Einarr

by Lynn Hagen

  And in the middle of the room, Omar was perched on a large chair. His legs swung back and forth, a good foot from the ground. He had a few dirt marks smudged on his tiny cheeks, and his hands were clasped in his lap. The small boy didn’t look any worse for the wear, but Einarr wanted to get him out of here.

  “Einarr!” Omar smiled and then canted his head to the side before he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “What are you doing here? The demon told me that Uncle Kendrick would be here soon to take me home.”

  When Einarr found Talon Evyl, he was going to skin the man alive. “He sent me to get you,” Einarr said, which was the truth. “Ready to go home?”

  Einarr helped Omar from the chair and then clutched the little boy’s hand in his. Omar nodded and then glanced at the door. “Einarr said he’d take me home. So I don’t have to wait for Kendrick.”

  Glancing up, Einarr saw that Malcor was now standing in the doorway. “You know him, kiddo?” he asked Omar.

  The little boy’s head bobbed up and down once more. “He’s the demon who put me in this room and told me to wait for my uncle.”

  The anger inside Einarr boiled over. “I thought you said you had no idea what was going on,” Einarr said. He gripped Omar’s hand a little tighter. “Care to explain to him how you fit into all of this?”

  “He was only following my orders.”

  An ice-cold shiver shot up Einarr’s spine when his uncle stepped into view. Kadrino Zakul hadn’t changed one bit over the years. He still appeared strong, evil, and his eyes were staring daggers at Einarr.

  “That’s the man who slapped me,” Omar whispered as he touched the cheek that had the smudged dirt on it. On closer inspection, Einarr could see the redness under the dirt. Thank fuck Kadrino had barely smacked Omar. If the man had put his strength behind it, Omar would be dead.

  “You are trying to take a valuable asset from me,” Kadrino said as he moved farther into the room. The demon still dressed like an outlaw—thermal shirt, dark militant pants, worn boots, and a heavy green jacket that Einarr knew hid weapons. The patch over his left eye only made the outlaw appearance complete. “Omar has already been sold to the Vampire Hunter, Caspian.”

  Even after all his training and years of putting that training to use, Einarr wasn’t sure if he could defeat his uncle. He’d never been able to before. Kadrino had abused Einarr as much as the man had abused anyone he’d employed. Einarr being family held no weight with the demon. Einarr was a commodity, nothing more. Kadrino owned him—or had back then. But if he knew his uncle, Kadrino felt as though he still owned Einarr.

  “The boy has nothing to do with us,” Einarr said as he pulled Omar from his feet and placed the boy onto his back. Omar clutched Einarr around his neck and tried his best to wrap his legs around Einarr’s waist.

  “Us?” Kadrino gave a low and evil-sounding chuckle. “There is no us. You are my property that was taken from me without compensation. You have centuries to make up for, boy.”

  Einarr winced. His old fears were beginning to surface. Flashes of memories showed Kadrino pounding his fists into Einarr when Einarr was Omar’s age. The man had forced Einarr to shoot the man’s competitor. He’d forced Einarr to kill a drug dealer who’d tried to fuck Kadrino over. And the man had forced Einarr to kill the one person he’d befriended. He thought of all the years he’d lived a suicidal life, a corrupt and depraved life his uncle thrived in.

  “I wanna go home,” Omar whispered into Einarr’s ear. “Please.”

  “You’ll never see home again,” Kadrino said to Omar. “Welcome to the world of slave trading.”

  Omar whimpered as his small arms clutched Einarr’s neck tighter.

  Einarr’s gaze shot to the door, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to get past his uncle. There was no other way out. He curled his arms around Omar’s legs. “Wanna play a game, Omar?”

  “W–what kind of game?” Omar asked Einarr. The boy sounded frightened, but there was also curiosity in his tone.

  “Run from the bad guys,” Einarr said before he used his ability and disappeared. Since Omar was clutching him, the boy disappeared as well.

  “Ah, I see you’ve honed your talent,” Kadrino said as he pulled a pair of goggles from inside his jacket. Einarr had to move fast. Those goggles were rare and would be able to detect Einarr’s heat signature.

  He rushed the two men, slamming into Malcor before he jerked to the side and spun from the room. Einarr didn’t stop, although he ducked and ran in a zigzag pattern when he heard the whisper of a bullet whiz past his head.

  He climbed the rickety steps three at a time and burst from the cellar door, racing down the hallway and out the back of the restaurant. The cool night air washed over him, and Einarr shivered as the sweat soaking his body began to dry.

  The Demon Warriors were gathered in the alley, but no one could see him. No one except Panahasi, who stared directly at Einarr and then smiled. “I see you’ve found him.”

  Einarr’s heart caught in his throat when he spotted Kendrick standing among the men. The human frowned at Panahasi and asked, “Who are you talking to?”

  “He can’t see us?” Omar asked with a bit of wonderment in his voice. “Can you teach me to be invisible?”

  Einarr chuckled. “Afraid not. You have to be born with the talent.”

  Kendrick’s head snapped around at the sound of their voices, his gaze searching. “I just heard Einarr and Omar.”

  Einarr reappeared, and Kendrick’s eyes went wide. He stared at Einarr for a long moment before his eyes drifted over Einarr’s shoulders. Tears sprang to the man’s eyes. “Omar!”

  Omar wiggled to get free. Einarr squatted low to the ground and then released the boy. Omar ran to his uncle, and Kendrick enveloped his nephew in his arms, peppering kisses over the boy’s face.

  Einarr turned to Panahasi and told him everything that had taken place and what Kadrino said about Omar being sold to Caspian. Although he was no longer near his uncle, Einarr’s insides hadn’t relaxed. He still felt as if he couldn’t pull enough air into his lungs, and his legs felt a bit shaky.

  Panahasi pulled Einarr away from the others. “It is only old fears, Einarr. You’ve been trained by the best and can defeat him.”

  Einarr shook his head. “I felt like that little boy once more. Like the kid who was terrified by the sight of Kadrino. How can I defeat a demon who instilled terror in me, who beat the humanity out of me?”

  Panahasi turned and gazed at Kendrick and Omar. “I wouldn’t say all of your humanity has fled you.”

  Kendrick looked Einarr’s way, and there was a grateful smile on his face. How could the man be grateful when it was Einarr’s enemy who had taken Omar in the first place? If anything, Kendrick should hate him. But his green eyes were misty as he hugged Omar to him, his smile wobbly as he continued to stare at Einarr.

  “He has a compassionate and forgiving heart,” Panahasi said. “Don’t sell yourself short, Einarr.”

  “I’ve put them in enough danger,” he said as a weight settled in his chest. “If it wasn’t for me, Omar would have never been in danger. And now my uncle has surfaced. I can’t take the chance that he’ll go after Kendrick.”

  “And Caspian bought Omar,” the demon leader reminded him. “He won’t take this loss lightly. He’ll try to get his hands on his purchase. Who will protect this family? Who will stop Caspian from taking Omar?”

  “But—”

  Panahasi held up his hand. “You are the only thing standing in Caspian’s way. If you don’t help them, Omar is as good as gone.”

  Einarr raked his teeth over his bottom lip as he stared at Omar and Kendrick. An overwhelming and fierce need to protect the two rose up inside of him. Panahasi was right. Caspian wasn’t going to give up so easily. Although Paine lived in the Walsh home, he wouldn’t be able to take on Einarr’s uncle if Kadrino showed. His uncle would slaughter everyone in that household in order to get to Omar.

  As he turned
back to Panahasi, Einarr straightened, drawing himself up to his full height. His shoulders squared as his hands curled into fists. “I’ll protect them until I take my last breath.”

  The demon leader squeezed Einarr’s shoulder. “I know you will.”

  Chapter Five

  Kendrick watched as Dylan hugged Omar so hard that he feared the man would break the boy in two. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

  Omar touched his cheek. “The bad demon smacked me when I told him he wasn’t a nice man. I wish Kahl was there. He would have eaten the bad demon.”

  “Yep!” Kahl nodded his head so hard that it looked like it was on a tight spring. “I would have eaten all of them.”

  “Settle down,” Steele said as he scooped Kahl up into his arms. “Omar is safe and back home.”

  “The Santiago brothers weren’t happy,” Diablo said with a chuckle. “Panahasi wouldn’t let them burn Malcor’s to the ground. As a matter of fact, the demon leader had to pull Tryck from the demon realm when the wolf tried to make a Molotov cocktail and throw it through the front window.”

  Kendrick never wanted to piss those wolves off.

  He watched as Diablo and Steele took Kahl home. Dylan and Paine carted Omar upstairs, stating that he was staying in their bedroom tonight. That left Kendrick alone with Einarr. As soon as everyone was gone, Kendrick turned and slugged Einarr in his jaw.

  Fuck. That. Hurt. It was like punching a brick wall. Kendrick’s mouth formed into an O as he wiggled his hand, trying to get past the pain. Einarr frowned as he grabbed Kendrick’s hand and examined it. “Why did you do that?”

  “Because you dumped me here while you went after Omar,” Kendrick said as he tried to pull his hand free. “Friends don’t do that to each other.”

  “It was dangerous,” Einarr defended. “I dealt with some very nasty demons that would have eaten you for breakfast.”

  “But that decision was mine,” Kendrick argued, even though his argument made no sense. If Einarr was telling the truth, Kendrick had dodged a bullet. Still. “Next time you want to manhandle me, I’m going to kick your nuts into your stomach.”

  “You don’t understand,” Einarr spat. “There are things in my life that would make your hair turn white.”

  Kendrick pointed to his head. “Already there, buddy. It’s blond, but close enough. You don’t know what I can handle. Stop shutting me out, Einarr.”

  He could see how frustrated Einarr was becoming. The man paced Kendrick’s office, grumbling to himself. Kendrick was not going to relent. If he gave in on this, Einarr would never take him to the demon realm again. And although that place was proving to be more dangerous than Kendrick had first thought, he was also fascinated with the realm. The demon realm was a part of who Einarr was. He didn’t want to be banned from that part of the demon’s life.

  Einarr turned and sliced his hand through the air. “You are never going back there.”

  Kendrick crossed his arms and pursed his lips.

  Einarr frowned. “Wait, how did you get back there?”

  “I’m not telling you,” Kendrick said as he remembered Cadeym pawing at him.

  “Only a demon could take you.” Einarr pulled his cell phone out. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  “You can call someone in the demon realm?” That intrigued Kendrick. “So all this time I could have called you when you went home?”

  Einarr’s eyes slid away.

  “You didn’t want me calling you!” Kendrick was fuming. “Why, you got another friend where you live?”

  “Why are you acting like a jealous lover?” Einarr asked. “We’re just friends, remember?”

  Kendrick felt as if he’d been slapped. “Go home, Einarr. Get out of my house.”

  “I can’t,” Einarr said with a growl. “I was tasked with your family’s safety.”

  “Oh, so you’re here because you have to be?” Kendrick walked out of the office and stormed into the kitchen. He came up short when he spotted Dylan standing at the fridge, drinking out of the orange juice container.

  “I, uh—” Dylan shoved the container back into the fridge. “I didn’t want to walk past your office while mommy and daddy were fighting.”

  Kendrick dropped into the kitchen chair at the table. He rubbed his hands over his face as he gazed out into the backyard. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have heard that.”

  Dylan snorted. “I’m not a kid. I know couples argue.”

  “We’re not a couple,” Kendrick said as he remembered Einarr’s words. “Friends, nothing more.”

  “Could’ve fooled me,” Dylan said as he leaned against fridge. “I’ve seen the way Einarr looks at you. That’s not friendship he’s thinking about.”

  Even if Einarr did look at him that way—although Kendrick had never noticed the look—the guy had put Kendrick in the friend zone. And now the demon had to stay here and watch over Kendrick and his family? This was going to be brutal torture.

  “Yes, it is,” Kendrick said. “He just told me in my office that we’re nothing more than friends.”

  Dylan winced. “Ouch.”

  No shit. “He also told me that he was ordered to stay here and watch over us.”

  “By who?” Dylan asked as his eyes rounded.

  “My boss,” Einarr said as he stepped into the kitchen. Dylan glared at Einarr before he walked out.

  “Hurt my uncle, and I’ll crush your nuts,” Dylan muttered as he passed Kendrick.

  “What’s with everyone threatening my nuts?” Einarr asked. “I’m just trying to do my damn job.”

  He wanted to see Einarr’s body. Kendrick wanted to know what the demon looked like totally naked. He had a killer body, and Kendrick was sure it would be a sculpted work of art. He drew in a breath and gazed at the swell of Einarr’s ass when the man turned. Those perfectly proportioned legs were powerful, the man’s thighs thick. Kendrick’s fingers itched to squeeze the demon’s backside. He could imagine those powerful thighs locked against his as the man fucked him.

  “Why are you blushing?” Einarr asked when he turned back around.

  “I–I’m not.” Kendrick waved a hand at his face and said, “It’s just hot in here. I’m going to go turn the heat down.”

  “It’s comfortable in here,” Einarr pointed out. “In fact, there’s a slight nip in the air.”

  “Maybe I’m going through menopause,” he said as he hurried from the kitchen. He hated the fact that Einarr had caught him blushing when the demon looked at him as nothing more than a friend. It was embarrassing. Kendrick’s stomach was filled with butterflies while Einarr remained aloof.

  Bastard.

  Kendrick refused to let Einarr know just how badly he wanted him. He hurried upstairs to his bedroom and grabbed some clothes for a shower. A cold one. He really did need to cool off. Einarr affected him in ways that were going to drive Kendrick mad.

  He’d stepped from his room, clothes in hand, when he nearly ran right into the demon.

  “What the hell?” Kendrick said as he took a step back.

  “Why’d you run from the kitchen?” Einarr asked.

  Because I want you but you don’t want me. “I need a shower after the night I had.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Einarr said as he nodded his head. “Afterward you can join me downstairs to watch a movie.”

  As a friend.

  “Look,” Kendrick said as he clutched his clothes closer to his chest, “I’m tired. Maybe some other time.”

  “Where should I sleep?”

  Kendrick had to swallow his tongue in order not to blurt out, “In my bed.” He cleared his throat and pointed at the end of the hall. “There’s a spare bedroom. Use it.”

  He skirted past Einarr and damn near ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him and locking it. Kendrick leaned against the door and looked toward the ceiling as he let out a frustrated breath. If the demon would just stay out of sight, then Kendrick wouldn’t be going through this. He’d be san
e. But Einarr seemed determined to watch over Kendrick, getting in his space and flustering him.

  He took a quick shower and dressed, tossing his towel into the hamper. When Kendrick opened the bathroom door, Einarr was standing there. Kendrick had nearly shouted because he hadn’t expected the demon to be standing right outside the door. “Do you need me to draw you a map to your room?”

  Only one of Einarr’s shoulders rose as he shrugged. “Still think you should come watch a movie with me.”

  “And I told you I was tired,” Kendrick lied once more. “Besides, I have a lot of work to catch up on and need some rest.” His gaze darted toward the floor. If Kendrick kept looking at Einarr, he just might try and kiss the man. Einarr was handsome as hell and drew Kendrick like a moth to a burning inferno—because Kendrick was way past a simple flame.

  “You can bring your laptop,” Einarr offered. Kendrick blinked at the guy. Einarr was one of those who demanded complete quiet while watching a movie. He said he liked to hear what was going on as well as watch it. Kendrick would be tapping away at the keys.

  “Two hours,” Kendrick relented. “And then I’m off to bed.”

  “Deal.” Einarr pushed from the wall and headed downstairs. Kendrick sighed. Why on earth was the man torturing him like this?

  He trotted down the stairs and joined Einarr in the living room. The demon had already set the movie up and was sitting on the couch, his shoes off, his ankles crossed as he rested his legs on the coffee table. He looked so at home. Kendrick began to imagine what it would be like if Einarr really lived here, if Einarr was really his.

  He took a seat on the opposite side of the couch.

  “Why are you sitting all the way down there?” Einarr asked.

  There was no all the way down there. The couch wasn’t that big. Kendrick shook his head. “I’m fine.”

  Einarr started the movie and tossed the remote on the table. “It’s still nippy in here. Come down here.”