Part 11 (1/2)
Oh.
Eew.
My grandfather smelled another man's...stuff on me. There was just something wrong with that.
”Maybe I should clean up -”
”No. You're mine. They need to know it.” From the look on his face, I had the feeling he liked the idea of rubbing it in Xander's face.
Oh, that so wasn't the right way to say it.
”You're hurt.” I pointed to the gash on his upper arm. He glanced at the spot but dismissed it with a shrug of his shoulder.
”It'll heal. Let's go.”
I took a deep breath and we walked out into the bar to find Xander seated at a table, Fly across from him staring him down, and the six goons he'd brought standing by, staring Fly down. It didn't seem to me like Fly gave a s.h.i.+t though.
”Aria,” Xander said, rising to his feet. He lifted his hand toward me, but then dropped it, his lips tightening. ”You look well.”
”Thank you.”
”I...I'm sorry if I frightened you earlier. It wasn't my intent.”
I nodded. What did he want me to say? It was okay? People s.h.i.+fted in front of me all the time?
”Sit down, Aria.”
”I'll get everyone a drink. Feel like you could all use one.” I didn't say no when Fly set beers down in front of all of us. I took a sip. Xander didn't touch his.
”You look like your mother.”
How should I respond? I did look like my mom. In fact, I was a carbon copy of her, just younger.
”Appreciate your trip down memory lane, Xander, but we've got business to deal with and I'd like to reopen my bar.”
Xander glared at Zane, who simply tipped his beer back, looking incredibly relaxed. Xander then turned his attention back to me. ”I heard about the black rose, and I believe you're in some danger, Aria.”
No s.h.i.+t, Sherlock. But I didn't say it. He was, after all, my grandfather. I wondered about his age. He looked younger than I'd expected, actually, but he'd have to be in his late sixties or even early seventies. A few lines marked his face, but his hair was still thick and dark, and his eyes bright.
”Zane's taking care of me. He's -”
”That's all fine and well and I'm sure Zane's intentions are good, but all the same, I'd prefer you to come home with me until we get this cleared up.” The inflection on Zane's name piqued my curiosity, but other things bothered me more.
”So, after six years of silence, you expect me to just come home with you because you say so?”
”You were guarded all along, even when you left the school. You were always protected. Only when you came into contact with him,” he pointed at Zane, who chuckled, ”did you have any trouble at all.”
”You were watching me?”
”To protect you, yes.”
”Oh my G.o.d. And you think that's okay?”
”You're my granddaughter, Aria. You're the last of my line.”
”That's what this is about? What, you want grandbabies to carry on the line? The line, as you so affectionately call it, is finished because my family was murdered. They were people, not some...legacy.”
His gaze never hardened but he narrowed his eyes, considering before speaking. If I was testing his patience, I didn't care. ”Never doubt my affection for my daughter, for the grandson I lost and the granddaughter I'm losing.” As he said that last part, this man who appeared made of steel, softened just a little, just for a moment. He meant what he said.
Zane cleared his throat. ”I will keep her safe, Xander. You won't lose her.”
”How can you guarantee that? You're one person.” He glanced at Fly. ”Two. You can't protect her from an entire pack.”
”My father's not responsible for the rose.”
”Did he say so? I thought you were smarter than that. I thought you'd learned your lesson six years ago.”
I felt Zane tense beside me and put my hand on top of one of his fists.
”Savage Blood is not responsible,” he repeated slowly.
”Well, I certainly didn't order the hit on my own granddaughter, which means, if Cain is telling the truth, there's a traitor among his pack.”
”Maybe the traitor is from Rage.”
”On penalty of death. This is my blood we're talking about. Besides, we all know what Cain is capable of.”
Zane slammed his first down on the table, but even though I jumped, Xander didn't even blink. ”Enough.”
”It will be enough when I know my granddaughter is safe.”
”Stop calling me that. My name is Aria. I'm Aria. I'm not anyone's anything.”
Xander looked at me but addressed Zane. ”And besides, who's going to keep her safe from you?”
Zane's response was a low, dark growl, a threat coming from deep inside him.
”Did he force himself on you, Aria?”
”What? No. Of course not!”
I could feel Zane growing angrier beside me, that rumble I had become familiar with a warning.
Xander turned to him. ”Let me have a moment alone with Aria. I want to be sure.”
”Fine. I could use another drink anyway,” Zane said, then added, ”I'm right here, Aria.”