BloodBorne Ch. 04

His world? He meant the paranormal world, didn't he? Of course he did; there was no use in thinking of a future with any woman. Liam had witnessed firsthand what love did to a person; he hadn't seen his heartbroken brother in over year because of it. He wasn't in the mood to have his life complicated by a woman, least of all one like Xan.

"Jesus Christ, you're an asshole!" Xan shot up out of her seat. Just when she thought that the feelings in her stomach when he was near meant something, she was made the fool. She had to stop giving him more chances to redeem himself. She was stupid to think that someone like him was capable of being anything other than a world class prick.

"It's part of my fucking charm. Get used to it."

It was better to let him have the last word because if she reacted now, World War III would begin. With a disgusted shake of the head, Xan stood up and walked out of the room, determined to put as much space as possible between them. She didn't want to explain the redhead's death to Alexis.

Draco watched the exchange in amused surprise and grinned when Xan spouted off a litany of Spanish profanities that should have made him seek the Holy Spirit. She and his hot headed brother knew how to push each other's buttons, that much was obvious. The sparks between them could set rages of fires. Knowing Liam, however, they'd only end up killing each other. Either way, it wasn't his business. He waited until Xan left the room before saying, "Although I never think it's a good idea to piss a woman off, Liam, dude, I encourage you to keep her at a level seven."

"Yeah?"

"Hell yea. She's smoking hot when she's pissed.

Though Draco's usual one-liners annoyed him, Liam had to smile at the comment. The flush that took over her face and the angry glint in her eyes set his loins on fire. Xan was incredibly hot when she was upset.

It was one of the reasons he ticked her off all the time. He was aware of the fact that he would have to make peace with her before Alexis found out about their latest battle. The last thing he needed was another lecture. Liam huffed out a breath before turning on his heel to find her. He figured the walk to whatever room she hid in would calm her down enough to give him room to put them on speaking terms again. Either that or find the artillery chamber. She did have it in her to kill the fuck out of him. Damn, the woman sure had balls.

It didn't take Liam very long to find Xan. The door to her room was left open, an occurrence that only took place when the room was vacant. Since she only knew of two rooms upstairs, he quickly continued on to the home gym, checking the artillery room on his way. The weapons room was thankfully empty, which meant she had to be in the gym. As he suspected, she was there, unsuccessfully venting her frustrations on the punching bag hanging just behind the dumbbell rack. He knew the exact moment she realized he'd walked in; her movements went from practiced and controlled to jerky in unnecessary aggressiveness. Her form also went out of the window and while he was glad that he was able to bring forth such a passionate reaction from her, Liam didn't like that her concentration and form had gone to shit. "You're dropping that left arm too much."

Xan expelled a frustrated breath at Liam's criticism. She was still livid about their latest argument, but that didn't seem to dispel that uncomfortable cramping that formed in her stomach whenever he was around. She hated that he was able to throw her off the way he did. Maybe if he was like Draco, and didn't piss her off every five seconds...

No, that would have made matters worse. To actually like him as a person would make it that much harder to hate his guts when he went out of his way to make her life a living hell. Liam had to be the way he was; that callous, standoffish attitude reminded her to keep her guard up. Not that her guard was doing much of anything; he did almost kiss her not twenty feet from where she stood pummeling the crap out of the punching bag. Worst part; she wanted him to. Badly. Xan forced herself to ignore him, to simply imagine that he was the punching bag and that he was getting the beat down he deserved. She smirked at the thought.

Liam wondered what the hell she was thinking about. A sudden light flickered in her eyes as she went after the punching bag and her form worsened even more. He didn't like that she ignored him. Self control kept him from acting on his childish impulses and so he stood and watched her, admiring the lines of her body as she moved. The way the hem of her shirt rode up to expose the hard yet feminine cords of her abs made him focus on the lower half of her lithe body. Xan half turned and he admired her tight bottom. She was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt of that. If only she could manage to keep him from acting like a vindictive twelve-year-old whenever they were in the same room... "You have to keep moving. You'd never stand in one spot when fighting someone, would you?"

Did he have to comment on every little thing she did? Xan paused a moment to glare at him. The casual way Liam leaned against the doorframe irritated her. He looked so... sexy. His eyes moved over the length of her body and she was aware of the fact that he mentally undressed her. A shiver went down her spine. Mierda! She seriously had to get away from him before-

"I think it's time I give you another lesson."

"Go to hell," she retorted as he sauntered into the room. There was something different in the way he walked. His stride wasn't full of purpose or hurry; no, this was the walk of a man who wanted to dominate, to seduce.

This was not good.

"If you're going to keep fucking up your form, I'm going to keep teaching you until you get it right. You'd actually be a good fighter if you weren't..." He looked her over, searching for the perfect description.

"A chick?" Xan placed her hands on her hips in anger. "You trying to say that women can't be good fighters?" She let out a frustrated growl when he only walked toward the floor mat. He stared at her expectantly and it was obvious that he wasn't going to feed into the argument she was trying to provoke. It was difficult to decide if that annoyed her or flattered her; this was, after all, the first time he wasn't going out of his way to upset her. Against her better judgment, she followed him onto the mat and fought hard to ignore the familiar sensation taking over the lower half of her abdomen. "Ok, Miyagi; what now?"

Liam would have smiled at the comment if he hadn't been distracted by the sudden flush of her skin. He'd never noticed how the tension around her eyes lessened when he unnerved her. It was also a bit of a struggle for her to make eye contact. He liked that; she never had a problem looking his brothers in the eyes, which only meant that he was the only one who affected her. What about the Magori? He'd lived with Xan for years. It was more than possible that they were more than friends. It didn't matter; he was part of her life now, and as long as she lived under his roof, no other man would be more than a friend to her. He would be the only one.

Xan found herself tilting her head in confusion when he suddenly scowled. What the hell was he thinking about? "Are you going to answer my question before I turn sixty?"

His only response was to crouch into a defensive stance. He watched her brow quirk upward a scant second before she rushed forward to attack. Because her fighting style was predictable to him, Liam knew that she would begin with a right hook. It was easy to dodge the move and counter with a light kick to her bottom. Her outraged squeal made him laugh, and he continued to vocalize his amusement when she tried to tackle him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her upside-down, only to protect their fall when she landed a painfully accurate blow to the juncture of his thighs. Liam groaned in pain and frustration, but managed to cushion her fall. Unfortunately for her, they landed in quite the precarious position, with their groins pressed into the others' face. It was a good thing she'd probably made a eunuch out of him; her face already was plastered against a part of his anatomy that created a very awkward situation. He did like having that round and firm bottom of hers pressed against his face though; if only they were both naked...

Xan made quick work of rolling off of Liam. Her first instinct was to punch him in the face for the way they landed, but the way he held his groin told her that she'd inflicted enough pain. Served him right. "I should kick your fucking face in for that."

"You were the one who tried to tackle me. Don't get pissed at me for defending myself, baby."

"Don't call me baby, asshole."

"Oh I love it when you sweet talk me."

Xan paused in shock. Did he actually joke? He knew how to play around? The odd flutter in her stomach made her stand up to create space between them. She liked it better when they were yelling at each other; at least then she knew what to expect. She watched as he rudely rubbed the pain out of his groin and felt her skin heat in reaction. Xan wasn't embarrassed; not by the rubbing anyway. It was the fact that she liked it that mortified her. "Why the hell would you flip me over anyway?"

He knew what she was really asking. As he stood up, Liam shrugged and said, "Seemed like a good idea at the time." The crimson tinge taking over her face told him that she did not approve of his answer. "You retained your last lesson very well. Just work on that left arm."

"Whatever."

"What's wrong with you?"

Like she would ever tell him that the way he was talking to her made her think of impossible things. Why the hell wasn't he arguing with her? "Nothing is wrong with me. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

The tone of her voice alone should have enraged him. Had it been anyone else, he would have been shouting loud enough to wake the dead. But because it was her, he couldn't seem to be anything but pleased. "I like a woman who can keep up with me."

The flutter in her stomach became a full on cramp at the smile that took over his face. This was too much. "Can we get back to fighting? I'm getting bored."

"You sure you can handle any more?"

"From you? Absolutely."

"Oh yea?" Liam grinned.

"Yes. You're not that great of a fighter."

Liam's smile faded at her words. "What?"

"I didn't stutter." Xan turned her back on him as she continued her tirade, "Sure you're one mean son of a bitch and yes, you can throw a good punch, but you're mechanical. Too focused on showing off the fact that you can fight."

"Are you seriously criticizing...?" He was too appalled to continue the question.

The quiet rage in his voice made her sigh in relief. "I've been taking it easy on you from the start." He actually flushed. The redhead standing in front of her turned so red, it was almost comical. The look of betrayal in his eyes made her look away from him. Sure, being criticized was enough to upset anyone, but there was no need to look as if she killed his dog. Guilt slowly crept upon her, and then the need to set things right became overwhelming. "Liam..." There wasn't a chance to say anything. A quick shake of the head was the only response she received before he quietly stormed passed the overly large golden dog seated just inside the doorway and out of the room. She signed in resignation. So this is what it must have felt like whenever she stormed out on him.

Xan dropped down onto the mat and stared up at the ceiling as she replayed the past twenty minutes in her head. Something was seriously wrong with her if she really felt guilty about causing him to storm out of the room. She had to get a grip on herself; she was here for protection and once all threats had been eliminated, she would leave. Her primary focus had to be Xion. Second to that was figuring out where she and her sister would live once this was all over.

The appearance of a large dog's face hovering over hers made Xan laugh. "Is this how you usually say hello?" She watched as the canine features shifted to the perfection of Euan's pale oval face. His amber eyes looked like gold in this light, and the ends of his long golden hair tickled the tip of her nose as he hovered over her. "How much did you see?"

Euan stared at her for a long moment before he spoke. "Liam is different from the rest of us."

"No kidding," she snorted.

"You don't understand." He sat back on his heels when she leaned up and placed her weight on her elbows. "His life wasn't easy before he met us. The things he was taught..."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I was raised to lead and care for those who could not care for themselves. You were raised to protect your sister."

Xan sensed the direction the conversation was headed. "Was he raised to suffer or something?" Euan didn't answer, which only made her think that she was closer to the truth than he wanted her to be. "Well, what is it?"

"Warriors have only one thing to rely on."

It only took a second for her to catch his meaning. "Ah, shit." He nodded in confirmation and she felt her stomach drop in unease. "Fighting is everything to him isn't it?"

"He believes that worth is based on his ability to defend and disarm."

"So when he trained me to fight better..."

"He was telling you that he regards you differently. You mean more to him than you think."

"You mean..." He wasn't really telling her that he liked her, was he? "But he can't really..."

"The better Liam fights, the more worthy of import he is."

"So my saying that I've been taking it easy..."

"Tells him that you find him weak and unworthy of anything you give him."

Mierda... How in the hell was she supposed to fix this? And why in the holy name of God did she think she should? She sat up and ignored the fact that Euan sat before her completely nude. While he was a fine specimen of a man, he didn't arouse her or make her feel crazy things she didn't want to admit to. He reminded her of Pogue, and the easy way they were able to share space without complication. "You mean to tell me that I actually hurt the brute's feelings?"

"You two are too busy trying to one-up each other, that you're forgetting to take it easy."

"Take what easy?" Euan only smiled at her, a reaction that made her suck her teeth in exasperation. "Do any of you men know how to give a straight fucking answer?"

"When we want to."

"Why are you telling me to take it easy, Euan? What does that even mean?"

"It means that you are not simply someone for him to protect. He is not simply someone to protect you."

"You have the wrong idea, buddy." Xan hoped her face didn't flush at his words. Her heart beat furiously, which only told her that his words held truth, whether or not she wanted to admit it. Liam wasn't the type she needed to settle down with. He was too rugged and worn, the wounded animal too wild to trust anyone. He was too much like her. "Listen, I don't know what house you're living in but in this one, the only thing between your brother and me is dislike. Massive amounts of dislike."

"You're sure about that?"

"There is nothing going on, Euan!"

He only nodded at her emphatic denial before saying, "Part of my ability is empathy."

"You mean you can feel what people around you feel."

"People and animals," Euan qualified.

Made sense considering he turned into animals at will. "Ok, so you can feel things normal people can't."

He ignored the veiled insult as he said, "I can feel what you feel, and I felt what went through both of you just now." The flush that took over her cheeks made him nod. She understood where he was headed. "You two can fight as much as you want. Call him all the names you think of."

"Euan..."

He shook his head to silence her. "Treat him as badly as you wish. Lie to yourself if it makes you feel better. At the end of the day, I'll always know exactly what you feel for him."

What the hell was she supposed to say to that? Xan stared at Euan blankly, silently hoping that he would shift back to animal form and leave. This wasn't the type of conversation she was hoping to have. She had to go make amends with Liam now. She had to look him in the eyes knowing that there really was something brewing between them. Well, that didn't mean she had to play into it. This was an easy problem to solve; she simply wouldn't speak to him any more than she had to. Her inconvenient feelings would fade and this conversation would become a distant memory.

Euan kept himself from smiling at the conflicting emotions rolling through Xan. It was apparent that she didn't want to have feelings for his abrasive brother. He didn't blame her; Liam wasn't an easy person to deal with, even on his best days. "You two are more alike than you care to admit."

That didn't help matters, not that she would have said anything. Xan remained silent as she watched Euan shift into an owl before flying out of the room. A part of her wanted to follow him, just so that she could punch him in the face. He was some kind of a sick individual, forcing her to confront the reason behind her reactions when around Liam. She still had to talk to the redheaded bastard, a task that wouldn't be easy now that she was forced to admit to herself that she liked him. "Might as well get it over with," she muttered as she stood up. The sooner she finished this, the sooner she could retreat to her room to think things over.

Xan walked out of the room hesitantly; she was unsure about which way to go, and even less sure of her decision to speak to Liam. Something told her to go left, the complete opposite direction she was familiar with. She followed her instinct; the house wasn't made to harm, which meant that she didn't have to worry about traps. The only trepidation she felt came with the thought of having to face Liam. Xan trudged on though, barely glancing at the décor of the hallway. She did notice that the carpet was blue, as opposed to the opulent red of the main walkway, and the chandeliers were made of sparkling silver. She had to shake her head at the blatant wealth of the men. At least they didn't seem spoiled; on the contrary, each of the brothers she'd encountered seemed level headed and didn't mind that she came from nothing. There was no sign of snobbishness when they addressed her. They did not make her feel inferior.

The sounds of guns blasting off, followed by Liam's very familiar litany of profanities told Xan that she was indeed on the right path to finding him. She walked to the end of the hall and paused at the partially opened door. She looked through the crack and was able to make out three different ball pong machines, as well as a Dance, Dance Revolution console. This was obviously an in-home arcade, no doubt fully equipped with nothing but the best games ever created. There was a shelf filled with board games and based on the flashes of light bouncing on them, there was one hell of a television screen on the other side of the room. Xan toed the door open just enough to slip her head in and found Liam perched on a plush chair in front of a projector screen of movie theater proportions. He was playing some sort of armed forces game, and based on the harsh way he screamed, he was one of many players.

"Jay, what the fuck are you doing?!? You call that shooting! Mother fuck you!!!"

Xan almost laughed at the passionate way he threw his hands up in frustration. He wore a set of headphones, making her unsure of whether or not he could hear her. She took the chance that he couldn't and slowly entered the room.

"Left flank! Left flank! Cover your ass, Jay! What the fuck are you doing in here? No, Jay, I'm not talking to you."

Xan let out a steady breath as she prepared for what was to come. The animosity in Liam's voice was thick and made her heart race. She was nervous, she realized, and she did not like that one bit. "I just wanted to say... I wanted to tell you..."