure? That’s a huge damn difference from no to a ‘not sure’,” Lajos barks before my mind can even comprehend.

“Can it, Lassie,” Alastair snaps and I can’t control the snicker that spills out.

Lassie, really? Lassie…A female rough collie dog, the one from the TV series and movie. Would that be Lajos’ Hellhound’s nickname, or does Alistair use it for anyone of his guys that are annoying? I make a mental note to ask Alastair later. Because right now I have to agree with him.

“Why are you not sure?” I ask my sister.

Velma, who is sitting right next to her mate, leans forward on the table. “Like I told you earlier, I only know what I’m told, or what I’ve overheard, or seen with my own eyes. This? The rumor about a half-sister? Is the part where I overheard dad and Kagan talking about it.”

Os’ chest rumbles. My sister reaches a hand back and soothes her mate. Probably because my sister was promised to Kagan.

“What were they talking about?” Os asks through his clenched jaw, clearly trying to hold back anger from his voice but failing drastically.

“My dad said something about keeping her hidden, that she was a bad combination. First priority was to keep her breathing, but keeping the situation contained was something that could tip the balance either way.” Velma stops, her eyes widen a bit before she continues. “Like I said, I overheard, and they stopped talking when they caught wind of me. And what I heard didn’t make any sense to me.”

“We need to find out. Lajos, that’s going to be your job. Find out everything you can the instant this meeting is done,” Alastair orders Lajos, who gives him a tight nod in return.

I feel Alastair tense up and he sucks in a breath. When I lock eyes with him I stare right into the windows of hell. I have no other explanation for the two spots where his eyes should be. Then he blinks and it’s gone, his eyes back to normal again.

“What the heck just happened?” My voice is barely a whisper.

“Nothing, Eliana, club business,” he tells me dismissively.

Nothing my ass, I won’t let him get away with this. I’m about to spit some of my anger when I hear Os. “What’s the job that was given?”

Oh. So that’s what it was? He was given a job from his superiors, The Orderly, when his eyes switched to nothing.

“Patch over.” Alastair’s voice is loud as it fills the room, leaving it in total silence at those two words. That is, until all hell breaks loose. No pun intended.