Chapter 16
Sixteen
“Which brother are we meeting again?” Fox asked as he shifted in the passenger seat of the SUV. Fox hadn’t expected to be out of the loft so soon following the previous night’s scientific tests in the park.
His heart was still a tangle of confusing emotions over the results.
On the entire drive back to the loft, Winter had been abuzz with excited energy, telling Fox about all the years of being haunted by ghosts.
He couldn’t imagine how the man had stayed sane under the seemingly endless barrage of voices at all hours.
On the one hand, he was so happy Winter had found some relief and was even more excited that he was the cause of it.
He’d done something right! Even if it wasn’t necessarily intentional, he hadn’t brought death and doom or even the crushing weight of his uselessness down on Winter’s head. He gave him peace. Relief.
But on the other hand, was this unexpected gift the only reason Winter stayed close to him?
Sure, Winter needed him until this prophecy nonsense was settled, but he could just as easily shove him in a room like Damon had.
They joked and teased constantly now. But did Winter really enjoy his company?
Fox didn’t want to think it was all an act. Winter didn’t seem like that kind of person. In fact, Fox liked Winter. He was interesting, told great stories, and his protectiveness was nearly as sexy as he was. Was it greedy to want Winter to enjoy his company the same way?
“Which brother?” Winter repeated as he pulled into an empty spot on the street. “Rafe.” He paused and smirked over at Fox. “The kinky one.”
Fox snorted. “That’s also the nightclub owner.”
“Yes.”
“Unlike Bel, who is the other kinky one because he has two werewolf lovers and likes science.”
Winter huffed a soft laugh. “Yes. But I don’t want to start grading my siblings on their kinkiness.” He put the SUV in park and turned off the engine.
“It does sound like it might put you into therapy,” Fox teased while looking around at where they were now sitting.
It did not appear to be a safe area. All the buildings were rundown, and there was little in the way of lights.
Streetlamps flickered on and off, highlighting broken sidewalks and trash-strewn gutters.
“Is there a reason your brother picked the scariest part of town for this meeting?”
“Everyone ignores everyone they see here. Easiest place to go unseen.”
Fox jumped when Winter reached across the center console and placed his hand on Fox’s knee. He lightly squeezed, sending him a reassuring smile.
“You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Winter said firmly.
Fox had to bite his tongue as a line from Finding Nemo danced through his brain. It was all he could do to not respond with “Not much fun for little Harpo” in his best Ellen DeGeneres-slash-Dory voice. If Winter didn’t want him, it was no surprise. He was a weird idiot.
To his surprise, Winter graced him with a half smile. “Later I’m going ask what you’re thinking to put that strange look on your face. Right now, I’m going to scout the area. You stay in the SUV with the doors locked.”
Fox straightened in his seat and saluted the vampire. “Yes, sir!”
“Smartass,” Winter muttered, but his voice was full of warm affection.
He climbed out of the SUV, closed the door, and immediately hit the button on the key fob.
There was a loud chunk from the other doors around Fox, securing him in the vehicle.
His eyes remained locked with Fox’s through the windshield as he stepped backward into the dead world, disappearing from sight.
Fox’s heart clenched as Winter became invisible. He could tell his brain that Winter was safe and standing right in front of him, but his eyes were screaming that he was gone. Everything was fine. Winter was fine.
It didn’t stop Fox from staring straight ahead with both of his hands clenched into tight fists.
His heart slowed to its normal pace as he dragged in a deep breath through his nose and then out through gritted teeth.
Just a few minutes. Winter would return in just a few minutes.
No vampires were going to find him. And if any dangerous humans came along, God help them if Winter spotted them harassing Fox.
Okay, there were some definite perks to Winter getting growly and protective. Just the idea sent a warm flush over Fox’s body. More of the tension melted away, and Fox swore his innards just turned to goo. Fuck, Winter made him completely illogical.
Three hard knocks banged on the passenger window. Fox jumped in his seat and screamed in surprise. He just barely saw the person leap backward in surprise before doubling over with laughter. Fox narrowed his eyes and snarled to see Rafe almost falling over in his amusement.
Fox had been so wrapped up in his thoughts of Winter that he hadn’t even seen Rafe approach the SUV.
He cursed himself for not paying attention.
He was lucky it hadn’t been one of Damon’s men.
Of course, when Rafe straightened and faced him again, Fox flipped him off with both hands, which only sent him into fresh peals of laughter.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t hate Rafe for it. If their roles had been reversed, Fox would have been on that filthy ground, laughing so hard he would have pissed his pants.
“Where’s Winter?” Rafe asked through the window as he finally caught his breath.
Fox motioned with hands out toward the open area around them. To his relief, Rafe grunted, seeming to understand that Winter was invisible but close.
“Aren’t you going to come out and play with me?” Rafe inquired.
“What are you, The Big Bad Wolf? Winter said to stay in the car.”
Rafe smiled broadly, beckoning him out with one long finger. “I’ll leave the huffing and puffing to Winter. Come out.”
Fox narrowed his eyes on Rafe while trying very hard not to smile. They might not have gotten off on the best foot when they met nearly a week ago, but Fox couldn’t deny he was funny in all his snarkiness.
“I promise you’ll be perfectly safe,” Rafe added. “You’re far too important to Winter.”
Now that definitely got his attention. Rafe didn’t know about the Fox Effect on Winter’s ability to see ghosts. Why would he think Fox was important to Winter? What had he seen in the one evening they’d spent together?
“What are you talking about?”
Rafe shook his head. “I’m done talking through a window.”
Fox growled, wondering if he was being totally played by Winter’s crazy brother.
But he really wanted to know what Rafe thought he saw.
Rolling his eyes at himself, Fox unlocked the door and opened it.
He remained sitting in the seat but turned toward the sidewalk while Rafe stood in the opening with his arm resting on the top of the door.
“Now…what are you talking about?” Fox repeated.
Rafe casually shrugged, his eyes darting around the area, which was what Fox should have been doing. “Nothing too overt, but then Winter tends to kill anything that isn’t family.”
Those blue eyes suddenly snapped back to Fox and narrowed speculatively, causing Fox’s heart to jump in his chest. With all his silly comments, it was easy to forget that Rafe was a vampire and incredibly dangerous. A lesson Fox would never forget again.
“But Winter didn’t kill you. He’s risking quite a lot to keep you safe. Seems quite protective of you,” Rafe said softly. “I find myself wondering why that is.”
Fox shrugged and forced himself to be nonchalant while his little inner Fox was jumping up and down like a five-year-old on a trampoline. “He’s just keeping his family safe from the prophecy and Damon.”
“Oh, there are so many other ways to do that, and none of them involve being cuddled on the couch together.” Rafe’s smile turned absolutely sly. “And none of them put the kind of smile on Winter’s face that I saw the other night.”
“Does that smile bother you? Or that I’m the cause?”
“Nope.” Rafe straightened and loosely folded his arms over his chest. “Of course not. If my little brother wants to get freaky with a witch, what do I care?”
Fox inwardly groaned. At least he didn’t say kinky. Not that anyone anywhere had ever accused him of being kinky.
“My only concern is whether you’re planning to kill him.” Rafe’s voice had sharpened until it was almost a knife’s edge carving its way into his heart.
“Of course not! What the hell!” Fox shouted, horrified.
The thought of hurting Winter made him sick to his stomach.
There was no way in hell he’d ever hurt Winter.
He leaped out of the SUV and took a couple of steps toward the vampire.
Rafe was several inches taller than Fox, but he didn’t let the height difference intimidate him.
Not that he was actually thinking about anything.
He was just angry Rafe would even suggest such a thing.
“It must be the red hair. I can’t even get Ethan fired up like this so quickly,” Rafe mused, retreating a step.
“What the fuck?” Winter’s angry voice suddenly swept over them, and Fox rocked back as it suddenly dawned on him that he was shouting at Winter’s brother.
Before he could say anything, Winter inserted himself between Fox and Rafe, his shoulders still and body practically vibrating with anger as he growled at his older brother. “What’s wrong with you? Are you threatening him?”
Rafe’s blue eyes lit with amusement, and he grinned at Fox over Winter’s shoulder. “Not at all. I was just chatting with your adorable witch. He knows I meant no harm.”
Winter swung around to face Fox, his expression lined with worry. He lightly touched his cheek, and Fox couldn’t stop himself from leaning into his palm. So many lines got blurred when Winter touched him, and Fox just didn’t care.
“Are you okay? Rafe would never harm you. You have to ignore him. He’s just an asshole.”
Fox grinned broadly at Winter’s words and Rafe’s indignant huff behind him. “I’m fine. You’re right. He’s just an asshole.”