X • Ricky's POV • X

Ghost kissed my forehead as he laid my trembling body down in the bed. He rested his big hand against the crook of my neck and pushed my hair out of my face. I cringed when he pressed his lips against my temple again, then pulled the sheet over me. I can't believe I let him do that again, but it wasn't my choice. Besides, he'd just say it was payment for treating the infection. Though, he hasn't done that yet, so he could've just used me and left me to die for all I know.

I doubt he'd be that crude. He may abuse me, but he doesn't wish me dead. I laid with my numb eyes staring at the ceiling. Running my hand over my neck, I felt the puncture holes from where he bit me once, then twice, then a third time, and a forth time. The bites trailed down my skin until they tapered off into cuts and scratches. Ghost has the ability to heal them for me, but he obviously left me bleeding as a statement. I think he wants me as his, and knows he can't have me.

My heart lays with another, and that is one thing Ghost would never mess with. Besides that, Chris made it clear that no one is to have those kinds of relations with me. Even though he lets it slide when Ghost fucks me every now and then. I let my eyes slip closed because I felt so weak and dizzy. That happens when you're drained of almost all your blood. At least, I can sleep soundly.

X • X • X • X

When I woke up, there were already people in my room. I hadn't even opened my eyes again, but I could sense it. I looked around to see Balz, Ryan, and Ghost. As I ran my hand over my shoulder, I realized Ghost must've healed up the wounds so the others wouldn't know what he did. He can't keep Balz from reading my thoughts and knowing though, and I could feel that I wasn't alone in my own mind.

"Shhh, I'm just going to keep you calm while they do this. We don't know if it'll hurt or not." Balz spoke softly to me as he sat down on the side of the bed.

"It hurt last time, but it's better than dying." I replied.

I hate when he or Ghost will make my mind calm down. It's like a telepathic novocaine, and it's terrible. You feel like your mind is running slowly and everything is in a fog.

I sat up, having Ghost sit down behind me. He put his hands to my back, which made me jump as my mind flashed to earlier. Stupid move, Ricky! You just totally tipped everyone off! The other two gave looks of concern from the way I freaked when Ghost touched me. I guess Balz hadn't gone too far into my mind to see what happened earlier. He will now though! I hope he doesn't cause a scene about it. As much as I didn't like it happening, I don't want it to cause a fight. If I'm ever the cause of an issue, Chris gets mad at me. He's already mad enough!

By the look on Balz's face, I could tell the information wasn't going undiscussed after this. He luckily just wanted to focus on getting me healthy for the time being. Ghost had his hands on my back, and Ryan put his on my chest. Their abilities usually work really well together. Ryan can manipulate energies, including feed them into people. That's something Ghost needs constantly, because all his powers drain him of energy heavily.

Ghost is second in command for a good reason; he's very skilled. He has milled telepathy, as you've seen, as well as telekinesis and teleportation, but he can't teleport as fast as Chris. Perhaps his most amazing skill though; he can manipulate the aging process, to the point he can bring someone back to life.

He already backtracked parts of my body to erase the evidence of his abuse towards me earlier. Now he's de-aging me back a few more days, or at least until the infection is gone. Then they'll make sure it can't come back.

Normally Ryan would give his energy straight to Ghost, but he's transferring it through me to strengthen my core. I didn't mind the feeling of the energies passing through my chest, it was when they left my back that hurt. What really hurt though was when Ghost started the de-aging process. Doing it so rapidly and going make such a long amount of time wasn't pleasant in the least fuckin bit!

Honestly I think it'd be better if I could scream and cry, but I was forced to not be hysterical about it. Even with my mind being almost shut down, I still was distressed. Balz could sense it, I know. He placed his hand on my leg to grab my attention. I glanced up at him, and his eyes gave a look that said, "this is almost over." Thank God.

X • Balz's POV • X

"How can you act like it's not a big deal?!" I asked Chris as I followed him through the hallway.

He snapped his head back for a moment to glare at me, and I mean glare. "Because it's not! Devin has the authority to do it."

"I can't believe you. No one has the authority to rape someone. The one thing Angelo leaves you, you treat like a dog." I scoffed.

"If it weren't for Ricky, Angelo wouldn't be dead in the first place! I'll keep him alive, because it was Angelo's dying wish, but that's it."

"You're unbelievable. He asked us to take care of Ricky, not shun him off. You of all people should be treating treating Ricky like the angel he really is. After all, he is the only piece of your Heaven you have left."

I honestly was just more disappointed than anything. This has been going on for a few years now, and Ricky doesn't deserve it. Chris turned his back and clenched his fists. He was only bitter because he knew damn well that I was right!

He took his fist and slammed it into the wall next to him. It caused not only a hole in the wall, but an explosion of rot. I suppose it really did get to him if he was so angry, he couldn't control his powers.

Chris ran his hand through his hair to get it out of his face. His fist still rested against the wall as he replied, "Every time I look at his face, I see Angelo in my mind. I miss Angel so much."

Whoa, whoa! That was the first time a in long time I heard him refer to Angelo as Angel. The past has been bleeding out a lot lately. Maybe it has to do with the worst day of the year approaching... the day we lost him. He was such an amazing being. Angelo always put everything and everyone before himself. He was the reason vampires every became tame, but no one was as generous as him. Sometimes I think he was an angel born a vampire. It's possible, but very rare. Angelo was rare though. He would use his healing abilities for good, and he'd help anyone or anything, no matter what they were.

The days Angelo was alive were also the days Chris lived. Now, he's a shell of a man.

"Why didn't you ever have Ghost revive him?" I softly asked.

He stared at the ground. "There were a lot of secrets that had to die with Angelo. It was his time."

"Yeah? When's yours? I always thought you two would go together, Felma and Louis style."

Chris pulled his hand out of the wall, dusting it off. "So did I."