by S. Young
Until today.
“Fine.” Luca ground his teeth, trying not to admonish David in front of Jai. Not that Luca didn’t criticize his other sons. Jai had overheard him doing it plenty of times when he thought Jai was nowhere in sight. He thought showering his full-blooded Ginnaye sons with support and affection in front of him was just another way to torment him. It was at first. Until Jai realized Luca was the one tormented by the fact that Jai was more like him than any of his full-blooded sons. “You can leave.”
“I want to see what he has to say about this? If he doesn’t want it, I’ll do it.”
Luca flicked David an exasperated look. “You weren’t requested. He was.”
Jai frowned, his curiosity growing. “What’s going on?”
“David, leave.”
With a heavy sigh, David muttered, “yes, sir.” He threw Jai a look. See you later, douchebag.
Jai let his smirk glitter in his eyes where Luca couldn’t see. Go cry to your mommy, dick.
At least I have a mom, dick. With that, he slammed out of the office.
Jai turned to his father. “What’s so important you needed to talk to me here?”
Before his father could respond, the air shimmered beside his desk, and Jai anticipated the new arrival. The explosion of fire signaled their entrance, the flames shooting to the ground before disappearing. Jai blinked, wary and bemused by the enormous amount of power that pulsed into the room. It exuded from the jinn before him. He was huge, at least six and a half feet, with long flame-red hair pulled back into a ponytail. He wore modern clothing and grinned congenially at Jai.
“So this is Jai Bitar.” The jinn strode toward him. He gave a little respectful bow to Jai, which Jai returned out of good manners. Whoever the jinn was, he was someone important. Perhaps even royal. A minor prince, perhaps?
“Jai.” His father’s voice was colder than usual. “I’d like to introduce you… to the Red King.”
Not a lot of things could elicit a reaction from him, but that sure as hell did. He quirked an eyebrow in surprise and the Red King laughed. An immortal? The Red King. One of the Seven Kings of Jinn was in his dad’s office?
Why?
“You must wonder why I have requested your services, Jai?” The Red King tilted his head, his light blue eyes washing over him, assessing.
“I didn’t know you had.”
“Shame.” He grinned, twisting around to look at Luca. “You haven’t told him yet?”
“He just got here, Your Highness,” Luca replied emotionlessly.
The Red King studied them knowingly. “Oh, I see. Yes. I see. Well, Jai.” He placed a large hand on Jai’s shoulder with a hearty clap. “It’s well known that Jai Bitar of the Ginnaye has an unusual gift. It gives him an edge in this whole guardian business. I require that edge.”
At the mention of his ‘gift’, Jai squirmed a little. He’d first realized he had the gift when he’d kissed their maid’s twelve-year-old daughter when he was thirteen. It was something to do with hitting puberty or something, but after he’d kissed her, he’d found himself connected to her. He could feel exactly where she was when her emotions were heightened and then, after a while, he could tap into their connection to find her location whenever he liked. He couldn’t read her mind, but he’d been pretty impressed by the ‘gift’ and had told his best, and only, friend Trey about it. Trey had thought it was too important to keep a secret and had told his father, Rik, who then told Jai’s father. An old jinn woman in the Ginnaye whose gift was a greater ability to ‘see’ things within people, explained that Jai’s magical kiss was a trait that had evolved from having a succubus for a mother. It was like his guardian genes and succubus genes had gotten together and come up with something unique. They discovered over the years that Jai’s kiss could be placed on a client to trace them. It had to be a genuine kiss and, like the succubus side, it only worked on those he could ever be sexually attracted to. In Jai’s case, that was only women. It had been a strange and difficult time in his life and he’d had no support from the one person he’d needed it from.
For everyone else, Luca Bitar was this strong, loyal jinn who protected people. To his family, he was the guy they could turn to for help. But when Jai’s mother seduced him against his will, she’d stolen a piece of the love he had for Nicki and he’d blamed Jai for it for as long as Jai could remember.
Letting the memories fade into the background, Jai turned deferentially to the Red King. “How can I be of service?”
“I like you.” The Red King pointed a gun finger at him and Jai couldn’t help but notice he didn’t act like an all powerful royal jinn. “I do. I like you. That’s good. Okay, kid. Here’s the deal. I have this extremely significant important I want you to watch over.”
Well, if it was someone one of the jinn kings wanted protected, they must be a big deal. Jai felt his blood pump with excitement at the challenge. “I take it she’s a woman, if you want my particular gift?”
“You betcha. Now, she’s real important to me, Jai. I need to know you got this.”
Slipping into guardian mode, Jai stiffened with determination. “Of course, Your Highness.”
“My son is the best, Your Highness,” Luca assured him.
Keeping his face impassive, Jai nearly struggled to swallow a smile when the Red King laughed at Luca and then turned to Jai with a twinkle in his eyes. “Bet that’s the first time you’ve ever heard that sentence uttered from his mouth.”
Rather than say anything disrespectful, Jai’s eyes gave a non-committal reply. He kind of liked the king. Jai had grown up on the stories of the jinn kings. He knew everything about them, Azazil, and the so-called War of the Flames. Never in any of those stories had he imagined the Red King to be… funny.
“Well, you’ll do.” The Red King nodded. “Look, this is an indefinitely long assignment and it’s a 24/7 hour guard, so if you got any stuff you need to take care of in Hollywood, you got twelve hours to do it. I’ll explain the whole situation when you meet me back here. I don’t do Hollywood. I like the movies but the people…” he shuddered at the thought before abruptly exploding into bright, hot licks of fire.
When he was gone silence echoed around his father’s office. Finally, Luca cleared his throat. “I don’t have to tell you how important this assignment is. You’re not the only reason the Red King came to us for this. When my great-grandfather was tribe leader, one of his guardians killed a jinn to protect an important. He was taken to the jinn courts and would have been tried and killed if the Red King hadn’t spoken up on his behalf. The Red King is collecting on the debt we owe him. Don’t screw it up.”
Not even his father’s disdain could ruin this moment for Jai. He’d just landed his biggest assignment ever. This would cement his position and power within the company. “No, sir.” He nodded militantly and then visualized his apartment to use the peripatos. He’d retrieve his car later.
Jai’s condo was airy, and devoid of any clutter. There was little furniture and what was there was black and chrome and very masculine. Women seemed to hate it but Jai wasn’t really a relationship type guy, so it didn’t matter. With nothing to wrap up before the assignment started, Jai flopped down onto his leather couch, staring out of the French doors to the view of LA sprawled out before him. The sun beat down strong in the morning light, causing eye-watering reflections to beam brightly off windows and buildings and cars. Jai sighed, throwing his head back. He could have waited in the Palisades until night fall but that would have meant being around his family.
No thanks.
He smiled slowly up at the ceiling as he thought of the Red King. The Red King. If this assignment went well, all the Ginnaye would have to treat him with respect. That would just kill Luca and his brothers. Sounded fantastic. Feeling the excitement build inside him, adrenaline already shooting through him with anticipation, Jai blew out a shaky breath and leaned forward to stare at the painting Trey had given him titled ‘Palmyra’. The rich colors and e
xotic landscape soothed him. He wondered who the important was they wanted him to guard. It had to be a woman of great significance. A woman with an important destiny if the Red King had taken notice. Jai felt a flutter of nervousness in his gut and grinned. He’d never been nervous about an assignment before.
This was so huge.
When his cell rang, Jai jerked in surprise, reaching deep into his jeans to yank it out. He laughed at the caller ID. News traveled fast.
“Hey, man.”
“So,” Trey’s laughing voice echoed down the line, “The Red King, huh? Were you going to tell me or just take off to wherever he sends you without so much as a goodbye hug?”
Jai relaxed into the couch. “Sorry, I just heard about myself.”
“So what’s the assignment?”
“Don’t know yet. Just know that it’s a she and she’s important.”
“All Hail the Lord of the Obvious. Come on, dude, give me more than that.”
Grinning, he shook his head. “Trey, that’s all I know. I swear.”
“Okay. I believe you. Well congrats, Jai. You deserve this. It’ll show your old man what’s what, huh?”
Lying, Jai replied, “Like I care.”
Trey sighed. “Yeah. Yeah.” No matter how much Jai denied it, Trey knew Jai secretly wanted his father’s approval. It pissed his only friend off.
They spoke for a little longer, Jai gazing up at the painting. Trey knew all about looking for a father’s approval. Trey hid a lot of things about himself from Rik. He was a great Ginnaye; strong, powerful. And Luca Bitar counted him among his best, but Trey was also secretly an artist. He painted under a pseudonym and did pretty well for himself. Not only that, he was bisexual, something Rik would never understand or support because he was stuck in the wrong century. The only person who knew any of Trey’s secrets was Jai. Growing up, Trey had watched Jai get kicked to pieces, figuratively and literally, by his tribe. He’d stood up for him, befriended him, and taken crap from his dad for doing so. But they shared a bond and neither of them let anything come between it. Sometimes Jai wondered if he would ever have made it out sane growing up with the Bitars if he hadn’t had Trey by his side.
When they hung up, Jai headed for the shower, his thoughts conjuring all different scenarios for this job. It ranged from the disappointing to the fantastical. He was just about to kick back with a sci-fi novel (his weakness) when the doorbell to his condo rang. Frowning, he slid a bookmark between the pages and walked to the door. Jai felt the energy on the other side.
It was jinn.
When he yanked open the door, his mouth quirked up into a cynical smirk.
Yasmin. She raised an eyebrow at him before throwing one last look over her shoulder to make sure they didn’t have an audience. She pushed past him into the apartment, breezing in with confidence. Jai shut the door and turned to watch her. Yasmin Lenz was the daughter of his father’s best friend, Hugo Lenz. Luca and Hugo were the elders and leaders of the California branch of their tribe, and Hugo was a nastier son-of-a-bitch than even Luca. Lenz despised what Jai was and never missed an opportunity to tell him or attempt to humiliate him in front of his peers.
His beautiful daughter Yasmin had been in the class below Jai and was warned repeatedly to stay away from him. Hugo liked to play matchmaker with her and David, and Jai knew for a fact that David would say yes to dating her in a heartbeat. He’d been after Yasmin Lenz since he’d seen her thrashing their younger brother Stephen on their family’s tennis court when Yasmin was sixteen. Pervy bastard. But Yasmin wasn’t interested in that particular Bitar. In public, Yasmin treated Jai like he didn’t exist. Correction, in front of the tribe she was downright derogatory and hostile. Then something changed when she was eighteen. She started coming onto him in private. Jai had walked away each time. He wanted nothing to do with someone who treated him like crap in public. Then a year ago, Jai had witnessed something that shocked him to his core. He was at Bitar Security offices in a meeting with his father and David and second eldest Brother, Tarik. They’d been discussing a potential client and when Luca had asked for the files, David had realized he’d left them at the pool house. Like a fetching dog, they had sent Jai to retrieve them using the peripatos. He’d arrived outside the pool house and was just about to enter when he heard a noise. Bemused by sound of lovemaking, Jai had peered through the windows and nearly died of heart failure. Hugo Lenz was with Nicki, his stepmother. It had shocked Jai because he’d thought Nicki was completely in love with Luca. He didn’t think she’d fallen out of love. Stuff happened. Shit got weird. But Jai knew if Luca ever found out he’d be devastated. Something inside him had felt broken for his father, despite the way he treated him. He couldn’t tell him. No one would believe him, anyway. So instead, he took his revenge out on Hugo.
Yasmin.
If Hugo ever found out his precious daughter was sleeping with the Bitar half-breed, he’d die of shame.
Jai kept his expression blank as Yasmin spun around, unbuttoning her blouse. She wore the same look in her eyes as she always did. Yasmin thought only she was using Jai. She thought somehow she had power here because he continued to be with her despite how she treated him in public. But they were using each other.
He was using her to get back at them all.
It wasn’t something he was proud of.
It was dishonorable, and the one thing Jai had always counted on was his honor.
But then Yasmin wasn’t a sweet, innocent girl who needed to be protected. She was a manipulative, powerful female Ginnaye who believed he was worthless. Strike that. She was attracted to him so he had worth as a ‘playmate’. But she’d rather die than let anyone else know that.
Jai sighed, reaching to grasp her hands and stop her from undressing. He’d been waiting for a moment to end it. Breaking things off first would give him great satisfaction. Heading off for his big assignment meant he’d be gone for who knew how long. It was perfect timing.
Remembering her snotty slights in front of his family, Jai realised he was going to enjoy this moment more than he should.
“Stop.” He pulled back, watching her beautiful face darken. “It’s not going to happen, sweetheart.”
“What are you talking about?” she hissed angrily, frantically trying to re-button her blouse.
“I got a big assignment.” He shrugged. “Don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”
“So what has that got to do with anything?”
Jai narrowed his eyes and he watched the pulse jump in her throat. He couldn’t help but enjoy the fact that he had such an effect on her. “What was it you called me at that meeting with Hugo and my father two weeks ago? A useless piece of dog crap with poison for blood?”
She shrugged, her dark eyes flashing. “It was a joke.”
“Oh yeah, it felt like one.”
“What’s this about, Jai? What I say never pissed you off before.”
“I’m not pissed. I don’t do pissed.” He ran a hand down her neck, watching her shiver. “I don’t care enough about you to do pissed.” Exhaling heavily, he stood back, wearing a mocking, regretful expression. “It’s been nice, sweetheart, but I’m moving up and on. Time for you to find a boy toy among your full bloods.”
It was hilarious, watching her jaw drop. Yasmin was not the girl a guy broke up with. “Are you dumping me?”
“How can I dump someone I was never with?”
“You asshole!” she screeched, pushing him out of the way. “Wait until I—”
“Until you what, Yasmin?” he chuckled. Yasmin was still that spoiled little girl who ran to her daddy when things didn’t go her way. Hugo had threatened several boyfriends in the past. “Tell your daddy about me?” He shook his head, making a tutting noise. “You can’t tell Hugo, sweetheart, ‘cause then he’d know just how naughty you’ve been this year.”
Her face was almost purple. “I was right about you. You are nothing. You are worthless, Jai! No one wants you. Not for anything real.”
With a growl of rage, the air shimmered around her, telling Jai she was about to use the peripatos. Yasmin exploded into flames at the same time the vase on his side table screamed, shattering into a million flying shards all directed at him. Jai cursed, wiping a hand across the air in front of him. The shards sliced into his enchantment, turning into grains of sand.
He grunted, leaning down to scoop at the sand on his carpet. The rug was one of the few splashes of color and comfort in his condo and was a genuine Moroccan Berber. Handmade. Expensive. Irreplaceable. It would take him forever to get the sand out without damaging the wool. “Should have ended that toxic shit weeks ago.”
Chapter 3
Push and pull too much,
my heart will fall right out
The delicious, tingling impact of forceful sprays of hot water from her shower head woke Ari up in more ways than one. She frowned at herself, lathering coconut scented shampoo into her hair, her fingers digging into her scalp with frustration. Ari was not a pessimistic person. She was… well… not exactly an optimist, but she was not the depressed, ‘bemoaning her fate’ kind of girl she’d been coming off as lately. No. She was a ‘quit whining and do something about it’ kind of girl. So okay, sure, she didn’t know if she’d made the right choice about college, but since she hadn’t a clue what she really wanted to do with her life, getting a degree seemed like the practical thing to do. So what if she wasn’t looking forward to it? Ari would not lounge around all summer being pissy. No. She had a task to complete. Operation Save Charlie. A whole summer stretched ahead of them and Ari was dedicating this summer to pulling Charlie back from whatever hell he had dug himself into. He would be alright. Ari had to believe that someone as smart and kind and funny as Charlie still had a long, bright future ahead of him.