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When Duncan pulled into the driveway, he kept the motor running, letting Izel finish singing the song before he finally cut the engine.
“Can you sing some more when we get upstairs?” Orion asked. “We can watch Duncan do a striptease to your voice.”
“Me?” Duncan’s brows shot up. “No way. You’re gonna strip for the both of us, Orion.” He got out and closed the door. “Get your asses in here so we can watch Orion reveal his sexy body.”
“I’m totally not doing a striptease,” Orion said as Izel opened the passenger door. “You two can forget it.”
“He’s giving us a hard no,” Izel called out to Duncan, who was nearly to the door.
Duncan turned. “Then we’ll slowly peel his clothes off while you serenade the both of us.”
Izel looked at Orion. “Does that sound better?”
Orion tapped his chin, as if he was thinking about it. “Let two hunks peel my clothes off? Tell me a downside to that.”
“He’s on board,” Izel said as he took Orion’s hand and caught up to Duncan.
Duncan wiggled his brows as he opened the front door. “We gotta find an erotic song that you know, Izel.”
Izel had a razor-sharp memory. He knew thousands, if not millions, of songs. That was the one thing he’d always been drawn to as a reaper. Izel would—while he was invisible to everyone—slip into bars or concerts or wherever a great song was playing and listen.
Even though his feelings had been muted for two thousand years, music was the one thing, before he’d met his mates, that had brought him any kind of comfort. He’d even appeared in a few recording sessions of musicians he liked to hear sing.
As soon as they entered Duncan’s bedroom, Duncan pulled out his cell phone, hit a few things on it, and Darius Rucker started singing “If I Told You.”
“I take it you like country music.” Izel arched a brow.
“Country and rock,” Duncan said.
“I love country,” Orion admitted. “It drives my mom crazy. She says in every song someone is heartbroken or losing something. She said country music is depressing.”
“I guess it’s in the ear of the listener,” Duncan replied.
“Like the eye of the beholder.” Orion chuckled.
“Exactly.” Duncan nodded. “If you’ve gone through heartache, then that’s what the song represents to you. If you haven’t, you just enjoy the music.”
Izel had started to take a step closer to Orion, ready to peel the guy’s clothes off, when the music abruptly stopped and that feeling returned. Izel snatched Orion and shoved him toward Duncan. “I feel it again.”
Duncan moved in front of Orion, and then his claws slid free, his canines descending.
Izel had conjured his scythe, ready to go to battle in order to protect his mates, when Jaden appeared. Death waved a hand, and Izel’s scythe vanished. Duncan’s claws and canines receded.
“Who in the hell are you?” Duncan snarled. “Why are you in my house?”
“He is Jaden.” Izel’s heart was hammering. He wasn’t sure why Death was in the room. Was it because Izel had found his mates? Was Jaden there to tear Izel away from them?
“Do not harm them.” Izel took a step toward Jaden. “I will go peacefully, but please do not punish them because of me.”
Jaden cocked his head to the side as he slid his hands into the front pockets of his slacks. “So I was right. Outside the bar. I suspected these two were your mates because you have never slacked in your duties. Thousands of souls have needed reaping, yet you haven’t shown up to usher them into their afterlife.”
Izel was definitely in trouble, but he wasn’t going to try and hand Jaden excuses. He’d neglected his duties to mate with Duncan and Orion and again to go to the bar. Izel didn’t regret spending time with them. He knew firsthand, from seeing the world, that it was a lonely and sometimes isolated for most. It was rare when a person found someone they truly connected with, someone who took the time to cultivate that relationship to make it grow.
Izel would fight to the death to stay with his mates. They had become everything to him, something Izel didn’t want to lose.
Jaden took a step closer, and Duncan’s growls grew louder.
“I’m not going to harm any of you.” Jaden scowled at Duncan. “Stow the attitude, kitty cat.”
