The Marked Ones (17 page)

‘Your advantage was my friendship!’ Ivyanne snapped at him. ‘My loyalty, and the fact that it’s more natural for me to be around you than any other man. But you just shot that to hell-because I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be around less right now!’ She yanked a fire extinguisher off the wall. ‘Now excuse me, because I have to go clean up your thoughtless mess!’

Without waiting for a response, Ivyanne whirled away and stomped out the door, ripping the lock of the extinguisher as she walked, every second wanting to spin back and use it to put out Ardhi’s temper for good.

17.

Tristan was exhausted. After the third solid hour of surfing, his arms, which he rarely depended on in the water, began to ache from paddling. There were a few locals in the area, showing him up, making Tristan wonder if they had a bit of mer genetics. It happened a lot, in areas frequented by mers, such as Seaview. His human nephew Brett was only three but could swim an entire length of a pool.

I hope they’re part mer. He thought wryly. Or I’m just getting soft in my old age!

The grey water heaved beneath him but because he’d been too busy daydreaming, he was carried in against his will, instead of paddling with it and attempting to stand up. He took it-and the sudden crack of lightning and darkening skies behind him-as a sign that the surf session was over, and coasted the whole way in. When he got to the shallows, he slid off the board and lugged it in, not really surprised to see Lincoln standing next to the lifeguard stand and watching him. Hadn’t he braced himself for a showdown all morning?

‘Hey Tristan,’ Lincoln said, shielding his eyes against the sun. ‘I thought that was you struggling out there.’

Tristan slid his surfboard into the hire rack and shook himself off, smiling in amusement. Humans demeaned others to appear superior when really, it only showcased how threatened they were. He was about to shoot back a snappy retort when a wisp of smoke above the treetops of the esplanade caught his eye.

‘Is your kitchen on fire?!’ He asked, body coiling as he prepared to rescue Ivyanne.

Lincoln glanced behind him and rolled his eyes. ‘Nah. Lightning hit a palm tree. Ivyanne and Adele are putting it out. Close call though! Scared the shit out of a lot of people. That’s why I’m down here, to make sure Marcus closes up shop for the day.’

‘Anyone who doesn’t have the sense to get out of the water during lightning deserves a bit of a shock,’ Marcus drawled, jumping off the short tower and winking at Tristan. ‘But I’ll handle it. You two best get inside. It’s going to be a big one.’

‘Cool.’ Tristan picked up the hired beach towel and bent over to rub at his hair. When he stood up, Lincoln was staring at him, a strange look on his face. ‘What? Do I have a starfish stuck to my back or something?’

Lincoln appeared to snap out of it. ‘Huh? Oh... no. Just noticing that ink-job behind your ear. That must have smarted, huh? What’s it mean?’

‘Just some family stuff,’ Tristan said dismissively. He pointed to the tattoo of a sun on the upper side of his foot, hoping to deflect any more questions he shouldn’t be answering. ‘I have a few.’

Lincoln frowned at him. ‘Did you say family?’

‘Possibly.’ Tristan decided to change tack. ‘It’s been a while since I got it. I think the one of my ear is an old latin symbol or something.’

‘Symbolic for what?’

Tristan smirked at him. ‘Stallion, probably.’

Lincoln’s face tightened into a look of disapproval. ‘It must be exhausting, lugging that ego around with you everywhere you go.’

‘Nah.’ Tristan said easily, slapping his chiseled abdomen. ‘I’m in pretty good shape.’

‘Careful about relying too much on your looks, Tristan.’ The facade of friendliness had leeched out of Links’ voice. ‘No one stays in their twenties forever.’

‘Maybe not.’ Tristan slung the towel over his shoulders. ‘I better get serious about marrying a young honey while I can still get one, hey?’ He squinted up towards the restaurant. ‘Speaking of which, when
does Ivyanne get off?’

From the darkening look on Lincoln’s face, Tristan knew he’d struck a nerve.
I knew it! Tristan thought triumphantly. He’s got his eye on her, and if he’s down here to give me a hard time, he clearly thinks he’s in with a shot! Tristan wanted to laugh out loud. The human was delusional, mistaking Ivyanne’s kindness for something more.

‘Ivyanne told me about your parents little arrangement,’ Lincoln said, his voice arctic. ‘Don’t you feel like a bit of a creep, using a girls parents influence to marry into her money? Especially given your womanizing ways?’

Tristan’s eyebrows shot up so fast that they almost pushed the wet curls out of his eyes. He’d expected a ribbing from Adele-but Ivyanne had actually discussed him with her boss? In a negative way? His frown was rare, and genuine. ‘She told you what exactly?’

‘Nothing as interesting as what
Adele told me.’ Lincoln smirked at him. ‘Small world, isn’t it? I can’t help but wonder if Ivyanne’s aware of just how much we have in common though? She probably won’t be too happy about it when she finds out.’

Tristan hadn’t missed the use of the word ‘
when’ instead of ‘if’. He’d promised Ivyanne that his past wouldn’t come back to bite her, and he was going to let her down. Oh well, if he was going down, then Lincoln was going down with him.

‘Well, you’ve got me there, bud.
No woman wants to know that the man she’s seeing gave someone else she knows multiple orgasms.’ He grinned as Lincoln’s face paled. ‘Just like no girlfriend wants to hear that her boyfriend is concerned about another girl’s virtue.’ He leaned in close to Lincoln. ‘So go on and tell her-you might very well ruin my chance with Ivyanne. But bear in mind-that you don’t actually have one. So take me out, but I’ll return the favor so that you find yourself two waitresses down and very lonely.’ He paused, needing to add: ‘And for the record, I’m not after her money. I do just fine by myself.’

Lincoln’s chin lifted slightly. ‘Bragging? To a guy who’s
oceanfront property you’re standing on?’

Tristan snorted. ‘Are we going to whip them out Link? Because I could buy and sell
three places like this if I wanted to.’ He stepped closer to the other man. A sandstorm was whipping up behind him and to his right, steadily moving down the beach. The day had gone from merely overcast to hostile-kind of like the managers disposition. ‘But I’d employ a manager who knows something about hospitality...which you’re seriously lacking.’

Lincoln crossed his arms across his chest, and his eyes narrowed. ‘What can I say? I’m protective of my staff.’

‘Yeah-real protective.’ Tristan shook his head sadly. ‘Of the pretty blonde ones anyway. I know that you like to make girlfriends out of your employees, but you should stick to the one you’ve already got-because she’s the only one you have a viable future with.’

Lincoln set his jaw. ‘What’s that supposed to mean? Ivyanne notices me back, mate. It ain’t in my head.’

‘But she’s not in your arms either. And there’s a reason why.’ Tristan smiled. ‘Ever heard the story, Twenty Thousand Leagues? Because that’s what separating you too-and you’re not the one with the upper hand.’

Lincoln stepped closer so that they were practically nose to nose. ‘You don’t know a thing about me mate or what league I’m in,’ he said coldly. ‘Don’t delude yourself into thinking you do.’

‘Don’t delude yourself into thinking you have a chance with Ivyanne.’ Tristan shot back. ‘So she told you her reservations about her and I, then fine. But that was days ago, wasn’t it? Things have changed since then.’

Lincoln smiled. ‘Yeah, I saw the
hand holding going down last night at the party.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Girls are affectionate when they’re intoxicated, aren’t they?’

‘Nice observation,’ Tristan said smoothly, tying his towel around his waist. ‘I’ll have to tell Ivyanne what a drunken flirt you think she is when she comes over later.’

Lincoln stiffened. ‘What do you mean later? She’s rostered on until late.’

‘Well she knows my door is open until she locks it behind her,’ Tristan said blithely, brushing his shoulder up against Link’s as he sauntered past. ‘Think about
that when you’re jerking off next to your woman.’

There was no response from Link. Tristan didn’t have to look back to know that the boss was fuming. Usually Tristan would feel bad-but Lincoln had created the rivalry-now it was up to Tristan to end it.

Tristan reached the halfway point of the beach before he halted, worry breaking through his smugness. Lincoln really could ruin things with Ivyanne if he ran his mouth about Adele, and the fact that Lincoln had approached him at all meant that the guy was shoving his nose way too far into where it didn’t belong. And mers did not allow humans to breach their borders. Ever. There was was a way he could handle Lincoln Grey now, and permanently. He turned to walk back to the uppity bartender, his brain searching for an appropriate song, when a large, deeply bronzed hand on his arm halted him a second time.

‘We don’t siren the Grey men.’ Marcus’s grey eyes were narrowed, his tone low.

Tristan returned Marcus’s frown. ‘Grey’s a human and he’s getting too close. I know you trained him, and he’s your boss now, but don’t let sentimentality cloud your judgement.’

But Marcus shook his head. ‘He and his father are exposed to us on a daily basis, and have been for ten years. If our people tried to cover their tracks with song
every time they made an error in the Grey’s presences, the men would be lobotomized by now, for all the stolen memories.’ He released Tristan. ‘I heard the conversation, and as much as you might want to take the easy way out, you’re better then that. Or at least, you need to be, to be a worthy king.’ He motioned towards the resort. ‘Take the girl, but leave the man his mind. We all owe him that much.’

Tristan swallowed, humbled. ‘Fine.’

‘Thank you.’ With that, Marcus sauntered a way, a vision of bright yellow and red against the stormy seascape.

Fat drops of rain began to fall on Tristan’s shoulders and he turned back for the resort, thinking of what a great, stormy night it could be if he’d played his cards right-like a king.

If Ivyanne wasn’t ready to make up her mind-then he’d simply drive her out of it. Preferably before Lincoln ran his mouth, and maimed Tristan’s chances of doing so.

⁓

‘Pintang, as much fun as it is watching the girl who used to bend my fishhooks for fun repeatedly slam her head into a fridge...don’t you think there’s something more constructive you could be doing to you know, actually help me?’

Pintang halted her head-bashing, but remained draped over the corner of her refrigerator, eyes closed. ‘Because
you’re a froth of wisdom right now? I hate to break it to you, but if I don’t knock myself senseless, I’m gonna want to do it to you.’ She turned to face him, her pretty face distorted by a scowl. ‘I can’t believe you hid being a mystic from everyone, especially me! I mean, this should be a wonderful thing. You should have taken Ivyanne out surfing, and pulled up a perfect wave for her-a romantic gesture of some kind! But to jump out of the shadows, scream at her, drain her, then use the harnessed power to damn near burn down the resort? It’s insane!’

Ardhi knew that. ‘That wasn’t my intention, okay? It’s not my fault that the princess has been tramping about with your boss! You would have flipped out if you’d seen it too!’

‘Don’t tell me how I’d react.’ Pintang snapped. ‘I actually have a pretty good grip on my temper. It’s just so like you Ardhi! Ever since we were little, you’d handle someone else’s wrong-doing by handling it so badly that your reaction dwarfed whatever you’d been upset about!’

Ardhi crossed his arms. ‘Excuse you?’

Pintang rolled her eyes. ‘Remember that time you caught that tiny little fish, and I was jealous so I took it from you? And what did you do? Stabbed it with a stick! And who did mum and dad yell at, huh?’

Ardhi scowled at her. ‘Okay so I’m guilty of once having been a six year old. What’s your point?’

‘Six?!’ Pintang glowered at him. ‘Just last year, I made myself that smoothie, testing a recipe I wanted to make for Christmas lunch. When I told you you couldn’t have more than a sip, because I wanted everyone to try it as well, you threw it across the room!’

Ardhi felt a twinge of guilt. Put that way, he did sound like a bit of a jack-ass. ‘Well, seeing the virgin princess trembling at the knees of a human is slightly worse than breaking a
glass, Pintang.’

‘But
not worse than channelling your rage through the weather!’ Pintang countered. She moved across the room, and collapsed onto the foot of her bed. ‘And I can’t work up a healthy anger at Ivyanne either. She’s a siren-he’s a good-looking human. This happens all the time. I’m not going to fry her for having a crush, and if she said she’s not going to take him up on his offer, then I believe her. I don’t think she’s sacrificed twenty-eight years of free will to blow it on a bartender now.’

‘You can’t even feel betrayed on my behalf?’ Ardhi demanded. ‘She’s giving Link and Tristan more time than
me! You’re the one who ordered me to intervene!’

Pintang pursed her lips. ‘I told you to come back-not to skulk in the shadows. And she was
going to remedy neglecting you.’ She rubbed her eyes. ‘I just don’t know that I’ve got any advice that’s going to be useful here, Ardhi. You’re swimming against a current you created.’

Ardhi swooped to her side. ‘That’s where you’re wrong, Pintang. You
can help me. Okay so I acted like a moron, and that’s made Tristan look better by comparison….but I’m not going to let one tantrum wreck the chances with the girl I love, not when my rival is a much bigger jerk!’

Pintang frowned. ‘Come on Ardhi, lay-off Tristan, okay? Talking trash about your rival makes
you look worse, not him. He’s actually a very lovely guy.’