“You can’t.”
“Sera, let the man help.” Seth slid into her side, easing her out of the way. “Pleasure to meet you, I’m Seth Morrigan. Sera mentioned a brother, but you are not what I pictured.” Seth’s smile suggested reality was far superior to imagination. A revolted shiver raced down her spine.
Gideon crossed his arms and gave a quirk of his head as he measured Seth with his eyes, assessing weaknesses or whatever bullshit protective scrutiny he claimed was for her sake. It was tactical, if Sera knew Gideon at all, but Seth must have mistook the assessment for interest, for his posture grew considerably looser.
Sera groaned. This was a nightmare. Somewhere behind her, she could hear Kieran and Varian discussing when they would meet again, then she noticed Varian shimmy toward the door and freedom.
Gideon smiled, and Sera saw the effect of it first-hand in the color on Seth’s dark cheeks. She turned to Seth. “No.”
“But…?”
“No.” She shooed Seth away. That was one relationship she did not need exploring. It was as if her brother was interested in her… brother.
Gideon watched with mild interest. “That the friend?”
“Yes, Seth is a dear friend,” she replied, pressing two fingers against her temple.
“I like him.” Gideon said.
Sera shot him a glare so scathing his smile faltered. He liked theattention, but Seth was too young, too sweet, and too male. Sera put a finger in Gideon’s face and growled before pushing Seth to the door.
“You. Out.” She briefly noted Varian waiting in the foyer and his quick intake of breath when Seth was pushed out to join him, but she had more important things to worry about. Seth was an adult and Varian wasn’t Cole, however much they looked the same.
Cole was tall, imposing. He used charisma to get what he wanted until his mercurial rage surfaced. Varian looked as threatening as a puppy. There was an earnest sorrow in his eyes, elegance in his posture, and a softness to him that Cole couldn’t pretend, even when he was being charming. The pair of them would survive a little social awkwardness.
“You.” Sera rounded on Gideon, not able to tower over him, but her glare should suffice. “I don’t want you involved in this. I can take care of myself. Besides, if you knew, you’d be unreasonable and I don’t want you charging into the problem and putting yourself at risk.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m not leaving until you tell me.”
“It’s not your choice. I’ll have you kicked out.” Sera did not know if removing her brother from the building was within her realm of power, but he did not know either.
“It’s not your house.”
“It’s not your business.”
“You know, thereweresome questions that I needed for that investigation,” he said, voice a melodramatic show of casual. He snapped his fingers like he had just remembered a crucial detail. “Damn it. I don’t have my notes, guess I’ll just have to insist you come down to HQ with me.”
Sera was going to throttle him. If there was any chance of doing real damage, she might have. “I thought that was Rachel’s job. Speaking of, where is your better half?”
Sera only mentioned Rachel because she knew it would rile him. Rachel and Gideon met while in the guardian academy for their training. Sera was not permitted to attend, as a lowly human. Still, it was Rachel that helped them off the streets when they lost their mother. Rachel’s devotion to Gideon was obvious to anyone with eyes, while he remained oblivious.
“She is not my better half.”
“I certainly like her better.”
“Why are we talking about Rachel? Tell me what is going on withyou.”
Sera threw up her hands. “Fine!” Physically unable to force him to leave, telling him was better than this childish argument going no where. “I had an…understanding with Cole Hawthorne and now he wants me dead.”
Gideon’s face scrunched in disgusted horror. At least she’d shocked him into silence. She moved to one of the couches and fell onto it, crossing her arms.
Kieran hadn’t left. He was in the chair, face unreadable. Was he bored? Entertained by her drama? Was he suffering as much as her?
“Hewhat? Cole Hawthorne? Hawthorne. The name is familiar. I’ll have Rachel check our files for anything on him.”
“I can tell you whatever you need,” Kieran interjected, drawing Gideon’s sharp eyes.
“You should have told me what was really happening here.” Gideon pointed an accusing finger in Kieran’s face. Kieran rose to his feet calmly, adjusting his clothes while Gideon openly fumed. It wasn’t most people who could ignore her brother when his anger was directed on them. If she knew nothing else about Kieran, that alone was enough to have her swoon.
