The Coming Storm (17 page)

“You got jealous.” My brother nodded as he gave me a sad smile that he understood.

“No, I know Milwaukee would never betray me like that. It was that Aurelo hurt me. He would try for Milwaukee and that work hurt him too. I couldn’t let that happen and with the way I was already spinning out—I don’t know.” I shrugged as my head healed. I glanced to Aurelo’s arm and saw the bite closing, feeling pretty good about the chunk I’d taken.

“Look at you, guard dog,” Seattle praised. I met his eyes and he winked. “We’ll make one hell of a fighter out of you once Boston and I teach you how to handle yourself.”

“You’d do that?” I felt my heart soar. They had faith in me!

“Yeah. We didn’t know you wanted it. I told Boston what you said, and we thought all of you guys learning is a good idea with the changing world. It was never about your size or you being the baby, bro. You’ve just never shown signs of being a fighter. I was wrong. You got it. We’ll make you into a badass ninja or something.”

“Cool.” I smiled and then remembered we weren’t alone. I gave myself a mental talking to that I could ignore my meltdown happening in front of the man I’d fallen for so I could save one shred of pride. Turning to Aurelo, I narrowed my eyes. “Do you mind? I’m talking with my brother who I think told you to fucking leave. I told you to get out. Do you just not care what
anyone
wants besides yourself?”

“You know I do,” he whispered, his face filled with pain as if I’d punched him. “I had to stay to make sure you were okay. I need to explain—”

“I don’t give a fuck what
you need
,” I growled. “I’m done. Fine, you don’t really want Milwaukee. You made a last ditch effort and it backfired. Either way, it just confirms I was right. You don’t manipulate the people you love and I won’t be with someone like that. So it’s over. I don’t play games and I don’t want people in my life who do. You hurt me, I’m done, no more talking, nothing left to say, get the fuck out.”

“If that’s what you want. I’m so sorry, Chicago. All I wanted was to love you and be with you. I didn’t mean to fuck it all up so horribly,” he choked out. The grief in his voice hit me like a punch to the gut as he stood and stumbled out of the bathroom, closing the door behind us. I stared at it after he was gone, part of me wishing he was coming back.

“I’m proud of you. That couldn’t have been easy,” Seattle muttered, knowing we could be heard through the thin walls of the bathroom, as he smoothed back my hair. “Are you really that okay with all this?”

I met his gaze knowing I didn’t even have to answer when the tears started falling. He pulled me close, hugging me tightly with his big arms, and told me everything was going to be okay while I cried until there were no more tears left.

But we both knew it was a lie.

10

“Your turn,” I said to Julus the next night. We’d crashed for thirty-six hours when we’d stopped the second time, and I’d had my meltdown, with the goal of sleep and to get back on the night time driving pattern.

We’d made good time to St. Louis and were taking a food break. Julus, Boston, and I were watching the Hummers as everyone else ran to the bathroom and got food.

“His turn for what?” Boston asked, glancing between us before putting the gas pump into the cradle.

“Private conversation,” Julus muttered, his eyes never leaving mine. “I heard parts of what happened. I really don’t want to go now.”

“Hey, the deal was
you
went, and if I was wrong, I’d give Aurelo a chance. Hell, I gave him one by accident and it went monumentally bad. So I’d call that just a trade. No welching. Isn’t there rules against that for vampires?”

His eyes went wide as he looked me up and down. “When did you get so bold?”

“Apparently get fucked with and fucked over too often screws with my passiveness. Your turn. You made a deal.”

“Fine, but you still have to keep your end of the bet.” He held up a hand when I opened my mouth. “That’s
not
what happened. From what I heard it was a comedy of errors and another fuckup on his part out of desperation. Let him prove to you how much he loves you and really feels.”

“I don’t even know how now, Julus. I really don’t.” I rubbed my chest as I looked away from him.

“Let him convince us,” Boston joked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about but it sounds like you’re talking impossible obstacle courses. If you’re looking for one for Aurelo, that’s what I’d go with. If he can convince the five of us how much he loves you and is right for you, then we lock you two in a room for twenty-four hours until you work it out, fuck it out, or you send him out in pieces.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Julus agreed with a nod and a smile.

“I don’t think he’d even agree to it anymore.” I glanced over to the burger joint they were all inside of across the parking lot. “Yeah, sure fine. If he even thinks I’m worth it and gets through my five brothers, I’ll agree to being trapped in a room with him and he can try to convince me.”

“I didn’t think you’d agree to that after what happened,” Julus hedged.

I focused on him with a sad smile. “You have siblings?” He nodded and I shrugged. “What would you do or
endure
to see one of them happy?” His eyes lit up with understanding. Yeah, it was like that. I would make this deal because Julus was on the edge of chickening out and I wanted Seattle happy. Even if it meant sending me to hell for twenty-four hours.

Besides after how harsh I was to Aurelo before he left the bathroom and biting him I didn’t think he’d care enough to try. He hadn’t so much as looked at me since.

“We have an accord.” He stuck out his hand and I shook it. Then I couldn’t help but laugh as the vampire shook out his arms and jumped up and down a few times as if preparing for a fight instead of asking Seattle a question or two.

“What is going on?” Boston hissed under his breath as we watched the show of preparation.

“Hopefully something good. Gods, I could use some fucking good right now.” That’s all I’d say. I wouldn’t ruin the surprise or out Julus in case he couldn’t go through with it.

Julus settled down before everyone came back outside, looking the picture of calm and cool. I wanted to learn to do that one day, bury my emotions like that. As of now, I sucked at it.

“No, you’re going to want to see this,” I mumbled to Boston under my breath as I grabbed his arm when he moved to take his turn inside. He nodded and stilled.

When Seattle reached the H2 he’d been driving, he shot us all a curious glance before Julus took the bag of food out of his hand and gave it to a startled Orlando. “Hey, that’s my—”

“Did you love me ever?” Julus blurted out. Seattle froze and then very slowly turned his head until he met Julus’s eyes. “When we were together did you love me?”

My brother swallowed loudly. “Why are you asking—”

“Let me be clear about this, Seattle,” Julus said in a careful voice. “You get this
one
chance to set things right between us. I deserve at least these answers from you, do I not?”

“Yes.”

He raised an eyebrow and stared down my brother. “To which question.”

Seattle ran his hands over his hair and took a deep lungful of air before letting it out in a shaky breath. “Yes, you deserve these answers from me and so much more for the way I screwed up. And yes, I loved you when we were together. I loved you so much it killed a big part of me when you left.”

Julus opened and closed his mouth a moment before sucking in a harsh breath. “Do you still love me?”

“Yes. I never stopped loving you, and I will love you until the day I die and probably after.”

“Why did you never tell me?” Julus whispered as he wrapped his arms around his stomach. “How could you
not
tell me, Seattle?”

“Did you love me?” Seattle moved slightly closer, and I wondered if he even realized he did it.

“You know I did. I told you I did.”

“Yes, but your actions didn’t support it. I thought actions were more important, and to me, mine always said that I loved you.”

“That’s not fair. You put
everything
before me. That’s why I left. Not because I didn’t love you and to me that said I didn’t matter to you.”

“I put my family before you. My duty to our people and the job that we both know wasn’t just a job. We saved lives of those who needed us, Julus. I didn’t put rebuilding some rich guy’s engine before your needs. If it wasn’t those two very important things, you came before all else and sometimes before the other things if I could manage it. I was upfront that I would always return to my family when my time serving Parliament was done.”

“But you didn’t say I was welcome.”

“You never said you’d want to be with me afterwards to come,” Seattle threw right back. “At least I made sure you knew it wasn’t just a fling to me. You never did.”

Julus opened his mouth but then snapped it shut as he studied Seattle’s face, looking for something. Answers maybe? An indication of what to do next? “You’re right. I didn’t. I thought telling you I loved you forever made it pretty damn clear I was yours. That all you had to do was say the words and I would follow you to the ends of the earth but you never said them.”

“If I had known that was all you needed, I would have said it the first time you told me you loved me,” Seattle whispered sadly as he reached for Julus. About halfway to touching the vampire’s cheek, he dropped his hand. Julus snagged it in the air and placed it on his face. My brother blinked at the man in shock.

“All you have to do is say the words, Seattle. I have conditions and a few rules so we don’t fall into the exact same pitfalls, but all I really need is for you to say the words.”

Seattle’s chest started rising and falling rapidly as he seemed frozen in place for a few moments. Then in the blink of an eye he had Julus pressed up against the Hummer. “I love you and I want you forever, Julus. Stay with my family and be one of us. Never leave me again.”

“I’ll have to think about it.”

“Oh, of course,” Seattle mumbled and moved away a couple of steps.

“I’ve thought about it. Yes.”

“You brat!” Seattle snarled and mashed his mouth down to Julus’s. I smiled as they made out with such passion we all felt it like jolt of electricity. Even the overwhelming smell of gas from the station couldn’t put a damper on it. Hell, to them it probably smelled like the best perfume.

“That was the deal? If he asked Seattle what he really felt for Julus, you’d give Aurelo a second chance?” Boston asked me quietly. I saw my ex-lover’s head snap in my direction and I pretended not to notice.

“No, it was a bet. I bet him that Seattle loved him, and if he just asked, that our brother would tell him that. If Seattle didn’t, then I had to give Aurelo a chance to explain about Paolo and show what I meant to him. When things went ass up, Julus got nervous and upped the stakes.”

“What’s the deal now?” Milwaukee asked, having been close enough to overhear us.

“Boston came up with it,” I drawled. “He thought we were coming up with impossible obstacle courses and said Aurelo’s would be to get through the five of you. If he can convince the five of you that he truly loves me and is what’s best for me, then I agree to be locked in a room with him for twenty-four hours and really listen to him. That was the deal I agreed to.”

“Why would you concede to that?” Aurelo whispered, suddenly right by me.

I nodded to Seattle and Julus who were now just coming up for air. “You’re an only child so you don’t get it but I would do anything to see my brothers happy like that. Besides I didn’t think
you’d
be up for putting forth any effort for me after what I said and did.”

“To get you alone in a room for a whole day where you can’t run and will listen to me?” Aurelo asked as his eyes danced with joy and hope. “I’d do a lot more than what you’re asking of me.”

“Maybe but you still won’t get there,” Milwaukee said firmly as he eyed Aurelo with disgust. “There’s no way you’re convincing all of us you’re what’s best for Chicago much less you really love him. I’m going to come up with a plan to drop you in the ocean after DC.”

“Milwaukee, he doesn’t deserve that,” I hedged.

My brother shook his head before meeting my gaze. “Maybe not but things have changed now.”

“How so?” Boston asked, glancing between us.

“We’re going back to the coven for sure now.” Milwaukee gestured to Seattle and Julus. “Chicago won’t let his shit with Aurelo break them up. It’s the best play for us as a family, for Julus and Seattle, and for the coven. Chicago will suck it up and do what’s right and die inside because he’ll see Aurelo all the time. He’ll be trapped in emotional hell and never allowed to move on.”

“When you put it like that the ocean doesn’t sound like such a bad option,” Boston agreed as he looked at Aurelo. It was then I noticed so were Phoenix and Orlando. I should have intervened and told them they were being ridiculous. I should have told them to cut it out. A better man would have. A better man would have thrown some logic at them.

Should have. Would have. But didn’t. I stood there and smiled as Aurelo squirmed under the combined weight of their gazes.