He found Peri in a corner of the kitchen, mixing bowls and ingredients spread out in front of him. Wash assumed he’d asked for permission first, because none of the staff seemed bothered that he was there. One even stood beside him, a flirtatious grin on his face as he helped measure out the ingredients.
Wash’s temper flared and he stomped in without stopping to assess the situation. All he saw was a human getting too close to Peri and that slimy grin on his face, and he moved on instinct. He grabbed Peri’s elbow, pulling him away from the guy, and glared at the asshole who’d just leaned in to whisper in Peri’s ear. Since he knew how easily Peri was riled up, he saw red at the forward gesture.
“Wash?” Peri exclaimed, startled.
Wash ignored him, baring his teeth at the human who looked surprised, but not deterred by Wash’s presence. “Who’s this? Is someone’s kid lost or something?”
The sneer said the human knew damn well that Wash wasn’t a child, but because he stood several inches taller than Wash, he chose to make a dig to humiliate Wash and gain the upper hand.Too bad for him Wash had heard it all before. And he no longer hesitated about putting little shits like him in their place.
Twenty
Peri could practically feel it when Wash’s control on his temper snapped. He released his grip on Peri’s arm, teeth bared and claws out as he went after him. Given that the guy he was confronting was human, Peri knew he couldn’t let Wash attack the guy. Humans were fragile, and demons were already seen in a bad light by humans. The fallout would be insane.
The only way he’d figured out to keep Wash calm was to climb on him. Peri didn’t hesitate, jumping onto Wash’s back and wrapping himself around the angry demon like an octopus. Wash froze inches away from the human, his claws still out and a growl in his throat. He was still pissed, but unwilling to bring Peri any closer to the potential violence.
“Don’t fight,” Peri murmured in his ear pleadingly. “You’ll get arrested, and I’ll definitely cry if you do.”
It wasn’t much of a threat, but it seemed to work wonders on Wash. His snarl turned into a low growl, and he took a step back, putting more space between him and the human.
Was the human smart enough to take the opening to escape? Nope. He decided to dig his grave a little deeper.
“That’s right. Listen to the man and go back to your mommy. I’m sure she’s looking for you by now. Isn’t it past your nap time?”
It was Peri’s turn to growl, and he lifted himself up, forcing Wash to reach behind himself to hold Peri steady or risk him falling off. “Hey, jerkface! Why don’t you take your own advice! I bet your mom would have something to say about you picking a fight with a demon!”
The human scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Yes, he was taller than both of them, but he was also human with no magic. If Peri had let him, Wash would’ve wiped the floor with him. His height wouldn’t have made any difference.
“Why would I be worried about a pipsqueak like him? Are you even a demon? I’ve seen imps bigger than you.”
Wash’s shoulders tightened, and Peri could feel his patience holding on by a thread. He might not be willing to get closer while Peri was with him, but what was stopping him from using his magic to set the human on fire?
“Come on, princess. How about I show you what it’s like being with a real man,” the human invited with a slimy smirk. “No need to waste your time with someone likehim.”
Peri didn’t get mad often, he didn’t like confrontation, but the way the human said ‘him’ like there was something wrong with Wash, made Peri lose his temper. He sparkled with magic, considering shrinking the guy’s junk to better match his personality. He had wish magic, he could totally do it.
It was Wash’s turn to hold Peri back, a hand on his knee tightening to ground him in the moment. What bothered Peri the most was how Wash didn’t blink at the insults. Like he’d heard them all before.
“What’s going on here?”
The voice of the head chef drew their attention and Peri seized the moment, pointing at the human with a scowl. “Youshould reconsider who you hire. Unless you look for small minded humans who pick fights with your guests.”
The human blanched, putting his hands up when the head chef turned his glare toward the human. “We’ve talked about this, Barney.”
Barney pointed an accusing finger at Wash. “He started it! He grabbed the pixie like some kind of animal! I was trying to stick up for him!”
“He did not! Wash would never hurt me! And I’m not a pixie!” Peri shouted back.
The head chef looked between the human and where Peri was clinging to Wash’s back like a fairy backpack, Wash’s hands gently supporting him, his expression back to neutral and annoyed. When the head chef turned back to Barney, his lips were pressed into a thin line. “He doesn’t look like he’s in any danger. You can’t keep doing this, Barney. You’re going to pick a fight with the wrong supe one day, and I won’t be there to rescue you. Go clock out. You’re done for the day.”
Barney wasn’t happy about it, but he seemed unwilling to truly argue with his boss. He stormed off, muttering unkind things under his breath that Peri was pretty sure everyone pretended they didn’t hear. It wasn’t worth it to call him back when he was already being sent home.
The head chef turned to face them, his expression tight with exasperation. “My apologies. He’s got talent in the kitchen, but he’s young and human with very little life experience outside of those of us he’s met here. I’ll keep a better eye on him from now on.”
Peri nodded sharply, still upset but hoping for the conversation to be over anyway. The head chef offered a free meal in the resort restaurant, but they both turned him down, and he eventually went back to his work, leaving Peri and Wash alone.
Wiggling to get down, Peri slipped off Wash’s back and returned to his spot at the long stainless steel counter, frowning at the ingredients he’d picked out. He wasn’t feeling cupcakes anymore. They were a happy treat. He wasn’t feeling so happy right now.
“Peri…”