Gargoyle (Woodland Creek)(18)
I quickly pivoted on my chair, and stood to my feet, holding my hands out in either of their directions in the universal ‘stop’ gesture. “There will be no fighting in here.” My tone was serious, even if entirely breathless, my chest heaving. “I’m a human. Remember? I won’t be able to handle that kind of violent power this close.”
Isaac actually grinned, a wicked, sinful tilt of his lips, glancing at me. “Why do you think I haven’t unleashed it?” A black brow quirked, a head tilt at the overturned table. “Besides, if that little bit of vehemence scared you, then you’d probably scream even more like a girl than you just did, and then faint before us like a weeping willow if you really saw what we’d like to do to each other.”
Jonathan growled, even as my eyes narrowed at the Mayor. “What kind of damn game are you playing this time, Isaac?” He was standing stock still, holding himself back. “You may not have been able to stop it that f*cking night, but you know she’s mine now. You know you can’t have her. You know you will push me past my point of patience if you even think about it, which would most definitely mean I would no longer sit back while certain shifters attack my people. Not to mention, Mrs. Stone would never allow her in your bed again. So what the f*ck are you doing?”
Isaac’s gaze snapped from me to Jonathan, altering and glowing. He stalked forward until he was an inch away from my outstretched hand, and then he leaned forward, pressing his stomach against my palm. His stomach muscles clenched, his eyes dead set on his enemy as he hissed furiously, “Don’t think for a second that I can’t handle my mother. I’ve been doing it for far too long not to know how to handle that bitch.” His head cocked, his Gargoyle peeking out as he stared him down. “Don’t you think the more adamant question is why did Hanna send her to me in the first place? The true package she sent that night was Kennedy. To me. She knew we would spend the night together, and you know as well as I do, she knew the two of you were together. That wizard knows everything.”
Jonathan slowly leaned back from the balls of his feet. He stopped glaring, but he flicked a hand in the Mayor’s direction—even as he started stalking back and forth between the overturned table and my front door. “Quit leaning on her. I’m trying to think, and I can’t with you touching her.”
I swiftly yanked my hand back, crossing my arms, not touching Isaac’s hot stomach any longer. The situation had calmed some. My man, Jonathan, always thought with his head before his fists, this situation no different…even if the Mayor might have helped him get past his jealousy.
Isaac leaned back, away from me, his expression calming as he watched Jonathan pace. His lips twitched the barest bit when Jonathan’s back was to him, and he turned and strode easy on his bare feet back to the coffee table. He lifted the bag of quickly diminishing eggrolls and munched silently, the bag crinkling every so often as we watched Jonathan march back and forth, the muscles in his biceps bulging as he continued to stretch his fingers down by his side, then clench his hands into fists.
Absurdly for this situation, I noticed… “That’s a new sweater.”
He glanced once at me in his trek. “I got it today.”
It was black, and appeared delicately soft, stretching across his torso beautifully. “I like it.”
He snorted softly, then peered away from me on his walk. “I saw you looking at it in the store.”
My blink was gradual, comprehension dawning. “You followed me.”
An absent finger flick, his forehead creased in thought as he stared at the carpet he was wearing out. “Technically, I didn’t. I’ve had a man following you, making sure you stayed safe. He called to tell me your whereabouts, and I actually was in the area. But when I saw you were with Rachel and Jackie, I left you alone.” Another finger flick and mumbled words. “Jackie’s going through something right now.”
I hummed quietly. “Yes, she is.” My head cocked. “How long has your man been—”
“Since we started dating.”
My blink was gradual, my words quiet. “You knew.”
His lips curled the barest bit, a cruel tilt as he glanced up from under his dangling red hair. “I knew he was a shifter since it had happened at the shifter building. I didn’t know it was him.”
I stood like a stump. “Oh.” Until my eyes narrowed the barest bit. He had pretended not to know. “I’m not happy with you.”
He chuckled quietly, a quiet menace in the air. “Back at you.” He ran a hand through his hair, tugging a bit on it, and then he turned abruptly, sharply pointing at the door, his gaze scanning the other occupants. “Your eavesdropping is done. Everyone except Kennedy and Isaac leaves. Now.”
Caleb chuckled softly, picking up his trash. “I had wondered how long it would be before you asked us to leave.” With that, carting the leftovers of his dinner, he began exiting my apartment…and with a small flash of wizard magic, my table, and our dinner was completely fixed, including the wall.
I blinked, calling loudly before the door shut, “Thank you!”
Caleb glanced back. “It’s the least I can do for intruding as I did.” He shut the door behind him.
Isaac crumpled up the empty eggroll bag, nonchalantly tossing it on the coffee table, watching his actions, his tone bored. “Go home, Mike.”