Administrative Control

Chapter Six

Asher had to temper his breathing. His thoughts remained on Jasper, and what he’d been about to do—kill Jinx. Asher had nearly failed her again. His memories went to the past. Of when Asher had been too late to protect Jinx from an evil man—a man he’d put her with. He would never be able to fix the wrong he’d committed long ago—the one that had allowed her to be in the presence of the madman, Fabianus, at all. Killing him had given Asher no peace on the matter.

Nothing ever would.

The part of himself that he kept hidden away from everyone, normally himself included, surfaced again at a degree he couldn’t stop. He felt himself losing control. This was the moment he’d feared would come to pass. The moment he turned into his father’s son and repeated history. The very idea of it all pushed him closer to the brink of no return.

Jinx stayed a few steps from him, hurt and tears on her beautiful face. Her eyes looked haunted and he knew by what, or rather who—him. He’d caused those. His sole goal in life had been keeping her safe and far from him. He’d caused her pain again. It was what he did best.

“Why?” she demanded, her voice clipped.

He swallowed hard. The truth of it all had been on the tip of his tongue for so long yet it didn’t seem to want to come. He half considered running away like the coward he’d been in regards to Jinx. He held his ground. She knew of his past. Of what he shared a bloodline with. “I wanted to protect you from me.”

“Asher, you are not your father,” she said, making him flinch. “You’re a good man. You’d never do what he did. Ever.”

“You do not know that, Jeneathea,” he said, knowing he was slipping into old speech habits again. He’d thought he left them behind in his toga-wearing days. Clearly, he’d been wrong. “I look just like him.”

“That means nothing,” she said, wiping tears from her cheeks.

He wanted to comfort her but stood rooted in place, fearing he’d done too much damage already. She’d turn him away for good now. “I would never forgive myself if I hurt you.”

Jinx came right at him and pushed on his chest. “Idiot.”

He didn’t respond. After all, she was right. He was a total idiot.

She walked over Jasper’s body and the pooling blood on the floor and went behind the bar. She returned with a damp washcloth and began to wipe his face as though he were a child. He let her, enjoying her touch too much to tell her no. She moved to his hands next, cleaning them as well.

“You are a giant idiot,” she said.

“You mentioned that already,” he returned with a small quirk of his lips.

“How long have you known I’m your mate?” she asked.

He glanced up at the ceiling. “So, do you the think the blood will wash out of there?”

She hit him in the gut. “Asher!”

He sighed. “From the moment I met you.”

She was quiet a moment. “That was well over a thousand years ago.”

He whistled and rocked on the balls of his feet. “Give or take a few centuries.”

She hit him again and the tears returned. He couldn’t take the tears. He grabbed for her, pulling her against him. His lips met her temple and he held her there, wanting to keep her near him forever.

“Why?”

“You know why,” he whispered. “I wanted to keep history from repeating itself. My father caused the deaths of so many in his fit of rage with my mother. I didn’t want to repeat that. It was better if you found happiness elsewhere.”

“You mean with Fabianus?” she asked, venom in her voice.

Asher held her arms and moved her back enough to look her in the eyes. “Had I known the truth of him I would have never left him with you. I thought he’d care for you and treat you as the treasure you are. I thought he’d love you.”

She pushed and tried to step away from him. “There are files you need to see and then you need to go—for good. Don’t ever come back.”

It felt as if someone had gutted him. He refused to let her go as his beast surfaced quickly. “Mine!”

Jinx paled more. “Asher, no!”

He yanked her to him and kissed her until he no longer could because of his shifting mouth. He put his teeth to her creamy smooth neck. “Mine.”

Jinx ran her hands into the back of his hair and held him to her. He could smell her succubus side and knew it was on overdrive. He knew he should walk away and let her hate him. He couldn’t.

“Say it,” he pushed out.

“No.”

He blinked in confusion. Had she rejected his claim on her? He bit into her tender flesh, her blood coating his tongue, his side of the claiming process complete. His magik wrapped around them both but met with resistance.

Dammit.

She had rejected him.

He was mated to her but she was free to do as she pleased. Of course his mate would be a stubborn redhead and of course she’d reject him.

You took forever and a day to claim her. Serves you right, jackass, he thought as he licked the wound on her neck, healing it instantly.

He stared down at her, releasing his ironclad grip on her. “You said no?”

With her eyes narrowed, she nodded. “You’re damn right I said no. You do not get to waltz in here after all this time and lay claim to me out of the blue.”

Heat stained his cheeks and he could only guess at how red they were. “I’d hardly call it out of the blue. I’ve had a very long time to think about it.”

“I’ve had less than five minutes,” she spat, looking even more beautiful as her ire showed through. His woman was the sexiest woman ever. She was also pretty pissed at him and he couldn’t exactly blame her. If roles were reversed he’d feel betrayed as well, especially considering their history.

She moved away from him, her hand going to her chest as if her heart hurt. “Asher, you bought me and gave me to another man.”

Guilt swept over him. “Those were different times, Jinx. You know as well as I do that setting you free then wasn’t an option. It wasn’t done back then. You were an unmated supernatural female in a sea of males wanting a mate.”

She put her back to him. “So you gave me to a sick bastard for safe keeping.”

Had Asher known the truth and that Fabianus was a heartless bastard who wanted to collect pretty things only to abuse them, he’d have taken Jinx elsewhere. He’d have hidden her away.

You should have claimed her then.

He exhaled slowly. “I killed him.”

She faced him. “Who?”

“Fabianus.”

Her eyes widened. “That was you?”

He nodded.

Her bottom lip trembled. “They suspected me. Had I not been too beaten to move, they would have taken my head for his death.”

Asher moved to her and wrapped his arms around her. “I would never have allowed that.”

“If it wasn’t for that sweet elderly woman, I wouldn’t have been smuggled out of Rome. I’d probably have been handed a death sentence.”

He rubbed her arms. “That sweet, elderly woman was there to do my bidding, Jinx. She is extended family.”

She twisted in his arms. “She’s a demi-god?”

Asher closed his eyes for a split second. “The great-great-granddaughter of one, yes. So she aged, albeit slowly, but still aged.”

“Did she pass?” asked Jinx, concern in her voice.

“Yes. Long ago.”

“I would have liked to thank her,” she said, pressing against him. “Why didn’t you come for me yourself?”

“I couldn’t face you. I was ashamed of myself and my actions. Of giving you to Fabianus to start with. Of so much. But mostly I was afraid of turning into my father.”

People today still knew of his father’s wrath, though humans weren’t aware of the truth of it all. They thought it an act of nature. Supernaturals knew better. At least the ancient ones did. Modern supernaturals tended to believe much the same way humans did—that the gods were myths and their offspring nothing more than stories told to simple-minded people looking to explain away what they could not understand.

If only that were true.

Pompeii might have stood a chance then. Mount Vesuvius might not have erupted at all, or for many thousands of years. His father’s rage had led to its eruption and to the death of so many. His father, a demi-god himself, had great power over fire—hence Asher’s name.

A more fitting name had never been bestowed upon a son for Asher, son of the ash maker, had held that stigma for centuries. After time, the old ways began to die and fewer and fewer immortals from this time remained. Those that did had other concerns than a city covered in ash and pumice.

He had taken solace in the way he’d managed to separate himself from it all. He’d dedicated his life to making a difference. He’d been in too many wars to count and had been a soldier all of his life. That had not changed. Only the countries he served had.

He’d not wanted his men to know his ugly past. He’d hoped they’d never see him as others viewed his father—a monster.