Aiko tugged him backwards, towards the corridor, using him as a shield. He went with her, because he didn’t want his brothers seeing her either. When they reached it, her hands slipped from his stomach and he mourned the loss of her touch as she broke contact with him. As the distance between them grew, it pulled at him as fiercely as the moon, calling him to her.
“So we are definitely going out. All of us?” Cal wasn’t going to let it go now that someone had suggested it. Not even the fact that Esher had a human in the house, an almost naked one at that, had distracted him from his mission to party.
Which was a relief in a way. Hopefully, his other brothers would just roll with it too.
Ares’s earthy brown eyes locked on Esher, golden sparks lighting them up. “Let me get this straight. You lied to us last night so you could get a little some-some?”
“No.” Esher definitely hadn’t lied for that reason. “It wasn’t like that… but… I’m sorry. You needed me and I wasn’t there. You should have called. You know I would have fought. You all know that, right?”
He shifted his gaze to each of his brothers in turn, needing to see on their faces that they did know he could be relied on, that he was as much a part of this fight as they were, and nothing would change that.
“We do.” Keras’s deep voice was smooth, commanding, sounding much like their father. “But I wouldn’t have called on you anyway. It’s too dangerous. It was better you stayed within the wards.”
Cal’s face twisted in grim lines, his eyes glowing brighter as he bit out, “But we are still all going out tonight?”
Cal had always been one for a party, was happiest when he was lost in a crowd, or swept up in a fight, or risking his damned neck on his motorcycle. He drowned himself in sensation, and Esher could understand why he felt the need to do that.
To forget.
In a way, it was Cal’s way of coping. Esher had his music as a calming influence. Cal blew off steam to control his pain, used adrenaline to crush it.
But now wasn’t the time to go off half-cocked looking for a fight or getting caught up in dancing.
“Maybe we shouldn’t,” he put in, and Cal glared at him, but he weathered it and continued, “With everything that has happened.”
Cal looked to Keras
Their oldest brother nodded. “We will go out, all of us, but only because we are all together. Esher will be safe.”
As if he needed protecting. He schooled his features so his brothers didn’t see how much that pissed him off. He didn’t want to go out either. He wanted to stay in the house with Aiko. Keras’s expression said it wasn’t going to be an option though, and he had the feeling his brother’s change of heart had something to do with Aiko.
Esher was damned if he was going out just so Keras could lecture him while their other brothers were occupied with partying or poke his nose into his business by demanding to know about her.
“Take her home.”
Those three words, spoken with a regal and commanding air, had Esher baring his teeth at Keras and unsurprised to feel his canines were sharper than normal, his darker side roused by his brother’s demand.
“You’re not my boss,” he snarled at Keras before he could think better of it and took a hard step towards him, the rain outside falling faster as the leash on his temper slipped.
He curled his fingers into fists at his side, no longer caring if his brothers saw just how dark his trident mark was now, because he was damned sure the blackness of his eyes was giving away just how pissed he was.
Ares muttered dryly, “I think I’ve heard those words before.”
Valen punched him on the arm. “You growled them better, and then you went off in a manly hissy-fit.”
Ares glared at Valen. “It was not a hissy-fit.”
Esher tuned them out as he focused on Keras, concentrating his rage on his oldest brother. Keras coolly regarded him, his green eyes impassive, not giving anything away.
He hadn’t understood at the time, but now he could see why Ares had wanted to punch his brother all the times Keras had stood there with that aloof air and demanded he let Megan go.
Like fuck he was letting Aiko go, and Keras’s demand was an order to do just that.
“Be reasonable, Esher.” Keras moved a calm step towards him, his face impassive, tone collected. “It’s dangerous for her. You’re dangerous for her.”
That stung, the barb sinking deep into his heart, tearing into it.
“I’m not,” Esher bit out, the conviction he felt making those words as hard and unyielding as steel. “I would never hurt her.”
Keras remained still, steady, unflinching in front of him.
Cal, Valen and Marek exchanged looks that said they found it difficult to believe. Ares stood firm, a pillar of support that Esher badly needed.
But it was Daimon who spoke up, moving to stand beside him, in his corner as always. “You’ve known her a while now. She gave you the bandage.”
He nodded.
“I haven’t hurt her yet, and I won’t hurt her.” He slid a black look at Keras. “But I will hurt whoever tries to take her from me.”
“Sounds like you.” Valen nudged Ares, a grin tugging at his scar.
Ares huffed. “You’re one to talk.”
“Sounds more like our father,” Marek added, and his other brothers all nodded in agreement, an air of ‘thanks for that gene, Dad’ about them.
All but Keras.
Keras still didn’t move, didn’t back down, just kept staring at Esher with that damned look in his eyes that said to do as he had ordered.
It wasn’t going to happen.
He took a fierce step towards Keras, but Daimon blocked his path, and his gaze leaped to his brother’s ice-blue one as he spoke, his voice soft and rolling over him like a gentle tide.
“How did you meet?”
That had Esher settling back on his heels as a need swept through him, a desire to finally speak to Daimon about her. “I was hurt after a daemon attack on the gate, and I took the train. I fell asleep, and woke after my stop. She was in the other carriage… a male… he was trying to hurt her… and I stopped him. I had to help her.”
He looked between Daimon’s eyes, expecting to find surprise in them, but there was only warmth and understanding.
He couldn’t say the same about his other brothers, but he tuned out their comments and focused on Daimon in the way he always did when trying to ground himself. The rain fell harder, memories of that night, of seeing Aiko in danger, rousing his anger to startling heights that had a need to hunt down the human and destroy him blasting through him.
“So you helped her, and then she helped you.” Daimon’s smooth voice rolled over him again, easing that need. “You saw her again, before I came to find you in Shibuya. You were acting… different… and the weather was bloody awful. Why were you upset?”
“It… I… I felt a need to hurt her.” Esher’s voice dropped to a bare whisper as he confessed that.
“Did you really want to do it? Or did you feel you should want to do it because it’s how you always feel about humans?”
Esher considered that, dropping his eyes to his feet as he struggled to find the answer. Had he really wanted to hurt her? No. Even then, he had known that hurting her would be hurting himself. But he had been scared, confused by the feelings she had awoken in him, a need so powerful it overwhelmed him. He had feared she might hurt him, so the dark side of himself, his other side, had wanted to lash out first.
He slowly shook his head.
“I never wanted to hurt her. I would never hurt her.” He lifted his chin, stared into Daimon’s eyes and then at his brothers. He could see the questions rising in them, and he knew they were born of concern for him, but he shook his head again and implored them. “Let it go. I’m having a hard enough time with this as it is. If it feels strange to you, imagine how it feels to me.”
He could understand their desire to protect him, and to protect Aiko,
but they didn’t need to worry about him. He was going to be fine.
Aiko appeared at that moment, a crinkle between her fine dark eyebrows as she looked up at him, her eyes flooded with soft concern that said she could feel his conflict, and she wanted to soothe it.
Gods, he wanted to drown in her when she looked at him like that.
But his brothers also all looked at her, and fine went right out of the window. He stepped in front of her, ushering her behind him as they stared, a dark need to gouge out all of their eyes so they couldn’t see her in her tiny ruffled black skirt, purple stockings and black skull tank surging through him.
Keras frowned at her, and Esher shot him a glare, but his older brother didn’t take his eyes off her as she moved out from behind Esher to stand beside him again.
Keras was testing him, trying to draw out his darker side and get a reaction from him.
It wasn’t going to happen.
He wouldn’t frighten Aiko like that.
She pushed her skirt down, clearly uncomfortable with the scrutiny, and he considered letting loose on his brothers after all, because it was a guaranteed way to stop them all from staring at her.
She looked up at him and softly said, “It’s getting late… and I have work waitressing tonight.”
No. He turned his frown on her now. He had plans. Perfect plans. She couldn’t go. Not yet.
She tilted her chin up, her face towards him, and smiled gently, a hint of sorrow in her dark eyes that he felt sure echoed in his own as he faced a long night without her. He had wanted to learn more about her, had intended to take another bath and watch the sunset with her this time, and he had been planning to add just the right amount of cloud to make it incredible.
As beautiful as she was.
“A waitress where?” He forced himself to put his plans on hold, because as much as he wanted to convince her to ditch work and spend the evening with him instead, he knew Calistos wasn’t going to let a night on the town go now that Keras had given it the green light. His younger brother would insist he join them in the no-ladies night and he would end up parted from Aiko anyway.
“Vampire Café… but I’m not a vampire,” she said, her English a little stilted as she looked at Marek. “Just a human.”
Everyone still looked shocked when she mentioned that fact about herself, and Esher wanted to tell them to go, leave the house and not come back until they had come to terms with the fact there was one human in this godsforsaken world that he didn’t want to kill.
“It’s your birthday?” She shifted her soft gaze to Cal, who nodded, causing a rogue strand of his blond hair to fall down his cheek.
Cal brushed it back, smoothing it into his ponytail, and shot her a charming smile.
Aiko mercifully returned her gaze to Esher before he had to kill his brother for stealing her attention for too long and spoke in Japanese. “I could get you a booth. If you show up when we open, then it’s normally quiet.”
Esher translated for her when five of his brothers tossed him curious glances.
Aiko added in English, “We have delicious cocktails.”
Everyone looked at Valen and said as one, “No alcohol!”
“Dinner and a club sounds good.” Cal had practically disappeared into his room nearest the TV area when he hollered, “I call first dibs on the shower.”
Aiko grabbed Esher’s hand and pulled him away from everyone, tugging him along the walkway to his room. She didn’t stop when they reached it. She led him around the corner, so they were alone above the pond and his brothers couldn’t see them.
He groaned when she tiptoed and kissed him, her lips temptingly sweet and soft as they glided over his. He dipped, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, kissing her deeper as he let everything else fall away, until there was only her.
“Wait,” he murmured against her lips, peppering them with kisses as awareness grew inside him, a feeling that she meant this as a goodbye kiss before she went to work. “We can go together.”
He thought she might refuse, but then she kissed him again, and whispered, “I like how protective you are.”
Fuck, she didn’t know how deep that protective streak she liked ran, just what lengths he would go to in order to make sure she was safe and unharmed, and would always have a reason to smile and laugh.
He would do anything for her. Whatever it took.
And as he kissed her, the reason behind that need hit him hard.
He was falling in love with her.
CHAPTER 13
Esher had thought the sight of Aiko in her usual clothing had made her impossible to resist. He had been mistaken. She had every single drop of his attention, had his heart pounding and fingers itching with a need to sweep her up into his arms, as she moved around the warmly-lit room, drifting past the black coffin laden with red candles on its top, leading another couple into one of the booths behind the swag of a red velvet curtain.
He had to dig his nails into the black wooden table in front of him as she bowed, coming close to flashing her panties at the rest of the room in her ridiculous uniform.
She looked like a fucking French maid.
And damn, it got his blood pumping.
He just wasn’t sure whether it was with a need to fight, or make love with her, or possibly both.
She straightened, her hands still tucked in front of her white apron that sat over the short black dress, and spoke with the newcomers, her smile bright as she recited the same thing she had said to everyone she had brought into the gothic room.
Esher raked his eyes over her for what felt like the millionth time, unable to stop himself, letting them glide from the little white frill that arched over her head on a band, down over her black dress that thankfully covered her chest and her upper arms too, all the way down to the white stockings that started just a few inches below the end of her skirt.
The tops of them had frills too, and gods, he kept imagining smoothing them down her shapely legs, kissing every inch of milky skin he exposed.
One of the other groups called her over, and he barely stopped himself from rising from the red velvet couch that curved around the table, his eyes tracking her through the sheer black curtain that draped across both sides of the booth, tied to the gaudy gold columns that looked as if they were meant to be supporting the roof.
The table of males all grinned and jostled as they spoke to her, and she smiled at them.
Esher growled.
He was going to kill them. He was going to kill every damned male in the room, and then he was going to cover her with his coat and take her far away from this place.
He couldn’t bear it.
The sight of so many males paying attention to her when she was dressed in such a way, it was too much.
She bowed and giggled, doing only what was expected of her, but gods, it grated.
“So a mortal, huh?” Ares did his best to distract him, but Esher didn’t rise to the bait, just kept tracking her around the room as she relayed the order to the backroom staff and then reappeared, seating another group in the busy room, this one at the table near the coffin.
He assessed all the males in the mixed group, none of which were a match for him.
“Anyone else?” Ares sounded pissed, and he felt his brother’s gaze leave him. “Valen, be a dick or something.”
Valen growled at Ares. “Why? You’re being a big enough dick for both of us. Asking him about her being a human.”
It was odd having Valen in his corner. It almost distracted him for a second. Almost.
But then a group wanted to photograph the resident male ‘vampire’, a human dressed in formal attire with fake fangs, and one Marek had spent most of the evening glaring at, and Esher saw red when the male picked Aiko as his ‘victim’.
Again.
As the male took hold of her from behind and pretended to bite her throat as she held her hands up in front of her, mock surprise on her face, Esher shoved to his feet.
Before he could move, Ares had left the opposite side of the booth and had hemmed him in, and all he could do was shuffle further along the curved red sofa to accommodate him as his brothers all moved along one place, putting Valen near the other end now.
Daimon sat beside Valen, offering Esher an apologetic look that told him if he had been nearest to the edge and not Ares, he wouldn’t have stopped him from stepping in.
“I need the toilet.” Esher was tempted to shove Ares, but the chances of getting scalded were high, and the last thing he needed to do was cause his older brother’s temper to spark.
The whole place would probably burn down.
Although, it would mean that Aiko couldn’t work here anymore, and that damned male couldn’t touch her again.
The vampire released her and went back to his station, serving other customers.
Keras gave Esher a doubtful look. “If you want her attention, you only have to ring.”
His older brother reached across the cluttered table, picked up the tiny brass bell and shook it.
Aiko immediately came over, her warm eyes locking straight on Esher as she readied her note pad. “What do you want?”
Esher raked his gaze over her, hunger gnawing at him. What didn’t he want?
He wanted to devour her, over and over again.
“Water,” he said instead, not wanting to make her blush in front of his brothers.
She didn’t seem surprised by his request, just smiled and wrote it down, and then looked at his brothers. “The air spirit needs another drink.”
Ares finished his fruity non-alcoholic cocktail at that moment.
Aiko took the glass as he pushed it away from him, and said in English, “Would you like another, Fire Spirit?”
“Bring us all the same again.” Keras’s green eyes were sharp as he eyed her, and Esher didn’t like it.
He scowled at his brother where he sat in the middle of the table, Marek and Cal flanking him, and then pushed aside his irritation so he could enjoy the sight of Aiko again. She cleared some plates from the table with the help of another waitress, and then disappeared into the kitchen, smiling and giggling to her companion as she went.
Esher (Guardians of Hades Romance Series Book 3) Page 13