Angelic Ties [His Guardian Angels 2] (2 page)

“We’re having trouble bonding together, Madigan. You have to understand it isn’t every day that angels from different choirs bond. It
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simply isn’t done,” Cross hedged.
So he was to be the spokesman for
the group, eh?

Madigan growled. “I don’t care if it isn’t done. It isn’t done in my world to marry five other hunky men, either, but I did it. That is no excuse, and you know it. I’m going to work on Monday come hell or high water, and you guys will work out your differences by then.” He pointed to first Cross and then Bren. “You two especially. Every night we’re in bed together, you two never touch. It’s time to get over it.

Got me?” The two angels looked like he’d sprung another head. “I mean it!” he snapped. He had been frustrated over their inability, no, unwillingness to connect for weeks now. “Either you two work something out or else neither one of you bother coming to my bed.

I’ve had it with your schoolyard bullshit. We’re a family now. For better or worse. Start acting like it.”

Bren was the first to react. “That’s bullshit, bright eyes! We can’t just manifest feelings and trust between us because you declare it so.”

“In this I have to agree, Madigan. You’re being unreasonable,”

Cross agreed immediately. “The hunters will not care that you have a business to run, and I will not take a chance in losing you.” Those copper-colored eyes of his slid down to the floor. “You mean too much to all of us.”

“But for this to work, you have to all mean something to each other as well. Yuri, tell them,” Madigan said in exasperation.

Yuri nodded his dirty-blond head. “I agree with Madigan. The ancient texts specifically said that we all had to bond as well. You two both focus all your energy on Madigan and none on the rest of us.

You’re being selfish dicks.”

“I’m not being a selfish dick!” Bren exploded in his usual show of temper. “I would die for Madigan!”

“You’d have to be willing to die for the rest of us, too, Bren,” Dex spoke, uncurling his massive bulk from its position against the wall.

“You’re fine with taking pleasure from the rest of us but not giving it.

And Cross won’t even give us that.”

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“Oh give me a break! You and Michel and Yuri
love
each other?

Riiiiggghhht. Just because you’re more willing to fuck each other stupid doesn’t mean that you’re in love,” Bren snapped.

Dex took a menacing step forward. “I care very deeply for everyone in this house, Bren. Everyone. Including you. Don’t you dare dismiss the deep affection I feel. If that is what love is, then rest assured, I love you all very much.”

Bren gasped, and Madigan smiled. Dex had been the scariest out of them all at first, but his tough exterior hid a heart that was soft and loving. He was proud of his man for making that announcement.

Madigan stood and walked over to the big angel and embraced him in a tight hug.

“Thank you, baby,” Madigan said warmly. “That means so much to me.”

Dex kissed the top of his head. “I meant it, Madigan. We’re bound, and I won’t allow any fears to keep me from my mates.” He shot a look at Bren and Cross. “Any of them.”

Yuri clapped his hands. “Well, now that that is settled, I guess you two better start working on your relationship if we’re going to Madigan’s work on Monday.”

“What do you mean ‘we’?” Madigan squeaked. “I can’t have all of you in the bakery!”

Dex squeezed him tight. “We can’t leave you alone, Madigan.

Besides, I’m sure you will be able to find us something to do.”

“Oh for the love of God!” Madigan moaned. How was he ever going to get anything accomplished with his massive band of angels in tow? They were beautiful and distracting, and he could guarantee none of them knew the first thing about baking. Well, maybe Dex, but that would be it! “I’m going to the kitchen to make some sandwiches.

Who wants one?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the growing feeling of dread that opening the shop Monday was going to cause. He was going to have a mess on his hands.

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“I’m so in!” Yuri called, jumping down from his perch atop the couch and sprinting toward the French doors.

Dex started laughing. “Me, too.” He scooped up a protesting Madigan and took off in pursuit. Madigan rolled his eyes, but the laughter was infectious and soon he was laughing right along with them. He was sure his angels could work out some of the kinks in their relationship by Monday if it meant that would be the only way they had of protecting him. As much as Madigan hated to play dirty, he wasn’t above it to ensure the safety and happiness of his angels. If that meant he’d have to play hardball, so be it.

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Bren and Cross stood and started making their way to the door in an effort to follow the other guardians and their charge into the kitchen. Michel slapped a hand on either of their shoulders.

“Boys, we need to talk.” They turned in unison to glare at him.

“You know that you’re being stubborn about this, and it’s about time for you two to learn to share.” He licked his lips nervously. “I think I’m the best one for the job.”

“Madigan can—” Cross started.

“No, Madigan can’t. Every time you two share him, you start competing. You have to have neutral ground to start on.” He pointed to himself. “I’m about as neutral as you can get. I can bottom or top, and I don’t mind being completely one or the other. Not to mention Dex will not have the patience for your mouth, Bren. And Yuri will be cracking smart-ass jokes in an effort to hide his nervousness with you, Cross.”

“I don’t see why Madigan can’t be in the middle if we promise to try and not be so competitive,” Bren grumbled.

Michel shook his head. “It’s not about tolerating one another so that you can touch the one you love. It’s about loving each other and wanting to touch one another. Working as a team will help that.”

They both opened their mouths to protest, but Michel cut them off.

“Do you really want to risk Madigan’s safety because you were both unwilling to
try
?”

That shut them up. Michel had to agree with Madigan. If they could just get over their distrust of one another, Cross and Bren could make something infinitely beautiful with the rest of them. He looked
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at the two of them beneath lowered lashes. He wouldn’t mind being the one to get them used to each other, either. Both angels were strong and sure and loyal to a fault. But, while the relationship between Madigan, Dex, Yuri, and himself had grown with each passing day, the two of them just seemed to be growing farther apart. It was tragic really.

“What do you propose we do?” Cross asked after another moment of silence. Michel considered them. They were both so tense a loud noise would probably send them bolting. Slowly, he walked to the door.

“Join me upstairs in our room and we’ll discuss it.” It was a gamble, but Michel knew if they bucked here there wasn’t a point in discussing anything.

“We’re just going to talk?” Bren asked. He wasn’t being his normal snarky self for once. He looked almost afraid. Which was ridiculous because it was a well-known fact that he loathed more than feared Cross. They were equals as far as strength went.

“We’re just going to talk,” Michel reassured. “We won’t do anything that we’re not all prepared for, all right?” Bren nodded but didn’t look up. “Cross?” Michel posed the question. Was he in or out?

A lot hung on his answer. The red-haired angel nodded.

“Lead the way.”

* * * *

“Do you think they’ll be all right?” Madigan asked from his perch on the barstool as they heard the telltale sound of multiple pairs of feet stomp up the stairs in the direction of the bedrooms. He couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of what was going to be going on in just a few short minutes. Maybe. The idea of it got him hot at any rate.

“They’re in good hands with Michel. He’s quite soothing and nonthreatening when he wants to be, and that’s just what they need,”

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Dex reassured. He placed a sandwich, minus the crust, in from of Yuri and then got out another two pieces of bread. “PB and J, love?”

Madigan nodded. Dex knew his food tastes so well, he could predict down to the salad dressing what Madigan would want on any given night. He was a great cook, too. It was really nice not to be the one in the kitchen all the time. He glanced at Yuri, who sat reading a copy of
Sports Illustrated
and drinking a Monster energy drink. He was probably the angel he knew least. He knew he was the scholar and could communicate with Dex via a telepathic link. Beyond that, he knew Yuri had a foul mouth and a really strange sense of humor but little else. He was also the “consort” that he had spent the least amount of time with one-on-one. It was hard getting to know all of his consorts individually when they were all cooped up together. Plus Yuri tended to spend a great deal of time in the angel room poring over texts he got from God only knew where.

“If you keep staring at me like that, Madigan, I’m going to take it as an invitation,” Yuri said, not even looking up from his magazine.

He flipped the page. Madigan blushed. He hadn’t meant to be caught staring. “You can stare at me anytime, babe. Just warning you, listening to them screw is going to turn me on.” There was the crudity that Madigan had grown accustomed to in Uriel’s angel. He didn’t even bat an eyelash when Yuri said it now.

“So do you think they’ll actually go through with it?”Madigan asked. He was curious as to what the other angels thought about the situation with Cross and Bren. Yuri shrugged and raised his eyes to meet Madigan’s.

“I think that anything too intimate is going to send one or both of them back to ground, but if Michel runs interference, I think they’ll get it done.” Dex put a sandwich in front of Madigan on a small white plate. Yuri turned his head and gave Dex a kiss of thanks. The bigger man relaxed into it immediately, and Madigan watched the beauty of the two of them kiss with a sigh of happiness. His men were so damn
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beautiful together. He loved watching them almost as much as he loved them touching him. Almost.

The two pulled back when Dex nipped at Yuri’s full bottom lip.

“Eat your sandwich,” Gabriel’s angel commanded. “I worked hard on that.”

Yuri snorted. “Slaved over a stove all day. I pity you.” He reached out and pinched Dex’s ass. Dex laughed and stepped out of his reach.

Those two were very comfortable with one another. Madigan wished all of his lovers would be so easy together. Dex turned his attention on Madigan as he took a bite. He made a happy little noise as the taste of apple jelly and peanut butter hit his tongue. Yuri laughed at him.

“The noises you make when you eat are not normal.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Sex comes to mind.”

Madigan finished chewing his bite and swallowed. “Hmph,” he said. “Sex always comes to mind with you. Doesn’t matter what sort of noises I make.”

Yuri shrugged like that was beside the point. “I can’t help that you are adorable. It is your burden to bear.” He picked up his own sandwich and took a bite. “Hmmm, though in your defense,” he murmured through a mouthful of sandwich, “Dex makes a mean PB

and J.”

Madigan was surprised when Dex picked him up off his stool and sat down in his once-occupied chair, settling the nephilim in his lap.

“I enjoy the fact that you enjoy the food I give you,” the big angel admitted. He was Madigan’s unexpected sweetheart. Out of all his angels, Dex was probably the most tenderhearted. Madigan settled back into his angel’s embrace as Yuri continued to make remarks about sex and food being linked and let Dex feed him from his fingertips. He imagined that they were trying to distract him from worrying over Cross and Bren. He licked the peanut butter off of Dex’s finger as he offered a bite of sandwich to him. The big angel shifted underneath him, the massive cock Madigan was sitting on starting to stir. The half angel smiled at that. It didn’t take much to get
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any of them going. Thank God. As a nephilim going through puberty, Madigan had a sex drive that would rival any horny teenager. In the two weeks he’d been under house arrest, he’d become very familiar with the multiple O.

A groan sounded from the bedroom above them. “Well, that sounds like a good sign,” Yuri commented dryly, turning his attention back to his magazine. Madigan took another bite of sandwich. He sure hoped so.

* * * *

“Bren, you have to relax just a little bit,” Cross soothed as Michel kissed his way down Bren’s rigid chest. “You’ve done this with me in the room with you before.” He genuinely wanted to mend the tension between them. He hadn’t expected to want to, but he did. And it wasn’t just for Madigan’s sake, either. Over the past few weeks, he’d grown much more accustomed to the touches of the other angels, all of them except Bren. For some reason, either one or both of them just started fighting whenever there was even a hint of intimacy between them. Maybe it was because of the bond that was growing between them, but Cross felt like his circle was incomplete without the other angel in this with him.

“Yeah, well, you’re not usually looking at me like that,” Bren snapped. His characteristic flare of temper wasn’t an unexpected reaction. He lashed out when he was uncomfortable. That was just the way he was. Cross just needed to learn not to let the other man goad him. “You’re not fucking me. So get the idea out of your head.” The added snarl surprised him. So that was what Bren was afraid of?

Cross fucking him?

“Bren, he’s right. You need to relax just a little bit,” Michel murmured against Bren’s neck. His hands smoothed down Bren’s chest and played with the hem of his pants. Even from where Cross stood, he could see that the other angel was hard.

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“I thought we were just going to t–talk,” Bren stammered a mild protest. Cross watched his face flush with desire, and he had to admit that it was a beautiful sight. Out of everyone here, besides Madigan, Bren was probably the most attractive to Cross. His long, black eyelashes and deep eyes reminded him of the thickest part of night.