King of Tides (The Immortal Iron Brothers #3)

Chapter 10

Different

I still haven’t been able to wrap my mind around the fact that Kendrick has found his mate. She’s not what I expected, but I like her. She suits him.

I rub at my chest, wondering if I will be next. I had to stop by to see the sea fairies—not to be confused with water fairies. They’d have your ass for that.

Sea fairies provide us superbeings with seaweed. It’s nothing like the human stuff. Sea fairies grow some pure shit. Not the type of stuff that needs to fall into the hands of any human—not without being diluted with magic dust.

I was in desperate need of some hydro to calm my nerves. Knowing my mate is out there and could be on her way has all kinds of energy rolling through me. I can’t even get off my bike to head upstairs.

Instead, I roll up right here in the lot. I’ve just placed the joint in my mouth and pulled out a lighter when Billy pulls in. I squint as I light up and watch her step from her car.

“Shit, my mate better show up soon before I say fuck it and pin her ass to a wall and eat her until she’s dry,” I say as I stare at my little neighbor.

She’s in heels and a dress that shows off her sexy legs. She looks tired as she heads my way, but never more gorgeous. I knit my brows and pull a hand down my face as a breeze blows through the garage and her scent is carried on it.

It’s different. Almost as if not human at all. I tilt my head to the side. Ray sort of has the same scent. As a matter of fact, Billy came to mind earlier when Kendrick introduced me and the others to Ray.

I knew Ray reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t nail it right away. Then Billy’s face popped into my head. I don’t want to be a dick and say all Black women look alike, so I shook the thought off.

“Well, look at you. Getting high in the basement of our building as if you don’t have an apartment right upstairs,” she says with a sleepy grin.

“You plan on booking me?”

“Not if you’re willing to share. I haven’t been home since last night. I want a shower I can’t have and something greasy and comforting to fill my belly that I know I don’t have in my fridge.”

“Why can’t you have that shower? Where have you been since last night? Hot date? You’ve been cheating on me, baby girl?”

I should feel guilty for flirting now that I know my mate could be on her way, but there’s something about this woman. Her scent is driving me fucking crazy.

“I wish. I would much rather have been on a date than where I was. We’d have to be dating for me to cheat,” she says and rolls her eyes.

“You going to tell me what’s going on with your shower? You need to come use mine?”

“Not going to happen,” she scoffs. “Something is going on with the water pressure in my place. I was going to call maintenance first thing this morning, but I’ve been in an interrogation room since last night.”

“I’ll come up and look at it,” I say and swing my leg off my bike, then put my joint out.

“You don’t have to do that.”

I step closer to her and place my nose in her wavy locks. I inhale deeply and my pants grow tight. Shit, she smells good. My throat tickles a bit, causing me to back off.

I look down at her, narrowing my gaze. If she were my mate, I would be in full fever right now. I chalk it up to wishful thinking.

“Come on, it’s no problem. I’ll even give you a few hits of my joint after I get you that greasy food you’re craving.”

“Oh, so you’re really trying to act like my man now,” she laughs.

I place my hand on the back of her neck like I did that one night. I swear to the gods she feels right in my palm. If I didn’t know any better, I would claim her as mine regardless.

Too bad we’re not able to choose our mate for ourselves. She’d be mine in a heartbeat. When she leans into me as I guide us to the elevator, I have to hold back the groan that rises in my throat.

“I have a question. Why are you all dressed up?”

“I was going to meet with some friends before I got a call. I didn’t have time to change. I had to get to my brother to help him.”

“Is he all right? Is there anything I can do?”

“He’ll be fine. I sort of got him into a jam. I hope I said all the right things to cover his ass. I’ll never forgive myself if he loses his badge.”

“I know people in high places. If you need some help, come to me. I’ll do all I can,” I say.

“Aren’t you sweet.”

“Gods, Billy, did you change your perfume?” I groan as we ride in the tight space.

She looks up at me in surprise. “No. I mean, I’m probably a little ripe right now since I haven’t had a real shower in over forty-eight hours.”

“There is nothing ripe about you. You smell like ocean candy,” I say before I can think better of it.

“Ocean candy?” she blinks at me in confusion.

“It’s … never mind. I used to eat it as a kid.”

I thank the gods when the elevator dings open. We step out and I lead her to her apartment. Once inside, she steps from her shoes and heads for the kitchen.

“Want a beer?”

I go to say no because human beer tastes like shit and does nothing for us, but she’s welcoming me into her space and this pull to her is enough to make me question everything. Instead, I smile and nod. She grabs two longnecks and comes over to hand me one.

“I’m sure you’re wasting your time. The least I can do is offer you a drink.”

“No time with you is wasted. Besides, you said you were hungry. Once I fix the water, you can take your shower while I order something to eat. What are you in the mood for?” I reply.

The heated look she gives me brings a smile to my lips. We’d be so much trouble together. All the things I’d do to her without penetration would blow her mind.

“I’m good with a Philly cheesesteak and fries. That place on Broadway is okay when you can’t get the real thing,” she says.

“A Philly cheesesteak and fries you shall have. Let me get that shower fixed.”

I take the beer and saunter my way into the bathroom up the hall. I know the layout of her place because I’ve been in the units above and below this one when I looked at the place to purchase.

I look over my shoulder to find her watching my ass. I grin and shake my head—glad she’s not following me. She looks tired, so I’m not going to do this the human way.

Once in the bathroom, I close the door and take a sip of the beer. I grimace at the bottle and pour the rest down the sink. The shit is horrible.

Pulling the joint from my pocket, I go ahead and reroll it with magic dust in case Billy does decide to take a few pulls. As I do that, I work on the water pressure with my magic as well.

It only takes a few seconds, but I knock around in here for a few minutes to keep down her suspicion. After about ten minutes, I reach into the shower to turn it on. When I open the door, Billy is standing there with a towel clutched to her chest and a smile on her face.

“You fixed it,” she says as she peeks into the bathroom, where the shower is still running.

“I told you I would,” I say as I lean into the doorway.

“Thanks. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”

I bite back the slick comment that floats to my lips. I couldn’t bear for my mate to have another woman she had to compete with. As much as I want Billy, it’s not fair to her either.

So I keep my mouth shut and reach to grasp the back of her neck and kiss her forehead. I’m no saint. I’m using all the restraint I have as it is. Not to mention, I just want to inhale her for a moment.

Whatever she’s done to her scent has an intoxicating allure to it. I want to suck down as much of the aroma as I can. I keep my lips pressed to her skin for a few beats just so I can.

“No need to thank me. Take your shower. I’ll have your food waiting for you when you’re done.”

“Okay.”

I step out of the way and allow her to go into the bathroom. I think to cleanse her place of my essence. I’ve used enough magic to leave an imprint, but there’s something about her being wrapped in my magic that makes my chest swell with pride.

I shake the thought off and go to sit in the living room. I’m lost in thought as I pull my phone and scroll through messages. I have one from Kai. Which I find odd. She has the ability to mind-link me.

Only human brothers and hangarounds need to communicate with me through text. I throw up a barrier around myself so my call can’t be overheard. Then I dial Kai back.

“Hello.”

“Kai? What’s up, baby girl?”

“Ricci tried to kill me. He was looking for Amadeus.”

“Did you take his fucking head off?” I growl.

My brothers and I aren’t allowed to kill Candido or his brother, but Kai could have done it easily. I hope she did. Kendrick has his mate, but the rest of us would need to find ours to be free once and for all.

“No, he had his men bind my hands. They also injected me with something to keep me from mind-linking. Ardan, Gü? gave her life to save mine. She came out of nowhere. One minute, Candido had a gun pointed at my head; the next, she appeared and covered me with this light.

“I didn’t know she was a super. I didn’t know there were others with that type of power. She shielded me, but it cost her her life.”

“Hold on, you didn’t know she was an other? Bradan mentioned it and I was supposed to talk to you about it, but you mean to tell me you didn’t even know?”

“No, I couldn’t sense it at all. The cops are involved, Ardan. I called you earlier from jail right before they released me.

“I didn’t think they would. They kept me for hours asking questions. I wouldn’t say anything. I called you as soon as I could to get some help,” she explains.

“Where are you now?”

“I’m home. I wasn’t sure if I should show up at the clubhouse. I didn’t want to bring trouble to the brotherhood’s doorstep.”

“Good girl. I want you to head there now. You can teleport. I will open a portal for you so you arrive at the club safely without being followed. I’ll be there first thing in the morning. We’ll talk more then.”

“Thank you, My King.”

I hang up and growl. I think to tell my brothers what’s going on, but these are water folk. It’s my problem. Kendrick went to that party with his mate and Bradan and Reilly already have enough on their plates. I’ll handle this in the morning, and if I need to share then, I will.

I’m lost in thought when I feel Billy enter the room. Lifting my head, I find her standing watching me. She’s in a T-shirt with her legs bear again. She’s killing me with this shit.

I clear my throat and stand. “You’re right on time. They just delivered your food,” I say.

I move to the door as I use my magic to leave the bag of food outside her apartment. When I open the door, the bag is sitting there with her piping-hot food. I turn back into the apartment and find her sitting on the couch with her legs tucked beneath her.

“God, that smells good.”

I carry the bag over to her and place it on the coffee table. She leans forward to grab the bag and peeks inside. I stand watching her as she looks up at me.

“You didn’t order something for yourself?”

“Not hungry. You enjoy, baby girl.”

“You seem like you’re having as rough a day as I am.”

“This is more than a day.”

“You want to talk about it?”

I scoff. “You would need to give me your entire life to tell you all I’m dealing with.”

“Let me grab a beer and you can give me the CliffsNotes. It’s the least I can do. My father says I need to make more friends and let others in.”

I give her a tight smile. For decades, that’s all I’ve ever wanted. Someone other than my brothers who I could open up to. We’ve been hidden for so long it’s become a habit not to share or open up.

“You and I have more in common than you might think.”

She tilts her head to the side as she munches on her food. “You’re emotionally unavailable too?”

“Something like that. I have as many secrets as I see swimming in your eyes.”

“Do you now? My secrets are innocent. Something tells me yours might have a little bite.”

That should be my cue to leave. I can never tell her about my world. Her place is in the human world, far away from me and all that comes with me. Not to mention, the secrets I hold could send her running for the hills.

That’s what I should want. I have a mate out there somewhere. This little thing is only a means to pass time.

Yet even thinking that feels wrong and sounds worse in my head. I definitely need to clear my mind. I stand to do just that and start for her kitchen.

“That they do, baby girl. That they do. Let me get you that beer.”

My secrets have more than a little bite. They’d take a chunk out of her. Not willing to allow that; I’ll have to change the subject.

Billy

I’m sitting here laughing like a little schoolgirl as I get high with my sexy biker neighbor. That food was torch. It hit the spot for sure. The best I’ve ever had from that place.

“You’re nothing like what I expected,” I say as I take the joint from his hand and take a puff.

This stuff is good as well. It smokes so clean. I have a nice high. Just what I needed to get my mind off the shit that went down. I lied my ass off for my brother.

If this shit blows back, it’s going to roll back on me as it should. I can’t allow Carson to take the fall for me. Candido is a piece of shit and should pay for everything he’s done.

“What were you expecting?” Ardan says, pushing into my thoughts.

I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know. You come off as rough and gruff. Instead, you’re down to earth and kind of funny. The alpha male shit, that doesn’t surprise me as much.

“My attraction to it is more of a surprise to me. Actually, my attraction to you, period, has caught me off guard,” I say before I can shut myself up.

It has to be the weed. My foot is in my mouth and my brain isn’t connecting to shut me the fuck up. My cheeks heat as I start to feel stupid for talking so much.

I cut my words off by taking another pull and handing the joint back. He takes the joint with one hand and lifts his other arm as if welcoming me into his side. There’s this pull to him that’s been calling to me all night.

I couldn’t ignore him if I wanted to. I move over close to him and settle into his side. He’s warm but cool at the same time. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s almost like sitting next to a warm spring while a breeze is blowing.

He wraps his arm around me as he puffs at the joint. I allow myself to relax and wonder what it would be like if I had someone to let my guard down with. I don’t know how to let someone take care of me.

However, I wouldn’t mind trying with this guy. I’m totally thrown by my train of thought. The last thing I need is to fall into some relationship.

I’m going to need my focus to help take down Candido Ricci. Nothing can get in the way of that mission. He’s going to pay.

“I should probably go,” Ardan says, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I look up at him in confusion. That is not what I was expecting him to say after my confession and him drawing me in close.

“Um … you don’t have to.”

“I should though. I have some business to handle in the morning and you should get some rest. When this stuff hits, you’re going to pass out anyway. I want you to lock up behind me before you fall out.”

I get angry that he doesn’t want to stay. Just when I am ready to let my guard down, he’s rejecting me. This is why I take care of myself.

“Yeah, fine. Thanks for everything,” I bite out.

“Billy, I?—”

“You don’t owe me anything. See you around.”

He clamps his mouth shut and stands. I pull back into myself and shut down. I don’t need him and one night isn’t going to miraculously make us the perfect match. He can go.

“I’ll see you around,” he says as he nods to himself and turns for the door.

I stand to follow him to lock up. Anger fills me as tears sting the backs of my eyes. He turns to look down at me as we reach the door.

“Billy—”

“Good night, Ardan.”

He sighs heavily. “Good night, Billy.”