Eye of the Beholder (3 page)

It wasn’t until she turned nineteen and been employed at Guardian Investigations that he’d understood why none of his relationships had lasted more than three months since meeting her.

He hadn’t been the one to hire her. Her brother, apprenticing under Travis at the time, had known that Travis needed a new receptionist. Jeff simply installed her one day, much to Travis’s surprise. Her cheerful presence had filled the front hall, her gaze following him whenever he stepped foot in the building. She’d lightened the sterile front desk just by sitting there, putting clients at ease with such effortlessness he’d been stunned. He would stop at her desk and chat with her for a bit before going to his office just to see her smile, to hear her voice. Her conversation had made even the worst day seem as bright as her fiery curls.

But then she’d called in sick once, and his whole day had gone to hell in a hand basket. He’d been grumpy and out of sorts, so much so Jordan had called him on it. She’d even wondered if he’d broken up with his latest girlfriend, and if that was why he was being such a prick.

He’d promptly informed her that things were fine between him and Karen. Hell, he’d even gone home and fucked Karen just to prove to himself that he wasn’t perving on a nineteen-year-old girl.

Six weeks later he’d broken up with Karen, calling himself all kinds of names as he did so. He’d then promoted Jamie to Jordan’s secretary just so he wouldn’t have to look at her every day.

But he had. He hadn’t been able to help himself. Something about her bright smile, her incredible laugh, drew him like metal to a lodestone. He’d walked past Jordan’s office, longing for something he kept telling himself he couldn’t have.

Then he heard she’d broken up with her boyfriend, and the heart he thought had died with Zisa centuries ago rejoiced. He hadn’t felt that way since Zisa had said yes and become his wife.

That was when he knew he loved Jamie.

He’d decided all he needed to do was wait. In a few years, he could approach her without feeling like the dirtiest old man on the planet. Travis smirked. Let Logan keep that title. He’d acted on that, taking a woman out for dinner occasionally for the sake of illusion but sleeping with none of them. Even the thought of doing so just felt…wrong. Like adultery.

Just when he couldn’t stand it anymore, Grimm had pulled his alpha male bullshit, trying to get Travis to sell Guardian to him. Travis had pulled away from him, refusing point-blank any and all offers. He still didn’t know where the strength to resist Grimm’s compulsion had come from, but he’d heeded his internal warning bells. He’d purposefully stayed away from Jamie, and Jamie’s family, knowing the tension that would build could ruin any chances he had of ever claiming Jamie as his own. He hadn’t wanted Jamie caught in the crossfire between him and the Old Man.

He stared out the window at the passing houses, losing sight of them as his vision turned inward. Grimm didn’t know it yet, but by laying hands on Jamie he’d started a war he had no hope of winning.

Baldur had risen.

And Grimm’s Ragnarrok had begun.

Jamie limped into the condo on Travis’s arm, staring around at the white on blue décor, the pale maple floors and the huge wall of windows with no drapes or shades of any kind. She had no clue what her sister saw in it. It was so…sterile, and the three lovers were anything but, yet she knew Jordan loved the look of the place. She grimaced at the thought of her sister with the two men. When Jordan decided to do something, she didn’t do it half-way. She’d fallen for both the bad boy and the angel, and fallen hard. Jamie was just glad both men returned her sister’s feelings, because if they hadn’t, they’d have her to deal with.

Jamie winced a bit as her damaged leg wobbled under her. She squeaked as Travis picked her up, but before she could really protest he had her in Jordan’s spare bedroom. He put her on top of the comforter, stroking her hair back when she gasped in pain.

“Sorry, Jamie. I’ll try to be gentler next time.”

Jamie nodded. She understood. No matter how she moved everything still hurt. She didn’t blame Travis at all.

She blamed Grimm.

Kir deposited their luggage inside the door before pulling it closed with a smile.

“I’m going to get your pain medicine, okay?”

Before she could protest Travis was out the door, that fine, fine ass of his flexing most temptingly in his blue jeans. She closed her eyes before she made a complete fool of herself. It wasn’t like he wanted that kind of attention from her, anyway. She’d seen the women he’d dated and not one of them had red hair.

She’d built so many daydreams around him it was sickening. No other man had ever come close to measuring up to him. Jamie had loved him since the first day she saw him. He’d stood there, staring at her and Jeff, his blond hair streaked by the sun instead of a salon. His neatly trimmed beard couldn’t hide his full mouth or firm chin. His blue eyes had been both startled and, ultimately, full of amusement as she and Jeff told him off for stealing their big sister away from them. He’d thanked them for telling him his shirt was wrong and his tie was crooked, then sat down and asked them their opinions on what clothes he should buy. She’d been charmed at being treated like a lady by such a handsome man. She hadn’t even shrieked at him once, and she’d totally planned on it the moment he put them down. But Travis never did. He treated everyone with respect, and earned that respect back tenfold.

She’d dreamed of him every night since. She’d probably dream of him until the day she died, no matter how much she might wish otherwise. But those dreams had changed recently. Now he rescued her from Grimm instead of asking her on a date.

She was pretty sure that was the only reason she was still sane.

Working for Guardian Investigations was both heaven and hell. She got to see him and talk to him every single day. That was heaven.

Hell was seeing the women he dated and knowing that there was no way she could ever measure up.

Soon after coming to work for Travis she’d seen him with his girlfriend of the time, Karen. The way he’d held her, stroking her through the thin silk blouse she’d had on, his hand drifting down to the blonde’s ass, had broken her heart. The heat in his eyes when he’d looked at Karen had been intense. The friendly regard he’d turned on Jamie had been horrible. The smug, satisfied look on the blonde had been worse.

She’d gone out with her boyfriend that night, gotten tipsy and finally given him her virginity. It hadn’t been bad, actually. Some of it felt pretty good. They’d gotten comfortable with one another, or so she thought.

When she’d found Tim cheating on her she hadn’t been as heartbroken as she probably should have been. That was when she knew no other man would ever measure up to Travis. She’d given up looking soon after that, kicking Tim’s ass to the curb, much to her father’s relief. Fred Grimm had never approved of him.

“Here.”

She jumped. She must have dozed off, because Travis was standing over her with her pill and a glass of water clutched in his hand. “Mmm. Thanks.” She sat up gingerly, easing herself against the pillows. He handed her the pill and she took it, making a face as it stuck halfway down.

“Logan’s going to bring you something to eat in a few minutes. When you’re done eating I want you to get some sleep.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, Daddy.”

He shuddered. “
Please
don’t call me that.”

She shrugged and tried to smirk, knowing it looked more like a grimace but not caring. “It’s better than Pita.”

“That’s debatable.” He turned as Logan carried in a tray with a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich on it and frowned. “That’s it? That’s what you’re feeding her?”

“Yes.” Logan placed the tray on her lap, winking at her.

“Hell,
I
can open a can of soup and make a grilled cheese. I thought you were actually going to
cook
.”

“Obviously your mother never made you the perfect sick foods before.” Jamie dug into the soup with gusto. The almost painful bite of the soup had her groaning in pleasure. “Oh, lord, Jordan told you?”

“Yup. Happy, Pita?”

She ate another spoonful of the sinfully spiced soup and sighed. “Practically orgasmic.” She ignored Travis’s growl and happily ate her soup, stopping every now and then to take a bite of the ultra-gooey grilled cheese.

“Are those jalapeno peppers in your soup?”

She looked up into Travis’s horrified face. “Oh yeah.”

“And grilled
pepper jack
cheese?”

She bit into the sandwich with as much gusto as her broken face would allow. “Mmm-hmm.” She licked her lips, moaning in cheesy ecstasy.

A dark flush crept up Travis’s cheeks. He cleared his throat. “Isn’t that bad for someone who’s sick? Aren’t you supposed to eat bland food?”

She looked at him blankly. “I’m already hurting. Why suffer more than I absolutely have to?” She finished her soup and handed the tray back to Logan with as sweet a smile as she could muster. “Thank you, Logan.”

He smiled down at her, his fondness for her written all over his face. “You’re welcome, Pita.”

She finished off the water and handed the empty glass to Travis, who took it with a frown. She yawned, snuggling down against the pillow, the pain pill making her sleepy again. “’Night, Travis.”

“’Night, Pita.”

She smiled, her eyes closed as she began drifting off to sleep. The gentle kiss she imagined against her lips sent her into sweet dreams where Travis actually wanted a crazy, pushy redhead for his own.

Travis lifted his lips from her, shaking his head over the lingering taste of peppers. He smoothed his hand over her hair, unable to resist the way the limp curls clung to his fingers.

She needed a bath. As soon as she woke up, he’d see to it she got one. He’d have to be careful of the cast still on her wrist, but he could deal with it when the time came.

He left her to sleep, heading into the living room to find Jordan, Jeff, Logan and Kir waiting for him. “What?”

“Nothing. Just wondering when you’re going to move your stuff into her bedroom.” Jeff threw a piece of popcorn up into the air, catching it in his mouth. He grinned at Travis as he chewed.

Kir grinned. “Already taken care of.”

Travis did his best to keep his expression serene. If he had any hope of a happy life with Jamie he’d have to make sure her twin was okay with it. “You have an objection to that?”

“Nope, but she might.”

The two men stared at one another. Jeff looked relaxed, his bare feet propped up on the coffee table, a bowl of popcorn in his lap, but Travis knew better. Even at twenty-five, Jeff was one of the best operatives he had, mostly because people saw a slender, carefree guy with bright red hair and a cheery smile. What they failed to see was the ruthless hunter underneath, a warrior who felt quite capable of taking Travis on if he felt his sister was threatened.

Travis wondered if that attitude would still be there if Jeff knew who he was challenging. When it came to Jamie, he had the feeling that it might.

He could respect that. He’d still have to smack the kid down if he got in the way of Travis taking care of Jamie, but, still.

The younger man stood and stretched, putting the bowl on the coffee table. “I’m not going to wait much longer for you guys to get your collective heads out of your asses, you know.” He looked around the room at the four of them, his intent stare lingering the longest on his older half-sister, Jordan. “You
are
going to tell me what the fuck is going on with the Old Man and why he turned Jamie into a piñata. Because if you don’t, I’ll be forced to find out on my own, and something tells me none of you would like that.” He smiled sweetly, reminding Travis of Jamie. “Good night, everyone.” He sauntered off toward the den with an absent wave. “I’m taking the futon, Travis.”

Travis shook his head as he watched Jeff close the door behind him. “Fuck me.”

“No thanks. Logan would kill me.”

Travis closed his eyes against the incipient headache building behind his eyes. “Kir.”

“Sorry.” The blond man sank into the seat Jeff had so recently occupied, picking up the bowl of popcorn with a sigh. “Anyone want—”

“
No.
”

Kir winced as all three of them shouted him down. “Okay, okay. I can see how you’d all be pizza’d out. You don’t have to shout, though.” He put the bowl down, fiddling with it absently. “He’s right.”

Travis found himself staring at Jeff’s closed door. “Yeah. He is. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that was an idle threat, either. If Jeff decides to go after Grimm it’ll get ugly fast.”

“He can’t handle what Grimm will do to him.” Jordan started pacing, a frown on that pretty face of hers. She brushed her hair behind her ear, missing the way both her men’s eyes latched onto her movements. It was obvious even to a blind man that Logan and Kir were hyper-aware of her every move. Logan sat at Kir’s feet, Kir’s hand drifting into his lover’s hair, playing with it in a way that let Travis know this was a common thing for them.

Logan rested his head against Kir’s knee, his eyes closing wearily. “We have to figure out a way to keep them safe. Grimm isn’t going to stop here. He’s going to want Gungnir back, and he won’t hesitate to harm either Jeff or Jamie to get it.”

“Ixnay on the Ungnir-Gay.” Jordan flapped her hands toward Jeff’s closed door.

Logan rolled his eyes. “Right. Imm-Gray is going to want the glowy toothpick back ASAP. Any ideas, people? Because I’m damn tired of fighting that ass wipe.”

Travis almost joined Jordan in her pacing. “I doubt he knows I’ve already handed it over to Kir. He’ll expect me to hang onto it a little tighter this time.”

“
This
time?”

The headache throbbed behind his eyes. “Yeah.
This
time.” He kept his expression closed, daring Jordan to question him further.

So, of course, she did. “Do tell.” She sat on the floor next to Logan, curling her feet under her and crossing her arms over her chest.

Travis grimaced. “What happened to Ix-nay?”