Thirst (Hellish #4)(24)
“To be fair, I’m sort of getting dragged along here,” Kallus said, sounding petulant.
Baptiste growled. “By all means, feel free to run back to whatever and whoever you were doing before Lire scooped you up.”
“I picked him up outside your house, pacing and practicing his speech to win you back.”
“What?” Baptiste and Jonathan said simultaneously.
Lire nodded. “He was being quite loud. I don’t know how you couldn’t hear him.”
Jonathan massaged the spot between his eyes. “We brought him in for abandoning his mate, and you picked him up when he was about to go back?”
Lire shrugged. “You didn’t tell me why you wanted him.”
“What the fook has been going on while I was in Scotland?” Niall asked, bringing all eyes his way.
Jonathan twisted his fingers. “I was unsupervised too long.”
Niall stared at him expressionless.
Jonathan took a deep breath. He was so getting spanked later, and he couldn’t wait.
“I’m going to bed.”
Jonathan nodded. “Okay, I—”
“I expect you there in the next five minutes,” Niall said, cutting him off. He switched his gaze Lire’s way. “Take your men back to bed like Jonathan’s been telling you all goddamn day.” Lire nodded, and the three disappeared. Niall pinned the three men in the bed beneath his dark stare. “You can stay here or go home. I don’t care. But whatever you decide, the next time you visit, you’ll use the damn door like normal fooking people. We’ve never disrespected your home, and I expect the same. Jonathan is not your personal plaything. He’s mine. His time is mine. Everything under this roof is mine. I did not waltz into town and throw my power around, but so help me, I will make you sorry if you do not give my husband peace.”
Jonathan spent a lot of time turned on, but Niall’s anger had him hotter than he could remember being in a long time. He could barely breathe beneath the onslaught of desire.
“You lucky bastard,” Kallus muttered beside him, making Jonathan smile.
He patted Kallus’ chest. “Goodnight.” Without looking back, Jonathan followed Niall from the room—like an invisible chain tethered him. They knew what was going on and understood now what they were up against. The three men could work out the rest on their own. Jonathan had a punishment to endure. He fully intended to get right on that and beg for forgiveness, or more. Whatever.
He’d left for a reason. Now here Eirik and Kallus were, invading his space and making it impossible for him to think. Under his breath, Baptiste chanted a spell, making it impossible for Eirik to take him without his permission. The men disappeared before immediately reappearing when they realized Baptiste wasn’t with them.
Eirik’s face was thunderous with outrage. “I’m trying to make things right.”
“I left for a reason.” Baptiste words came out in a growl. He couldn’t hide his aggravation if he tried. There was no holding back his anger. “Three years. Three fucking years,” he said, ready to punch someone. Baptiste switched his gaze between the men, ensuring they recognized his fury was meant for them both. “Someone start talking. Explain why you would do this to me.”
“I didn’t want to give Mammon any reason to keep coming after you,” Kallus said, speaking up first.
“He did anyway,” Baptiste said, exploding despite his continued internal lectures to calm down. “And just as I did before, I walked away without a scratch. Do you have no faith in me, or was I just that easy to throw away once Eirik was gone?” Baptiste didn’t give him time to answer before turning his rage Eirik’s way. “And you, I don’t even know where to start. You were right there, watching me suffer. Why?”
“I’m the reason Kallus was tortured and the two of you were almost killed. The wolves were after Mammon on my order. I kept thinking the danger would pass any day and I wouldn’t have to fear putting you in danger any longer. It never crossed my mind it would take three years to be free of Mammon.”
“None of this is explaining anything,” Baptiste roared, surprising even himself by the explosiveness of his anger. “I’m perfectly capable of handling myself. There’s twelve hundred years of my people’s magic living inside me, topped with the power of vampires. I’m not afraid. Every day, I relished the thought of Mammon returning, because I knew I could finish the fight. Why don’t you believe in me as I’ve always believed in both of you?”
Eirik stroked his face. “Little Mouse, you shouldn’t have to fight.”
It was the wrong move and the wrong words. Baptiste scrambled from the bed. He watched the men’s gazes turn hungry as they eyed his nude body. Baptiste hated that their expressions made his heart skip a beat. Anger was all he had right now. They’d left him. Maybe it had been in different ways, but they’d abandoned him to his pain and emptiness. With every thought, his fury grew until it couldn’t be contained.
“Why can’t you admit you think I’m weak?” Baptiste slammed his hand down, further cracking the wooden footboard. “Did you switch your guard duty between Kallus and me, or did you leave him unguarded?”
Neither man spoke, but they visibly fought not to look at each other. He didn’t need them to answer. Baptiste knew there was no way Eirik had spent every day with him and guarded Kallus.