Unfortunately, he couldn’t hate Rafe for it. If their roles had been reversed, Fox would have been on that filthy ground, laughing so hard he would have pissed his pants.
“Where’s Winter?” Rafe asked through the window as he finally caught his breath.
Fox motioned with hands out toward the open area around them. To his relief, Rafe grunted, seeming to understand that Winter was invisible but close.
“Aren’t you going to come out and play with me?” Rafe inquired.
“What are you, The Big Bad Wolf? Winter said to stay in the car.”
Rafe smiled broadly, beckoning him out with one long finger. “I’ll leave the huffing and puffing to Winter. Come out.”
Fox narrowed his eyes on Rafe while trying very hard not to smile. They might not have gotten off on the best foot when they met nearly a week ago, but Fox couldn’t deny he was funny in all his snarkiness.
“I promise you’ll be perfectly safe,” Rafe added. “You’re far too important to Winter.”
Now that definitely got his attention. Rafe didn’t know about the Fox Effect on Winter’s ability to see ghosts. Why would he think Fox was important to Winter? What had he seen in the one evening they’d spent together?
“What are you talking about?”
Rafe shook his head. “I’m done talking through a window.”
Fox growled, wondering if he was being totally played by Winter’s crazy brother. But he really wanted to know what Rafe thought he saw. Rolling his eyes at himself, Fox unlocked the door and opened it. He remained sitting in the seat but turned toward the sidewalk while Rafe stood in the opening with his arm resting on the top of the door.
“Now…what are you talking about?” Fox repeated.
Rafe casually shrugged, his eyes darting around the area, which was what Fox should have been doing. “Nothing too overt, but then Winter tends to kill anything that isn’t family.”
Those blue eyes suddenly snapped back to Fox and narrowed speculatively, causing Fox’s heart to jump in his chest. With all his silly comments, it was easy to forget that Rafe was a vampire and incredibly dangerous. A lesson Fox would never forget again.
“But Winter didn’t kill you. He’s risking quite a lot to keep you safe. Seems quite protective of you,” Rafe said softly. “I find myself wondering why that is.”
Fox shrugged and forced himself to be nonchalant while his little inner Fox was jumping up and down like a five-year-old on a trampoline. “He’s just keeping his family safe from the prophecy and Damon.”
“Oh, there are so many other ways to do that, and none of them involve being cuddled on the couch together.” Rafe’s smile turned absolutely sly. “And none of them put the kind of smile on Winter’s face that I saw the other night.”
“Does that smile bother you? Or that I’m the cause?”
“Nope.” Rafe straightened and loosely folded his arms over his chest. “Of course not. If my little brother wants to get freaky with a witch, what do I care?”
Fox inwardly groaned. At least he didn’t say kinky. Not that anyone anywhere had ever accused him of being kinky.
“My only concern is whether you’re planning to kill him.” Rafe’s voice had sharpened until it was almost a knife’s edge carving its way into his heart.
“Of course not! What the hell!” Fox shouted, horrified. The thought of hurting Winter made him sick to his stomach. There was no way in hell he’d ever hurt Winter. He leaped out of the SUV and took a couple of steps toward the vampire. Rafe was several inches taller than Fox, but he didn’t let the height difference intimidate him. Not that he was actually thinking about anything. He was just angry Rafe would even suggest such a thing.
“It must be the red hair. I can’t even get Ethan fired up like this so quickly,” Rafe mused, retreating a step.
“What the fuck?” Winter’s angry voice suddenly swept over them, and Fox rocked back as it suddenly dawned on him that he was shouting at Winter’s brother.
Before he could say anything, Winter inserted himself between Fox and Rafe, his shoulders still and body practically vibrating with anger as he growled at his older brother. “What’s wrong with you? Are you threatening him?”
Rafe’s blue eyes lit with amusement, and he grinned at Fox over Winter’s shoulder. “Not at all. I was just chatting with your adorable witch. He knows I meant no harm.”
Winter swung around to face Fox, his expression lined with worry. He lightly touched his cheek, and Fox couldn’t stop himself from leaning into his palm. So many lines got blurred when Winter touched him, and Fox just didn’t care.
“Are you okay? Rafe would never harm you. You have to ignore him. He’s just an asshole.”
Fox grinned broadly at Winter’s words and Rafe’s indignant huff behind him. “I’m fine. You’re right. He’s just an asshole.”