by SF Benson
“Maybe it’s not too late for you to pray.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Colt
My first night is busy with me running back and forth to the basement for alcohol and supplies. When I’m not restocking, I’m washing glasses and dishes. By eight o’clock, I’m worn out. No wonder the previous barback quit. But the constant activity keeps me focused. Keeps my mind off a certain person.
“Take a break and grab dinner,” Marjorie says as she’s writing up another order for the kitchen. “Either eat in the office or take it upstairs. Come back in an hour.”
“You sure?” As much as I need to eat, I need the money more.
“It’s not the first time I handled a crowd on my own. Besides, Nick will be here in a few minutes. Between the two of us, we’ll be fine.”
“Thanks.” I untie my apron and grab the ticket. “I’ll take this to the kitchen for you.”
“Perfect.”
I’m bone-tired, but don’t relish eating alone. Solitude is the enemy of incubi—we’re not meant to spend endless hours by ourselves. We’re the life of any party. We’re the ones women—and even men—hope to go home with at the end of the night. We’re not beings who settle for meals in front of a TV like I’m doing.
I finish my wings and dump the Styrofoam tray into the trash under the sink. First thing in the morning, I’m finding a place to get a piano. Endless quiet with nothing other than a television for company will drive me crazy.
Looking out the window, I watch people come and go from the bar. Is this really the life I want? Can I stomach long hours of hard work only to come home to an empty apartment? My fingers itch to pick up the phone and call JJ. I’ve never missed a human, but I miss him, and it hasn’t even been a week.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I’m surprised to see JJ’s name displayed on the screen. I want to be pissed. After all, he told me he didn’t tolerate bullshit, but he couldn’t be straight with me. Pushing my frustration aside, I accept the call.
“Hello?”
“Sorry, but I need to talk to you.” JJ’s words are clipped, his tone strained. “It’s important.”
I press my lips together. Do I give him another chance? “If you only have lies to tell me, I don’t want to hear them.”
“No.” He breathes heavily. “I’m not asking for a second chance. I understand I blew it.”
Understatement. “I’m on my break.”
“I know.” He pauses for a beat or two. “Open the door.”
“What?” My feet rush across the floor, as if I have no control. Swinging the door open, I find JJ. Blood rushes from my head to my crotch. Thinking is impossible with this man in front of me.
“Can I come in?”
Slowly, I regain my senses and stop focusing on the throbbing in my jeans. I disconnect the call, step to the side, and say, “This can’t take long. I have to get back to work.”
“It won’t.” A panicked expression flitters across JJ’s handsome face.
Silence covers us while we stare at each other. His gaze is persistent, proof I have an effect on him. Mine is filled with curiosity and wariness. Do I trust him? If I can’t, do I forget him and give up this experiment?
“Are you going to tell me anytime soon?”
“Yeah.” JJ moves past me and sits down on the sofa. “I get that you don’t trust me, but you have to believe me when I say stay clear of Azaria.”
“Don’t worry. She’s not my type.” I prop my butt on the chair’s arm. If I sit beside JJ, I may never go back to work.
“This isn’t about sex.” His voice rises.
“Okay. I’ll stay away from her.” The urgency in JJ’s voice scares me. “What’s going on, JJ?”
He rakes his hands through his hair. “There’s so much shit I wish I could tell you, but I can’t.”
“Why?”
His eyes lift. Immense pain resides in them. It breaks my heart. Makes me want to put my arms around him and simply hold him. Tell him it’ll all work out. Somehow. But I don’t. The coward deep down won’t let me.
“You said you don’t trust me,” JJ says. “Well, I’m not sure I can trust you.”
I put my hand on my chest. What have I done for him not to believe in me? “You can trust me. Say whatever’s on your mind.”
JJ shakes his head furiously. “All I can tell you is Azaria has blocked every relationship I’ve tried to have. My brother clued me in on that today.”
“You couldn’t see the woman is interested in you?” How could JJ be so close to her and not see it?
“I don’t care about that.” He glances down at the floor. “Ezekiel said Azaria wants to harm you. I can’t let that happen.”
“Thanks for the warning, but I can take care of myself.” Thanks to Grandfather’s gift, I won’t have to worry about anything she might do. I notice the time on my phone. “Hey, I have to get back downstairs. It’s been a busy night.”
“Okay.” He stands and faces me. “Go nowhere alone. If you need anything, I’ll get it for you.”
If it weren’t for the noticeable stress in JJ’s voice, I’d think this is simply another ploy to get back in my good graces. “You don’t have to do that. Marjorie can help me.”
“Try not to involve Marjorie. I don’t want to see anything happen to her either.”
As much as I would like to stay and talk, I have to get back to work. I’m running late as it is. Walking to the door, I say, “Fine. Go home, JJ. Everything will be all right. I have to get to work.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll check in on you tomorrow,” he says, his voice shaking.
For the first time since I left his apartment, I inspect JJ. Beads of sweat cover his forehead. He’s jumpy and can’t keep his hand out of his hair. Something’s wrong. I can’t be an ass, not to him.
“JJ?”
A far-off look settles on his face, and he doesn’t acknowledge me.
“Jeremiah?”
His gaze swings to me. “What?”
“Stay here.” I place a hand on his arm. “Please. We’ll talk more when I get off. Okay?”
“Yeah.” His voice shakes slightly. “I’ll stay put.”
My shift can’t end soon enough.
It’s an understatement to say my mind isn’t on the job. More than a few times I drop glasses, screw up orders, and have to be reminded to refill ice. Thankfully, Marjorie makes excuses for me and doesn’t address the issue until there’s a lull in the action.
“Are you okay, Colt?” she asks, removing the caps from two bottles of beer.
“JJ’s upstairs.”
“Really?” Her eyes widen. “You can knock off early.”
I reach for a tray of dirty glasses. “No. You need help tonight, and I need my job. JJ and I will talk later.”
“Okay.” Marjorie smiles. “Try to stay focused.”
As soon as the crowd thins, I grab a broom and begin cleaning up. It seems like another hour passes before the last customer stumbles out.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Marjorie says to me as I’m placing a chair on top of a table.
“Look, I’m sorry about tonight.” I apologize without making eye contact. “It won’t happen again.”
Her hand lands on top of mine. “I know, but we need to talk all the same.”
Instead of putting the next chair up, I take a seat. “Go ahead.”
“I love JJ like a brother, and I understand you’re worried about him. But you’ve got to separate your personal life from work.”
“Understood.”
“Do you?” She reaches into her apron pocket and pulls out a small stack of bills. “That’s yours for tonight. It could have been more, but Nick, the other bartender, was reluctant to split his tips with you. He said you didn’t deserve it, and I agree with him.”
My chest hitches. No one has ever accused me of doing anything half-assed. Well, no one other than my father. “Then keep it to pay for damages.”
Marjorie’s posture tenses f
or a second as she shakes her head. “I won’t do that to you. It’s your first night, but if you don’t want it to be your last…”
I hold up a hand. “I get it. Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“You’ve known JJ for a while. Do you know Azaria?”
Marjorie’s eyes roll. “I have the displeasure of knowing her. She’s a bitch with a capital B. Why?”
“JJ came to see me about her. He said she’s been blocking his relationships.”
“I wouldn’t put it past her.” Marjorie leans a hip against the table. “Anyone with eyes can see the woman’s in love with JJ. If you ask her, she’ll deny it. But she doesn’t even try to hide her affection.”
Right about now I’d give anything to have a few minutes with my powers. I’d get to the bottom of this situation and answer the questions I’m dying to know. I guess those suspicions will have to remain in the shadows.
It’s after three in the morning when I open the door to the apartment. JJ is fast asleep in the living room. He looks peaceful. The frantic expression he wore earlier is gone. I don’t dare disturb him. We’ll talk in the morning.
Bright light with a welcoming warmth wakes me, and I check my phone. It’s after twelve. Last night I slept soundly. Father’s ghouls, absent for the first time in months, didn’t haunt my dreams. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I slip out of bed. No better time for JJ and me to talk.
Problem is he’s not here. I go into the kitchen, but no one’s there either. I don’t get it. He was so worried about me last night, and now he’s gone. I collapse on the sofa and stare at the floor.
Where the fuck are you, JJ?
The doorknob jiggling grabs my attention. The door gives a small yawn, and JJ enters with another man behind him.
“Good. You’re up,” JJ says and drops my keys on the coffee table along with a white box the size of a laptop. “Colton, meet my brother Ezekiel. Zeke, this is the guy I told you about.”
My eyes travel up long legs clad in denim and past the worn black leather jacket. Ezekiel is taller than JJ by an inch or two. Where JJ’s hair is nearly shoulder-length and on the pale side of blond, Ezekiel’s is cut short and practically golden. His blue eyes are brighter and more intense than JJ’s as well. Shit, everything about this man screams at you, including his arrogance.
Ezekiel holds out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
I accept the suspicious gesture with trepidation. He’s checking me out with narrow eyes. I’m not sure why it disturbs me. “You didn’t tell me you had a brother.”
“Jeremiah’s full of secrets,” Ezekiel says without further explanation and sits on the chair.
“Pay no attention to Zeke.” A shadow passes over JJ’s face, and his jaw clenches. “Sorry I stepped out with your keys. Got that laptop you wanted.”
“You can thank me later,” Ezekiel announces.
My gaze swings to him. There’s something about this man that rings false. Maybe it’s the way he keeps sizing me up like I’m a potential meal.
Nonsense.
I’ve been around JJ long enough not to suspect him of being a vampire. But I believe I’m safe in assuming neither of them is human. Ezekiel has those pretty boy looks like an incubus, but he doesn’t throw that type of vibe either. Maybe I should have spent more time studying auras and personalities. Honestly, I doubt if the endeavor would have helped me much now.
“Your help is appreciated.” My eyes stay locked on Ezekiel as I speak to JJ. “We need to finish our discussion.”
“Brother, why don’t you get us some coffee? I want a word with your friend here.”
JJ says nothing. He just walks off toward the kitchen.
Strange.
Ezekiel leans into the cushions and crosses his ankle over a knee. “Colton, what brings you to the big city? You don’t strike me as a native.”
Cabinets open and close as JJ fumbles in the kitchen. Ezekiel may or may not be JJ’s brother. Either way, I sense a threat. “What concern is it of yours?”
“I’m making sure you’re not compromising JJ’s safety. Marjorie mentioned you were on the run. If that’s true, you pose a problem.”
What is this male?
Dealing with this overbearing brother and dodging my father is not what I want to do for three weeks. Maybe I need to let Ezekiel know he can’t intimidate me. Leaning forward, I place my elbows on my knees and say, “Truth is my life is none of your business. As far as your brother goes, whatever does or doesn’t happen is between us. Thank you for the purchase, but my gratitude does not include kissing your ass. Now, if you don’t mind, get the fuck out.”
Ezekiel laughs. A damn hearty-ass laugh. My hands clench.
JJ runs into the living room. “What’s so funny, Zeke?”
Ezekiel, holding his sides, tries to stifle his laughter. “Oh, Brother, can you pick them!”
“Zeke,” JJ grimaces, “maybe you should leave.”
“No problem, Brother.” Ezekiel stands. “I have to admit, I like this one better than your last choice. I’ll do what I can with Azaria. You need to stay on guard.”
“I will.” JJ watches his brother go out the door.
“Older brother?” I ask as the door closes.
JJ sits beside me. “No, but he thinks of himself as my protector.”
“Humph. He’d give a pit bull a run for his money.”
JJ laughs.
Damn. I’ve missed that melodious sound.
“Hey, I’m sorry about Zeke.” JJ side-glances at me. “He wanted to meet for breakfast and then insisted on going to the computer store with me. When I told him I was headed here, he wanted to meet you.”
“What did he mean about Azaria?”
JJ sinks into the cushion and scrubs his hands over his face. “He’s been hanging with her.”
“You mean sleeping with her?”
“Yeah. He’s hoping to keep her distracted.”
I place my arm on the back of the sofa and face him. I’m tempted to touch JJ, pick up where we left off the other day, but I keep my hands to myself. “What are you hiding, Jeremiah?”
He shakes his head softly and mutters, “Only my feelings for you.”
“I already know you’re into me. What else is there?”
JJ looks deep into my eyes before speaking. “We haven’t known each other long enough. It scares the shit out of me to feel this way so soon.”
I slide closer to him. “Same here, but what do we do about it?”
He shrugs. “I know what I want.”
“But?”
“We need time. What if this is strictly a physical need?”
You need to tell him that time is a luxury you don’t have.
“I told you before we’ll deal with it. But if you’re not ready for me…” I stroke his cheek with the back of my finger. “If you’re not ready for us, I won’t force it. You claimed to be my friend. Then be one, but know my friendship doesn’t come with benefits.”
When JJ says nothing, I stand. “Listen, I need a shower and food.”
“I’ll cook for you,” he offers.
“I haven’t gone shopping.”
He rises from the sofa. “Then I’ll go shopping while you shower. I want to cook for you.”
“Will you spend the day with me?” I slide a hand around his waist and pull him close. He smells like oranges and something exotic. My dick stirs, and a meal is no longer important. “I want you.”
JJ’s breath hisses. The sound, a mix of pleasure and pain, draws me to him.
“Weren’t you going to take a shower?”
“I am. In a minute.” But first I would enjoy this moment. Leaning into him, I allow my lips to skim over his cheek. Memories of our first kiss assault my mind.
My attraction to JJ baffles me. It’s so much deeper than being aroused as an incubus.
“Colton.” My name is like a whisper from JJ.
My finger goes to his mouth. “Shh. You had your time to tease
me. My turn.”
Without preamble, I take his face between my hands and crush my lips to his. JJ’s lips are warm. Welcoming. I want more. My blood throbs in my veins. I’m reaching for his belt, but before I can unbuckle it, JJ breaks the kiss.
