Smokeless Fire (4 page)

For everyone else Luca Bitar was this strong, loyal Jinn who protected people. To his family he was the guy they could turn to for help. But when Jai’s mother seduced him against his will, she’d stolen a piece of the love he had for Nicki and he’d blamed Jai for it for as long as Jai could remember.

Letting the memories fade into the background, Jai turned deferentially to The Red King. “How can I be of service?”

The Red King nodded, grinning widely. “I like you.” He pointed a gun finger at him and Jai couldn’t help but think this guy would do well in a Tarantino movie. “I do. I like you. That’s good. OK, kid. Here’s the deal. I have this extremely important
Important
I want you to watch over.”

Well, if it was someone one of the Jinn Kings wanted protected they must be a huge deal. Jai felt his blood pump with excitement at the challenge. “I take it she’s a woman… if you want my particular gift?”

“You betcha. Now, she’s real important to me, Jai. I need to know you got this.”

Slipping into guardian mode, Jai stiffened with determination. “Of course, Your Highness.”

“My son is the best, Your Highness,” Luca assured him.

Keeping his face impassive, Jai nearly struggled to swallow a smile when The Red King laughed at Luca and then turned back to him with a twinkle in his eyes. “Bet that’s the first time you ever heard that sentence uttered from his mouth — I mean when he was talking about you and not one of his pansy-assed full-bloods.”

Rather than say anything disrespectful, Jai’s eyes gave a non-committal reply. He kind of liked the King. He’d grown up on the stories of the Jinn Kings. He knew everything about them and Azazil and the so-called War of the Flames. Never in any of those stories had he imagined The Red King to be… funny.

“Well, you’ll do.” The Red King nodded again. “Look, this is an indefinitely long assignment and it’s a 24/7 hour guard so if you got any stuff you need to take care of in Hollywood, you got twelve hours to do it. I’ll explain the whole…
situation
… when you meet me back here. I don’t do Hollywood. I like the movies but the people…” he shuddered at the thought before abruptly exploding into bright, hot licks of fire.

When he was gone silence echoed around his father’s office. Finally, Luca cleared his throat. “I don’t have to tell you how important this assignment is. You’re not the only reason The Red King came to us for this. When my great-grandfather was tribe leader one of his guardians killed one of the Jinn in an effort to protect an Important. He was taken to the Jinn Courts and would have been tried and killed if The Red King hadn’t spoken up for him. The Red King is collecting on the debt we owe him. Don’t mess it up.”

Not even his father’s disdain could ruin this moment for Jai. He’d just landed his biggest assignment ever. This would cement his position and power within the company. “No, sir.” He nodded militantly and then visualized his apartment before using the
Peripatos
. He’d get his car later.

His condo was bright and airy and devoid of any clutter. There was little furniture and what was there was black and chrome and very masculine. Chicks hated it but Jai wasn’t really a relationship type of guy so it didn’t matter. With nothing to wrap up before the assignment started Jai flopped down onto his leather couch, staring out of the French doors to the view of LA sprawled out before him. The sun beat down strong in the morning light, causing eye-watering reflections to beam brightly off windows and buildings and cars. Jai sighed, throwing his head back. He could have waited in the Palisades until night fall but that would have meant having to be around his whole family.

No thanks.

He smiled slowly up at the ceiling as he thought of The Red King.
The Red King
. If this assignment went well all of the Ginnaye would have to treat him with respect. That would just kill Luca and his brothers. Sounded fantastic. Feeling the excitement build inside him, adrenaline already shooting through him with anticipation, Jai blew out a shaky breath and leaned forward to stare at the painting Trey had given him titled ‘Palmyra’. The rich colors and exotic landscape soothed him. He wondered who the Important was he was guarding. It had to be someone really big. Someone with a massive destiny if The Red King was stepping in to see her protected. Jai felt a flutter of nervousness in his gut and grinned. He’d never been nervous about an assignment before.

This was so HUGE.

When his cell rang, Jai jerked in surprise, reaching deep into his jeans to yank it out. He laughed at the caller ID. News travelled fast.

“Hey, man.”

“So,” Trey’s laughing voice echoed down the line, “The Red King, huh? Were you going to tell me or just take off to wherever he sends you without so much as a goodbye hug?”

Laughing, Jai relaxed into the couch. “Sorry, I just heard myself.”

“So what’s the assignment?”

“Don’t know yet. Just know that it’s a she and she’s important.”

“All Hail the Lord of the Obvious. Come on, dude, give me more than that.”

Grinning he shook his head. “Trey, that’s all I know. I swear.”

“OK. I believe you. Well congrats, Jai. You deserve this. It’ll show your old man what’s what, huh?”

Lying, Jai replied, “Like I care.”

Trey sighed. “Yeah. Yeah.” No matter how much Jai denied it, Trey knew he was continually fighting for Luca’s approval. It pissed his only friend off. They spoke for a little longer with Jai gazing up at the painting. Trey knew all about looking for a father’s approval. He hid a lot of things about himself from Rik. He was a great Ginnaye, strong, powerful, and Luca Bitar counted him among his best, but Trey was also an artist behind his father’s back. He painted under a pseudonym and did pretty well for himself. Not only that but… he was bisexual, something Rik would go ballistic over if he ever found out. The only person who knew any of it was Jai. Growing up, Trey had watched Jai get kicked to pieces, figuratively and literally, by his tribe. He’d stood up for him, befriended him, and taken crap from his dad for doing so. But they shared a bond and neither of them let anything come between it. Sometimes Jai wondered if he would ever have made it out sane growing up with the Bitars if he hadn’t had Trey by his side.

When they hung up, Jai headed for the shower, his mind conjuring up all different kinds of scenarios for this job. It ranged from the disappointing to the fantastical. He was just about to kick back with a sci-fi novel (his weakness) when the doorbell to his condo rang. Frowning, he bookmarked
Treason
by Orson Scott Card and headed for the door, feeling for an energy on the other side.

It was Jinn.

When he yanked open the door, his mouth quirked up into a little cynical smirk.

Yasmin. She raised an eyebrow at him before throwing one last look over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching. She pushed past him into the apartment, breezing in with confidence. Jai shut the door and turned to watch her. Yasmin Lenz was the daughter of his father’s best friend, Hugo Lenz. Luca and Hugo were pretty much the elders and leaders of their particular tribe here in California and Hugo was a nastier son-of-a-bitch than even Luca. Lenz despised what Jai was and never missed an opportunity to tell him or attempt to humiliate him in front of his peers.

His beautiful daughter Yasmin had been in the class below Jai and had been warned repeatedly to stay away from him. Hugo liked to play matchmaker with her and David, and Jai knew for a fact that David would say yes to dating her in a heartbeat. He’d been after Yasmin Lenz since he’d seen her thrashing their younger brother Stephen on their family’s tennis court when Yasmin was sixteen. Pervy bastard. But Yasmin wasn’t interested in that particular Bitar. In public Yasmin treated Jai like he didn’t exist. Correction, in front of the tribe she was downright derogatory and hostile. Then something changed when she was eighteen. She started cornering him in private, giving him hot eyes, and pretty much making herself available to him. Jai had walked away each time. He wanted nothing to do with someone who treated him like crap in public. Then a year ago, Jai had witnessed something that had shocked him to his core. He had been at Bitar Security offices in a meeting with his father and David and second eldest Brother, Tarik. They’d been discussing a potential client and when Luca had asked for the files, David had realized he’d left them at the pool house. Like a dog, Jai had been sent to retrieve them using the
Peripatos
. He’d arrived outside the pool house and was just about to enter when he had heard
noises
. Bemused at the sounds of lovemaking, Jai had peered through the windows and nearly died of heart failure. Hugo Lenz had been with Nicki, his stepmother. It had shocked Jai because he’d thought Nicki was completely in love with Luca. He didn’t think she’d fallen out of love. Stuff happened. People got weird. Had mid-life crises and such, but Jai knew if Luca ever found out he’d be devastated. Something inside him had felt broken up for his father, despite the way he treated him. He couldn’t tell him. No one would believe him anyway. So instead he took his revenge out on Hugo.

Yasmin.

If Hugo ever found out his precious daughter had been banging the Bitar half-breed on and off for the last year he’d die of shame.

Jai kept his expression blank as Yasmin spun around, unbuttoning her blouse. She had the same look in her eye she always did. She thought
she
was using
Jai.
She thought somehow she had power here because he continued to be with her despite how she treated him in public. But
he
was using
her
.

He was using her to get back at them all.

It wasn’t something he was proud of.

It was dishonorable and the one thing Jai had always counted on was his honor.

But then Yasmin wasn’t a sweet innocent girl who needed to be protected. She was a manipulative, powerful female Ginnaye who believed he was worthless. Strike that. She was attracted to him so he had worth as a ‘playmate’. But she’d rather die than let anyone else know that.

Jai sighed, reaching to grasp her hands and stop her from undressing. He’d been waiting for a moment to end it. Dumping her was part of the whole revenge thing but there had never been an opportune time. Heading off for his big assignment meant he’d be gone for gods knew how long. It was perfect timing.

He chuckled inwardly. He was going to enjoy this.

“Stop.” He pulled back, watching her beautiful face darken. “It’s not going to happen, sweetheart.”

“What are you talking about?” she hissed angrily, frantically trying to re-button her blouse.

“I got a big assignment.” He shrugged. “Don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”

“So what has that got to do with anything?”

Jai narrowed his eyes on her and he watched the pulse jump in her throat. He couldn’t help but enjoy the fact that he had such an effect on her. “What was it you called me at that meeting with Hugo and my father two weeks ago? A useless piece of dog crap with poison for blood?”

She shrugged, her dark eyes flashing. “It was a joke.”

“Oh yeah, it felt like one.”

“What’s this about, Jai? You’ve never been pissed off before.”

“I’m not pissed off. I don’t do pissed off.” He ran a hand down her neck, watching her shiver. “I don’t care enough about you to do pissed off.” Exhaling heavily, he stood back, placing a mocking regretful look on his face. “It’s been nice, sweetheart, but I’m moving up and on. Time for you to hitch a ride back to your full-bloods.”

It was hilarious, watching her jaw drop. Yasmin was not the kind of girl a guy broke up with. “Are you dumping me?”

“How can I dump someone I was never with?”

“You asshole!” she screeched, pushing him out of the way. “Wait until I—”

“Until you what, Yasmin?” he laughed now, eyeing her evilly. Yasmin was still that spoiled little girl who ran to her daddy when things didn’t go her way. Hugo had threatened a number of boyfriends in the past. “Tell your daddy on me?” He shook his head, making a tutting noise. “You can’t tell Hugo, sweetheart, ‘cause then he’d know just how naughty you’ve been this year.”

Jai didn’t think her face could grow any redder with rage. “I was right about you. You are nothing. You are worthless, Jai! No one wants you. Not for anything real.”

He shrugged, not letting her see her words had affected him. “You really think I care?”

With a growl of rage, the air shimmered around her telling Jai she was about to use the
Peripatos
. Yasmin exploded into flames at the same time the vase on his phone table screamed, shattering into a million flying shards all directed at him. Jai cursed, wiping hand across the air in front of him. The shards sliced into his enchantment, turning into grains of sand before they could hit and cut him.

He grunted, leaning down to scoop at the sand on his carpet. The rug was one of the few splashes of color and comfort in his condo and was a genuine Moroccan Berber. Handmade. Expensive. Irreplaceable. It would take him forever to get the sand out without damaging the wool. “Should have dumped the crazy bitch weeks ago.”