Chapter 13 #2
Nikhail closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his wits after that mind-melding kiss, and released River’s hand.
Standing, he turned and held up his hands. “Ryker, I can explain—”
His best friend’s fist flew.
Even with the wind’s warning, Nikhail wasn’t quite fast enough to avoid the water fae’s anger. Ryker’s punch caught him in the corner of his jaw, and pain reverberated through him.
“Fuck,” Nikhail groaned, clutching his face.
“My sister!” Ryker took hold of Nikhail’s shoulders and yanked him away from River. “How fucking dare you, Nik?”
Nikhail pushed against Ryker’s arms without putting his full force behind it. He didn’t want to hurt his friend.
“Release me, and I’ll explain,” he gritted out. “We can talk about this like adults.”
Although, it struck him that there might not be an explanation that would help them out of this situation.
Between the rage of Ryker’s face and the smarting of Nikhail’s jaw, he got the impression that telling his best friend that he’d been drawn to his sister since the moment he first saw her wouldn’t go over well.
He never got the chance to try.
Ryker shoved Nikhail, and he slammed into the wall with a grunt. Picture frames, as gilded as everything else in this hotel, trembled with the impact of his body.
River gasped, and the sound had Nikhail’s insides seizing as he pushed away from the wall.
“Stop!” she cried out, panic lacing her words. “Don’t hurt him.”
Her words seemed to go over Ryker’s head as he formed a fist and tried to punch Nikhail again.
And that was one step too far.
“Cut it out, Ryker,” Nikhail growled.
“No,” was the water fae’s snarled reply. “I told you to stay away from her.”
Nikhail understood that his friend was upset. His anger was at least partially justified.
The first punch, Nikhail would forgive, no questions asked. After all, he had sisters, and he would lay down his life to protect them. Not only that, but this was about River. He cared about her more than anyone else, and he understood wanting to keep her safe. He… loved her.
The thought slammed into Nikhail, stealing his breath.
What a moment to reach such a conclusion. But when Nikhail searched his heart, he realized it was true.
Whether Ryker liked it or not, Nikhail had gone and fallen in love with River. The captain would have to get over it.
Nikhail ducked, evading his best friend’s fist. “That’s enough,” he growled.
Spinning around, he tried to grab Ryker. The water fae eluded him, throwing yet another punch.
“How could you, Nik?” Ryker yelled, fury tinging every word. “She’s my sister!”
He came at Nikhail again. Swearing, Nikhail swung his own fist. It connected with Ryker’s middle. The water fae gasped, charging at him once more.
They were a flurry of fists and grunts. At some point, Nikhail hit Ryker’s jaw. A moment later, Nikhail felt a sharp sting in his nose. Blood poured down his face.
“Fuck,” Nikhail yelled.
He charged at Ryker, but before he could get close, shadows rose from the floor. The dark wisps wrapped around Nikhail. Pinning his arms to his sides, the shadows shoved him against the wall. A glance told him Ryker wasn’t faring any better.
“Well.” Brynleigh stood beside River, arms crossed and a frown on her face. Her wings flared, blocking them from anyone else’s view. “This day certainly took a turn.”
“How could you, Nik?” Ryker sounded no less hurt and angry than he had an hour ago.
Brynleigh had kept them bound in her shadows until they’d both verbally agreed to put an end to the fighting.
Then, Brynleigh had gone back to the party long enough to say goodbye on behalf of the Waterborn children and do what she could to smooth over the way River had run out.
Afterward, she and River had taken the SUV back to the farmhouse, leaving Ryker and Nikhail to find their own way home.
According to the vampire, it would give them time to “work through things.”
Ryker had begun to argue with his wife, but one look from her, and he’d sighed, acquiescing to her demands. In the end, they’d agreed to take Nikhail’s rental car back to the farmhouse, where Brynleigh said they weren’t welcome until they’d figured things out.
Both men had cleaned up, and their fae healing had already kicked in by the time they got in the car. Nikhail had driven them around in silence, giving Ryker time to process.
Pulling off the road into a park near the Waterborns’ farmhouse, Nikhail cut off the engine. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel before looking over at his friend.
Ryker was sitting up straight in the passenger seat, his jaw so hard it could cut glass. Clouds had been rolling in during the ride here. Thunder rumbled ominously in the background.
A warning, and a reminder, of who Nikhail was dealing with.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Nikhail said after a moment, answering Ryker’s previous question.
Ryker’s glare was searing. “So it was an accident? You tripped, and your lips fell onto my sister’s?”
“Fuck you,” Nikhail huffed. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
Nikhail looked outside at the trees cast in the dim light of the setting sun. He gathered his thoughts, choosing his next words with care.
“River and I… we didn’t mean for you to find out like this.”
It was, quite possibly, the worst way Ryker could’ve found out.
Nikhail looked over in time to see a vein in Ryker’s jaw tick. “No, I imagine you didn’t.”
“I’ll admit, things got out of hand. She was so upset, and one thing led to another, and—”
“She’s my sister, Nikhail.” Ryker’s voice was calm. Steady in a way that didn’t match the anger pulsing in the air, and that made things worse. “There are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. This is one of them.”
“I know.”
“It didn’t seem to stop you, though.”
Nikhail scrubbed a hand over his face. “No.”
He wasn’t going to apologize for the way he felt about River. Yes, he felt bad that this was how Ryker had found out, but he wasn’t upset that they’d been discovered.
If anything, he was relieved they wouldn’t have to hide any longer. It was one less thing they’d have to worry about.
Ryker glared at him. If looks could kill, Nikhail was sure he would be dead right now.
Several long minutes passed in terse silence before Ryker asked, “How long has this dalliance been going on for?” His eyes flashed with fury. “I know you’re a good man, Nikhail, so I’m assuming that you didn’t kiss my sister for the first time on the day of our father’s memorial service.”
“No,” he said after a moment. “That wasn’t the first time. It’s been going on for a while.”
“A while,” Ryker repeated.
Memories flashed through Nikhail’s mind of all the moments they’d stolen in the past. River asking him to help with her storm. Dancing together. Kissing her beneath the stars in the solarium. Coming together on the night of the bonding.
“Yes,” Nikhail said.
Another long, terse silence.
“You could’ve picked anyone, Nik.” Ryker rubbed his temples. “Literally anyone else, and I would’ve been over the moon for you. But her? Why?”
“I love her, Ryker.” The admission slipped from Nikhail’s tongue. He hadn’t meant to say it, especially when he hadn’t even told River yet, but now that it was out there, he didn’t regret it.
The water fae’s eyes flung over to him. “What?”
“I love her so much, it feels impossible to think about a time when she didn’t consume my thoughts.”
Ryker groaned. “My gods.”
“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Nikhail said. “Neither of us did. We tried to stay away from each other, but we just… couldn’t. And River desperately needs to be loved, you know? Especially right now. The second storm was worse than the first. She was already broken, and now—”
“She told you?” Ryker cut him off, hands furled into fists. “You know?”
“About the Incident?” Nikhail hated the way the words felt on his tongue.
Ryker inclined his head.
“Yes, I know what happened.” Nikhail would never forget the pain in River’s voice when she told him about her storm or the way she thought it would frighten him away.
“Fuck.” Ryker’s head fell back. “For her to tell you that… Gods-damn it. She must really like you.”
“I hope so.” Because there would never be anyone else for him. River would be his last everything, for as long as he lived. He didn’t want to date anyone else, kiss another pair of lips, hear another person’s moans.
He just wanted her.
Ryker heaved a sigh. “Fine. But if you hurt her, I will kill you myself.”
The threat was unnecessary. Nikhail would rather die a thousand deaths before he inflicted an ounce of pain on River. But he knew Ryker was coming from a place of love, and he was glad River had someone who cared so much about her on her side.
“Understood.”