by LJ Swallow
"I think it's better people think we're together," he explains. "If that's okay with you."
I’m hyperaware of where his hip rest against mine, and the arousal growing due to his long fingers against my waist. This is ridiculous; I hardly like the man.
Xander leans in to whisper, "I promise not to grope your ass."
"You'll regret it if you do," I hiss and remove his arm from my waist.
Xander sighs. "Hold my hand instead then."
I hesitate before I place mine in his, hoping I don’t experience the blinding, shattering reaction from last time. Nothing. But Xander’s tight grip is accompanied by a desire to keep my hand in his, despite several seconds ago not wanting him anywhere near me. This is bloody weird, again.
A huge venue filled with smoke and disorientating strobe lights greets us as we walk through the doorway. There're two floors, and the entrance is at the top. Below, a large bar runs the length of the right-hand wall, surrounded by stools and people. A throng below writhe together to the heavy industrial music; bodies packed tightly.
"We need to go that way," calls Xander in my ear, indicating left. "A guy called Declan manages the place. Arlo likes to keep a distance between his ownership and involvement in the day to day. Declan’s my first point of contact, and he should be in his office."
"Okay," I shout back.
"Unless you want a drink first?" He gestures downstairs as I struggle to hear his words.
I shake my head and call, "Let's get this over with."
Xander leads me, hand still in mine, around a corner towards the small room, which overlooks the lower floor. The music fades a little as the hallway narrows to a small space between Declan’s office and the wall. Xander doesn't knock, but yanks down the door handle and marches straight in.
In the small room, a man sits behind a mahogany desk, a tumbler glass containing brown liquid beside him as he sorts through papers. A window looks down onto the club below, and the space in the room is taken up by boxes stacked around. Declan’s older than us, dressed in a cheap suit. Is he fae too? His impassive face doesn’t match the perfect fae features, and although his short hair's white, there’s no violet tinge to his eyes. Human.
"I thought you might turn up tonight after what happened to the fae," he sighs. "What do you want?"
"We’re looking for some people and need to know if you’ve seen anyone different around."
Declan picks up his glass and swirls the contents. "Not a social visit then?" He cranes his head to look at me. "Are you dating?" The mocking edge to his voice riles me, and Xander drops my hand as if he's a little boy caught holding a girl's hand. "But why bring the chick in here? Who is she?"
"She’s helping me out."
A short laugh erupts from Declan. "Sure, Xander. I bet she’s very helpful."
"Yeah. She's more fun to hang out with than the guys, if you know what I mean."
Excuse me? I open my mouth to tell them I have a bloody name and I’m not his piece of ass, but Xander shoots me a look.
"Yeah, I bet she is," says the guy and stares at my breasts. I glare. "The Horsemen asking for human help? Things are slipping."
Xander ignores him and walks to the edge of the room, where glasses and a bottle of clear liquid rest on a small round table. "I'll fix us a drink, since you're not offering."
He hands me a glass; I shake my head, but Xander pushes it closer.
I'd intended to avoid alcohol, but here I am with peer pressure from a Horseman? Ha ha.
The liquid burns my throat as I drink, and I fight coughing. The man gestures for me to sit in an upholstered chair nearby, but I remain close to the door. Xander sits opposite him.
"Have you seen any demons around here recently?"
"Nope. We had a couple of vamps the other week, but they were with their donors so they didn't cause any trouble. They're allowed, right? Good paying customers."
Xander spins his glass on the desk. "You know the answer to that question, but I'll ignore what you told me as long as there're none here tonight. Anyone else suspicious?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
Xander’s line of questioning continues. "Do you know anything at all about who's behind the attack on the fae queen?"
He scowls. "Hey, I'm just a guy making a living here. I don't get involved in fae business, and you guys kick my ass if a demon even sniffs in this direction."
Xander pulls his phone from a pocket and clicks, before turning the screen to Declan. "Have you seen this guy around?"
Declan takes the phone and peers at Hunter’s picture. "Dunno. He’s not exactly unusual looking."
Xander flicks a finger across the screen. "Might’ve been with this girl."
Again, Declan studies. "Oh, yeah, seen her around with friends. She’s old enough, okay? We checked her ID. Friendly girl."
"This is Elyssia. Did you know she’s the fae queen’s daughter?"
"What the fuck? Does Arlo know?"
"Good question," says Xander. "But this is where Elyssia met the guy I showed you, the one who tried to kill her mother."
Declan holds his hands up, palms outwards. "Seriously, man, I had no clue."
"You didn’t see the two together? Or with others?"
"You know I spend most evenings up here. Arlo’s the one to ask."
"Where is he?"
He jerks a thumb in the window's direction. "Down there. He's checking out the clientele, as usual."
"For demons?" asks Xander.
Declan snorts. "For ass."
Xander stands. "And demons I hope."
"Seriously, man, I haven't seen any for weeks."
"Not ones you'd recognise. You know a few can glamour themselves."
Declan shuffles with papers on his desk and looks down. "Okay. Cards on the table. We’ve had a group of young succubi and incubi sneak in, but they fought the vamps, so we kicked them all out. The two groups can settle things between themselves. If they don't, victims never die on the premises so that's really not my problem." He nods at me. "Look, I don't know who your friend is, but I really don't like having this conversation with her around."
"And I don't like your attitude to human life," Xander growls.
"Tough. Do your job and don’t expect us to do it for you. Protecting people is your job. Are you losing your touch, Xander?"
Xander places both hands on the table and leans closer. "Do you want to see if I'm losing my touch?" he says in a tone that lifts hairs on my neck. "Maybe I can bring my brother in here and see if we've lost our touch?"
Declan shrinks away. "Calm down. Jesus man, stressed much?"
"Why aren't you stressed?" sneers Xander. "Do you think if the demons are attacking fae that you're safe? That your job and life are free from their interference?" The man blinks. "If someone’s trying to recruit fae, I doubt the demons will be kind to those who don't cooperate."
Declan stands and jabs a finger at Xander. "Look, we put up with you and your mates' superior attitudes, at you coming in here and inspecting us like you're some kind of mafia, but don’t threaten me."
"Wake up. You're completely blinkered if you think growing demon numbers won't affect you."
"You want me to call Arlo up here and have him listen to your threats?"
"Go ahead, saves me looking for him," snarls Xander. "Someone is hiding secrets, and I won’t stand for that shit!"
As the tension grows in the room, I sip the strong liquid. War at his finest shifting from diplomacy to aggression in a blink of an eye. This isn't smart.
"Xander," I step forward and touch his arm. "Let's go. He doesn’t have any information to help."
Xander turns his head, with a confused expression, palms still on the table. "I'm dealing with this."
"You promised if I came with you, we'd have some fun."
"I said I'm busy."
"Then I'll need to find somebody else to spend my evening with."
Despite the fact I want to glare, I practice a coy smile, one tha
t Declan can see me giving the guy he presumes is my hook up. If only Declan could see the dark look on Xander's.
The standoff continues and Declan looks on in amusement. "Nobody makes demands of Xander, honey. You won't last the evening."
"I know Xander would do whatever I asked," I say, turning up the coy.
I gleefully take on the role, especially as Xander’s discomfort grows at my behaviour. I sidle over and slap down my temptation to slide a hand across his ass. Well, he introduced me as a hook-up. Instead, I tug one of his hands from the desk.
"Come on, I want some Xander time."
Both men stare at me, Declan in amusement and Xander in quiet shock, but the atmosphere in the room calms.
"Fine, I'll find Arlo and get answers from him," mutters Xander. He moves back from the desk and pulls his hand from mine. "And Declan is right. Nobody ever tells me what to do, sweetheart."
With a tiny smile Xander can't see, I step out of the door in front of him.
I think he'll find I just did.
The moment the door closes, Xander grabs my arm and pulls me to one side. The space between the office and the wall is narrow, the hallway hidden and dark, away from the loud music. "What the fuck was that performance?"
"You were getting aggressive. I was trying to diffuse the situation. Worked, didn’t it?"
"I have a fucking job to do. I gave him a chance to cooperate."
I place my hand on Xander's shoulder. "A chance? Is that what you call that? Why are you like this all the time?"
He gestures at himself. "War?"
"But behaving like this isn’t helpful, surely? You should relax more."
"Based on your behaviour in there, I'd say you were the one who wanted to help me relax." He lowers his voice.
"You were the one implying I'm your hook up for the night. I just played along to solve a problem."
Xander places both hands above me on the wall, blocking my view with his large frame. He's close, not touching, but my body jumps to alert at his proximity and his switch from aggressive to this.
"I know the effect I have on you, Vee," he whispers. "I thought that performance might be because you want to indulge your delusion. The one where you think I want you as much as the other three do."
"And I know right now you want to show me the effect I have on you," I whisper back.
He shifts closer and trails a finger along my cheek. "They're following you around like puppy dogs, waiting for you to click your fingers. Not me."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I wonder who you'll choose."
I laugh in his face. "Who says I'm going to choose one of you? I could take you all."
I don't know where the words come from, or if I could ever act on them, but a girl could get used to the idea four men all worship her. Yes, four, because this one's lying to my face.
"And maybe once you've had a taste of each of us, you'll choose the one who makes you scream the loudest."
Xander closes the gap between us, the intensity growing where our bodies touch. He runs his fingers along my leg before resting his hand against my hip. "Who've you had a taste of already? My brother, yes. Joss? Surely not Ewan." Xander shifts, lips close enough to mine that his breath strokes my mouth. "Do you want a taste of me next?"
My body screams yes. Taste Xander's lips, push my hands beneath his shirt, and dig fingers into his taut muscle. I have the power to bring this arrogant man to his knees, and the idea shivers desire through my body.
I hold my head still, refusing to be drawn into my pulse-racing need to connect our mouths. If Xander's lips touch mine, the building sexual energy between us will unleash and change everything.
No.
After what happened with Heath the other night, this is a bad idea.
There's something in the air here; people dance and touch; mingled scents trigger the primal human needs. Amongst that atmosphere, I stand with Xander, predestined to react to each other in this way without even touching. But he is touching. I close my eyes and hold my breath against the sensory overload. I've never had the time of day for guys as arrogantly self-assured as Xander, and bond or no bond, I won’t change my attitude.
"I'm not going to do anything here, Xander, so you may as well step back." My lips don't touch his as we talk, but the buzz between them builds an ache I don't want. "Please take your hands off me."
"You sure? I won't offer again."
"I'll try to deal with the disappointment," I say sarcastically.
Xander pushes himself from the wall and runs a hand across his short hair. "Cool. I'll find someone else tonight. That's never difficult."
"If that's your intention, then why try this with me? Looking for a challenge?"
He snorts. "I'm not really interested in you; I just want to piss my brother off."
My mouth parts in disgust at his amused look, but he doesn’t fool me. "Is that true, Xander? There's no other reason you're this close to me right now?"
Again we stand off, eyes fixed on each other, hidden but open.
"I don't have to answer your questions, Vee."
Stepping forward, I tiptoe and place my lips close to his ear. "I think you just did, Xander."
6
EWAN
I let the world stream by as I weave along the country roads, speeding around the bends and enjoying the power this gives me. A drier day makes a long ride possible after rainy days and shit road conditions; I’m not heading after Xander just yet.
I don't have a lot of freedom, from the guys or my role, but when I ride my bike, I'm on the verge between control and the bike controlling me. My life wavers between safety and danger, but this time the split second between triumph and disaster is in my hands.
And I need more.
I skirt around the town Xander and Vee head to and back into the countryside. They'll be fine for another hour; there's no evidence trouble will join us tonight. This is just a fishing mission.
My head clears too, blowing away the stress. My loud mouth ruined the relationship with Vee. I have no clue what to say to her about the way she discovered her truth was lies. Joss told me she's okay, doesn't blame me, but he doesn’t get it. I spend life hurting those who deserve pain; killing them painfully from the inside. Vee doesn't deserve her life to be eaten away the way theirs is.
She doesn’t deserve pain.
I stay in the house more than the other guys, away from the constant conflict between us. I'm happy alone with my laptop and research, and this fulfills me as much as when I use my other powers to stop evil. Danger follows the Horsemen everywhere, and I like space away from that shit.
But things have stepped up; this new shit with Vee and with Portia, the demon interference, all worry me. These reminders why I'm out tonight encroach, and I turn back to the town, slowing as I reach the centre. My bike draws attention from the kids hanging around the statue in the main square as I pass, and I can't resist a rev or two for them, as I increase my speed again.
Man, I fucking love my bike.
I locate Xander's car, tucked at the industrial estate's rear, between shipping containers, and park mine beside. Isn't this too far from the club? What if we need to move fast? We can run, but Vee's not exactly dressed for an Olympic-style sprint.
Nobody stops me as I walk inside. The fae doorman informs me Xander and his chick are inside with Declan, and irritation prickles. His chick? Has something happened between them?
I adjust my eyes to the light, and the familiar Warehouse dry ice and sweat smell assaults me. Of the Four, I love this place the most. I'm at home and draw little attention from humans. The tall scruffy guy with tattoos and bulk nobody wants to mess with? Yep. Perfect.
The regulars recognise me though; I've spent "intimate moments" with some girls here. This place is somewhere we come back to regularly between hunts, and because I'm away "working" for weeks on end, no girl expects more than a night. The other guys indulge too, but down time becomes less and less as we’re away more.<
br />
This isn't down time, although Xander will likely use the opportunity. He's wound tight after his time away, and his getting laid will do us all a favour.
I stride towards Declan’s office and halt. Looks like Xander's already started the process. He's close to the office, even closer to the person he's looking down on. His hands aren't on the girl he obscures from my view, but this man doesn't need to use his hands, silver-tongued bastard.
I blow air into my cheeks. Jesus, man, we have a job to do.
Xander moves to one side and my chest tightens, shooting unwarranted anger into my blood.
Vee.
Five minutes alone with her, and Xander's already persuaded Vee to get up close and personal?
Fucking hypocrite.
I stride over until I'm close enough to gauge their faces for hints of what happened between them. Xander looks at me impassively, and Vee's clothes look untouched.
"You're late," says Xander.
"Looks like I am late to the party." I raise a brow. Still no reaction.
"Declan has nothing to report, but Arlo is here tonight. I want to catch up with him before he leaves."
"Arlo? Where?" I ask.
"Down there, apparently." Xander points over the balcony.
I crane my head but locating anybody in there is impossible—one writhing mass, faces occasionally caught in the strobe lights. Yeah, getting up close and personal's never a problem in this place, for anybody.
Vee walks between us as we negotiate the winding steel stairs to the main floor. She stumbles as her heel’s caught between the steps and I steady her. Xander moves too quickly once we reach the ground floor, and she's exposed to the crowds around her. My protective side takes hold as a guy, face covered in piercings, spiked red hair steps in front, dancing and beckoning her into the crowd.
How will Vee react to this type of treatment? I know how I will. I stride forward and step between them. Vee bumps into my back as I stare down the metal-covered dude.
"Sorry, man!" he calls and turns to a girl beside him, who has no issue with letting him wind his arms around her waist.
