Of Wish and Fury (Seven Kings of Jinn)

Much to her annoyance, Ari had to listen to reason.

From there, she listened as they put together teams, her eyes straying to Jai every two seconds. He looked over and caught her watching him, and her heart thudded as their gazes locked. She felt herself turn hot under his unfathomable regard and knew deep down she was bound even more to him than before for having saved his life.

“Jai?” Gerard snapped, drawing their attention from one another. The leader frowned at them, and Ari blushed at how inappropriately distracted they were.

Jai cleared his throat. “Yes?”

“You’re taking Charlie and Fallon tonight. You’ll be hitting Club A — it’s in the Warehouse District.”

Uneasiness tightened Ari’s chest as Fallon reached for the address. This was so much worse now, knowing they could head into danger without her. Ari’s stomach churned as the team talked for another forty-five minutes, going over protocol and handing out talismans. Finally, Jacob stood up to lead them out, and Ari watched numbly as they streamed out of the conference room.

“Ari, you coming?” Fallon asked, pushing her chair back from the table.

“Just give me a minute.” She smiled weakly, and Fallon nodded, hurrying to follow Jack and Charlie out. Jai still sat at the head of the conference table, watching her. She flushed as Charlie frowned from the doorway. He gave her a sharp nod that broke her heart, for despite its sharpness, there was some kind of understanding there. The door shut quietly in his wake, leaving her alone in the room with Jai.

His look burned through her and Ari shivered with a goosepimply heat. She held her breath, waiting. The thick silence stretched between them, the air filled with unspoken words.

The door opened and a member of the hotel staff poked her head around the jamb. “Could you please vacate the room? There’s a meeting booked in here in fifteen minutes and we have to set up.”

“Of course.” Jai nodded and stood to his feet. The girl smiled tightly and disappeared just as Ari, too, slowly rose. Ari wanted to launch herself at Jai as he stalked toward her, kiss him, hit him… persuade him.

Love him.

Beats puttered out to a splutter against her ribs as Jai stopped inches from her, the scent of him rushing over her, making her eyelashes flutter a little. She clenched her fists together to stop herself from pulling him close and burying her nose against his neck.

For once, his beautiful green eyes weren’t carefully blank. There was wariness there, confusion. Fear maybe. Slowly he lifted a hand, his fingers brushing her cheek, curling along her jawline and then around her ear. Ari shivered, bussing into his touch, hope — unwanted — but blossoming within.

His rough, hoarse voice jolted her back to reality. “When this is done… we… we need to talk.”

“Jai?” What did that mean? Was that good or bad? “What—”

The door cut her off, slamming open, and two staff members barged in with a refreshment trolley. Ari stifled her irritation and instead enjoyed the feel of Jai’s hand in hers as he led her from the room.

And then all hope of questioning him was dashed as they came face to face with Fallon at the elevator. She raised an eyebrow at their clasped hands. “Adonis, you’re needed in Charlie’s room with me so we can go over our plans for this evening.”

His hand slipped from Ari’s grasp, and she shivered again, but this time from fear. He looked down at her, his expression careful and closed again. “We’ll walk you to your room where you have to promise to stay for the rest of the night.”

“I promise.” Ari sighed heavily. “Just don’t do anything stupid like getting yourself killed. I’ll be majorly pissed.”

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

IT WAS SO OBVIOUS ONCE I KNEW

Jai’s heart banged against his ribs, the blood rushed in his ears, his whole body alive with the beat and adrenaline. He’d been this way since he’d spoken to Ari in the conference room. Studying her, watching the way her green/blue/gold/hazel/ eyes glimmered with worry for everyone, for him, as she listened to the guild plan their attempts to catch Dalí without her, this overwhelming feeling had crashed over him, freezing him to his chair. Then she’d looked at him, her emotions open and bleeding out of her. Jai had never felt more wanted or needed in his life. And he knew then he would never want or need anyone the way he wanted and needed Ari. This whole time he had been trying to convince himself that he just cared about her as he would a friend. That he’d be happy as long as he knew she was safe and alive somewhere, even if he didn’t get to see her. But that wasn’t true. The thought of some other guy getting to touch her, kiss her, protect her… it… it killed him. It physically hurt.