Chapter Eleven
“You once banned me from your office for a decade for daring to sit on the edge of your desk,” says Henry. “What Skye just did was much worse.”
We’re gathered in the living room. I grabbed a fresh tee to wear, but Lucas didn’t bother. The reason why soon became obvious. He sits in his throne-like black wingback while Benedict sits on a stool to the side. With a blade and a pair of needle-nose pliers, he goes about the business of digging a bullet out of Lucas’ shoulder. As you do. The chandelier has even been turned on for the sake of the surgery, the crystals dazzling in their beauty. I do my best to stare at it instead of the gory display occurring nearby.
Life sure comes at you fast some nights. Honestly.
“She tore off the decorative, hand-carved mahogany siding,” the blond idiot continues. “Just crushed it into splinters.”
“Shut up, Henry,” says Lucas with a wince.
“You need to sit still,” grumbles Benedict.
Henry holds up his hands all innocent like. “I’m just saying. The favoritism is starting to get a little bit out of control.”
And as for me, I am frowning my heart out. The good vibes from coming hard enough to see whole constellations are long gone. Given Lucas had been tearing out hearts and torturing people, it’s not like I would have noticed a little blood and ash on the man. But it is fair to say that Lucas walking around with a bullet in his body since we were fired on in the hallway at the start of the night is freaking me right the fuck out.
The fact that he got shot while protecting me is also taking a moment to process. He stood in front of me and took a bullet. I don’t know what to do with the information. How to feel about all of this. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”
“We had more pressing issues to attend to,” says Lucas, calm as always.
“You had a bullet in you. What if I had grabbed hold of your shoulder or something?”
“I probably would have mentioned it then.”
“Be still.” Benedict roots around with the pliers. So gross. Our advanced healing means the skin and flesh keep adhering to the tools. He carefully starts pulling the pliers free of the messy wound. “There we go. It is all in one piece.”
Lucas sneers in disdain at the blood-covered wooden bullet.
“It’s a whole new level of kink, really.” Henry shakes his head in wonder. “Having sex with a bullet lodged in your shoulder. Your strength and tolerance for pain are ridiculous, Father.”
“I would have cried like a baby,” says the Viking. “It would not be appealing for a lover to see.”
“Oh, me, too,” agrees Henry. “But I, for one, salute the way Father’s thirst overcame his common sense.”
“My thirst?” asks Lucas.
“Your yearning, shall we say, for our darling Skye.”
“Ah,” says Lucas with understanding. “Shut up, Henry.”
I sit in the corner of the Chesterfield hugging a cushion to my chest. My human family always gave each other a certain amount of space. My undead family, however, do not. They’re happily all up in each other’s business. It’s going to take some getting used to.
I don’t intend on having sex with Lucas again anytime soon. Even though it was amazing. It just wouldn’t be a good idea. Our relationship is complicated enough. And there’s no reason why a hookup between him and me should be a big deal. Just because it was the best sex I’ve ever had. This is definitely one of those situations where we did it once to get it out of our systems, and the weird attraction between us is over now.
“You should feed,” says Benedict.
“Do you want me to call Monica?” asks Henry.
Lucas’s gaze shifts to my face. “No,” he says.
Henry looks between us with interest. “If gender is an issue, for some mysterious reason we won’t get into, my yoga instructor Gustav lives nearby. Now, he takes the ‘body as a temple’ idea seriously. His blood is as clean eating as you can get. Or there’s the delightful Dylan to consider. They’re an artist from Silver Lake. I find the lingering scents of charcoal and oil paint on skin so soothing for some reason. But that might just be me.”
Lucas says nothing but gives me definite side-eye. Which isn’t wildly suspicious at all.
“I don’t understand what’s going on,” says Benedict.
“It’s relationship stuff,” answers Henry. “I’ll explain later.”
And now they’re all looking at me. Great. “It’s none of my business who you feed from.”
Lucas gives me another long look before asking, “Would you be so kind as to fetch me a blood bag, Skye?”
“Sure.”
“Here’s another new word for you, Father.” Henry bites back a smile. “Simp.”
I say nothing and head for the kitchen upstairs. Getting away from the three of them for a moment sounds like a damn good idea.
Nothing is going on with Lucas and me. The events of the last half hour were an aberration. It was just sex. Sex that has left me feeling better than I ever have. As if pure energy had been poured through my veins. And yet I am more relaxed than I would have thought possible.
It’s probably just a vampire thing and not Lucas-specific, however. He doesn’t have a magic dick. Nor is he emotionally available. (The hot ones never are. Though, to be fair. the rest of them usually aren’t either.) I also do not need a partner who bosses me around all the time. Not to mention the rather extreme age gap between us. So there’s no need for anyone to get carried away and start dreaming of a happy ever after.
The rest of the house is quiet and dark. Though, I can see just fine care of my vampire night vision. My own thirst (for blood) has been easier to manage tonight. But I grab a bag for me out of the fridge, too.
Through the kitchen window, something moves in the garden, out beyond the courtyard. It is as if a shadow coalesces out of nowhere.
And there, staring back at me, is a vaguely familiar man. He wears a button-down shirt beneath a charcoal gray suit. The white of his shirt seems to glow in the dark shadows at the back of the garden. He isn’t even trying to hide. Silver hair cut short, and a face lined with age.
Lucas said it took his brother a while to find a vampire to turn him. It would account for the difference in ages. Marc makes a handsome and commanding figure. Though, perhaps that is down to the similarity in bone structure between the two brothers.
His fine lips curve into a welcoming smile at the sight of me, and his gaze softens as he takes in my face. But the word Ana appears inside my head, surrounded by rage. Pure, blood-boiling fury. Without a doubt, this creature would tear me limb from limb given the chance.
He lifts his hand and motions to me to come. As if I would be so stupid.
“I never thought to look on that sweet face again,” he says. “How like her you are.”
“I’m not Ana.”
“He has told you of her then. Good. That’s good. And do you know my name?”
“You’re Marc.”
“That’s right.” He nods. “Come outside. There is no need for this distance between us while we converse.”
“You can’t come any closer because of the runes, can you?”
His smile slips. “No. I cannot.”
“That must be irritating.”
“Very.” He frowns. “However, hurting you is not my priority.”
“It’s not your priority? Oh, that makes me feel so much better. Thanks.”
He can’t come inside. I am safe for now. But it’s not as big a relief as it should be. Because the way he watches me with such ownership and entitlement is beyond creepy. Not even Archie harbored such hatred of me. And he definitely wanted to rip out my heart and eat it—or something.
“Lucas,” I say, my voice shaking. “I need you.”
A second later, he is standing at my side. Thank goodness. He, too, stares out at the intruder in the garden, his nostrils flaring with anger at the sight. “Hello, brother. It’s been a while.”
“You shouldn’t have made her,” says Marc in a low, angry voice.
“She has nothing to do with this.”
Marc scoffs. “She has everything to do with this. Ana was my wife. Mine. But even now you cannot accept that. How dare you try to duplicate her with the cheap whore standing at your side.”
“Excuse you,” I say. “There is nothing wrong with working in the sex trade, or liking sex, for that matter. And I am not cheap.”
“That’s true,” agrees Lucas. “She’s really not.”
Marc’s hands curl into fists. “I could have forgiven you for stabbing me in the back and setting me on fire. It’s not as if we haven’t had our fun with each other over the years. But not this.”
I cock my head. “You could forgive him for stabbing you in the back and setting you on fire? What the fuck is wrong with you people?”
Lucas hushes me before turning back to his brother and saying, “As wonderful as this family reunion has been…what do you want, Marc?”
His brother’s answering smile is all sharp teeth. “I will not allow you to use this woman as a weapon against me.”
“Are you here on personal business, or are you representing the interests of your Russian friends?”
“Such bitter irony,” says Marc. “This situation was years in the making. It took patience to infiltrate The Thorn Group. Then we compelled Jennifer to avoid mentioning that visitors should stay out of the basement when she sent her underling to check the property so close to sunset. I was confident whoever it was she sent would get past the runes and wake you. After all, they would be an innocent who bore you no ill will, and no vampire had actually compelled them. None of us even knew who exactly it would be.”
“You did that?” I ask in surprise. “You’re the asshole responsible for getting me killed?”
Marc snarls in my general direction. The dude really does not like me. “That she would turn out to look so similar to Ana. And it was me who unknowingly sent her to you.”
“Why did you want me woken so badly?” asks Lucas. “Just out of curiosity.”
“I look forward to sending you her ashes, brother. The box has already been purchased. Mahogany with gold and pearl inlay. It’s quite a fetching piece. Soon.” And with that, Marc does a mocking little bow, and then he’s gone.
“That’s the…actually, I’m not sure how many times it’s been now that someone has threatened to kill me,” I say. “Do you think he’d feel differently if he got to know me?”
“No. Are you alright?”
I sigh. “I don’t know.”
He just watches me.
“At least now we know a bit more about what the hell is going on. Shame he wouldn’t share his whole nefarious plan with us.”
“It would have been helpful.”
“How does it feel to have beef going back to the dark ages?” I hand him a blood bag. The way he cringes like a big baby at the thing. “So don’t drink it,” I say. “It’s not like I’m forcing you.”
“It’s fine,” he says, sucking it down with a not-quite-hidden grimace. “Let’s head back downstairs.”
My jaw cracks on a yawn. “It must be close to dawn.”
“Time for you to rest.”
“I hate this. I hate being scared. Life would have been a lot nicer if I never knew exactly how many monsters were out there hiding in the dark.” I frown. “What have we got on for tomorrow night? More bedlam? Maybe with a side of carnage?”
“I’m not sure yet.” His blank face is now impenetrable. I don’t have a clue what he is thinking. “You’re handling all of this better than I expected. Clearing the hotel. Getting threatened by my brother. Finding out he set you on this course.”
“I’m going to pretend that was a compliment.”
“It basically was. I will protect you, you know that,” he says. “About what happened in my office. I think—”
“Nothing happened in your office. Nothing that we need to discuss, at any rate.”
He just looks at me.
“You can relax, Lucas. I’m not going to start clinging to you like some lovestruck baby vampire who just discovered good sex.”
“Only good?” he asks.
“I’m going to bed,” I say on another yawn. “And I’m using the fourth bedroom on the right. I checked with Henry and Benedict and it’s apparently free.”
He raises his chin and narrows his gaze on me. Such expressive eyes. I can almost see all of the thoughts racing around inside his mind. But in the end, he says nothing. Which goes to prove that I am making the right choice by putting some space between us.
Because I can’t have any privacy, Henry is sitting on the bed beside me wearing a designer suit when I wake. For a brief moment, I think it’s Lucas. And the way my foolish heart is happy to have him close. To have him be the first thing I see. I need to have a stern talk with myself about making good choices. Especially when it comes to immortal men. No idea what nomad vampires are like, but the ones who congregate in families seem to be all about being in each other’s company. But it makes sense that forever would get lonely sometimes.
As for me, I’m more used to being on my own. It’s been over a decade since I left home for college and then settled in L.A. for work. Being in a big city can be lonely. Making friends as an adult can be hard. The gift of having a new family ready and willing to accept and support me through these wild times is beautiful. I still miss my human family. I’m not ashamed to say I cried myself to sleep again this morning. It hurts my dead heart to think of never seeing them again. Of never being a part of their lives. But I know Lucas is right, it’s safer for me to keep my distance.
“Hey,” I say. “What time is it?”
“The sun set almost an hour ago, sleepyhead,” he says. “Happy fifth day as one of the undead. Father has already left for The Boulevard. He and Leilah had some things to discuss. We’re to follow once you’re ready. I put some outfit ideas on the chair over there, and I’ll do your makeup and hair.”
“Thanks.”
“Did I ever tell you about the time I spent a couple of years touring the country with a theater company?” he asks. “It was 1910 and vaudeville was all the rage. There were singers, dancers, comedians, magicians, all sorts of acts really. We even crossed paths with Houdini once. Such an interesting fellow. It was a dreadful shame what happened to him. But back then, all we had to use for makeup was powder and lip stain and eyeshadow that came as a paste.”
“That’s where you learned how to do it?”
“I like to pick up skills here and there. It keeps things interesting. And makes me very popular with the ladies. Women love a man who knows how to be useful.”
The bedroom I slept in has an opulent, cast-iron bed frame with cushions and blankets in various shades of blue. There’s an empty armoire, a carved wooden Art Nouveau chair, and an en suite similar to Lucas’s. Though, not as large. Nothing has been hung on the stone walls. I don’t know if I slept any better in here. But my brain appreciates some distance from the object of my misguided and twisted affections. A chance to get my facts and thoughts straight. It was just good sex. It meant nothing. And I will keep telling myself as much until it becomes fact.
The painting of Ana is leaning against the stone wall.
“Why is that in here?” I ask, grabbing the waiting blood bag off the bedside table.
He gives me a sly smile. “Father said to take it down and ask you what you wanted done with it.”
I keep on sipping the red stuff and try to hide my surprise.
“Should I start calling you Mother now, or wait for the official announcement? Mom. Mommy. No. Neither of those feel quite right. Mumsy, perhaps?”
“Shut up, Henry.”
“I’m quite impressed with Father, really,” he continues. “He doesn’t have a fucking clue what he’s doing with you. But bonus points for carrying on with confidence, regardless.”
Wow, there is so much I am not going to say.
“Of course, he’s had thousands of fuck buddies and such over the years. Despite being a lone wolf at heart, he has his needs. There have been a couple of times I thought he might actually be getting close to bonding with someone. But he inevitably always gave them a present and a pat on the butt and sent them on their way.”
“You make him sound like an immortal fuckboy.”
Henry laughs. “Please let me be there the first time you call him that to his face. I would take it as a personal favor.”
“And how exactly is he a lone wolf when he has you and the rest of the family?”
“I meant romance-wise,” he says. “Do try and keep up, sweetie. But to watch Father actually attempt to woo someone is…what’s the word?”
“No idea.”
Henry makes a humming noise. “Surprising. Absurd. Riotous. Something along those lines. Not that I don’t support the idea wholeheartedly, don’t get me wrong.”
“I’m not even convinced that wooing me is what he’s doing.”
“No?”
“No,” I confirm. “He killed me. Not that his brother didn’t contribute to that situation.”
“I’m not saying it’s not complicated. But what relationship isn’t?” Henry sighs. “I highly doubt he would bother jumping in front of a bullet for me . Not that I don’t believe I’m a loved and valued member of this family. But still…I think you make the old man feel things he hasn’t experienced in a very long time.”
“He gets off on bossing me around.”
Henry snorts. “Did you seriously expect him to be a beta in the bedroom?”
“I don’t know.” If I frowned any harder my face would fall off. “I think you should mind your own business.”
“Are you truly so against the idea of entering into a romantic relationship with Father? That’s a pity.”
“Henry—”
“Does him being a monster put you off? I understand the pulling out hearts and ripping off heads can be a lot.” Henry gesticulates wildly. “But, sweetie, it’s not like he does it for fun. Well. I mean, that’s not to say he doesn’t enjoy it occasionally. There was this one time in Bucharest…actually, I don’t think he would appreciate me telling you that story. And you know even if he finds it fun, it’s not like he actually does it for fun. You know, that doesn’t sound so great, now that I say it out loud. But my point is, I do believe that he mostly only does the heart and head thing when necessary. Mostly .”
I stare at him in wonder.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I say eventually. “And I understand that sort of thing is all tied up in vampire politics and so on.”
“Exactly. What you need to remember is that he isn’t human. He hasn’t been for over a millennia. Your modern ways of thinking and how he sees the world are bound to clash upon occasion.”
“I suppose so.”
“Do you think Father incapable of maintaining such a relationship?”
I shake my head. “Honestly, I have no idea.”
“Or perhaps you believe yourself to be unworthy of his attentions? He is, after all, rich, handsome, and powerful. I know plenty who would gnaw off a limb for a chance with him.” He pauses and smiles. “Ha. That rhymed.”
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Shit.
“That was also a trick question,” says Henry, his voice rising in volume. “Little sister, how dare you put yourself down. I will not tolerate it!”
At which point, the bedroom door opens, and Benedict appears. His long blond hair is in a number of intricate braids, and he’s wearing a navy suit with a matching tee beneath. “What are you yelling about?”
“I am outraged. Outraged, I tell you. She doesn’t see that she is all things good and hot in this world.”
I groan loud and proud.
“You do not see your beauty?” Benedict gazes at me in surprise. “Skye, I don’t understand. The people of my village would have been greatly enamored of your bountiful breasts and childbearing hips.”
Henry stares at him in abject horror.
“What?” asks Benedict.
“Oh my God, Vikings,” says Henry. “You couldn’t just say something nice about her hair or eyes or something?”
Benedict frowns. “I was trying to be honest.”
“Wait,” I say. “Why aren’t you with Lucas?”
“Nicholas is with him,” reports Benedict. “You are the known target at the moment and your safety is of importance to Lucas. A successful attack on you would also make the family appear weak.”
“Right.” I finish off the blood bag. “I better get ready so we can go.”
“It should be interesting, if nothing else. They’re having a big party to celebrate him joining the board and our takeover of The Boulevard,” says Henry in his suit. “Father’s exact words were, ‘It is going to be a nice night with no drama where everyone gets along—or else.’”
Benedict grunts. “We’ll see.”