Seduced by Chaos (2 page)

At one hundred and twenty-three, Teo might look like he was only in his thirties by
eteri
standards, but there were times he felt he should look decrepit. Haggard and wrinkled, hobbling around with a cane.

Linchetti
, the Etruscan night elves, usually lived at least three centuries, if not more.

That meant another two hundred years for him. He didn’t want to live them alone. But the
amentia
didn’t leave him much choice.

As Rio gave him a final wink and joined the conversation, Teo tried to act interested in what they were saying but his thoughts turned inward.

He wondered what pretty Lacey would say if he told her he was a ticking bomb, unsafe to be around for any length of time.

While his older brother Antonin had been born with the
bassadone
spell in his genes, making him sexually irresistible to most women, Teo had been struck with a completely unwelcome spell that had forced him to become a virtual hermit.

Because what person in his right mind wanted to cause chaos wherever he went?

That’s what the
amentia
did. It made him a cloud of doom and gloom wherever people gathered. The
amentia
worked kind of like the
bassadone
spell in that it affected others around him but Teo hadn’t been born with it. He’d been cursed with it by a woman.

A vindictive woman who thought he deserved to pay a special price for seducing her then having the unmitigated gall not to want to spend eternity with her.

He should be the subject of an after-school special for Etruscan teens.
Watch who you
sleep with, kids, or your life will turn to shit too.

Blinking, he dragged himself out of those black thoughts and back into the conversation, just in time to hear Lacey say, “I’ll be right back with your drinks, guys.”

11

Stephanie Julian

Then she flashed a smile at Rio and Rosie, but it dimmed a bit as she looked at him.

Really know how to scare ’em off, don’t you?

He held back a sigh as she turned but let his gaze follow her back to the bar. The woman had a fine ass that the baggy jeans didn’t manage to completely hide—

Rio’s fist slammed into his arm, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to let him know his younger brother was disappointed in him.

“Christ, Teo, could you act any more uninterested?” Rio shook his head. “I’m seriously starting to worry about you. If you don’t snap out of this mood soon and start living, I’m gonna sic Mom on you.”

And that was no idle threat. He’d managed to hold off his mother’s well-meaning interference in his life, but if his brothers goaded her into taking an active interest in his love life, he was toast. She’d want him to try again, try to find a cure. And when he couldn’t, it just might make him give in to the
amentia
and let it take him under.

“I’m not uninterested, Rio.” He looked directly into his brother’s eyes. “I’m just not safe.”

* * * * *

After delivering Rio and Rosie’s drinks—and studiously avoiding the handsome Teo—Lacey headed back to the bar to tend to the three business suits who’d just walked in, yukking it up and clapping each other on the back over some deal.

They seemed decent enough. Just loud. Most
eteri
were. They’d never had to learn the fine art of blending in. Of being unseen in plain sight.

The Etruscans had it down to an art.

These three sharp tacks dressed in their thousand-dollar suits and hundred-dollar ties wouldn’t give her the time of day, thanks to her glamour. Oh, they weren’t deliberately rude when she took their drink orders but they certainly didn’t look twice.

Which was just fine with her. She’d had enough male attention in her life.

Which didn’t mean…

12

Seduced by Chaos

She slid a glance Teo’s way as she headed to the far end of the bar to refill the cooler there. Shaking his head at Rio, he looked…sad. Like the weight of the world rested on those broad shoulders. She wondered what he was saying but even with her better-than-average hearing, she couldn’t hear because of the too-loud suits and the low hum of the Phillies game Mike and Joe were cursing.

Too bad, because there was something about the man that drew her. Something that made her heart beat a little faster when she looked at him and her thighs clench when she got close.

Most men, unless they were decrepit or gay, made her want to run the other way.

That this one didn’t could be…problematic.

But Rio and Rosie had both said they’d had to drag the guy out of his apartment tonight. Maybe he wouldn’t be back.

And wouldn’t that be a damn shame.

* * * * *

Teo tried to enjoy Rio and Rosie’s company. He forced himself to contribute to the conversation, to laugh at Rio bitching about working with their older brothers and smile at Rosie’s stories about the children in her preschool storytime.

Rosie tried to draw him out about the building he was designing but there wasn’t much to talk about. His design work paid the bills. It didn’t satisfy him in any way other than monetarily.

Hell, he hadn’t been satisfied in a while.

And looking at Lacey brought that fact front and center.

His lust for her built every time he caught a glimpse of her behind the bar, every time she came over to get them refills, every time their gazes caught and held before she looked way.

13

Stephanie Julian

She felt it too. He could tell by the way her eyes dilated and her chest rose and fell in a quicker rhythm. When her gaze slid away, his slid to her breasts. Just because he couldn’t pursue her didn’t mean he couldn’t look. He wasn’t dead.

Just trapped by the fucking
amentia
in limbo.

They sat and talked for hours and Teo had to admit he enjoyed himself as much as he could. The fact that there weren’t a lot of people in the bar helped.

The two guys at the end of the bar kept to themselves, swearing at the Phillies every now and then. The couple in the booth were the same, only speaking to Lacey to order more drinks.

But the three guys at the bar started to get loud. And rowdy.

And obnoxious.

Until the couple in the booth shook their heads and left. And the Phillies fans began to give them dirty looks.

Then everything went to shit.

14

Seduced by Chaos

Lacey had had enough. Time to cut off the Suits.

She figured they’d give her a hassle so she warned Mike and Joe. She could take care of herself but the two beefy factory workers were protective of her.

And she had to admit, at least to herself, that she didn’t mind their protection. It’d taken her several weeks to realize that the two men—both happily married with daughters close to her age—only cared about her safety.

There was no evil in their eyes, no calculation when they looked at her. No selfish lust. They saw only a frail-looking, twenty-something woman thin enough to be blown over by a stiff wind.

But looks were deceiving. She’d survived ten years in a dark hell made by sick men and come out stronger. She could handle three drunk
eteri
.

“Hey sweetheart, another round.” Pinstripe Suit slapped his hand on the bar then motioned to her like he was Keanu Reeves in
The Matrix
.

Asshole.

She walked closer, but not within arm’s reach. She wasn’t stupid. “Sorry, guys.

You’ve had enough. Let me call you a cab.”

Blue Suit tried to cajole her with a smile. “Come on, beautiful. The night’s young.”

She shook her head. “It’s after midnight and you’ve had enough.”

That didn’t sit well with Black Suit. “Listen, babe. Just give us the drinks and we won’t tell the owner you’re screwing him out of profits.”

Now she did smile. “Unfortunately for you, I
am
the owner. And it’s time for you to leave.”

15

Stephanie Julian

Pinstripe and Blue Suit shook their heads, grumbling under their breaths about “the bitch”, but rose, ready to leave.

Black Suit wasn’t as smart. He wanted to argue.

“You stupid bitch. You’re going to re—”

Suddenly, the guy wasn’t there.

“I think maybe you want to listen to the lady.”

Teo stood behind Black Suit with the man’s arm twisted behind his body in a way she knew to be extremely painful. And Teo held it so tightly, Black Suit had to bend at the waist to take the pressure off it.

Teo’s expression was carefully neutral but those flecks of blue and green danced in his eyes as he gazed into hers. He wasn’t breaking a sweat. Hell, he didn’t even look like he was expending any energy to hold the guy there.

Then she let her gaze drop.

His arms bulged, muscles rippling. The sight should have made shivers of fear course up her spine.

Instead, her pussy clenched in desire.

Should she be pissed off that he thought she couldn’t handle herself? Or give in to the funny little feeling in her stomach that made her want to simper, “My hero”, and flutter her eyelashes?

Since that last option went against every bone in her body, she decided against it and settled for crossing her arms over her breasts and lifting an eyebrow at him.

Teo just stared at her as Black Suit wriggled like a fish on a hook, cursing until he was literally blue in the face. She hoped the guy didn’t pass out.

“Do you want me to toss him now or do want to yell at me first?”

Smart ass.
Teo’s dry tone and the glint in his eyes made her mouth kick up at the corners though she tried to control it. “You can escort him to the door, if you don’t mind.”

16

Seduced by Chaos

Teo nodded once before turning to slice a look at Pinstripe and Blue Suit.

“Gentlemen?”

Though their faces were flushed with anger, the Suits headed for the door without a word, backs as straight as if they had poles shoved up their asses. Teo followed them, Black Suit in a tight hold. Rio stood by the door, holding it open.

Lacey thought they might actually leave without causing more of a scene but as soon as Teo released Black Suit on the porch, the guy came up swinging.

Teo dodged it, but the guy got lucky and clipped Rio when he missed Teo. As Rio stumbled back a step, Teo’s eyes narrowed to slits.

The air around Teo moved, as if a fierce wind blew through the bar. It caught the attention of the other men. She saw it in the way they stiffened, hands clenching into fists, shoulders hunching. It showed in the blood lust in their eyes.

It had the exact opposite reaction on her.

Her muscles tightened, her thighs clenched and her blood burned with lust.

* * * * *

Teo heard Rio mutter “Oh shit” just as the idiot who’d tried to touch Lacey took a swing at him, missed and clipped Rio on the jaw.

The blow didn’t land with much force and Rio shook it off in a second.

But the damage was done.

Fury, hot and enticing, lit through Teo like a flame to gasoline. He attempted to rein it in, to control the
amentia
with the iron grip he usually held on it.

But the lust he’d been battling all night, combined with his anger at the Suit who’d tried to touch the object of that lust, broke his usually tight control. It spilled out of him like lava out of a volcano, infecting the
etera
in the black suit with the same need to create chaos that he felt.

The asshole bared his teeth and came after Teo.

17

Stephanie Julian

And Teo smiled because it’d been so fucking long since he’d had a good fight.

He’d tried to hide from it, to live apart from the rest of the world so he wouldn’t infect it with his madness.

Tonight, he’d had enough.

Black Suit came at him, arms open and head down, trying to tackle him. Teo planted his feet and caught the guy against his body. But the Suit was heavier than he looked and Teo stumbled back into the bar, crashing against the table closest to the door.

Chairs scattered and the table broke their fall. Teo heard it crack under their combined weight and cursed. This bastard was going to pay for every stick of furniture they broke. He would make fucking sure of that.

When they hit the floor, Teo clamped his arms around the guy and flipped him onto his back. The Suit fought him but wasn’t strong enough to take Teo. He managed to get to his knees as the idiot beneath him flailed his fists at Teo’s body. The guy had no strength in his arms, his fists barely making an impression on Teo.

Teo pulled back and smashed his fist into the guy’s chin. He tempered his blows, knowing he could crush the guy’s jaw if he wasn’t careful.

He hit him once. Twice.

It felt too damn good. He wanted to hit the guy again but…Lacey was watching. He felt her gaze on his back, hot as a laser.

Damn it, he didn’t want her to think he was some kind of animal, unable to control himself. Luckily, the guy beneath him groaned and went limp, hands falling to his sides.

Way to charm the girl, asshole. Beat up her customers and wreck her place.

Fuck.
Teo looked up and over his shoulder, to where Rio and the two other men from the end of the bar blocked the Suit’s friends at the front door. Rio lifted his brows and shook his head, a wry grin twisting his lips.

18

Seduced by Chaos

Shoulda stayed home.

Fighting a grimace, he shook his head. A rhythmic noise teased the edge of his hearing. Before him, Lacey tapped one Chuck-clad foot.

Shit. She was pissed.

Bracing himself, he let his gaze travel up. Lacey’s mouth was set in a firm line but her eyes flashed with laughter.

Okay, maybe not so pissed.

“I certainly hope you’re going to clean up after yourself, Mr. de Feo.” Her tone carried an edge. But those eyes… “Don’t leave that trash on my floor.”

Then she turned and walked back to the bar. And he couldn’t help but watch the sway of her rounded ass the entire way. With a smile on his face.