hoping I was convincin’ you to give me a second chance.”
“I don’t even know what the hell that means.”
He sighed. “We’ll talk. Come out with me.”
Of course he couldn’t phrase it like a question. Why would he? He was Grim the hunter, and people always did what he demanded of them. I sighed. “Come with you where?”
He stared at me for several beats before barking out a laugh. “Of course you can’t do nothin’ the easy way.” He shook his head.
“Do you know me?”
He chuckled, hooked his arm around my neck, and stepped up in my space as he nibbled on my lips. “Maybe we should go for a round two and skip the whole dating shit.”
I pushed out of his arms. “If you think I’m going to let you fuck me again so soon after what you did last night, you’re out of your damn mind.”
He sighed. “Fine, fine. I’ll take you out to breakfast, then.” He nodded to his beat-up little truck. Was that a blood stain on the side? “Come on.” He started walking away.
“What makes you so sure I’m gonna follow you?”
That cocky grin made an appearance again as he walked backward to face me. “Because I do know ya, witch.” This time he made witch sound like an endearment and not a curse. “Now come on, I’m starving. I’ve been banging on your wards for damn near thirty minutes. I called you at least ten times before that. Why the hell didn’t you answer?”
“I had my phone on silent. How did you find my house?”
He shrugged. “I’m a hunter, Basil, I know how to find things.”
I rolled my eyes at that non-answer, then sighed. I guess he did know me because hell if I didn’t follow that bastard to his car.
When I opened his car door, Ailin called over, “Basil.”
I sighed. “What?”
“You’re not going with him.”
I turned to face Ailin and rolled my eyes. “You do realize that I’m an adult that works for the BCA, right? I face scarier things than him every day.”
“Not true,” Hiro mumbled.
I shot him a look and said, “Not the time,” then faced Ailin again. “I promise he’s fine.”
Ailin’s jaw ticked as some of his green magic swirled around him. My brother-slash-dad had always had issues keeping his magic locked down when he was pissed. He ground out, “I know nothing about him. I’m not letting you go.”
Straightening my shoulders, I faced him and said, “His name is Hiro Grimsby, and he’s my viramore, Ailin. I’ll be fine.” I shot Hiro some side-eyes, ready for him to deny it, but to my surprise, he didn’t say a thing.
Ailin’s eyes widened for a moment. “Your viramore?”
“Yes, so you have nothing to worry about. He can’t hurt me.” Physically, at least. Hurting your viramore went against your nature, so I was safe in that regard. My heart was another matter entirely.
Ailin’s eyes narrowed as he focused on Hiro, saying, “If you hurt my kid, I’ll fucking rip you apart.”
I opened my mouth to yell at him, but Hiro beat me to it. “I’m not gonna hurt him.”
“My family has a long reach, hunter. I promise you you’ll regret it if you hurt him.” Ailin’s eyes flashed green. I stifled a sigh at his display even though I knew he wasn’t flashing his magic on purpose; he was just concerned.
Hiro nodded once. “I understand.”
Ailin gave him a nod back, then turned to me and said, “Be careful, kiddo.” He threw a phone at me that I automatically caught. “Jorah brought your phone over. Call me if you need me, or at least talk to your brothers.”
I nodded in understanding. “I will, but I’ll be fine.”
Ailin offered me a small smile, sent Hiro a glare, then walked back through our wards, so Hiro and I got into his truck.
“Guess I already met the famous Ailin Ellwood,” Hiro said as he put the truck in drive. “He was… intense.”
I snorted. “Yeah, but he seems to be mellowing out now that a bunch of his kids have found their viramores.”
“That was him mellowed out?” Hiro’s voice went up an octave, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Yep. Definitely mellowed out.”
He shook his head, then said, “So… didn’t realize you were his kid.”
“Kinda.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“My family is complicated.”
“So explain it.”
I turned to him and waved off the question so I could ask one of my own. “Why are you here?”
He sighed. “I told you I wanted to talk.”
“Why?”
He hesitated before quietly saying, “Because I believe