Saving their Forever (Immortal Trinity #3)

Chapter 1

Tobias

One night of poker, their first in nine months, and it had been soured by an unwelcome visitor.

Tobias forced his frustration to retreat.

There might be bigger problems than this inconvenience; his entire sordid past could have just arrived to bitch-slap him into last century.

He set his cards on the table and arose with a growl.

His friends, Rion, Will, and Christo all stared at him.

“Sit down,” Rion advised, authority present in his tone. “You are the vampire king of New York. Your mortal servant will answer the door.”

“It’s not that I mind answering the door…

” Christo, the short and sandy-haired mortal servant, emphasized his point by directing an unimpressed look at Tobias.

“I’d just prefer it if we kept the servitude to a minimum.

Yanno, since I kept your undead ass alive when you were wandering around in Hell. ”

Tobias sat back down. He wished Christo would stop rubbing it in. “There was no wandering, you dumbass; we were on a quest. Rion’s life depended on it.”

“Pfft, which quest were you on?” Will Jones, the angel, laughed and took a drag on his cigarette. His lips twitched with bemusement. “There was a shit-ton of wandering. Half the time we didn’t even know where we were going.”

Casually sipping his cognac, as though traversing through Hell hadn’t almost cost them all their lives, Rion rested an Armani-clad elbow on the felted table-top and directed his attention to Christo.

“Unless you want our visitor to cause a scene on the other side of that door, I recommend you let him into this VIP room sooner rather than later. Perhaps then, we could ascertain his purpose and resume our evening.”

Christo Barrett owned Chameleon, the classy Manhattan bar this VIP room was a part of. Tobias knew how much the place meant to him. The mere implication of there being trouble had the bartender out of his chair, but Tobias’ gaze was still fixed on Rion.

Half angel and half demon, Rion Le Roux was one of a kind.

He had significant power, but it was more than his insanely large bank balance, opulent lifestyle, and suave wardrobe.

He had a regal air about him. On top of that, he had meticulous control of the persona he presented to the world.

Part of it was due to being an empath demon.

The rest was a result of his ancestry and the life he’d recently left behind.

It pissed Tobias off that Rion had taken command of the situation, especially ordering him around.

On the other hand, he felt relieved someone had their damned head on straight tonight.

Everything the male suggested had been on the mark.

Tobias dragged a hand through his wavy black hair and trained his eyes to the door.

Will snorted. “You look like you’re about to be interrogated…”

“What?” Tobias felt his anger rising. Now was not the time for the angel to start his usual shit.

“Oooh.” Will’s arctic-blue eyes sparkled with mischief. “Now, you look like you want to beat the crap out of someone. That’s more like it.”

“Shut. Up.” Tobias growled under a breath.

Sometimes, the angel pushed every button and then some.

Will could infuriate Tobias faster than any being in existence.

He had zero filter over that mouth of his.

The male charged around with his multitude of tattoos, skull emblazoned t-shirts, and more jewelry than some females, as though he had something to prove.

He threw sass about like it was going out of fashion, but it was all a ruse.

Before their quest, Will had been fighting against the grain, trying to be an angel the higher realms would respect.

He’d been desperate for validation for so long, he didn’t know what to do with this newfound freedom.

As annoying as the male could be, he was always there when it mattered. He’d sacrificed his wings to save Rion.

I don’t know how we’d have escaped without that, or what I’d have done if the Savior hadn’t given him new ones. Tobias knew Will wasn’t the reason he’d gotten all riled up.

His real anger stemmed from having been found after all this time.

He’d been rogue for over a century, successfully hiding from the Florida Kiss, here in New York.

He’d left without permission from the king, Eduardo Marquez.

Taking over the New York Kiss had thrust Tobias back into the public eye again.

He’d known his anonymity was gone. I got caught up in the quest. I thought I had time to catch my breath…

Anger swelled up inside again, as Tobias thought about the life he’d left behind.

A life he did not want back. As King of New York, he had amassed enough power to be unafraid.

Even if there was a confrontation with Marquez, Tobias was not the male he’d once been.

Plus, he had Will and Rion in his corner now.

He just didn’t want this damned baggage on his doorstep. Not now. It’s goddamned poker night.

Luciano Zafoni stepped into the VIP room. His slicked-back brown hair and undecipherable squinty-eyed gaze, paired with a charcoal three-piece suit, made him look like a mobster. In reality, this male offered a far greater threat, at least where the mortals were concerned.

Like Tobias, Zafoni had been sired by Marquez.

Both males had once filled the role of king’s enforcer.

If interrogation, torture, or death were required, they were called.

Tobias knew first-hand what Zafoni was capable of.

If no threat were present, Marquez would have sent a messenger, not an enforcer.

Zafoni locked gazes with Tobias. “Stregone.”

“I don’t go by that name here,” Tobias said gruffly.

His former title meant ‘sorcerer’. He’d earned it on account of his talent with vampiric glamour.

Combined with his fighting skills, and merciless ability to inflict torture, Tobias had been both a master’s treasure and a prisoner’s curse.

I’m not that male anymore. I don’t want any part of it.

“I don’t know you by any other name.”

“You will refer to him as Mr. Martelli,” Christo growled at Zafoni.

Rion’s lips lifted on one corner, forming the barest hint of a smirk. Will remained deadpan, for which Tobias was grateful.

“Fine. Martelli. Aren’t you going to offer me someone to drink?”

Tobias arched a brow. “This is not a blood bank, so no. I will not offer you a drink. State your business.”

“The King of Florida is displeased by your desertion. He’s been looking for you for over a century. Imagine his surprise, when you showed up on the throne of New York. Did you really think you could pull such a bold stunt without any repercussions?”

“Is there a point to this verbal diarrhea?” Rion leaned back casually in his chair and took a sip of cognac. His gaze never left the newcomer.

“I believe my master demanded you state your business.” Christo, who had yet to sit back down, folded both arms over his chest and stared at Zafoni.

Despite the enforcer being at least eight inches taller, Christo showed no fear.

When Zafoni failed to provide an answer, Christo stepped closer.

“You are in dangerous company, who do not appreciate insolence. Answer the fucking question.”

“So, you made friends with a demon and an angel. Is that supposed to impress me? I won’t be broadcasting my king’s business for all to hear. I seek a private audience, Martelli, or none at all.”

“This is not friendship,” Tobias said coolly.

“It’s not? Damn, Martelli. I’m offended,” Will added, before Tobias could continue.

Rion arched a brow in the angel’s direction. Somehow, Tobias managed to bury the urge to smack Will across the back of the head.

Zafoni frowned. “Do you think my arrival is some sort of joke?”

“Well, if the shoe fits. Yanno what I’m saying…” Will shrugged and made a show of rearranging the cards in his hand.

Christo’s poker face hadn’t faltered. “What Mr. Jones means is–”

“Mr. Jones?” Zafoni spun to face Will. “You’re an immortal. You could pick any mortal name you wanted, and you chose Jones?”

Will smirked. “At least I didn’t choose Smith. That could have made it challenging to blend in.”

“I find it difficult to believe you could blend in anywhere,” Zafoni muttered.

“This conversation has become a circus,” Rion interjected coolly. “I grow tired of such subordinate entertainment. This is your final opportunity to convince us you are worth our time.”

“My king demands a meeting.”

Christo held his position. “Well, my king is no longer under the thumb of yours. You’re out of your jurisdiction.”

It was all just a pissing contest, and Zafoni was a small fish. Yes, they needed to demonstrate their worth, but it was wasted on an enforcer. Poker night has been interrupted long enough.

“I’m not afraid of Marquez,” Tobias drawled. “My decision to leave Florida was not borne out of fear. I grew bored of his court, so I made my own. If he wishes to meet with me, he can bring his ass to New York. Have a nice day.”

“Have a nice day?” Zafoni’s eyes bulged in their sockets.

“If he’d like to make an appointment, he can speak with me, or one of Mr. Martelli’s other five servants. My king and The Immortal Trinity prefer not to be disturbed unless absolutely necessary.”

Zafoni burst out laughing.

“Is that somehow a problem for you?” Rion arched both brows and stared at the male.

Tobias, on the other hand, had been pushed far enough. “I might have been your equal once, Zafoni, but I’m the King of New York State now. If you laugh, you’d better hope like hell I’m laughing too. Otherwise, I might mistake the act for an official challenge.”

“No vampire has six servants.” The surety had evaporated from Zafoni’s tone. It appeared he had the common sense to be afraid.