“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.”