Paxton held perfectly still. “I was fat and slow, and now I’m too skinny and still too slow. I’m not very smart.” He didn’t know why he was telling Zane all of this. “I—”
“You’re none of those things, Pax,” Zane said quietly. “I know words won’t help, but someday, when you look back, you’ll understand that the problem was with your father, not you.”
Right. “How do you know that?”
“I was there. Right where you are now.” Zane finished his root beer and crumpled the can. “We were raised by my uncle, and he hated us. It was—hard. I blamed myself, and I was wrong. Just like you are now.”
Somebody had hurt Zane? He was the strongest demon alive. How was that possible? “Where is your uncle now?” Why had Pax asked that?
“I took off his head.” Zane turned to look at him. “I’m not suggesting you do that with your dad.” He grinned.
Paxton laughed, shocking himself. They were actually joking about this? He relaxed a little bit. “Hope was very brave in there. You should be proud of her.”
“I am. I’m proud of you both.” Zane turned serious again. “You risked yourself to save my daughter, to protect her, and I’ll never forget that, Paxton Phoenix. Never.”
Well. That was definitely a different way of looking at the night. Maybe there were different ways to look at every situation. Pax drank more of his root beer, his body finally healing, although he struggled a little bit with his hip. It’d heal soon enough. “Thanks for coming in when you did.”
“You bet. We’re going to have to send your dad away. Maybe put him on mission in Antarctica or something.”
Pax nodded, closing his eyes. “I’ll miss this place, but I understand.”
“You’re not going with him.” Zane’s voice was firm. “Not a chance.”
Pax frowned, even as hope leaped into his chest. “He won’t give me up.”
“He doesn’t have a choice,” Zane said. “What do you think of your Uncle Santino? Your mother’s brother?”
Paxton watched the snow fall to cover the ice over the lake. “I don’t know him very well, but my memories are good. My dad didn’t let me spend time with him after my mom died.” He barely remembered either of them, to be honest.
“I’ve talked to him through the years, and Janie is calling him right now. He’s been studying butterflies somewhere in the tropics, but he’ll come home and do some work for the Realm. He’s a little eccentric, and he travels a lot, but last time I talked to him, he said he’d be here if you ever needed him. I’d say you need him right now.”
Pax finished his drink, his mind reeling. He didn’t have to live with his dad any longer? Was he dreaming? Maybe he’d been knocked out again. “You sure he wants me?”
“Definitely. You could also live with us, if you want. You have choices, and you’re welcome anywhere you want to be,” Zane said quietly.
Paxton winced. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” The temptation was so strong he almost took back the words.
“Because of Hope?” Zane asked.
Pax nodded. She was his best friend, but she was more than that to him. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, and the last thing he wanted was to end up as her brother. They might always be friends, and that was okay, because he could protect her as a friend. She had a different destiny from him, and they both knew it. But he needed some distance to stay her friend and not wish for a whole bunch of stuff that he could never have. “Yeah. I don’t want to be her brother. I’m sorry, Zane.”
“I appreciate the honesty, my friend,” Zane said, settling back to watch the snow again. “Girls can sure complicate things.”
Oh, the demon leader had no idea how complicated Hope’s life really was these days. It wasn’t Paxton’s job to tell him, since Hope wasn’t in danger. Thank goodness. “I’ll always be her friend and I’ll always protect her,” he vowed.
Zane looked over at him, his green eyes gleaming through the darkness. He was quiet for several moments, taking measure, just relaxing into the night. Whatever he saw in Pax’s face, he must’ve liked, because he slowly nodded. “We make our own fate, Paxton. Never forget that.”
Chapter 21
The fire crackled and warmed the luxurious suite as Grace perched on one of two chairs, separated from Adare by only a round wooden table. “The more I think about it, the more certain I am that this is too risky. You took a huge chance to save me, and I’m going to do the same. It’s okay, Adare. Really. I got five more years than I should have, and I’m happy with that.” She started to relax as she made her decision, although she couldn’t help but wish for a different path.
He steepled his fingers beneath his chin, facing her, relaxed in his oversized chair with his legs partially extended and his ankles crossed. “No. I’m intrigued by the idea of taking your blood, and I’m willing to sample a little bit to experiment here.” He hadn’t shaved in a while, and the thick scruff around his chin made him look like the marauder he’d probably once been. Tonight, relaxed after his match with Benny, his eyes were deep pools of black. Even so, a sense of alertness, of intensity, flowed from him and entwined around her, sensitizing her skin. “Weakening you further isn’t an option.”
“I’m not weak,” she retorted.
“I didn’t say you were,” he said mildly. “Yet you remained unconscious for a worrisome amount of time earlier, and I assume that losing blood wouldn’t help you regain your strength.”
Now he had to sound logical? She wiggled to find a comfortable position on the plush chair. “You’re not listening to me.”
