Evans, Gabrielle - Upon Crimson Waters [Fatefully Yours 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) by Gabrielle Evans Page B

surprise when tiny flames immediately sparked along his fingertips. Fiero could manipulate fire, but he couldn’t create it.
    “And that’s just from syphoning for a couple of minutes.” He wiggled his fingers in Hex’s face, enjoying the widening of the man’s eyes. “Go ahead and have your little meeting,” he said icily. “I’ll run along and play like a good boy.” Then he let the flames die away as he turned to stroll out of the kitchen.
    “Impressive,” Eyce said from the threshold where he leaned against the kitchen doorframe. He eyed Echo cautiously, obviously hesitant to approach him.
    Smart man.
    In Echo’s current mood, he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t accidently…or maybe even purposely…set his lover ablaze. “You accused me of treating you like a pet—something to lavish affection on when the mood struck.” Pushing past the demon, he shook his head sadly. “Well, consider yourself in the doghouse.”

    * * * *

    “What the fuck happened in here, and why am I getting the blame?” Eyce pushed away from the wall and stepped further into the room.
    “Ask him.” Myst glared as he jabbed a finger in Hex’s direction.
    Eyce followed his gaze, narrowing his eyes at their leader. “What did you do?”
    Hex stumbled back a step when Myst released him, grabbing for the counter to steady himself. “I didn’t do anything!” he roared. Then he took an angry step toward Myst. “You’re going to use your powers on me?” He met each other of their eyes as his body trembled with anger. “That’s how it’s going to be? I’m the fucking bad guy now?”
    “You were a prick, and you know it,” Fiero said heatedly as he jumped to his feet.
    “We all agreed that we didn’t want him to know until we had more of the facts. Why the hell is everyone pointing their fingers at me?” Hex threw his hands up in the air. “You were all thinking the same thing.”
    “Don’t put words in my mouth,” Vapre said dangerously. “I didn’t want to worry him, and I don’t want him in danger, but I would have never spoken to him that way.”
    “What the fuck is going on?” Eyce yelled.
    “Hex told Echo that he was acting like a child and to run along and play while the big boys dealt with the danger,” Syx answered, his eyes locked on Hex.
    “You did what?” Eyce’s eyes almost bugged out of his head, and his mouth dropped open in utter shock.
    “I didn’t mean it like that.”
    “Then just how the hell did you mean it?” Onyx demanded. “I’m not sure how else he was supposed to take it. Please, enlighten us with the underlying meaning, because I’m just as lost as everyone else.”
    “I would, if everyone would stop attacking me!”
    Fiero snorted. “Believe me, you’d know it if I attacked you.”
    “Is that a threat?” Hex snarled, his voice deep and feral.
    “Whoa!” Eyce stepped between Hex and the rest of the men, holding his arms wide and looking back and forth between them. “Everyone just take a breath and calm the hell down.” He turned and pointed at Syx. “What did Echo do before Hex acted like a complete dickhead?”
    “He was upset because he knew we were keeping things from him. He was also smart enough to realize that we were hiding shit because we didn’t think he was tough enough to handle it.”
    Eyce nodded sharply and turned back to Hex. “And this was a sufficient reason to treat him like something on the bottom of your shoe?” He spoke calmly, but fury roiled just beneath the surface. “Do you want him to leave? I know I wouldn’t stick around to be treated like that.”
    “It wasn’t like that!” Hex roared. “You’re all blowing this out of proportion.”
    “Now, who’s being childish?” Vapre asked.
    “You can all go to hell,” Hex grumbled.
    “Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt,” Myst snapped back.
    “You don’t deserve him,” Fiero said so quietly that Eyce barely heard him. “I won’t let you hurt him again.”
    What the hell?