Scorched Skies (43 page)

Charlie rolled his eyes. “You
’
re such a girl.”

“Well my bra certainly thinks so.”

“Funny.”

“So.” Ari nudged him harder with her shoulder. “Something going on there?”

A scowl quickly replaced Charlie
’
s smile as he looked down into her teasing eyes. “You know there isn
’
t. And there won
’
t be.”

Ari winced, remembering his words only a few weeks before.

“… I
’
m not giving up. One day, maybe next week, maybe next year… maybe ten years from now… you
’
ll be ready to let me in again. And I
’
ll be waiting, Ari. I
’
ll wait forever to make it right with you.”

“Charlie…” Ari breathed, shaking her head. “Maybe there should.”

“Ari…?”

God, she couldn
’
t let him keep thinking there was hope. Hurt for him twisted her gut as she looked up at him, staring deep into his eyes. She had to make him understand. “I was going to die for
him
.”

Pain rippled over Charlie
’
s features, his eyes widening with understanding. He sucked in a breath like he
’
d been punched in the stomach. Not knowing what to do but hating that she
’
d caused him pain, Ari threw her arms around him and held him tight. After a few seconds his arms came around her back and he squeezed her close, pressing his face into the hollow of her neck. They held each other tight for a few minutes and then Charlie gave a quick nod, his nose brushing her skin, his hand rubbing her back as if to give
her
comfort. Abruptly he let go, pushing her back from him and without saying a word he stood up and strode out of the room.

Ari gazed around
at the team of hunters glad to be sitting next to Fallon. The girl never let any situation get to her or change the way she acted around people. Most members of the team still found it difficult to look her in the eye, especially the twins, but not Fallon. Gerard and Megan seemed less embarrassed now too. And it wasn
’
t like Ari blamed them for what happened.

A few hours after the team had arrived they
’
d booked a conference room at the hotel and Ari had walked down to the meeting with Jai and Ms. Maggie. The tension between Ari and him had been brittle and electric at the same time, only a couple of sparks away from shattering them into pieces. The silent ride in the elevator had almost killed her and Ari had been this close to telling him to get over it already. But no, they
’
d made it to the conference room without incident. Surprisingly, Charlie was already there sitting next to Jack Hollis who, now that Ari thought about it, had seemed pretty unaffected by Anabeth
’
s betrayal. Perhaps they hadn
’
t been close or perhaps, like Ari, Jack was growing numb to loss. Charlie couldn
’
t meet Ari
’
s eyes as she walked into the room, but that
didn
’
t
surprise her. Sadly, she wondered how long it would take them to get their friendship back on track. She wasn
’
t enjoying the role reversal from her moping after him to the opposite. It was just one other huge thing that had changed in her life since her eighteenth birthday.

“There was another attempted kidnapping,” Gerard told her abruptly. “Right here in Cleveland at a club.”

Ari frowned in confusion at the news. “But Dalí had me attacked in California almost two weeks ago. Surely he wouldn
’
t have done that unless the harmal concoction was ready to be used on me now?”

Jacob leaned forward across the table, his rugged face grim. “Maybe, maybe not. He may still be experimenting with it… testing its endurance… who knows. Whatever he
’
s doing, this means we are not taking any chances. He attempted to kidnap someone and failed. We can only guess that he
’
s going to try again. And that means every night starting tonight, we
’
re splitting into teams and patrolling as many nightclubs as possible. During the day we
’
ll scope out several commercial buildings that fit his profile. Ari is to stay at the hotel at all times.” He raised a finger to stop her inevitable interruption and Ari slumped back in her seat. “You know no one can know you
’
re here.”

Much to her annoyance, Ari had to listen to reason for once.

From there, she listened as teams were put together, her eyes straying unconsciously to Jai every two seconds. He looked over and caught her watching him and the breath whooshed out of her as their gazes locked. She felt her insides heat up under his unfathomable regard and knew deep down she was somehow bound even more to him for having saved his life.

“Jai?” Gerard snapped, drawing their attention from one another. The leader frowned at them and Ari blushed at how inappropriately distracted they were.

Jai cleared his throat. “Yes?”

“You
’
re taking Charlie and Fallon tonight. You
’
ll be hitting
Club A
—
it
’
s in the Warehouse District.”

Uneasiness tightened Ari
’
s chest as Fallon reached for the address. This was so much worse now knowing they could be heading into danger without her. Ari
’
s stomach churned as the team talked for another forty-five minutes, going over protocol and handing out talismans. Finally, Jacob stood up to lead them out and Ari watched numbly as they streamed out of the conference room.

“Ari, you coming?” Fallon asked, wheeling her chair back from the table.

“Just give me a minute.” She smiled weakly and Fallon nodded, hurrying to follow Jack and Charlie out. Jai was still sitting at the head of the conference table, watching her. She flushed as Charlie frowned from the doorway. He gave her a sharp nod that broke her heart, for despite its sharpness, there was some kind of understanding there. The door shut quietly in his wake, leaving her alone in the room with Jai.

His look burned through her and Ari shivered with a cold goosepimply heat. She held her breath, waiting. The thick silence stretched between them, the air filled with unspoken words.

The door opened and a member of the hotel staff poked her head around the door. “Could you please vacate from the room, we have a meeting booked in here in fifteen minutes and we have to set up.”

“Of course.” Jai nodded at her and stood to his feet. The girl smiled tightly and disappeared just as Ari too slowly rose. Her heart pounded in her chest, her eyes surely wide with questions as Jai stalked towards her. Ari wanted to launch herself at him, kiss him, hit him… persuade him.

Love him.

Beats puttered out to a splutter against her ribs as Jai stopped inches from her, the exotic scent of him rushing over her, making her eyelashes flutter a little. She clenched her fists together to stop herself from pulling him close and burying her nose against his neck like an unloved bloodhound.

Ari stilled as they watched each other. For once, his beautiful green eyes weren
’
t carefully blank. There was wariness there, confusion. Fear maybe. Slowly he lifted a hand, his fingers brushing her cheek, curling along her jaw-line and then around her ear. Ari shivered, bussing into his touch, hope
—
unwanted
—
but blossoming nonetheless within.

His rough, hoarse voice jolted her back to reality. “When this is done… we… we need to talk.”

“Jai?” What did that mean? Was that good or bad? “What
—
”

She was cut off by the door slamming open and two staff members barging in with a refreshment trolley. Annoyed beyond belief, Ari stifled her irritation and instead enjoyed the feel of Jai
’
s hand in hers as he lead her from the room. 

And then all hope of questioning him was dashed as they came face to face with Fallon at the elevator.  She raised an eyebrow at their clasped hands. “Adonis, you
’
re needed in Charlie
’
s room with me so we can go over our own plans for this evening.”

His hand slipped from Ari
’
s grasp and she shivered again, but this time from fear. He looked down at her, his expression careful and closed again. “We
’
ll walk you to your room where you have to promise to stay for the rest of the night.”

“I promise.” Ari sighed heavily. “Just don
’
t do anything stupid like getting yourself killed. I
’
ll be majorly pissed.”

~26~

It was so Obvious Once I Knew

Jai
’
s heart was banging against his ribs, the blood rushing in his ears, his whole body alive with the beat and adrenaline. He
’
d been this way since he
’
d spoken to Ari in the conference room. Watching her, watching the way her green/blue/gold/hazel/ eyes glimmered with worry for everyone, for him, as she listened to The Guild plan their attempts to catch Dalí without her, this overwhelming feeling had crashed over him, freezing him to his chair. Then she
’
d looked at him, her emotions open and bleeding on the table. Jai had never felt more wanted or needed in his life. And he knew then he would never want or need anyone the way he wanted and needed Ari. This whole time he had been trying to convince himself that he just cared about her as he would a friend. That he
’
d be happy as long he knew she was safe and alive somewhere, even if he didn
’
t get to see her. But that wasn
’
t true. The thought of some other guy getting to touch her, kiss her, protect her… it… it killed him. It physically hurt.

He struggled with himself constantly, his emotions warring with the need to maintain his reputation with the Jinn world and with his father, and with wanting Ari in every way he could get her. He thought he
’
d been doing the right thing staying away from her, for surely she deserved someone who wanted her enough to give it all up for her. But her saving his life seemed to finally make sense of all his introspection of the last few weeks and finally Trey
’
s argument began to make sense. Was he really willing to lose her because of his reputation with a father who had never cared the way that she did? Ari had thrown herself into the line of actual fire to save him and her last words when she thought she was dying had been to protect him. How many girls in the world were that brave, passionate, smart and beautiful? How many girls were that extraordinary?

And she wanted him.

Trey was right. He
’
d be a dick to pass that up.