Dana Bell - Eye of the Beholder

Travis pushed Jamie’s wheelchair out of the hospital by himself, refusing all offers of help despite his handicap. He’d glared at Jeff, daring the man to say anything about it, but Jeff had merely grinned over his oblivious twin’s head and backed off. No one but Travis was going to tend to her if he could help it.

Pushing the damn thing one-handed was more difficult than he’d thought it would be, but he’d learned over the long centuries to compensate for his lack of a right hand. He’d thought once or twice of getting a prosthetic but he’d become so used to doing everything without it he wasn’t certain if he wanted to try and adjust to one. He made do, barely bumping her into any walls at all, using his right forearm to push and steering as best he could with his left hand.

“And they say women drivers are bad.” Travis grinned at the mumbled words. It was so good to see Jamie’s quirky sense of humor resurfacing.

Logan was waiting for them with the SUV in the front of the building, leaning against the passenger side door with a dark, brooding look. People went out of their way to move around him. Val had already left to go back to the office, unwilling to keep idle while Grimm was out and about.

“Gee, Logan, lighten up. You’re scaring the straights.” Jamie’s still-slurred voice sent rage down his spine every time he heard it. The weary pain she spoke with was eventually going to drive him mad.

But she was alive. He had to keep telling himself that. She was alive. Grimm hadn’t taken another one of his loves from him.

He’d never get the chance to either, if Travis had anything to say about it.

Logan snorted, a half smile gracing his lips as he stared down at his petite sister-in-law. “You ready to leave, Pita?”

“Why do you keep calling Jamie Pita?” Travis frowned at the man opening the back door.

“Because.”

Kir was shaking his head as he put Jordan in the front passenger seat. Jordan, grinning, didn’t protest at all.

Travis’s frown turned into a glare. “Does Pita mean what I think it means?”

Jamie rolled her eyes as Travis helped her from the wheelchair. “Tell me you haven’t thought of me as a pain in the ass sometimes.”

“Yeah, I’m just honest enough to admit it.” Logan put his arm around Jamie, gently assisting her into the back seat before Travis had recovered from his surprise.

Travis relaxed and walked around to the other side of the car, letting Kir hand the wheelchair back to the nurse. “Well, if anyone knows anything about pains in the ass that would be you, Logan. Hell, from what I’ve seen—and still have nightmares about, by the way—you’re a damn expert on it.”

He snickered as Logan flipped him the bird. He turned to get into the car, only to find Jeff had settled into the seat next to Jamie. He almost protested, but when he saw the relaxed look on her face he kept his mouth shut. He settled in next to Jeff, clicking his seatbelt on just as Logan started the car.

He didn’t miss the smirk on the younger man’s face, either. Jeff knew exactly how Travis felt about Jamie. Apparently he was planning on having a little fun with that information, but if it made Jamie trust in him Jeff could tease him to hell and back and Travis wouldn’t say a word.

Logan pulled out into the early Philly traffic, heading for the condo they’d all be sharing for the duration. He had no clue how the three of them planned on accommodating twice their number in two bedrooms. He had no doubt they’d somehow manage it, because he had no intention of leaving until Jamie wanted to. Ah, the joys of sleeping on a futon. He looked over Jeff’s head to the curls that haunted his nightly dreams and hid a smile. The things I do for love.

He sat back and thought about the first time he’d seen her. It had been like a fist to the gut. She’d come in, asked him if he was Jordy’s new boss, glared at him when he said yes, and told him his tie was crooked. Jeff had just stood there and nodded before telling him that his shirt didn’t go with his eyes.

They had been all of sixteen at the time.

He’d been fascinated by a pair of big green eyes that seemed to see right through him and a pretty, determined face in such a small body. He’d been curious to see if the twins would show signs of power.

Usually the union of Aesir and human was fully human, if a bit tougher than normal, but on rare occasions an exceptional being was born. He’d told himself that was the source of his obsession with her. But part of him, even back then, had known it to be a lie. He’d avoided the Grimm household after that, disturbed on several levels by the desire to spend time with what amounted to a child.

It wasn’t until she turned nineteen and been employed at Guardian Investigations that he’d understood why none of his relationships had lasted more than three months since meeting her.

He hadn’t been the one to hire her. Her brother, apprenticing under Travis at the time, had known that Travis needed a new receptionist. Jeff simply installed her one day, much to Travis’s surprise. Her cheerful presence had filled the front hall, her gaze following him whenever he stepped foot in the building. She’d lightened the sterile front desk just by sitting there, putting clients at ease with such effortlessness he’d been stunned. He would stop at her desk and chat with her for a bit before going to his office just to see her smile, to hear her voice. Her conversation had made even the worst day seem as bright as her fiery curls.

But then she’d called in sick once, and his whole day had gone to hell in a hand basket. He’d been grumpy and out of sorts, so much so Jordan had called him on it. She’d even wondered if he’d broken up with his latest girlfriend, and if that was why he was being such a prick.

He’d promptly informed her that things were fine between him and Karen. Hell, he’d even gone home and fucked Karen just to prove to himself that he wasn’t perving on a nineteen-year-old girl.

Six weeks later he’d broken up with Karen, calling himself all kinds of names as he did so. He’d then promoted Jamie to Jordan’s secretary just so he wouldn’t have to look at her every day.

But he had. He hadn’t been able to help himself. Something about her bright smile, her incredible laugh, drew him like metal to a lodestone. He’d walked past Jordan’s office, longing for something he kept telling himself he couldn’t have.

Then he heard she’d broken up with her boyfriend, and the heart he thought had died with Zisa centuries ago rejoiced. He hadn’t felt that way since Zisa had said yes and become his wife.

That was when he knew he loved Jamie.

He’d decided all he needed to do was wait. In a few years, he could approach her without feeling like the dirtiest old man on the planet. Travis smirked. Let Logan keep that title. He’d acted on that, taking a woman out for dinner occasionally for the sake of illusion but sleeping with none of them. Even the thought of doing so just felt…wrong. Like adultery.

Just when he couldn’t stand it anymore, Grimm had pulled his alpha male bullshit, trying to get Travis to sell Guardian to him. Travis had pulled away from him, refusing point-blank any and all offers. He still didn’t know where the strength to resist Grimm’s compulsion had come from, but he’d heeded his internal warning bells. He’d purposefully stayed away from Jamie, and Jamie’s family, knowing the tension that would build could ruin any chances he had of ever claiming Jamie as his own. He hadn’t wanted Jamie caught in the crossfire between him and the Old Man.

He stared out the window at the passing houses, losing sight of them as his vision turned inward.