Whirlwind by Bailey Bradford (big ebook reader txt) 📗

Stefan materialized in the seedy club. The music was loud and horrendous, but he didn’t care. Jordan didn’t appear and Stefan shoved his disappointment deep down inside. Jordan didn’t want to be with him enough to be able to will himself to Stefan’s side.

Fine. Whatever. Stefan was going to get on with his plan. There were plenty of spirits hanging around this particular club. Most of them were outright scary, but Stefan figured they couldn’t do him much harm. Hurt him, sure, but he couldn’t be killed again, could he?

No, just sent on to whatever was after the afterlife. Stefan stood up straighter as several pairs of eyes raked over him. He squared his shoulders and locked an emotionless expression in place. He dismissed the interest of men who didn’t appeal to him. He was there for his own selfish pleasure, not someone else’s.

One guy looked promising. Lean, young like Stefan, but there was a cruel twist to his lips as he sneered at Stefan.

Scorn was something Stefan could do without. He floated farther into the club and kept his nervousness hidden. At least, he hoped he did. Some of the men watching him made him feel distinctly like prey.

Going to a different club was becoming more and more appealing. Stefan had picked this one because he had hoped he’d get laid without much trouble. The thing was, all the male spirits there seemed like nothing but trouble.

When one of them grabbed him by the back of his shirt, Stefan spun around, swinging a hard fist at the guy’s face. He wouldn’t be anyone’s victim ever again. His hand connected with a thud that rocked all the way back up his arm to his shoulder blade. It was jarring as hell for Stefan. How the other guy didn’t go flying through the wall was beyond him.

Instead, his would-be groper only sailed back a few feet before growling and lunging forward. “You fucking little pansy punk-ass bitch!”

“Someone has a potty mouth,” Stefan muttered. He caught the man’s arm and ducked, flipping his psychotic admirer over his shoulder. “I never have liked dirty mouths, or their owners.”

Stefan hardly had the chance to stand up before someone else came at him. He didn’t even have time to think of being somewhere else before someone threw a punch at him. After a few more seconds of fighting, he didn’t want to leave. This wasn’t the kind of energy he’d come to expend, but it sure as hell was better than sitting alone hating the world.

* * * *

Gideon had looked all over the fucking world for Jordan—once he’d made up his mind not to let Jordan or himself hide from what they felt—and there the damned man was, floating in the night sky. With Stefan.

Gideon’s cock hardened so fast his mind went blank for a second. He wanted Stefan, and, greedy him, he wanted Jordan, too. He hoped they’d both want him as well.

It looked like Jordan and Stefan weren’t exactly happy with each other. Gideon could hear the anger in Stefan’s tone. He saw Stefan grab Jordan’s wrist, then Stefan was gone.

Gideon sped through the air and grabbed onto Jordan’s ankles. He didn’t want to risk the man vanishing on him again.

“Got you,” he snarled, rolling and taking Jordan down with him. They fell through the air. Gideon wasn’t afraid of them hitting the ground. They’d either sink or stop. He thought Stop! and they came to a rest inches above the grass.

“You’re not going to keep hiding from me,” Gideon all but shouted, anger burning hot up his spine and spilling out of his mouth. “I’ve fucking been trying to find you since you vanished out of your mother’s house, Jo. You fucking left me! Just let her drop that bomb, let Stefan make an excuse for you, then you ran before I could even talk to you!”

“What did you want me to do?” Jo yelled right back, kicking and wiggling, never being still, making it hard for Gideon to retain his hold. But Gideon wasn’t letting go. “I was so humiliated—”

“Because you love me, you ass? That’s humiliating?” God, Gideon was going to explode with anger and hurt. “I’m that un-fucking-lovable?”

“Argh!” Jo shouted, throwing his head back and arching his thick neck. “You idiot! That’s not what I said!”

“Both of you, shut the fuck up before I follow through with the bottle threat,” Conner said, appearing above them. “Selfish, whiny fools. I told you what would happen if you hurt Stefan.”

“Conner, calm down,” Ro urged.

Gideon didn’t let go of Jordan, but he did roll them both to their sides so he could see Conner and Ro too.

“Stefan is like my little brother, in case you haven’t figured that out,” Conner said, cracking his knuckles. “His living brother would love to tear you two apart, but, being flesh and blood, he can’t do much. I, on the other hand…” Conner rolled up his shirtsleeves, baring muscular forearms.

“One at a time, promise me,” Ro urged, watching them out of the corner of his eye.

“I’ll take ‘em how I can get ‘em,” Conner grumbled. “Come on, you chicken shits!”

Gideon didn’t ask what they’d done. He didn’t offer up an argument or a defense that they’d only known Stefan for hours. Conner was furious, and Gideon had to think the man was justified in being so, which meant that he and Jo had both hurt Stefan regardless of how long they’d known each other.

Which, considering how much he’d thought of Stefan while searching for Jo, Gideon understood. He was attached to the younger man, to his fine looks and bubbly personality. Gideon had intended to see if Jo would consider the three of them trying at a real relationship, but Conner wanted penance from them.

Gideon looked at Jordan, who gave the barest nod. “I’ll go first,” Gideon said before Jordan could offer. He let go of Jordan and shot up at Conner. Not to attack, but to make Conner think