Administrative Control (Immortal Ops) (6 page)

He’d been wrong.

Jinx had said Asher was even more than what Lukian now thought. What the hell else was left?

Asher had his reasons for keeping what he was to himself. Lukian would respect that. He’d also respect what he was guessing was about to happen. The colonel was going to do something Lukian could only guess he’d wanted to do for a very long time.

Take his woman.

Lukian motioned to Roi. “Brother, this is our cue to leave. Give Jinx to him. They have a lot to discuss.”

Roi swung his head around, still holding the redhead against him in a protective manner. But, there was no denying Roi was shit at comforting anyone. “Are you fucking seeing what I’m seeing? The colonel is a shifter?”

“With magik,” added Eadan, looking as surprised by the events as Roi.

Nodding, Lukian stood in place. He was taken aback by it all as well but had lived long enough to know things would work out on their own. Additional interference on the part of Lukian and his men could cause more damage than good. “I see. Now let’s go.”

Roi turned Jinx away from Asher. “She’s not very happy with him right now and I can’t say I blame her. I’m pissed with him too. Shifter?”

Eadan stood next to Roi, attempting to pat Jinx’s back as well. Neither man seemed to be worth his salt in the soothing department. “Magik.”

“It’s amazing I can take you two anywhere,” said Lukian. He eased Jinx from Roi and touched her shoulders. “Are you okay to be left with Asher? He won’t hurt you, you know that, right?”

She hiccupped as she cried. “I might hurt him.”

“Understandable,” returned Lukian. She had every right to be angry with Asher. He spoke to his men, “We need to get out of here and call our wives back. Or do you want them thinking we ended up spending the night here?”

That seemed to snap the men out of their stupors.

Roi shot forward. “Bye, Colonel, we’ll get you in the morning. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do. Wait, strike that. Don’t do anything Green wouldn’t do.”

Lukian laughed as his men hurried out the door.

Chapter Six

Asher had to temper his breathing. His thoughts remained on Jasper, and what he’d been about to do—kill Jinx. Asher had nearly failed her again. His memories went to the past. Of when Asher had been too late to protect Jinx from an evil man—a man he’d put her with. He would never be able to fix the wrong he’d committed long ago—the one that had allowed her to be in the presence of the madman, Fabianus, at all. Killing him had given Asher no peace on the matter.

Nothing ever would.

The part of himself that he kept hidden away from everyone, normally himself included, surfaced again at a degree he couldn’t stop. He felt himself losing control. This was the moment he’d feared would come to pass. The moment he turned into his father’s son and repeated history. The very idea of it all pushed him closer to the brink of no return.

Jinx stayed a few steps from him, hurt and tears on her beautiful face. Her eyes looked haunted and he knew by what, or rather who—him. He’d caused those. His sole goal in life had been keeping her safe and far from him. He’d caused her pain again. It was what he did best.

“Why?” she demanded, her voice clipped.

He swallowed hard. The truth of it all had been on the tip of his tongue for so long yet it didn’t seem to want to come. He half considered running away like the coward he’d been in regards to Jinx. He held his ground. She knew of his past. Of what he shared a bloodline with. “I wanted to protect you from me.”

“Asher, you are not your father,” she said, making him flinch. “You’re a good man. You’d never do what he did. Ever.”

“You do not know that, Jeneathea,” he said, knowing he was slipping into old speech habits again. He’d thought he left them behind in his toga-wearing days. Clearly, he’d been wrong. “I look just like him.”

“That means nothing,” she said, wiping tears from her cheeks.

He wanted to comfort her but stood rooted in place, fearing he’d done too much damage already. She’d turn him away for good now. “I would never forgive myself if I hurt you.”

Jinx came right at him and pushed on his chest. “Idiot.”

He didn’t respond. After all, she was right. He was a total idiot.

She walked over Jasper’s body and the pooling blood on the floor and went behind the bar. She returned with a damp washcloth and began to wipe his face as though he were a child. He let her, enjoying her touch too much to tell her no. She moved to his hands next, cleaning them as well.

“You are a giant idiot,” she said.

“You mentioned that already,” he returned with a small quirk of his lips.

“How long have you known I’m your mate?” she asked.

He glanced up at the ceiling. “So, do you the think the blood will wash out of there?”

She hit him in the gut. “Asher!”

He sighed. “From the moment I met you.”

She was quiet a moment. “That was well over a thousand years ago.”

He whistled and rocked on the balls of his feet. “Give or take a few centuries.”

She hit him again and the tears returned. He couldn’t take the tears. He grabbed for her, pulling her against him. His lips met her temple and he held her there, wanting to keep her near him forever.

“Why?”

“You know why,” he whispered. “I wanted to keep history from repeating itself. My father caused the deaths of so many in his fit of rage with my mother. I didn’t want to repeat that. It was better if you found happiness elsewhere.”

“You mean with Fabianus?” she asked, venom in her voice.

Asher held her arms and moved her back enough to look her in the eyes. “Had I known the truth of him I would have never left him with you. I thought he’d care for you and treat you as the treasure you are. I thought he’d love you.”

She pushed and tried to step away from him. “There are files you need to see and then you need to go—for good. Don’t ever come back.”

It felt as if someone had gutted him. He refused to let her go as his beast surfaced quickly. “Mine!”

Jinx paled more. “Asher, no!”

He yanked her to him and kissed her until he no longer could because of his shifting mouth. He put his teeth to her creamy smooth neck. “Mine.”

Jinx ran her hands into the back of his hair and held him to her. He could smell her succubus side and knew it was on overdrive. He knew he should walk away and let her hate him. He couldn’t.

“Say it,” he pushed out.

“No.”
 

He blinked in confusion. Had she rejected his claim on her? He bit into her tender flesh, her blood coating his tongue, his side of the claiming process complete. His magik wrapped around them both but met with resistance.

Dammit.

She had rejected him.

He was mated to her but she was free to do as she pleased. Of course his mate would be a stubborn redhead and of course she’d reject him.

You took forever and a day to claim her. Serves you right, jackass
, he thought as he licked the wound on her neck, healing it instantly.

He stared down at her, releasing his ironclad grip on her. “You said no?”

With her eyes narrowed, she nodded. “You’re damn right I said no. You do not get to waltz in here after all this time and lay claim to me out of the blue.”

Heat stained his cheeks and he could only guess at how red they were. “I’d hardly call it out of the blue. I’ve had a very long time to think about it.”
 

“I’ve had less than five minutes,” she spat, looking even more beautiful as her ire showed through. His woman was the sexiest woman ever. She was also pretty pissed at him and he couldn’t exactly blame her. If roles were reversed he’d feel betrayed as well, especially considering their history.

She moved away from him, her hand going to her chest as if her heart hurt. “Asher, you bought me and gave me to another man.”

Guilt swept over him. “Those were different times, Jinx. You know as well as I do that setting you free then wasn’t an option. It wasn’t done back then. You were an unmated supernatural female in a sea of males wanting a mate.”

She put her back to him. “So you gave me to a sick bastard for safe keeping.”

Had Asher known the truth and that Fabianus was a heartless bastard who wanted to collect pretty things only to abuse them, he’d have taken Jinx elsewhere. He’d have hidden her away.

You should have claimed her then.

He exhaled slowly. “I killed him.”

She faced him. “Who?”
 

“Fabianus.”
 

Her eyes widened. “That was you?”
 

He nodded.
 

Her bottom lip trembled. “They suspected me. Had I not been too beaten to move, they would have taken my head for his death.”
 

Asher moved to her and wrapped his arms around her. “I would never have allowed that.”

“If it wasn’t for that sweet elderly woman, I wouldn’t have been smuggled out of Rome. I’d probably have been handed a death sentence.”

He rubbed her arms. “That sweet, elderly woman was there to do my bidding, Jinx. She is extended family.”
 

She twisted in his arms. “She’s a demi-god?”

Asher closed his eyes for a split second. “The great-great-granddaughter of one, yes. So she aged, albeit slowly, but still aged.”

“Did she pass?” asked Jinx, concern in her voice.

“Yes. Long ago.”
 

“I would have liked to thank her,” she said, pressing against him. “Why didn’t you come for me yourself?”

“I couldn’t face you. I was ashamed of myself and my actions. Of giving you to Fabianus to start with. Of so much. But mostly I was afraid of turning into my father.”

People today still knew of his father’s wrath, though humans weren’t aware of the truth of it all. They thought it an act of nature. Supernaturals knew better. At least the ancient ones did. Modern supernaturals tended to believe much the same way humans did—that the gods were myths and their offspring nothing more than stories told to simple-minded people looking to explain away what they could not understand.

If only that were true.

Pompeii might have stood a chance then. Mount Vesuvius might not have erupted at all, or for many thousands of years. His father’s rage had led to its eruption and to the death of so many. His father, a demi-god himself, had great power over fire—hence Asher’s name.

A more fitting name had never been bestowed upon a son for Asher, son of the ash maker, had held that stigma for centuries. After time, the old ways began to die and fewer and fewer immortals from this time remained. Those that did had other concerns than a city covered in ash and pumice.

He had taken solace in the way he’d managed to separate himself from it all. He’d dedicated his life to making a difference. He’d been in too many wars to count and had been a soldier all of his life. That had not changed. Only the countries he served had.

He’d not wanted his men to know his ugly past. He’d hoped they’d never see him as others viewed his father—a monster.

Chapter Seven

Jinx remained in place, held by Asher, knowing he was deep in thought. The man was probably trapped in the past again. It was what he did. He held the guilt and shame of actions that were not his. She touched his cheek, his dark and smoldering gaze sweeping to her. His look was able to excite her to the point that cream began to pool at the apex of her thighs.
 

“You claimed me,” she stated evenly.

“I did and you rejected me.” He grimaced. There was hurt in his deep voice.

“Can you really blame me?” she asked, giving him a visual once-over because no more words needed to be spoken on the matter. He knew what he’d done. He knew how long he’d kept her in the dark.

His face was drawn. “No.”

“Since you’re technically married to me but I’m pretty much free to do as I please, I wouldn’t be opposed if you asked again,” she said with a sultry smile, knowing he needed hope.
 

He tipped his head, bringing his lips closer to hers. “No?”

“You had centuries to think about this, Asher. I just needed a few more minutes than you gave me.” She kept her hand on his face. She already knew she could spend forever looking into his eyes. They were eyes she’d never tire of.

“I don’t deserve you,” he stated, his shoulders slumping.

She knew he believed what he was saying. He saw himself as a stain on humanity. Something that should have been erased long ago, in the ash that claimed so many—including his mother and younger sister. The man had suffered enough. He’d been paying a penance that wasn’t his to pay and it needed to end. She understood he might never be able to use his powers as others might think he should. There would always be a risk with them, but she’d be there by his side to help him along the way. And if he chose to continue to try to minimize the number of people who knew the truth of him, she’d help him.

“I was just thinking it was me who didn’t deserve you,” she replied as she went to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. She wanted to be hurt that he’d bought her and given her away all those years ago, but had he not, who knows what would have happened? He hadn’t been secure enough in himself to claim her and she wouldn’t have had the control over her succubus side back then. Odds were, they would have ended tragically as his parents had.

As hurt as she was that he’d waited so long to tell her the truth, she had to admire him to a degree. As a shifter male, he couldn’t be with another woman after meeting his mate. She was keenly aware of this in her line of work. That meant, the man standing before her, holding her and looking at her with nothing short of love on his face, had not lain with a woman in over a thousand years.

That was dedication.

It was also completely unacceptable. The man needed sex and she was going to make good and sure he got it. She’d waited long enough for him. She’d be damned if she waited a second more. She seized hold of the back of his neck and forced him to kiss her more.
 

Asher put his arms out wide and Jinx laughed into his mouth. She allowed her succubus powers to ease up and over him. Growling, he yanked hard on her before lifting her off her feet.