Scorched Skies (23 page)

“And if the Jinn come after her? The White King?”

“No one knows she
’
s here. And I doubt anyone will be expecting her to go to an L.A. club.”

Charlie was the only one who seemed unsure of the idea, but with three against him and one of them his own damn father, Jai sighed. “Fine.”

“You
’
re not serious are you?” Charlie spun on him, his dark eyes blazing. “She could get killed.”

“Don
’
t be so dramatic, Charlie,” Ari shooed him off and Jai almost felt bad for the guy.

Charlie turned his glower on her. “I
’
m coming too.”

“No you
’
re not,” Luca snapped.

Ever the peacemaker Trey stepped around Jai and slung an arm across Charlie
’
s shoulders. “Dude, why don
’
t you come with me tonight? I
’
m guarding a hot singer at an awards ceremony. Lots of food, drink, and eye candy going around.”

The idea was shot down by everyone but Charlie. Disgusted at being treated like a child, Jai was surprised Charlie didn
’
t take off for his room in fury. If he
’
d been in his shoes he probably would have for fear he
’
d end up hitting one of them.

Crap, now he was sympathizing with Charlie. What the hell was happening to him?

The details reluctantly decided, Luca and Trey left, Luca asking Jai to come see him about the security arrangements as soon as possible. That left Jai in a room with Charlie and Ari. Not comfortable.

“I could have gone with Trey tonight,” Charlie argued suddenly. “The guy clearly wanted a hand.”

Ari snorted. “I don
’
t think it
’
s your fighting skills Trey is interested in.”

Jai shot her a look. Trey
’
s sexuality wasn
’
t something they talked openly about around here. If Luca knew (and it wouldn
’
t have surprised Jai if word had gotten back to him), he
’
d never told Trey
’
s father, Rik. Rik would go ballistic if he knew the truth.

Ari threw his look back at him before turning to Charlie to answer his
‘
Huh?
’
“Trey might have a little bit of a crush on you.”

Charlie
’
s eyebrows hit his hairline. “He
’
s gay?”

“Bisexual,” Jai clarified a little defensively. “And he thinks everyone is hot so get over it.”

Answering to Jai
’
s aggressive loyalty, Charlie raised his hands in the air, “I didn
’
t say anything.”

Ari grunted. “Don
’
t take it personally, Charlie. Jai is just pissed to be lumbered with me tonight.”

Ignoring the hurt in her eyes, Jai cursed under his breath, heading out of the training room and towards his father
’
s office. He could lie to himself and say he was just following Luca
’
s orders but the truth was he was running as fast and as far from Ari as he could. He needed all the distance he could get from her before they were crushed together on this stupid assignment.

~15~

Flameless Fire Still Burns All the Same

Ari chewed on her lower lip as she stared at her reflection in the mirror anxiously. Having conjured a dress from her wardrobe back in Ohio, Ari was wondering if it was a little too much.  The club was for over 21
’
s but ID wasn
’
t a problem since the Ginnaye had a
‘
guy
’
. She
’
d have a fake ID printed up by the time they were ready to leave. Still, she wanted to at least look twenty one and this dress was the only one she owned that was a little more daring. It was a red strapless dress that came to mid-thigh and clung to everything. To lessen the impact, Ari was wearing little flats rather than heels, thankfully tall enough to get away with it. This had been a secret dress she
’
d kept from her dad. He would have killed her if he ever saw her in it. She remembered that one time in ninth grade she
’
d come back from a shopping trip with Mrs. Creagh wearing a brand new mini-skirt. Her dad had gone purple when he
’
d seen her in it. He
’
d driven her back to the mall the next day and replaced the skirt with a knee-length one she
’
d deliberately ruined in the wash. A gasp escaped Ari as pain exploded in her chest, like someone had punched their fist right through her. She stumbled back, the unexpected hit of grief consuming her entire body. Tears spilled over her eyelids and the burning stopper in the back of her throat unplugged, letting sobbing gasps sputter out of her.
He
’
s gone. He
’
s really gone.
Ari couldn
’
t stop picturing his smile. The way his arms felt wrapped around her. His deep rumbling laugh. She could have sworn she could even smell the scent of his cologne in the air. A box of tissues fell off the bedside cabinet to her feet where she
’
d crumpled. With blurry vision Ari grabbed at the tissues, giving a muffled thanks to Ms. Maggie for looking out for her.

After the tears subsided, Ari sat on the floor for a while feeling utterly exhausted and not at all in the frame of mind to take on a security job. Really, what was Trey and Luca thinking? Well, she guessed Luca thought it might be good experience for her, but Trey was just playing matchmaker. If Jai hadn
’
t stubbornly telepathed to her to say no to taking on the assignment, Ari might have turned it down. But… she did so hate to be told what to do by that guy.

Realizing she
’
d have to abandon her usual au-natural look because of the crying jag, Ari conjured her small make-up bag from home and went about trying to fix her puffy eyes and blotched cheeks with grief-stricken, trembling fingers. When she was done she tousled her long hair leaving it loose down her back and gave a sad nod to the mirror. She
’
d do, she guessed. Glancing down at the short hem, she pulled at it a little. Had it always been that short? Nervous gremlins awoke in Ari
’
s stomach as she wondered how Jai would react to the dress. The nerves weren
’
t just for his reaction though. The British actress they were
‘
hanging out with
’
tonight was none other than Jennifer Hadley, a rom-com sweetheart and all-round big deal. And Ari was to help protect her and her
‘
civilian
’
boyfriend Chris. Chris was just an ordinary guy
—
a construction worker
—
but he and Jennifer had been together for ten years, since before Jennifer became famous. Despite the massive changes in their lives and all the gorgeous men Jennifer worked with, she and Chris were still together. Ari thought it was pretty romantic.

A knock at the door startled her and her heart started pounding fast against her ribs. Was that him?
Oh god, oh god, oh god.

“Come in!” she called, trembling fingers smoothing down the front of her dress.

To her surprise, Charlie walked into the room. He was wearing a plain t-shirt and black pants instead of a ratty slogan shirt and knee-bitten jeans, and with his hair so short he looked older. Stronger. More appealing.
Jerk
.

“Whoa.” He drew to an abrupt halt, his dark eyes wide as they soaked in the sight of her. When his gaze finally returned to her face, Ari was sure she was blushing like crazy. Charlie had never looked at her with such blatant interest before.

“Don
’
t look at me like that.” She squirmed uncomfortably.

“Then poke my eyes out because I can
’
t look at you any other way.” His eyes darkened with melancholy. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you.” Why did he have to look like a kicked puppy all the time? This was how she kept getting drawn back in. Deliberately avoiding his gaze, Ari puttered around the room, gathering her phone and some make-up to put in her clutch purse.

“You sure you want to do this?” Charlie asked quietly. “It could be dangerous. We don
’
t know who
’
s following you or if that Dalí guy knows where you are.”

“It
’
ll be fine.”

“What about Jai?”

Ari
’
s heart kicked into overdrive. “What about Jai?”

“Well, I don
’
t trust him with you any normal day. You with him, dressed like that? I don
’
t think so.”

Stupidly pleased at the insinuation that Jai was attracted to her, Ari hid a hopeful smile and waved Charlie off. “It
’
s Jai, OK. He takes his job seriously. I
’
m like an inanimate object to him.”

Charlie snorted. “Yeah, right. I
’
m serious, Ari. You should see the way he looks at you when you
’
re not watching.”

Another thrill shot through her and this time she couldn
’
t contain the little shiver that rippled down her spine. “He doesn
’
t see me like that,” she insisted.

At the silence from her friend, Ari turned around slowly and met Charlie
’
s suspicious, narrow-eyed gaze. His jaw was taut and she noted the flicker of hurt in his eyes. “Do you want him to?”

Feeling guilty and flustered, Ari shook her head frantically. “No. Look, I
’
m not talking about this. Not with you.”

“You
’
re kidding, right?” Charlie
’
s eyes sparked with realization. “You
’
re into him? He
’
s too old for you!”

“He
’
s only twenty three,” she argued stupidly before she remembered she was supposed to be hiding her feelings for Jai from everyone, including Jai. “That
’
s not even the point. There is nothing between us. There never will be.”