Carter eased in so his face was almost squished to the windshield to see Ciro slowly getting to his feet with a long lance in his hand as he began rising into the rain-filled sky.
“You are weak, Ciro,” Guao called. “I thought you would have been stronger than this.”
“Do you really want to see how strong I am, Guao? Then keep testing my patience.” Ciro hissed. His voice was cold and scared Carter.
Carter couldn’t believe that same voice had gotten rough and husky with desire mere hours before.
Guao turned to look down at the car, and Carter felt his breath catch in his throat. Was it time for him to scramble out and run?
Osaki must have known what he was thinking for the Samurai whispered, “Not yet.”
“You brought him here, Ciro. Do you wish him for him to see your demise?” Guao taunted.
“No. I wish for him to see what a giant pain in my ass you are,” Ciro countered.
The fight began again, both Shivers clashing and passing through the air as if they were the very wind. Everything moved at lightning speed. Adrestia was in the thick of things, two against one. Carter’s eyes could barely keep up. Each time Guao attacked, Carter’s heart lurched as if he was about to have a heart attack. Watching his lover in battle made him feel helpless.
“Come on,” Carter whispered.
When they broke apart, the one falling was Guao. Adrestia flew as if out of thin air and pushed her blade forward, beheading Guao. The white of the rainwater, mixed with the yellow of what Carter believed to be Shiver blood and rained down on the earth. The head hitting the ground proved louder than anything Carter had ever heard. The sound was so bad he covered his ears with his hands and pressed his forehead into the dashboard. Still, he heard it when Guao’s body crashed down with a sickening, wet thwack.
When Carter dared look, Adrestia was standing on the wet earth cloaked in saturated, red fabric, with her sword by her side, still dripping with rain and Guao’s blood. Ciro hovered above the ground, holding his brother’s headless body and looked up into the sky. Carter’s heart broke even as he opened the door and rushed out into the rain. There was no imagining how it felt having to kill one’s own brother. Yet, Ciro had to do it repeatedly. He didn’t think that pain got any easier to deal with—Carter could tell. He stopped beside Adrestia and they both looked up into the heavens.
“Hera! This is on your hands,” Ciro shouted. “He is my brother and I killed him.”
Chapter Ten
The aftermath of the fight was unlike anything Carter had ever experienced. There was silence—an overwhelming quiet that followed. Everyone seemed to be in their own little world, even though Adrestia and Osaki stuck around. Carter wasn’t sure what to do so he made them something to eat. No one ate much. He sat on the sofa with his legs over Ciro’s while Osaki stood by the window, and Adrestia sat by the piano, staring longingly at the keys without touching them.
It was a while before Adrestia and Osaki disappeared and Carter finally managed to convince Ciro to climb the stairs to the bedroom. He sat on the side of the bed, gently caressing the hair from Ciro’s face. Neither spoke—they hadn’t said a word to each other since leaving the area where Ciro had to pronounce sentence over his brother’s remains. Carter didn’t understand it. However, it had broken Ciro in a way that was just heart-wrenching.
When he tried getting up, Ciro grabbed his arm. “I do not want to be alone.”
“Oh, darling, I’m not leaving. I’m human and just need to pee.”
That got a smile, however brief, to pass Ciro’s beautiful lips. Inhaling, Carter kissed him quickly and Ciro released him. He hurriedly used the bathroom then climbed into bed with Ciro, pulling him close and rubbing his back.
“Please tell me you do not hate me for what I have done,” Ciro whispered after a long silence. “I do not know how I can ask this of you but you cannot hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, Ciro. You had to do it.”
“I must find my brother Koi.”
“Why?”
“He is not evil, Carter. He is one of the good ones.”
“How many brothers bent on world domination do you have?”
Ciro yawned and muttered something just before his eyes fluttered shut. Carter groaned and pulled the sheet up over Ciro’s large frame. Carter stared into Ciro’s face, feeling the Shiver’s breath wash over his flesh. No matter how much he tried to sleep, Carter just couldn’t look away. Slowly, he lifted a hand and dragged a finger down to the very tip of his nose.
“Baby…” Ciro sighed.
“I thought you were sleeping.”
“I cannot sleep with you touching me like that—do you not know you turn me on?”
Ciro looked at him, and Carter gasped.
“You have the most beautiful eyes,” Carter whispered. “It’s always like you’re gazing into me, past what you see to the parts I want to hide.”
“I never want you to hide any part of you from me, Carter,” Ciro replied softly. “If you cannot show me your flaws, then something is wrong.”
Carter smiled and kissed the tip of Ciro’s nose. “Just hold me and get some rest.”
Ciro nodded and Carter moaned as Ciro wrapped strong arms around him. Ciro drifted off, and though Carter was comfortable and felt at home in Ciro’s arms, he couldn’t fall asleep. Each time he tried drifting off, he kept having this fear that one of Ciro’s brothers would pop in and harm Ciro.
Each sound outside the window caught his attention. Carter spent the whole night, holding Ciro, having small conversations with him each time a nightmare woke him. At one point, Ciro’s body began shimmering in and out of focus. He reached forward, sliding his hand down the front of Ciro’s pants and massaged his cock to life. Ciro woke and his body went rigid once more.
Long before the morning arrived, Carter stood by the window staring out into the night, shirtless, with his arms folded over his chest. He’d tried calling Kofi and had spoken to his brother briefly, telling him to be extra careful. Kofi had thought he was overreacting but after some pleading, Carter had managed to draw a promise from his brother that he’d be cautious until the two could meet.
He was beginning to rethink not going to pick up Kofi. Ciro had insisted on going for his brother that night but Carter figured the less Kofi knew the better. Ciro didn’t like that idea, so Carter had agreed to have Sisqo watch over Kofi secretly until the morning.
Inhaling deeply, he attempted to remember the last time he’d felt so loved—so absolutely, completely in love. He mentally ran through his recent relationships, the ones he’d actually thought would last. But he couldn’t remember feeling so helpless with the joy that flowed through him at that moment. A shiver dashed its way through him and Carter smiled before turning to look at Ciro’s sleeping form. Ciro’s face lay turned to him with his dark, disheveled hair covering his eyes. The sheets had fallen to his waist, exposing a highly muscular shoulder and side. Carter smiled and walked to the bed. He sat with his back against the massive, elaborate headboard and stared at Ciro.
When he couldn’t just look anymore, he caressed a hand over Ciro’s face, brushing the hair away, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to Ciro’s forehead.
“Are you all right?” Ciro asked sleepily. He shifted and lifted his head. “It is not light out yet.”
“Was just thinking.”
“Of what you have gotten yourself into?”
“Something like that. Your brother wants you to be miserable, and I’m not fool enough to think he won’t start something especially with what happened earlier. It just pisses me off they would put you into this position of having to kill another one of your brothers. I mean—who does that? I don’t understand how a brother with the same blood coursing through his veins could want you destroyed—I thought hate was only a human trait.”
“The gods are petty, Carter. They, for the most part, live to realize only their needs and desires and to hell with everyone else. Aerios, on the other ha
nd, is a special breed. He simply wants to have fun with humans and to do that, he must get me out of the way and once that happens, he can watch the world burn.”
“That gives new meaning to sibling rivalry.”
Ciro smiled.
“I think for a long while I tried not to fall for anyone,” Carter explained. “I used my brother being uncomfortable with my sexuality as an excuse. The truth is, even if you’d come during that time in my life, I couldn’t have resisted you.”
“Shh…” Ciro whispered, sitting up and gathering Carter against his chest. “Do not think of this now.”
“I can’t help it. I feel I have to tell you everything that’s boiling inside me, because he could hurt you—or worse. And what if it comes down to it and you have to kill him? He’s your brother. I saw what killing Guao did to you. I can still see it in your eyes—it hurts you.”
“If it comes down to it, there is no competition, no hesitation. I know what has to be done. Aerios poses a significant risk not only to you, but to this planet. I cannot allow him to spread his evil and I cannot allow him to harm you or anyone you love. It matters not what happens to me.”
Carter pulled from Ciro’s arms and jerked from the bed. He whirled to glare at the breathtaking man now sitting up in the bed and arched an eyebrow. “How can you say that? It doesn’t matter? What am I supposed to do if he kills you? I feel this…this thing for you, this pull, and he could just rip you away like that without any hesitation, and you’re telling me it doesn’t matter if that happens?”
“If you are safe, no, it does not matter.”
Turning to the window again, Carter stared out, trying to reel in the anger that flowed through his veins like a storm. He pressed his forehead to the cool glass and closed his eyes, just as lightning streaked across the heavens. He jerked away slightly when Ciro walked up behind him and pulled him against his chest. He stood there, head bowed, letting Ciro hold him silently.
“None of the others were worth spending my time to learn about. You—you are more than worthy and I’m just getting to know you, Ciro. I can’t lose you. I refuse to just sit here and let this ass just take you away!”
“I will do my best to stay with you, Carter. Please believe that. Please believe that I will fight to remain in your arms. But I would be a liar if I did not prepare you for the worst. I have waited for you, and it breaks my heart to know I may have to let you go. It is not easy for me either, Carter. Please understand.”
Turning in his arms, Carter looked up, but Ciro’s eyes were closed. His face looked tense and his lips trembled. The unbelievable pain written across his face was so evident Carter couldn’t help the breaking of his own heart. He lifted a hand to caress Ciro’s cheek to press his palm to the warm flesh there. When Ciro turned his head and kissed Carter’s hand, all Carter could do was sigh and fall against Ciro’s chest.
“This is insane, you know,” Carter whispered. “This is completely and utterly insane.”
Chapter Eleven
It took some doing but Carter finally managed a compromise with Ciro—he got back to his office with an escort. He didn’t like being followed around by some guy with superpowers but what else was he going to do? His life had already been turned upside down by everything happening around him. Why should he let others with questions add to that? In the last two weeks, he’d taken more time off work than ever before and just knew someone would take notice if he kept missing days.
Carter stared out the replaced glass panes of his office. He hadn’t dared enter it before they were finished. It looked as though nothing had happened—that a vengeful brother hadn’t shattered the glass. And the man he was quickly falling in love with was anything but a man. He folded his arms over his chest, turning his eyes downward, knowing Sisqo was lurking somewhere around there, just in case he was in trouble.
With a breath, he turned from the outside and allowed his gaze to roam his office. In a far corner, he saw a piece of broken glass. He hurried over and picked it up, turning it over in his palms, and was about to throw it in the garbage when someone knocked on the door.
“Yes?”
Kofi poked his head in before the rest of his body followed and his brother closed the door behind him. “So, er, don’t freak out. Today I was at the office and something drew me to the window. Call it crazy or what, but I looked out and there was this guy. At first, I thought I was just being a bit nutty…but, well, er…I think I’m being followed. In fact, I know I’m being followed.”
Carter made a face and walked to the window. He looked down, and the sun glinted off something. He inhaled. “Japanese man, dressed like a samurai?”
“Yeah. So I’m not going crazy.” Kofi hurried to stand beside Carter and looked down.
“No. No you’re not.”
“Every time he’s around, I know he is there because I get this feeling—it’s this intense pull. I mean, I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
“Almost like your heart is about to jump out of your chest, because it’s beating so fast? Like someone injected you with adrenaline and you just can’t turn it off? A feeling of heat pulsing through your veins, like you’ve inhaled fire and it’s turning your insides into an amazing sunrise?”
“Yes…what is that?”
“I don’t know.” Ciro shrugged.
“And how’d you know it was him?”
“His name is Osaki.”
“Er—what?”
“I think it’s time I tell you what’s been going on and I definitely believe you should probably sit down for this…”
Kofi stared at him for a bit then did as he suggested. Carter sat on the edge of his desk, fingers clasped and shoved between his knees. “Osaki is one of Ciro’s friends. He’s following you because you might be in danger.”
“Seriously, baby brother, you are not making an inkling of sense.”
“This is going to sound a little—or rather, a lot—far-fetched. Trust me. I know how it sounded until I got proof, but just hear me out. All of this started with Zeus.”
“Zeus? The band or the hacker’s program?”
“The Greek god.”
“Okay? You lost me.”
“Remember in high school when we were taught Hera was his wife and he slept with everyone but her? Well, it wasn’t a lie.”
“Carter…”
“Just let me finish. Ciro, the guy I met at Firewall, is Zeus’ son. Zeus slept with the Goddess of the Storm Winds. They had a few sons, who Hera, in her anger, promptly put a curse on. Ciro is the first born, which makes him kind of a big deal and the others are out to kill him—well, some of the others are out to get him.”
“That’s a load of shit. First, there is no Goddess of the Storm Winds in Greek Mythology. There’s Anemoi God of the Four Directional Winds, and that’s it. Secondly…”
“Yes, of the four directional winds. Storm winds are stronger, more deadly. Trust me, there is a goddess of that and she is Ciro’s mother.” Carter eyed him. “Then how do you explain the samurai?”
“Some crazy Asian dude who thinks he’s a samurai is not proof your boyfriend is a…god?”
“No, he’s a Shiver.”
“Look, I get that you have the hots for this guy and you want what he’s telling you to be true, really. But who knows? Maybe the people stalking his ass, and now you and I, are mobsters—maybe he’s into illegal stuff and he wants to scare you into not going to the police. Who knows with people these days? Maybe you just think he said all those things to you and you just need more sleep or something but…”
At that very moment, Ciro simply popped into the office out of thin air, cutting Kofi off in midsentence. Kofi shoved to his feet and Carter buried his face into his hands.
“How did you do that?” Kofi wanted to know.
“You did not tell him?” Ciro inquired. “My apologies. I did not mean just drop in. I did not know you had a guest.”
“How…did you…do that?” Kofi repeated.
“I told you,” Carter said, looking up from his hands. “He is not human. The Japanese man outside is your security detail.”
“Okay, I’ll bite for a second. Why do I need a security detail?”
“Because apparently Aphrodite claimed me to be Ciro’s lifemate. Since his brothers hate him, they might try getting to Ciro through me…”
“And the best way to do that is to hurt someone you love,” Kofi finished for Carter, who nodded. “Some family you’ve got.”
“I am terribly sorry. I should not have gotten you into this mess.”
“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have,” Kofi snapped. “What am I supposed to do now? Walk around with a samurai trailing behind me for the rest of my life?”
“Not just the samurai,” Ciro added. “We had Adrestia keeping an eye on you, and Hades for a little moment when Osaki had to go, then there was Sisqo.”
“Oh.” Kofi tossed up his hands dramatically. “Well, isn’t that just fucking peachy? That just makes it all better, doesn’t it? The God of the Underworld and the Goddess of Misery and Revenge are just the people a guy needs to hear are following him around!”
“Kofi, I understand…” Ciro began.
But Kofi whirled around and went nose to nose with the Shiver.
“No, you don’t understand shit. If you’d only put my life in danger, I could understand—sort of—but you put my brother’s life in this hell too and for that I cannot forgive you. So don’t tell me you understand because if you knew just how fucking pissed off I am right now, you would not be here.”
Carter hopped from the desk and stepped between the man he loved and the one he adored. “Okay you two,” Carter told them, pushing at each of their chests. “We know this situation sucks but we’re going to deal. Ciro, gimme a bit with my brother.”
“Very well. Sisqo and Osaki will remain with you until Osaki has to return to Olympus. His powers get weaker the longer he remains here. Adrestia or Hygeia will take his place then.”
Shivers Page 10
