Honkytonk Hell: A Dark and Twisted Urban Fantasy (The Broken Bard Chronicles Book 1) eden Hudson (best book club books txt) 📖

She held out the energy drink. I took it and sat up against the wall. Desty handed over the carrot bag, too, then she crawled up on the bed beside me. I winced when I put the carrots against my face—apparently those little bastards were all cut into jagged points. After a few seconds, though, they started softening up.

“You’re all right, aren’t you, Tough?” Desty asked.

Not if there’s really nothing to drink in this house. But I nodded.

Desty’s computer was on the nightstand with a document open. I used the Red Hot can to point at it and change the subject.

“Jax typed it up for me,” Desty said. “It’s something he memorized for the Witches’ Council.” She sighed. “I haven’t studied it very closely yet, but it’s got to do with Kathan wanting me and Tempie to be his joint-familiars so he can command legions of fallen angels in the final battle for Earth.”

I’d like to say I thought something noble like I’ll stop him—I’m a Whitney, I was chosen to save the world, but all that came to mind was Kathan telling me Desty was his, she was just working her way back to him, so all I could think was, That fucker better keep his hands off you or I’ll kill him.

You can’t kill a fallen angel, though, so what do you do?

Sissy had thought deporting them back to Hell. Ryder had thought blowing up their compound and incapacitating them. Colt— I guess I’d never find out what Colt thought.

If I could figure out a way to keep Desty away from Kathan for good, that would be something. But it was like Colt—short of killing him, I’d never get him away from Mikal. Just thinking that made me feel sick. I couldn’t even hurt a girl—not even when Mitzi and I were in the middle of sex and she wanted me to cut her, knowing she was a vamp and she’d heal right up—there was no way I could kill Desty.

I took a drink of Jax’s Red Hot. It tasted like candy and piss. What was the point of drinking that crap—besides staying up all night to beat level ten? I sat it on the window sill. Then on second thought, I gave it a push out. I heard the can smack off the porch roof and hit the ground.

Beside me, Desty said, “I didn’t think it was your style, either.”

Damn if it didn’t make my heart hurt, her trying to joke around. I let the carrots drop, turned my head, and caught her on the lips.

She made this soft sound in her throat, then she pulled away.

“Tough, there’s this prophecy—Tempie told me about it—or maybe Kathan, using Tempie like his freaking puppet.” Desty rubbed her eyes. “I don’t know. But the prophecy’s got to do with you and Colt—”

It opened up my busted lip, but I kissed her again, hard. Desty must’ve tasted the blood, too, because I saw her lick her lips, but this time she didn’t make me stop. She put her arm around my neck. Her other hand slid under my shirt. Goose bumps again. I quit kissing her long enough to pull my shirt off, but when I started to lift hers up, she grabbed my wrist.

“Wait,” she said. “Tough, listen. One of you has to kill the other before the last battle can begin. The prophecy—”

I shook my head and put my hand over her mouth.

Not right now. I can’t take any more. Even though it was through kissing and touching her, I knew I was begging. It didn’t bother me as much as it might have bothered somebody with some pride. Please, please, just make me feel better.

Desty sighed—the good kind of sigh—and helped me get her shorts and underwear off. I grabbed the condom out of my jeans’ back pocket before I kicked them onto the floor.

It’s the man’s job to protect the woman, right? I’m pretty sure Dad would turn around in Heaven if he knew I thought that right before I had sex with a girl so I could tune out for a while. If he didn’t already know I was a shitty man by now, anyway.

After a couple of minutes, Desty pushed up on her elbows and stopped me getting her ready. “I don’t know if I can…come with someone.”

I kissed her again. She let go of my hand and laid back down.

“Sorry if I can’t,” she said.

I wasn’t too worried. The Matchmaker had marked my bill “paid in full,” hadn’t she?

Nice one, asshole, think about what a great trick you are.

I tried to shut off my brain and make up for being such a sack of shit. Getting Desty ready felt good. And not the way people say “good” when they mean “better than nothing.” Good like I wouldn’t need a shower later. Good like…I don’t know if there’s a way to say “innocent” without sounding retarded, but like that. I didn’t want to ruin it. I wanted this to be really good for her, too.

But Desty stopped me again before I could make her come.

“Okay,” she said.

She waited while I got the condom on, then helped me inside. She was so hot. Burning, compared to Mitzi. For a second, all I wanted to do was feel how hot she was.

Then her fingernails dug into my back.

“Ow, ouch—”

I pushed her hair out of her eyes. What’s wrong?

“The condom—does it have some kind of warming gel on it?”

I nodded.

She bit her lips and made a sound in her throat. I pulled out, but it didn’t seem to help.

“Sorry.” Her eyes were tearing up. “It just burns really bad.”

I got up. Found a towel on the floor and handed