“Why?” she asked with raised brows.
“I need a favor,” she said and pulled her toward the shadows of the spacious four-story brick building downtown. The building had been renovated, but had been deemed a historical monument, so every effort had been made to use it rather than leave it empty to rot.
As a result, the old custom of holding town socials had been reinitiated, as well as holding all town meetings there.
“What?”
“Zannon Andron won the council seat, and Jarvis is going to ask you to fill in for Jenna until she gets back.”
Jenna had been the old councilor—deputy mayor’s secretary. He had been good friends with Jarvis, but unfortunately for Jarvis, the man had been killed in a boating accident.
“So?”
“So, the Androns aren’t all goodness and light, and I want you to spy on him. Jarvis thinks Andron and his family, along with the cats, will begin making plans to get rid of him.”
“Can you say, no, can you spell paranoid, cousin?” she demanded incredulously. “Jarvis is the one likely to conspire to get rid of someone. We both know damn well he’s a megalomaniac.”
“Oh, please,” Alexa muttered. “You’re blind to reality here. All he wants to do is make our town more like it should be. Human. He’s going to try to get rid of those Barrian rules that discriminate against women.”
Zaria snorted. “You’re a cop, and no one tried to keep you from being one. No one makes you walk ten steps behind them. Your father—”
“He’s supporting Jarvis,” she cut in. “He wants to get rid of this alien shit once and for all. He wants to be normal and now is his chance and mine.”
“I pity your mother,” she murmured, thinking of her aunt. The sweet-natured woman was strong but an outspoken proponent of keeping Barrian culture in place, and, in fact, increasing it to erase human laws and culture.
“Me, too,” Alexa said. “I always have, and if it wasn’t for my father, I’d be a deluded fool like you. I’d have thought going away to college would have opened your eyes.”
“It did. But I’m true to my heritage, Alexa,” she said softly. “I don’t wish I was something I’ll never be.”
Alexa shook her head. “Just do this for me,” she said. “I’m not asking you to search his house or break into his computer, though it might come to that, so go out with him a few times.”
“I’ll do it because you asked, but, Alexa, change is coming and twice as fast as spring. So you need to get your head on straight before Jarvis leads you astray.”
“My head is on straight,” she snapped. “I have to go. Someone found a dead body in the park.”
“Be safe, Alexa.”
“Always am,” she said and strode away at a clipped pace.
* * * *
“I’m sure Jarvis is wasting no time in planning how to kill us all,” Alicia said. “My dad said we’re likely going to have to get out of here to escape persecution.”
“We might all have to run for cover,” Dade muttered. “I’m sure my job is already on the line. Zan, you’re going to have to keep Jarvis from doing something stupid.”
“Yeah, I know,” he murmured distractedly. “I think I’m going to get out of here.” He’d brought Cade here so taking him home was his responsibility. That meant he had to find him first. “I’ve got to check on something.”
“On Cade?” Alicia teased.
He gave her an amused smile. “You dumped me, baby, remember?”
“He was one of the reasons,” she said, walking him to the door.
“Oh, really? I was under the impression I wasn’t getting the job done for you in more ways than one. On top of that, you wanted two things I could never give you.”
“That’s true,” she said, putting a hand on his arm. “But the sex wasn’t the issue.”
“I’m too arrogant to think it was,” he replied softly. He knew Alicia had the same problem Cade had. She’d wanted him to herself, but he couldn’t commit to her on that level.
She frowned. “I’m just not the long-term sharing kind. The man I’m seeing now isn’t the sharing kind, so we have something in common.”
“I’m glad he meets your needs.” And he was. He dreamed of finding a woman who’d say the same thing about him. He also dreamed of Cade being happy with her, too.
“Then, what’s holding you back from Cade? You not man enough to walk down the street with him at your side? Your brothers would all be ashamed of you.”
He snorted. “They don’t tell me how to live, Ali. They know better. Anyway, things with Cade aren’t black and white.”
“Maybe the problem is you’re not ready to commit,” she said. “I didn’t want to be a long-term girlfriend. Maybe he doesn’t want to be a long-term boyfriend.”
“It’s not just that,” he told her as he leaned against the doorframe.
“I hope Cade stops wasting his time waiting around on you and goes out there and find what he’s looking for then. You’ll always have some excuse why you can’t just give yourself to him.”
He straightened. “I think he will. Bring the boyfriend by tomorrow night. I’d like to meet him.”
“He wants to meet you too so he can warn you off.” She smiled. “Just humor him. We both know you and I are done, not that we ever really started.” She gave him a wistful look.
“Sure,” he said, giving her a smile.
“I mean it,” she said.
“I’ll humor him, Ali.” He laughed. He knew how right she was. They’d never really gotten to a point where breaking up would hurt. Now, with Cade, breaking up was going to cut into his soul even though they’d only been lovers a short time. “I’ve got to go.”
“If you’re not running after Cade then who?”
“None of your business,” he replied in amusement.
“I’ve seen you with Zaria Aconite a few times. Is she the new flavor?”
“She is gorgeous, and Cade likes her.”
She snorted. “He likes her now, but I think that’ll all change once he realizes you want her in bed with you two.”
“My bed isn’t your concern,” he told her coolly, though he knew she was right.
“She does have the right genetics and her parents expect her to mate with a man like you.
“Not everyone is as hung up on genetics as your people,” he said mockingly, but again, she was right. Zaria had the right genes but it was more than her genetics he wanted in his life. “Now, mind your business.”
He headed out into the night. His friendship with Zari was still new, and she was even more attractive than Alicia. Zaria was a curious blend of sensuality and sweetness with a smile that stopped his heart.
Her coloring made him think of cocoa with cream. He wanted to lick her all up, and the best part was Cade had given her a few long lingering looks, too, even though Cade would never admit it.
Zan spied two figures at the end of the block and realized at once that one of them was Cade. The other was Zaria. He could see her smile up at Cade and tuck her long black hair behind one ear. Then, she laughed at something he said and Zan’s heart beat faster.
He did like her laugh and the way her face lit up when she was animated about something, but he sensed a quiet strength behind the sweetness in her round face and brown eyes. They changed shades of brown depending on how she felt.
He’d interacted with her enough to know that when she was happy, her eyes were a warm cashmere, and when she was pissed they turned almost black.
What he didn’t know yet was how she looked in the heat of passion, and watching her flirt easily with Cade made him determined to discover it with Cade in bed with them.
He sped up, something inside him quivering in excitement. As he drew nearer, Zaria’s gaze slid to him, capturing his, and heat sparked in his belly. Then, Cade turned and Zan met his gaze, causing a tidal wave of hunger to fall over him in a deluge so complete he had to catch his breath.
“Hi, Zan.” Zaria smiled. “
Congratulations, Deputy Mayor.” She moved, brushing Cade’s arm as she reached up to give him a hug.
Zan closed his arms around her, savoring the warmth of her softness and the sensual scent of her perfume. His nose brushed her neck as he bent down to hold her a little tighter.
He caught Cade’s gaze and blue fire rushed out at him. If looks could kill he’d be burned to a crisp, but he took his time straightening from her while keeping an arm around her waist.
“Yeah, well, it was easy to win when your opponent dropped dead mysteriously at the end of the race,” Cade said acidly.
Zaria laughed and brushed Cade’s hand, giving him a mock chiding look. “Oh, Cade. You know Zan was going to win hands down. Colm was such an asshole.”
“Watch the language, Zaria,” Zan chastised lightly.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so old-fashioned, Zan.”
“A nice spanking would cure you of that,” he said coolly.
She gave him a slow grin. “It might make me even worse.” She slid her hand up his back.
“With proper training, you’d learn what not to say in public,” Zan assured her.
“Like Alicia?” she asked and rolled her eyes. “Zan, I’m no tame cat, baby. It’s going to take more than a little bondage to control me. All you have to do is ask me out.” She caressed his jaw and then turned her gaze on Cade. “See you later, Cade.”
Cade glared a hole in the back of her as she walked away. “Take me home, now, Zannon.”
“At your service,” he said dryly, and Cade rounded on him, eyes shooting sparks.
“Can’t you tamp down the whore act for five minutes?” He shoved him and stalked in the direction of the parking lot.
Chapter Four
Cade was furious as he reached the truck. He kicked one of the tires and winced. He glared at it and wished it would just explode, and a jagged gash suddenly appeared causing the tire to begin deflating.
“Oh, damn,” Zan muttered. “Cade, I really should take you over my knee for that.”
“Try it and I’ll put a hole in your dick,” he muttered.
“Little pissant,” Zan grumbled and moved to the rear of the truck.
“She’ll just have to wait a while,” he said angrily and turned his gaze to the passenger side window.
“Don’t even think it,” Zan warned and the look in Zan’s eyes told him he’d be in trouble if he pushed him. Cade let out a scream and kicked the door instead.
Zan lifted a brow at him but didn’t comment as he let down the tailgate. Cade leaned against the truck.
“You’re going to fuck her.”
“More than likely, but I’d like to have you there enjoying her with me.”
Cade pushed out a rough breath. “No.”
Zan changed the tire in silence and when he finished, he unlocked the passenger side door and pulled it open. Cade looked at him and his heart flipped over, butterflies fluttering in his stomach.
Damn him for being so irresistible.
“Give me this one time,” Zan murmured. “One affair with a woman that you fully engage in, and if it doesn’t work, then…”
“Then what, Zan? You’ll stop fucking around and give me a real chance? Just me? No other women, no other men?”
“Cade—”
“That’s the only way I’ll say yes to this twisted madness of yours,” he said softly. “I accept that I can’t meet all your needs, but have you ever even thought of allowing me to try to meet any of them aside from sex?”
“I—you—if I let you get too close you’ll take over.” He averted his gaze and Cade almost laughed, but he’d caught the flash of fear in Zan’s eyes before he looked away. All he wanted to do was hold him and assure him his heart would always be safe with him.
The truth was, he’d never be able to walk away from Zan, no matter what they decided tonight. They might not remain lovers, but he’d always be his friend.
“Zan.” Cade caught his hand. “Why are you so afraid to let me, have all of you?”
Zan sighed and ran a hand through his thick dark hair looking everywhere but at him. “Because it would be so easy to lose myself to you.”
Cade caught his breath.
“I knew it that night Alicia started coming on to me and you were watching with this hungry look on your face. I wanted you more than I ever wanted her.”
Cade blinked and then swallowed as shock slapped him. He started to speak and air rushed out of him, his lungs deflating.
“What about Zaria?”
“I want her more than I ever wanted Alicia, too. She makes me feel more alive.”
If things didn’t work out, he wasn’t going to get his chance with Zan then. Zaria already had him.
“I need to think about this,” he said softly and reached up to cup Zan’s jaw. “I feel like I’m going to lose you either way.”
“If you agree, I’ll adhere to the terms, and not in some half-assed way, Cade.”
“And if I asked you not to be friends with her?”
“I won’t,” he murmured. “I wouldn’t hurt you that way.”
“No, but you’ll just break my heart day by day.” Cade climbed into the truck and Zan looked at him a long moment before closing the door and getting in on his side.
Zan’s phone vibrated at his hip and he pulled it free of its holster and glanced at the display. “Yeah,” Zan demanded quietly.
“There’s a problem out here.”
Daxton, one of the orchard’s security team member’s, voice spilled into the car and Cade gave Zan a curious look.
Why had he put it on speaker? Was this his way of proving he’d let him in?
“What kind of problem?” Zan asked.
“Someone’s been on the grounds,” Daxton told him.
“How the hell did that happen?” Zan demanded tightly.
“I don’t know how the hell they got in, except someone must have left a gate open or one of the boys stepped away from the guardhouse for a minute or something.”
“I’m on my way,” he muttered. “Tell the boys on duty in the guardhouse to stay put. Someone’s ass is grass tonight.”
“I will.”
“Call Rhys and tell him to haul it back, then get the teams started with a search. And I want whoever is there alive so I can kill them myself.” Zan ended the call and slapped the steering wheel. “We just installed new security measures, so the only way in is with inside help.”
“Who do you think wants to break in?” Cade asked confused. Why break into a fruit and nut orchard when the brothers were very generous to anyone in real need?
“I’m so sick and tired of our perimeters being breached,” Zan snarled. “I’m going to find out who helped the assholes get in, what they wanted, and then, I’m going to kill them because why ever this happened, it wasn’t for a good reason.”
“Be careful you don’t end up making this into an unnecessary mountain, Zan,” Cade warned. “With Jarvis in control now, that could be exactly the plan. Get you to do something crazy so he can get rid of you.”
He growled and started the truck. “It’s not going to be that easy and neither is kicking out the constitution, which is one of his primary goals. He assumed he’d have Colm to back him up, and he’d be able to dismantle our entire political system and remake it and our lives. Well, he’s wrong.”
“If you let him get to you, he’s going to be right. I work for him, so I know how dogmatic and vindictive he can be. He’ll do whatever it takes, including making alliances he never intends to honor, just to get the power he craves,” Cade told him.
“If he wants a war, I’m capable of giving it to him and more than willing if he’s behind this.”
“I hope he’s not,” Cade said, reaching across the seat to stroke Zan’s shoulder. He felt the tension and squeezed lightly. “Baby, relax, okay. Don’t go home with guns blazing thinking about killing anyone. Try to stay rational. Better yet, let Keyos deal with this.”
Zan shot him a
n icy look. “I’m not a beta to take the backseat to my big brother, Cade,” he said coldly. “Keyos depends on me to deal with certain things and I will.”
“I didn’t mean you couldn’t handle it,” Cade muttered. “I just meant you’re in a volatile state right now.”
“This is upset,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Fine.” He rubbed Zan’s thigh. “Just don’t kill anyone because I’ll so miss this.” He dipped his hand between Zan’s legs to brush against the bulge in his jeans. Zan drew in a breath. “You won’t even have the chance to know whether me, you, and Zaria could have been something.”
Zan growled.
“I’m not saying I’m going to do it, but if you’re in jail, how can we ever know if I would have liked watching you fuck her?”
“Cade,” Zan said in warning. “Stop trying to distract me.”
Cade scooted toward him and twisted on the seat to release Zan’s belt before dragging his zipper down. He pushed his hand inside, finding warm skin. The thick cock was already hard and just got harder when he closed his hand around it.
“Do you think her hand is better than mine?” Zan wasn’t the delicate type. He didn’t need slick, easy friction to get off.
“Oh fuck,” Zan muttered. “Cade, no.”
Cade scooted over until he was close enough to lower his head into Zan’s lap. He maneuvered his body so he was on one knee on the truck’s floor while the other leg was on the seat. Then Cade closed his lips over the dark head of Zan’s cock and Zan swerved.
“Shit, Cade,” he exclaimed. “Don’t.”
Cade allowed spittle to moisten the hard flesh before lifting his head and laughing. He got back in his seat and curled his hand around Zan’s dick. He began working his flesh.
“How about this then?”
Zan groaned and lifted his hips, thrusting up into his hold. “You’re going to make me have a fucking accident.” Zan pulled onto the side of the road leading out of town and reached over to fist his hand in Cade’s hair.
Zan kissed him hard, fingers clenched in Cade’s silky locks as his tongue tasted and his teeth nipped. He moaned, his fingers slowly moving on Zan’s erection.
Passion’s Brewing Storm [Alien Passions 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 3