King Cave (20 page)

Antonio walked to our table as we continued our silent staring match. Elder Merrick did not answer me, nor did he remove his hand. Antonio pulled out a chair, muttering, “There’s a seat right here, Merrick.”

Elder Merrick leaned down, nostrils flaring as he scented me. “I want this one.”

My lips quirked. Not many ignored Antonio. He had balls, that was for sure. “As I’ve already explained, it’s taken.”

“By whom?” Cahal’s voice startled me from behind, but I didn’t glance away.

“By me,” Ezra stated calmly, also from behind me. He moved around the table and set a double shot of tequila, a beer, another cup of coffee, and a large cup of ice-cream on the table in front of our seats. Ezra leaned a hip against the table, directly next to us, as Elder Merrick’s body blocked his seat, and in the meanwhile, Elder Merrick and I continued our battle of wills. “I believe she’s told you the seat’s taken three times now.” He hooked a boot on the chair Antonio had pulled out and tugged over, making it squeak on the black floor obscenely. “Or possibly, with your old age, you have a problem with your hearing?”

Elder Merrick’s lips curved. “I may be older than you, baby Zeller, but everything still works,” his grin grew, his striking gaze heating on mine, “just fine.”

My jaw clenched. I knew Ezra wasn’t going to like the name-calling.

Ezra didn’t disappoint, his chuckle sounding roughly. “Only one person calls me baby. It sure as fuck isn’t you,” he tilted, his face hovering directly next to Elder Merrick’s ear, “and it sure as hell isn’t in that context.” A quiet Vampire growl. “Now, get the fuck out of my way.”

Elder Merrick stiffened at the blatant order.

“Yes, please do.” I grinned. It was more of a baring of teeth. “My ice-cream’s melting.” I flittered a hand between us. “We could keep this up all night, you and me, since we’re both obviously strong, but honestly, I want my damn ice-cream too much.”

Elder Merrick smiled, mimicking mine, showing his teeth. “We wouldn’t want your treat to go to waste.” He and I blinked at the same time, turning our attention away from each other and mutually stopping our staring contest. I grabbed my ice-cream while he lifted and straightened as Ezra did, so that they were damn near nose to nose, since they were of the same height.

Elder Merrick smiled again. The same smile. “Don’t ever give me an order again,” he growled, “
baby Zeller
, or I won’t give a shit that I respect your dad, and I’ll kick your fucking ass.”

Ezra grinned, his fangs extended. “I’d like to see you try, old man.”

Antonio sighed heavily, sitting on a chair. “Cahal, do something about your son.” He flicked a hand at me. “At least mine diffused the situation.” Another hand flick, this time at Ezra. “Yours is only escalating it.”

Cahal merely grunted, also sitting down at our table.

Elder Merrick’s gaze flew to Antonio — away from Ezra. “Yours?”

“I raised her,” Antonio stated evenly.

Yanking my hand out from under Elder Merrick’s, I patted the seat. “Seat’s free, Ezra.”

Ezra’s eyes narrowed as he continued grinning. “
Elder
Merrick, you’re in my way.”

“Ezra,” his dad stated gruffly, obviously tired of his son’s antics. “That’s enough.”

Elder Merrick still watched Antonio. “That’s where you disappeared to.”

“Something like that,” Antonio murmured, taking a drink of his beer and running a hand through his hair. He nodded to the seat both he and Ezra had motioned for him to sit on. “You may want to take a seat before the Vampire you’re ignoring helps you onto it.”

Amazingly, Elder Merrick grunted and then moved, sitting on the proffered chair as Ezra slipped back onto his seat and tossed his boots onto the table right in front of Elder Merrick. I suppressed a chuckle. Ezra rarely had to exert any pressure to get people to do as he wished, so more than likely he was enjoying this little battle he kept egging on. Taking my spoon, I dug into my slightly melted ice-cream as Ezra sipped from his beer. Elder Jacobs, also sitting at our table, occupied the last remaining seat.

Antonio flicked a finger against Ezra’s boots, which Ezra didn’t remove from the table, and said, “We heard you two were in here,” he eyed us, “getting along.”

I chuckled around a mouthful of ice-cream — Ezra had picked strawberry and it was quickly vanishing — while firmly keeping my gaze away from Cahal. “We already had this conversation with the Kings.” I pointed my spoon at Antonio. “Did you have anything to do with our punishment?”

Antonio smiled. It was of pure mischief. “I may have put a bug in their ear.”

Ezra scowled, taking a swill of his beer. “I swear to God, I’ll never have a fucking brat.”

“Amen,” I muttered, then gave Antonio a fed up glance. “For someone who just
loves
children, you sure know how to push others away from them.”

Cahal snorted, glancing to Antonio. “You
love
children?”

“Currently? One,” Antonio retorted in a clipped tone. “Lily.”

I rolled my eyes. “You
love
to torture me.” I set my bowl aside, done wolfing my sweet.

“That too.” He grinned as only a dad could.

Cahal blinked, then asked, “What did you tell the Kings?”

Antonio snickered, watching us. “They’ll be on babysitting duty.”

“Again,” Ezra grumbled, handing me his beer when I slammed the shot and started coughing. After taking a few swigs from it, I gave it back, pounding on my chest from the burn. Finishing most of his beer off, Ezra glared at Antonio over its edge. “Don’t you think we’ve had enough of that?”

They stared. At us. Oddly silent.

Antonio quickly cleared his throat. “No, I don’t.” Once more, Antonio cleared his throat, harder this time, cocking his head, staring at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read, but I knew he was trying to communicate
something
.

They still stared.

I yawned. “What?” I wiped my mouth, wondering if I had dried ice-cream on my chin.

“Jesus,” Ezra grumbled, setting the almost empty beer down and picking up his coffee, glaring with tired eyes at the other occupants of our table. “What the hell did we do now?”

Cahal reclined on his chair, crossing his arms lazily. “You have no clue?”

Ezra’s eyebrows puckered, obviously as lost as I was. “Would you care to enlighten us?”

Cahal’s gaze flicked back and forth between us. “No, I don’t believe so.”

“Then quit staring,” Ezra muttered, gesturing at everyone at the table with his coffee mug. “It’s rude.” Still they examined us, their heads cocking, except for Antonio’s, but he just appeared exasperated. “Why are you all sitting here?”

“Ah yes,” Antonio stated loudly. “We wanted to discuss your combat training.”

Ezra sipped his coffee with a raised eyebrow, then yawned. “She and I train together.”

I rested an elbow on the table, my cheek on my hand. My tired gaze met Ezra’s. “Or, at least, we did before we got here.”

Ezra grunted. “We should start again.”

I nodded, feeling sleepy and ready for a nap. “If we could find a place suitable.”

Antonio tapped the table with his beer. “I believe I was speaking.”

We both blinked at him.

“Are you two stoned?” Elder Jacobs asked, gesturing to the many empty plates and drinks. “You two ate enough for six people, appear as if you’re about to pass out, and not to mention…” He eyed us, before glancing to Antonio and Cahal. “Or are they always like this?”

Ezra stated dryly, “You’re the second person to ask us that within a half-hour, and the answer is still ‘no’.” His head cocked as our eyes met, and we chuckled, then he nodded to Elder Jacobs. “Though, yes, to the second question.”

With drowsy motions, we fist-bumped.

Antonio muttered under his breath something I was sure was uncomplimentary, then asked loudly, “I realize it’s hard for you two to stay focused, but could you try to pay attention to the adult for a moment?”

I glanced at Ezra. “We focus just fine, don’t you think?”

“Definitely.” Another sip of his coffee, his lids drooping lazily. “Except for school.”

I hummed, my eyes blinking slowly. “Or with the brats.”

He rested his head back. “Or the rules.” His eyes shut, a tiny smile playing on his lips.

My eyelids closed. “Unless they’re our own.”

Ezra grunted, sounding half purr.

Quiet.

Tranquil slumber, coaxing and exquisite, was starting to take me under when I heard a masculine voice, sounding incredulous, ask, “Did they just fall asleep?”

My head fell off my hand, and I jolted back on my chair just as Ezra cursed, lurching when his coffee spilt on his leg. I blinked blurrily at Ezra while he yawned, showing his pearly whites and placing his coffee on the table, then I turned my attention to Antonio. Rubbing my eyes, I asked, “Were you saying something?”

“Jesus Christ.” I recognized that voice as the one from a moment ago. Elder Jacobs. He swung a finger at the two of us. “They need to be drug tested before they spar with anyone.”

I lifted my Coke from the table, but realized it was empty and set it down with a sigh. I needed caffeine to stay awake for this. Elder Merrick held his Coke out to me, but I shook my head. “No, thanks.” Who knew how much backwash he left in the thing. I lifted Ezra’s coffee and sipped at it, my nose crinkling. Glancing at him, I muttered, “This shit is awful.”

“It’s black,” Ezra rumbled, settling back again after drying his pants. “It doesn’t have cream and sugar like you prefer.” I took another swill, only handing it to him when he grumbled, “Don’t drink it all.”

I stifled a yawn, watching him drink it, and then glanced where the line was for another Coke.
Nope, too lazy right now for that.
I sat back, rolling my shoulders and shaking my head a few times, trying to wake up. I lifted my arm to Ezra, mumbling, “Pinch me.”

He did. Kind of.

“Ow, goddamn it!” I shrieked, my eyes flying open as I held my injured arm. “I said pinch, not twist off a chunk of my flesh!” I pinched his easily accessible leg in retaliation, making him shout and glare. Pointing at his quickly receding drink, I whined, “I don’t want to get up and stand in,” my uninjured arm waved vaguely, “
that
. Give me some more.”

“You just hurt my damn leg,” Ezra griped, still rubbing it. “Now, you want my drink?”

My hand hovered in front of his face, over his cup. “Please.”

“No.” He took another sip, glaring and swatting at my hand.

I paused. “I’m sorry.”

“For?”

“Your leg.”

“Thank you,” he mumbled, sounding pleased, and handed me his cup.

I groaned, and swigged heavily of his nasty brew. Licking the edges of my mouth, I set the cup down and rested my head on my hand again. My eyes started to close as Ezra’s head tipped back on his chair. “Didn’t help.”

“Nope,” he groaned.

I heard a light snore from him, my own breathing evening out, and again, like a bad habit, I heard a voice mutter, “My God, maybe we should have a full cranial scan run on them while we’re at it.”

My head jerked, and yet again, I lurched, sitting straight on my chair. I squinted foggy eyes across the table. Squinted more, waiting for them to focus. I had…forgotten…about the Elders in my post-sated haze.

Elder Merrick was chuckling silently.

Elder Jacobs was staring at us like we belonged in a mental institution.

Cahal had an elbow on the table, his chin on his hand and a portion of his fingers covering his mouth, as he avidly watched.

Antonio was rubbing his temples, glowering.

“Sorry ‘bout that.” I yawned, rubbing my eyes before shaking Ezra’s leg since he was still snoring, his mouth slightly parted and his face toward the ceiling. “Ezra, wake up. I think they were saying something.”

He groaned softly.

More shaking. “Ezra, wake up.” Hell, I wasn’t awake enough to wake someone else.

“Sweetheart, go back to sleep,” he grumbled. “You wore my ass out.”

I stilled for a moment, coming fully awake, and then slapped his face with a bit too much force, but I needed to wake his ass up before he said anything too damning. He jerked, his green eyes flying wide open, and I muttered, “Stay awake.” I pointed between me and him, glancing to everyone at the table. “He meant we had a fight earlier. Worked out our issues.” I flicked a glance to the next table over — Shifters — who were gawking, since they had seen me slap Ezra. Pointing at a younger individual, I ordered, “I want two coffees. One black, the other with plenty of cream and sugar.” A glance at the beverage area, then back to her. “Cut in line.”

She jumped from her chair, nodding, and scurried off to do as told.

Ezra glanced at me from under hooded lids, rubbing the back of his neck.

I turned from him, staring directly at Antonio. “What were you saying?”

“That I wish for a bullet. To my brain,” he muttered, continuing to rub his temples.

Elder Merrick was wiping tears from his eyes from his silent mirth. “That was fucking extraordinary.” He turned his watering gaze to Cahal and Antonio, and started busting up again as he stared. “I hope like hell I don’t have kids like them.”