Page 38 of Jinn

“I can’t believe you did this,” Ajax told him before addressing Matt again. “Thanks for figuring this out. I really hadn’t thought it would be someone I thought a friend. As for talking shit, I suppose I can understand that. But I was serious about BTC. I love our band and the music we make, and I don’t want that to change. Well, aside from a new bassist, that is.”

“I’m just sorry I didn’t know ahead of time,” Matt said, still looking contrite. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Yes, not me, but luckily the company Finn works for has an elf who can heal.”

“Good. I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”

Matt stuck around while they dealt with the police. Finn’s tech guy easily found the proof of what Thorn had done, but they only turned over the hitman information since they couldn’t explain hell hounds to the cops. By the time it was all wrapped up and Matt had left, the sun was already rising, throwing soft light into the living room.

Exhausted, Ajax walked to Finn and sank against his big body. He liked that this man was strong and that he could lean on him and absorb some of that strength. “Well, at least that part is over.”

Finn held him close, nuzzling his hair. “You can focus on finishing your solo album now.”

“That and us.” He looked up at him, thankful that the faint sadness seemed to have left Finn’s expression for good. “That whole time, you knew what I was to you, and you were planning to not bond with me. You kept getting this look in your eyes—it was worrying me.”

“I was planning to love you as long as I could then walk away. Your fame is a huge part of who you are, and I happen to be in love with who you are, Ajax.”

“I was thinking. If this glamour thing works, I can just go on doing my thing.” He paused and patted Finn’s chest. “But I’m not really into the idea of a long-distance relationship. Not really into the idea of you accumulating frequent flier miles.”

“If we’re truly going to be together, that won’t happen. I need to be with you.”

He bit his bottom lip a moment, then plunged into what he really wanted to ask. “I do have a permanent bodyguard position open. Would you leave your company to travel with me?”

Finn didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”

“Don’t have to think about it?” Ajax grinned.

Finn framed his face with his hands. “Ajax, I want to be with you, and this is what you do. It’s way easier for me to change mylife. Yes, I have good friends here, but I won’t lose them. We can still visit and later, who knows? We could settle again here at some point when you’re reinventing yourself. I love my job, but I love you so very much more.”

“We still have a few months here, though I’m tempted to find a different house. I like this one, though. It would have been nice to have had privacy longer. I still don’t know who spilled the beans on me being here, but my guess that was Thorn as well.” That deep feeling of betrayal still burned. “I still can’t believe he tried to have me killed.”

“I don’t think he’s playing with a full deck.”

Ajax would have laughed at that, but he was feeling too raw over the whole ordeal. “His arrest will hit the news fast. This is going to be a complete shit show.”

Finn kissed him. “I’ll be with you. You’ll get through it because you’re strong.” He laid his hand on Ajax’s chest. “You have a good heart. One I plan to keep as mine for the rest of our lives. And just think of all the music you’ll be able to write with so many years.”

Ajax wrapped his arms around Finn’s neck. “That’ll be nice, yes, but Finn, it’s knowing that I’ll be with you that’s the best part.” He hugged him tight. “It’s just knowing that we’ll be together.”

Those strong arms tightened around him as Finn kissed his ear and whispered into it, “Together forever.”

Epilogue

ONE YEAR LATER

Finn

It was Ajax’s first concert as a solo artist, and Finn watched him step onto the stage with his guitar. He strode across that stage in that slow, sensual walk of his and faced the screaming crowd with a wide smile.

Finn had been right—the man thrived on performing.

His album had soared off the charts, even pulling fans of BTC into the mix. Ajax had hoped his solo work would do well, but he hadn’t expected this. His first concert sold out in less than an hour.

Finn was so damn proud, fierce joy for his mate had him grinning from the sidelines where he stood with Matt and Barry. Matt was happy for Ajax. Barry not so much, but he’d still come in support. And Thorn was in jail, where he belonged. The trial had been swift and decisive and had garnered the band a lot of publicity. Ajax had laughed bitterly at the irony.

Ajax looked over at him, the love on his face only amping up that joy he was feeling. Finn was now Ajax’s permanent personal bodyguard and traveled with him. He planned to go back to Protective Solutions once Ajax was “too old” to tour, though inreality, he never truly would be. They’d bonded to each other in a simple ceremony with Xavier and some of Finn’s friends present, the magic of the spell twining around them as they’d vowed to love each other forever. It had been like a wedding. A perfect one, though they’d held another celebration that Ajax’s parents could attend.

And now, he got to spend his days and nights with this wonderful man, got to watch him pour his soul out in his music. He would have a long, long lifetime with Ajax, and Ajax already talked about reinventing himself in the distant future. Xavier planned to work glamours for him, and while he’d always look the same to Finn and other preternaturals, to the human world he’d end up being someone else. They’d explained all this to Matt, who knew that at some point, the band would dissolve. It would have for him anyway. But the werewolf had been utterly shocked to learn humans could be soulmates. Finn was sure he’d filled in his pack, and with the way things spread in those, word would soon be everywhere.

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