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“Go party with Bunny and Topaz. It’s a treat. You did a good job.” Valentino gave Angel a little push. Still dazed after his losing fight with Vox, Angel stumbled, eyes blinking rapidly. Val scowled. He hated this.
“Thanks, Val.” Angel waved and danced into the lounge Val kept in the tower for his actors. There were recording devices everywhere. He never knew where some good smutty footage would happen but giving his actors a shit ton of drugs often ended up with usable stuff. There was a market for low quality voyeur porn.
Vox cocked up an eyebrow at Val. He ignored Vox as his prized mind-controlled porn star stumbled off, none the wiser to whatever bullshit Vox had done to him.
Tapping his fingers against his hip, Vox asked, “You ready?”
“For what? To go watch you work? That is what you have planned, right? A hot night of crunching the numbers?” Val curled his lip. “Pass.”
“Val, don’t be this way.”
Val shot him a venomous look and left him to his scheming because he was sure Vox was still plotting how to get his hands on Alastor now that he knew the Radio Demon had been hurt in the fight with Adam. He would never understand Vox’s obsession with him. Nothing Valentino did seemed move Vox off of it. The seven years Alastor had been gone had been the best in his and Vox’s relationship. The specter of the Radio Demon hadn’t been hanging over them.
He stomped his way into the elevator and down the short corridor to his penthouse. Velvette was draped over the couch, sketching something out on her computer pad. She looked at him when he slammed the door.
“What did Vox do this time?” She sat up, settling the pad in her lap.
“He keeps using Angel Dust! Angel’s mine!” Val tossed himself into the soft chair, folding his wings tight around himself. Was he acting like a spoiled toddler? Maybe but he didn’t care.
“Tell Vox to quit playing with your toys if it bothers you.” Velvette pushed a lock of her hair back. “But you know he’s right. Having a spy like your crack whore inside the hotel is only good for us.”
Valentino sighed. “I want Angel to come home and forget about the princessa and her shit.”
“And Vox would love to never see Angel’s backside again.”
His antennae drooped. “I don’t see why he cares. He knows Angel Dust is just property. He doesn’t matter.”
Maybe Vox thinks he does. You could have replaced that mouthy disrespectful twink a thousand times over but you never do. Voxie might be jealous. Valentino could give Vox that bit of grace but right now he was in no mood to be nice.
Still, he could think of several scenarios where he could make Vox’s jealousy work for him. “Do you think Vox is jealous? That could be hot.”
Velvette snorted. “You would think that. And maybe a little.”
The thing he liked best about Velvette was he could tell her anything and she would help him if he needed it or cheer him on. She was good at knowing what he needed in the moment. “I just don’t want him to brain damage Angel.”
“How could you tell? He’s an idiot.” Velvette rolled her eyes.
Okay, maybe she didn’t know everything he needed. Angel was his and no one seemed to fully understand what that meant to him. Maybe it was because he had so little to call his own growing up. It wasn’t until he was a man that he had things that were undeniably his. Maybe that left a mark. “Still…he’s no good to me if Vox fries his brain and Angel fights him hard every time. I had to stop watching Vox do what he does.”
Okay, that could be why Vox is worried about you hanging on to Angel right there. Man up and watch, Valentino scolded himself.
“You two should talk it out,” Velvette said, returning her attention to her pad.
“I’m not speaking to him right now. He chose work over me. Fuck him,” Val huffed. “I should go down and party with my actors.”
She side eyed him but said nothing.
Val sighed. Yes, that would be a bad idea but maybe it would teach Vox a lesson. However, he didn’t need the drama that would follow. Best to change the subject. “What are you working on?”
“Another version of the love potion, one that doesn’t change the color of the drink. People have been complaining.”
“If you have to roofie someone, you don’t get to bitch that someone might notice your attempt.” He shrugged.
“Maybe but it’s lucrative so….”
Valentino grimaced. “Go for it.” He dragged off to his room feeling Velvette’s gaze itching between his shoulders. At least someone was concerned about his feelings.
# # #
Vox watched Shok.Wav listlessly. He hated fighting with Val. Neither of them fought fair and always ended up causing more pain than either of them wanted in the long run. He simply wished he knew what had set Val off this time. It wasn’t just his work. He always worked hard and Val knew they were primed to strike and take more control over Hell. They couldn’t ease up now.
You know why. He’s attached to his pet whore. You should get him a hell pig of his own to transfer his ‘I want a cuddly pet’ feelings to. He’s mad that you punched Angel in the face a few times this round.
Vox had delivered Angel, freely bleeding from his mouth, back to Val who had opted to wait outside the door. He hadn’t, however, shown Val the bit marks he had on his biceps where the slut had latched on to him. Vox was lucky he’d shocked the bastard off before Angel envenomated him. Vox had seen him do that once to an actor who took it too far. Val had been making a storyline Vox had suggested and invited him to watch its making. What he’d seen was the other guy puff up and vomit everywhere. No, thank you. He wanted no part of Angel’s venom. For an empty headed whore, he was actually rough to get under Vox’s control. That had surprised him the first time. He went in prepared every time afterward.
Velvette entered the aquarium viewing area where they usually had their meetings, not that they had one today. He started to question her and then he spotted the unconscious model she was dragging by the ankle.
“Do I want to know?” Vox pointed to the unconscious woman.
“The bitch was selling my designs to my competitor. I wanted to see if Shok.Wav was hungry.”
“Feel free.” He gestured to the aquarium. He didn’t offer to help. Velvette didn’t need it.
Hoisting the offending model by two limbs, Velvette hurled her in like a discus. Shok.Wav snapped up his treat instantly. Velvette sat at the table with Vox.
“I know that look,” she said.
“What look?”
“The one where you’re frustrated because Val is being a giant pissbaby and you don’t know why.” She frowned, no doubt tired of their antics. Why she put up with them some days, Vox didn’t know.
“This time I’m pretty sure I know what I did to piss off Val. I was contemplating getting him a hell pig, which would be a much better pet than a skinny spider.”
“Don’t you dare.” Velvette stabbed a finger at him. “I’m not being seen in pictures with a pig. Besides, do you really think Val would want one?”
Vox shrugged, his bitten arm aching. “He got one for Angel. Maybe Val likes pigs? I guess I should ask. Maybe one of those Quieves?”
“Ugh, worse.” Velvette made a face. “Looks like a fly and a chihuahua had a baby.”
Static electricity jumped between his antennae as he pictured something. Vox frowned. “Yeah, and the last time Val had one, he shot it.”
“You could try talking to him. Val does get that having a spy is important. He just doesn’t want you brain damaging Angel Dust.”
“Like he could tell,” Vox muttered.
Velvette smirked. “My point exactly. You both need to relax a little and put all of this aside for a day.”
“Do you really think now is the time to take our foot off the gas? Full control is within our grasp.” Surely Velvette knew that. She was no fool.
“I think down time and self-care are important, Vox. What good does it do anyone if you two are stressed out and at each other’s throats?”
Vox spread his hands, conceding the point. “You’re right. I’m not good at taking time off.”
“And Val is an expert on self-care, just like me. Listen to us. In fact, I have the very thing to blow off some steam. All you have to do is show up and not snipe at Val in the limo.” Velvette beamed at him.
“I can do that,” Vox said hesitantly. Should he take the time off? He had so much to do. Now was the right time to strike at Alastor. He should be concentrating on that. On the other hand, coming home to a pissed off Val and an annoyed Velvette wasn’t conducive to getting work done. What was one day?
# # #
That Vox and Val behaved in the limo was something Velvette took as a coup. She could have kicked Vox in the balls for bringing up getting Val a hell pig to snuggle and do the same to Val for even considering it. There would be no pigs if she had any say in it, no quieves either. They were a pet free partnership. All she needed was a silly pig ripping her newest designs up. She’d make bacon out of it.
She had chivvied the stunned pair past Lu-Lu-Land’s gate without much fuss. Both seemed too shocked to speak. Once inside, Vox’s big head rotated around taking it all in. Val was already into the cotton candy stand after she took her eyes off him for a second.
“An amusement park?” Vox asked incredulously.
Velvette didn’t respond. She turned to her phone and said to her followers. “We’re here in Lu-Lu-Land, making this place a little less lame. I always was a roller coaster girlie. It’s the one place I allow a hair out of place.” She touched her simple wig. She wasn’t wasting an elaborate up-do for this. “When the Vees relax, they go all out. Roller coasters, tunnels of love.” She fluttered her eyelids, not that she actually gave a shit about tunnels of love or had any interest in either of her boys, not in that respect. “Carnival games!”
“The cotton candy has flavors!” Val exclaimed excitedly, racing over with three in his hands.
“For fuck’s sake Val, it’s just cotton candy.” Vox rolled his eyes.
“Okay for that, Voxie doesn’t get his. The pineapple flavor is mine. Do you want the caramel apple flavor or the cotton candy one, Vel?”
“Caramel. Always caramel,” she replied, knowing Val was well aware of it.
He handed her the green one and made a production of not giving Vox the pink cotton candy until finally relenting. Valentino wrapped his long tongue in his yellow fluff of sugar.
“And if there’s any place to let yourself go and not worry about calories, it’s here,” Velvette continued her broadcast.
When Vox reluctantly picked at his cotton candy, Val ripped off a hunk of it and put it in his mouth, licking his lips lasciviously. Vox’s screen heated up and he ate a mouthful of pink spun sugar. Velvette smiled. This plan of hers was already working. It was silly being here at the park but she hadn’t lied to her viewers. She really was a roller coaster girlie.
“It’s like summertime up in here. Come join us,” she invited, wondering if any of them would. The Vees’ tempers were well known. At least her fans weren’t as gross as Valentino’s. “First up, that roller coaster.” She turned her camera to the inverted roller coaster as it went into a cobra roll.
“Look, deep fried margaritas!” Val was off like a shot, dragging Vox with him.
“It’s going to be an eat drink and be scary kind of day,” Velvette said. “Don’t worry, I’ll get them on a coaster once the sugar high hits them.”
By the time Velvette caught up to them in front of the deep fried margarita stand, they were already kissing and nearly dry humping against the stand while the concession lackey was trying hard to pretend he wasn’t watching.
“See, told you, you needed to let loose a little. Now, are you two going to talk things out?” she asked.
Val let Vox go. “I know you have to use Angel but does it have to be so rough? That’s my job. I know how much he can take.”
Vox looked like he was about to protest but thought better of it. “How about you give him something to calm his ass down before you hand him off to me? That’ll work.”
“I know just the drug.” Val took Vox’s hand in one of his, interlocking fingers with him.
With a triumphant smile, Velvette herded them toward that inverted coaster. They’d hold off screwing until she wasn’t sitting next to them in the limo. At least, she had them talking things out. Luckily, she knew how to handle divas. All she had to do was move them past their egos and they’d talk it out. She hadn’t found Vox and Val by accident. Velvette had always been able to see which star to join in sparkling within the sky. Together they shone brighter than they did apart. Sometimes, they just needed a reminder.
“What do you mean you don’t like coasters?” Val broke into her thoughts. “Wuss.”
Vox glared but he didn’t get out of line. He stole one of Val’s deep fried margarita balls and popped it in his mouth. Velvette snaked one herself. Tequila syrup? Okay Val was on to something with these. It was going to be a good day and tomorrow, everyone would be back to work, happy and whole. She loved it when a plan came together.