Chapter 6
Chapter Six
CAMDEN
Achilles shut off the jammer he found in the truck, allowing them to call the police, who came with sirens wailing, beating their expected response time by a whole minute. Ambulances were dispatched as well, and first responder vehicles flooded the street.
As none of the robbers were in any shape to escape or resist the police, their arrival was a bit anticlimactic.
Camden sat on a stool behind one of the counters, Nicolo cleaning his sword beside him with a pile of silk cloths and some metal-safe oil cleansers that Camden used to clean antique weapons in the shop.
He and Nicolo had already given their statements, and the two customers in the storage room had been released and evaluated by the EMTs and were giving their statements to the police as well.
A detective named O’Malley, a gruff man from Southside by his accent, was speaking to Achilles near the entrance, Darrell standing with his boss, alert and watchful after the conflict.
Camden glanced quickly over the bloody field of battle, a bit queasy, but mostly impressed.
He knew Achilles was more than just a rich and eccentric collector, but in an academic way—this was his first time seeing his boss in action and he was mentally realigning his assumptions about his boss and friend.
Not in a bad way—he was proud of Achilles.
He turned his attention back to Nicolo. He found it hard to look away for more than a moment or two, his gaze always returning to the Italian vampire.
Nicolo was a bit disheveled, gorgeous hair mussed, and there were flecks of blood on his face and staining his shirt.
His sleeves were rolled up past his elbows, revealing strong forearms, as he made sure the sword was cleaned perfectly, muscles flexing.
Camden swallowed hard, moderating his breathing, trying not to give away how utterly impressed and attracted he was to Nicolo in that moment. Needing a distraction so he didn’t launch himself at Nicolo, he spoke.
“You’re a duelist,” Camden said. “I knew you were, to some degree, but you must have been a career duelist in your day. As a human, I mean. There’s no hiding the way you move when you fight.”
Nicolo looked up from the sword, silver eyes intent and focused.
His expression was serious, but not stern or hard.
He nodded. “When I was mortal, I dueled often, for show and for honor, though most of those bouts were over silly things like spilled wine or inappropriate jests, sometimes over a lover or two. I calmed down after my arrest and near-death experience. Being a vampire made dueling a non-issue—it was grossly unfair to fight a mortal in a duel with my new abilities. I let it go, changing my ways and growing up, as Priscilla liked to say. I fought instead for self-defense and in the defense of others.”
“You’re amazing,” Camden said softly, meaning it. “Thank you for fighting, again. You saved us.” Camden blushed a bit. “I mean, well, Achilles and Darrell fought too, and well, and so did you, and I’ll shut up now.”
“No, keep telling me how amazing I am,” Nicolo gently teased, leaning toward him and stealing a soft, sweet kiss. Camden melted into the kiss, his remaining fear and anxiety fading away at last. They broke apart an inch or so, foreheads pressed together.
“You two are so sweet,” Achilles drawled. “Nicolo, no stealing my best employee.”
They eased apart and Camden eyed Achilles with some annoyance at the interruption, but Achilles merely crossed his arms and grinned, unrepentant.
“I don’t know; I may need to secret him away in the middle of the night, just to indulge in his many charms.” Nicolo winked at Camden as he said it, teasing, and Camden snorted out a laugh.
“I think being stolen away in the middle of the night by a dashing swordsman is exactly what I need right now.” Camden sighed, exhausted but too wound up from adrenaline to relax fully.
“I’ll oblige, tesoro, once the police let us leave.”
“I’ve hired more guards from our usual firm, and the cops recommended a cleanup crew and some people to secure the wrecked doors.
I’ve called Cressida, and she’s on her way to help me secure the shop and get items off the showroom floor while things are set to rights in here.
All that is to say that you can go home, Camden.
Nicolo, too. The shop is closed for the next two weeks for repairs and upgrades.
The police will contact you if they need anything else.
” Achilles gestured over his shoulder toward Detective O’Malley, who was watching the forensics people pack up their gear.
“Are we in any more danger?” Camden asked as Nicolo finished cleaning his sword and sheathed it in the scabbard hanging at his side.
“I don’t think so,” Achilles said, though he frowned. “The detective thinks this was the whole crew. And that the mugging attempt a couple nights ago was them trying to get to Camden.”
“What? Why me?” Camden asked, a bit alarmed. Nicolo put a hand on his shoulder, calming him.
“You’re the only mortal employee I have who isn’t a trained fighter,” Achilles said, shrugging one shoulder, a rueful expression clouding his face.
“The detective thinks you were a potential target, a means to get into the shop without taking the more brute force approach. They couldn’t get you so they went with Plan B, the smash and grab.
” Achilles waved a hand at the remnants of the front door.
“Oh.” That made a ton of sense. Camden wanted to go home and hide under the covers in his bed. “Am I still in danger?”
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Camden,” Nicolo swore softly.
“You shouldn’t be,” Achilles said. “But if Nicolo wants to play bodyguard for the next few days, that sounds like a really good idea. I think we handled the whole team here, but let’s be cautious, just in case.”
Nicolo gently pulled Camden into his arms, and Camden went eagerly, hugging Nicolo around the waist and holding on tight. Nicolo kissed the top of his head and hugged him firmly, reflecting Camden’s body heat back so the hug was full of warmth.
“Come home with me for a few days, tesoro.”
“To the Tower?” Camden asked in a small voice, muffled a bit by Nicolo’s shirt.
“Yes. You’ll be safe. Let me do this for you.”
It really didn’t take much thought on his part. He wanted to stay with Nicolo. “Yes, please.”
NICOLO
Camden puttered around Nicolo’s bedroom, unpacking his suitcase and putting away clothes in spaces Nicolo cleared for him. Camden hummed to himself while he worked, and Nicolo leaned on the doorframe, watching, content in a way he’d never felt before.
Priscilla came down the hall and stopped beside him in the doorway, watching Camden. “He is quite adorable.”
Nicolo smiled, casting his sire a sidelong glance. “I call dibs, Mamma.”
She gently swatted his arm. “You’re such a brat. But I do like him a lot. I see why he fascinates you so much.” She paused. “He did not want the guest room?”
“I offered, but he was quite happy to sleep with me in my room. I, of course, have no complaints.”
Priscilla giggled, shaking her head at him. She patted him on the shoulder and left, heading down the hall to her rooms.
It was nearly dawn, the night had been long, and while vampires did not sleep like mortals, Nicolo would appreciate respite from the stress of the last few hours. Perhaps Camden would let him hold him while he slept.
He strode into the room and took the now empty suitcase, zipping it closed.
Camden came out of the bathroom, dressed in sleep pants and shirt, smelling of toothpaste, minty and clean.
Nicolo put the suitcase in the back of the closet and watched in happy amusement as Camden climbed into his bed, snuggled into the pillows, and patted the space beside him.
“Come join me? I don’t want to sleep alone,” Camden asked.
“Let me shower quickly, tesoro, and I’ll join you in a moment.”
Camden cracked a yawn, eyes heavy. He was crashing, and fast. “Okay.”
Nicolo took the quickest shower of his life, making sure that any blood from the altercation was washed away completely. He took the time to freshen up, towel-dried his hair so as not to soak the pillows, and exited the bathroom to see Camden passed out asleep.
Nicolo put on a pair of silk sleep pants, and then carefully slid under the covers beside Camden, not wanting to wake the exhausted man.
He didn’t have to worry, as Camden promptly snuggled in close, splaying across Nicolo’s chest, and Nicolo held Camden as he got comfortable, wiggling until satisfied.
Nicolo promptly told his libido to shut up, and he pulled Camden close, happy to hold him as Camden went limp in sleep, his heartbeat music to Nicolo’s ears.
CAMDEN
Waking in Nicolo’s arms was wonderful. Nicolo was warm, and despite the rock-hard nature of his dense muscles, was remarkably comfortable to sleep upon.
He’d reflected back Camden’s body heat, acting like a bedwarmer, and Camden was loath to get out of bed.
He had no idea what time it was, and with the shop closed, he had no reason to get out of bed at all.
He was never one to manage that successfully though—once he was awake, he was up, and he begrudgingly opened his eyes and blinked up at the most beautiful sight of Nicolo gazing at him, silver eyes bright. Nicolo smiled and pressed a kiss to the tip of Camden’s nose.
“Hello.”
“Hi,” Camden groaned, and he burrowed into Nicolo’s embrace, hiding his face in his neck and breathing in the scent of him.
Hands rubbed up and down his back, and their legs were tangled.
He loved the smooth, soft feel of Nicolo’s skin, and the firm, powerful muscles underneath.
He ran his hands over Nicolo’s torso, over washboard abs and defined pecs, and he grinned when he accidentally brushed a finger over a nipple and Nicolo shivered.
He pressed a soft kiss to Nicolo’s neck, loving the way Nicolo moaned, tipping back his head for more kisses.
He sucked on Nicolo’s neck, pulling up a hickey, and Nicolo chuckled. “You’re amorous upon waking, tesoro.”
“Do you want me to stop?” Camden asked, entranced by how the love bite quickly healed, fading away like it was never there. He needed to make another one.
“Not on your life,” Nicolo replied, making Camden chuckle. “Please, continue.”
Camden licked Nicolo’s neck and went about making another love bite, Nicolo’s hands gripping his hips and pulling him closer.
Nicolo was hard, cock pressed against Camden’s belly, and Camden slid a hand down between them and under the waistband of his sleep pants and firmly gripped Nicolo’s cock, stroking it.
Nicolo was warm from snuggling Camden all night, and Camden loved the way the hard cock in his hand jumped as he stroked it from root to tip.
Nicolo’s hips jerked and Camden lifted his head, delighted to see that Nicolo’s eyes glowed red with arousal.
Camden was just as hard, and he groaned when Nicolo’s hand slid under the hem of his pants and wrapped around his own cock and lined them up together.
Nicolo’s grip was firm and demanding, and Camden delighted in the sensation of Nicolo’s hard cock pressed to his, precum easing the glide as Nicolo stroked them both.
Camden put his hand over Nicolo’s and squeezed, making Nicolo hiss lightly in pleasure, Camden groaning out his own.
Heat pooled in his belly and he kissed Nicolo, desperate, whimpering, nipping, Nicolo careful of his fangs but just as needy, devouring each other as their strokes grew faster, harder.
Camden came with a gasp, pleasure swamping him, whiting out his vision for a moment, his back bowing.
He came over their hands in hot, wet spurts, and Nicolo growled, fierce and demanding, and he came right after Camden, his release cool and plentiful.
Their combined spend coated their hands and bellies, and Camden carefully released his grip, collapsing to the bedding with a moan.
He must have dozed off for a minute, as he came back to awareness with Nicolo cleaning his hand with his nimble tongue, lapping at their cum and smiling at Camden when he blushed hot, cock twitching at the sight.
“Delicious,” Nicolo murmured, and Camden was ready to go again in answer to the heat in those beautiful silver eyes.
Nicolo laughed, smiling, as Camden launched himself at him, and Nicolo allowed himself to be tackled back to the bed. Laughter filled the bedroom until kisses became more important.