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My dad looked a lot like me, except he was taller and male. I wasn't a short girl though, by any means, and he was still taller than me. We were both on the thin side, but where I was simply thin, Rain was hard and made up entirely of compact muscles. We had the same eyes and ash blond hair. My hair went down past my shoulders and I couldn't remember the last time I'd had it cut. Rain's hair was shaggy and he too looked like he probably couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten it cut. For once, he was missing his trademark black trench coat that he always wore. He had on a black, long-sleeved thermal shirt, dark blue jeans, and black combat boots.
I looked down at my feet and grinned. We had similar taste in footwear.
I wished he would have pushed his sleeves up his arms because I knew he had a plethora of tattoos on his forearms and other places, and I had yet to see a single one of them. I knew he put magic into them somehow and some of them were for protection. We'd been training for months now, just the two of us, and no matter how many times I asked or how often, he refused to push his sleeves up or tell me anymore about his tattoos. Instead, he always told me that when the time was right he'd share with me.
The smile left my face because I remembered that I was losing patience with Rain, and now he was being an asshole to Marcus who'd done nothing wrong.
"I came to take her to lunch," Marcus answered evenly without missing a beat or returning Rain's hostility.
"Maybe she'd rather have lunch with me," Rain shot back, and I shook my head as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Really, Rain?" I muttered. "You're going to do this now?"
Rain glared at me and I felt my lips tip up again. That look would have normal people squirming and hoping and praying not to piss themselves. I wasn't normal and I knew I was the only weakness Rain had. He'd never do anything to harm me and that look was all bullshit when directed my way.
"Really, Ariel," he mocked. "You're going to do this now? Here I thought you'd want to spend time with yourrealfather and not some pretender who'd chosen your kidnapper over you."
I gaped at him.
"Rain," I hissed angrily.
That was taking things too far, even for him. Marcus had cared about Vivian and she was dead. I didn't think it was right to hold that against him, no matter what she'd done or what kind of person she'd been when she was alive. There was no reason Marcus needed to be blamed for her mistakes or the fact he'd given a shit about her.
"What?" Rain asked innocently.
I sighed. There was no point arguing with him sometimes. Rain was the single most stubborn person I had ever met in my entire life and once he made up his mind, that was it.
"Are you going to hang out up here while I'm gone or do I need to lock the place up?" I inquired in exasperation.
He glared at me before turning that angry look on Marcus and snarling, "If anything happens to her while she's with you, I'll rip your goddamned heart out of your chest and stomp on it."
With that, he plucked Binx up off the counter and turned away, heading in the direction of the table that the boys used to read cards and tell fortunes.
My mouth hung open as I watched Binx's tail twitch and I heard the little traitor start to purr.
"Well," Marcus drawled, "shall we be on our way now?"
I sighed as I grabbed my phone and hurried after him. I hoped Rain didn't scare off too many customers in my absence. He and Quinton often scared people away.
Chapter Two
Ipicked at the corner of the menu nervously. This place wasn't some fancy-shmancy place that I was expecting Marcus to take us to when he said he had a restaurant in mind. This place wasn't a dive either. It was quaint, clean, and judging by the family filled booths, family friendly.
For the first time since sitting down after the hostess had led us to the booth, I finally looked across the table at Marcus. I had never been uncomfortable around the man before and couldn't exactly pinpoint why I seemed to be nothing but uncomfortable now.
Marcus didn't seem to be having the same problem as me. In fact, he looked right at home in his side of the booth. He'd removed his suit jacket and placed it over the back of his seat before sliding into the booth, where he'd immediately unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled his shirt up to his elbows. He'd then sat back and flipped open his menu. He'd been immersed in it ever since.
I'd opened my menu but I hadn't actually read a single item on the stupid thing. This was unbearably awkward for me and I hated that this was now how I felt around him when I cared so much for him.
"What can I get ya to drink?" a bubbly young woman asked in a chirpy voice.
"I'll have a Diet Coke," Marcus answered without looking up from his menu.
The waitress looked at me expectantly and I muttered that I'd have a Coke. She wrote it down on her little notepad before bouncing off the way she'd come.
"Uh, Marcus," I mumbled.
He peeked at me over the top of his menu. "We can talk after we order," he told me in a gentle voice.
