And then the memory of burying Derek shot through her spine like an arrow and Ari turned to face the huge Jinn with fury blazing in her eyes. “You bastard.”
“Actually I have a father. I just don’t like him very much.” He strode towards her, his black hand-sewn leather trousers hugging his powerful legs. He wore nothing on his torso except for a gold torque around his neck and a long billowing blue silk robe. His face was expressionless, his eyes deep black abysses. “Look at all that anger. I did wonder if you cared. There was no response to my message.”
Fighting down the ugly darkness in her chest that screamed to rise and take over, Ari clenched her fists, refusing to back down as he approached her. He killed her dad. He deserved to pay. Her neck craned back to look at him and she fought the urge to command him to his knees, The Red King’s threat buzzing in her blood-rushed deafened ears. At the thought of her uncle, Ari felt anxiety. He had promised to put an enchantment of protection around her. How had The White King found her? The angry question spilled from her dry lips.
“Easily. There wasn’t even an enchantment up around you to put me off for a few days.”
More confusion. More worry. “But The Red-” she cut off, not wanting to give The White King any information, no matter how insignificant.
Her father cocked his head to the side, his face still blankly cold, his eyes terrifyingly flat. “Did you suppose my brother would aid you?” he shook his head. “Not if Azazil forbade him to. And I imagine my father did.”
“That makes no sense.” Azazil wanted to keep her away from The White King!
The White King shrugged. “The Sultan may not like the idea of you in my hands, but he certainly likes the idea of boredom even less. I’ll tell you this again and perhaps this time you will listen, daughter. My father likes to be entertained. First and foremost.”
Not wanting to be manipulated by him, Ari tried to shut his words out. But hadn’t The Red King and Jai also said as much. She couldn’t trust Azazil. Did that mean she really couldn’t trust her uncle? Hearing her father’s sigh of disgust Ari glanced up in a sudden rage, kindle sparking between her fingertips as she fought her natural instinct to overpower him, to abuse him and hurt him and make him pay for what he had done. He didn’t even care that he had taken a life. It was all a game to him. To all of them!
Studying her calmly, watching the play of emotions ricochet around her face, The White King nodded gently as he began to prowl around her. “I am impressed with your control. That you have not yet retaliated for the death of Derek is… well… if I’m honest, it’s problematic. But impressive. You’re your father’s daughter.”
Ari shuddered at the thought and twisted around to glare at him, her upper lip curled in utter disgust at the sight of his coldly handsome face. “Why don’t you just get whatever you plan to do with me over with?”
“Because you are of no use to me if you don’t come to Mount Qaf willingly. Forcing your will has not proven fruitful so far. But I have a feeling it won’t be long before you realize I’m the only one who truly wants you, Ari. And isn’t that what you need. To be truly wanted.”
“Shut up.”
He cocked his head to the side again, eyeing her thoughtfully. “I would even free your mother,” he bartered. “If you come with me I will free Sala and you can have a little happy reunion with her.”
Ari’s heart sputtered at the thought and more pain shot through her. “She didn’t want me. She left me.”
“Who’s to say she wouldn’t have come back for you if I hadn’t trapped her in that bottle.”
No, Ari, don’t listen, she begged herself, hating the weak, niggling voice inside that tried to persuade her that meeting Sala would make her happy, could change everything, could give her someone who loved her.
“ARI!” Jai shouted through the door jolting her out of her thoughts. He banged ruthlessly at the door and Ari felt the flare of magic in the air coming from his direction on the other side of the wall.
The White King sighed, drawing her eyes back to him. “That is my cue to leave. For now. And remember, Ari, I am a patient King. I don’t expect you to come to me willingly today or even next week. But if you don’t come to me soon I will play the game my way. I will repeat the Derek situation.” He nodded, his eyes dead, lifeless with no thread tied to any emotions he may or may not have possessed. “Perhaps this time I’ll play the game with the guardian Jinn who had his body pressed so tight to yours it was a wonder you could breathe on that dance floor.”
And with a small smile at the unmasked fear in Ari’s eyes, her father stepped back into the Peripatos just as the bathroom door blew open. Jai rushed in, his face dark with determination and violence. He stalled, seeing her alone, his eyes bright with relief to find her in one piece. She shook from her very toes to the tips of her hair as Jai gathered himself together, slamming the door shut and locking it before hurrying over to her. “Are you OK? Was he here?”
“He’s gone. I’m OK.” She held up her hands palm out, placating him. He looked as though he were about to jump out of his skin and rip it to shreds just to have something to violently attack. “How did you know? I didn’t telepath.”
Jai’s eyes narrowed as he looked her over as if searching for injury. “Just as I felt a warning in the trace, Ms. Maggie talked to me telepathically. She told me The White King had you in the bathroom.”
Ms. Maggie spoke to him? Ari opened her mouth to ask about that when Jai grabbed her upper arms and tugged her roughly into a fierce hug, stilling all thought. She was crushed against him, his arms wrapped tight around her, and Ari felt his heart pounding in his chest, his muscles trembling beneath her. Warmth rushed through her as she realized how concerned he’d been. “I’m OK,” she promised him softly, whispering the words against his throat. “He just wanted to mess with my head. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t command him. It was hard, but I didn’t, I promise…”
“Shh,” he hushed her, brushing his mouth against her ear. “I know. I’m proud of you.”
Nuclear need shot through the core of her and Ari pulled back, her breathing ragged. She felt too much in his arms. She stared up at him and her eyes widened at his expression. His green eyes were liquid fire and as her mouth trembled at the blatant lust in them, those green molten pools dropped to watch her lips. The moment hung suspended between them, like a thin rope bridge that would snap if one of them took that irreversible step forward. Trying to find some equilibrium Ari took a step back instead and Jai’s hands tightened around her upper arms. “Jai-”
Her words were cut off as he crashed her against him, his mouth crushing hers in the deepest, hardest kiss Ari had ever received. She felt her legs tremble beneath her and grabbed onto him for support, gasping as he pulled her closer, the sound swallowed by his hot mouth. Urgency took over, sanity fled, and all that existed was Jai’s mouth and body holding everything that she was together. The cool counter bumped against her thighs as Jai lifted her easily onto it, never breaking his desperate kiss. He shoved between her legs so she could wrap them around him, his hands gripping her hips and pulling her closer. His groan reverberated through her entire body with pleasure.
Ari thought she’d never feel this kind of heat again what with her Jinn temperateness. But her skin was on fire as Jai’s kiss softened, his tongue teasing hers to deepen an already abyss-like kiss. She trailed her hands over his hard chest, contemplating ripping the buttons off as he left her lips to trail devastating kisses down her neck. His large hands squeezed her hips hard and then brushed softly against her back before sliding chills up her spine. It was like he wanted to touch her everywhere all at once and Ari was only too happy to let him. Ari whimpered into his ear as he bit gently at her bare shoulder and Jai growled at the sound, his hand tangling through her hair as he grasped her head, cupping it back like she was an offering. There was no thought in his expression, only need. His lips crushed hers again and Ari held tight, her fingers biting into his shoulders, her legs climbing his hips. She wanted, she needed, she wanted, she couldn’t think, she-
-CRASH!
They jumped apart at the sound of the bathroom door slamming open, their breathing hard, their chests rising and falling in tandem. Their wide-eyed stares were met by nobody, but Ari sensed the hum of Ms. Maggie’s presence.
“It’s Ms. Maggie,” Ari whispered hoarsely.
Jai looked back at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. He shuddered and Ari watched with a heavy heart as regret crept into his beautiful green gaze. Jai groaned, rubbing a hand over his short hair. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
Feeling vulnerable, Ari pulled at the hem of her dress where it had ridden up slightly. “Jai…?”
“No,” he growled at her, his eyes flashing angrily now. “It never happened. I was worried about you and I just… shit!” He hit a palm off the tiled walls.
Unsure of how she should react, Ari slid off the counter with as much grace as she could manage. She felt stupid. And frustrated. And angry.
Hurt.
Alone.
Jai shot a look at her and winced at her expression. “Ari, I’m so sorry,” he apologized hoarsely. “The last thing you need is an older guy treating you like crap. You deserve more. And I can’t give you more.”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Ari stiffened her spine. She smoothed her hair and pasted on a blank expression. “We better get back to work.”
After a phone call to Luca that Jai and Ari were not privy to, Chris and Jenn were huddled out of the club by her security team leaving Ari and Jai feeling sheepish. The couple had assumed they’d both left their posts to make out in the bathroom and while it might have looked like that, there really was no way of explaining the truth. In the end, Ari followed a stone-faced Jai outside and into the car, her legs blasted by the arctic cold breeze blowing off of her guardian. Her insides were a mess but on the outside she was strong and determined. She was done.
