Epilogue
Two months later
TOMMY
The scorching July sun accompanies me as I make my way from the shaded patio to the small private beach right in front of our mansion.
Just like the ten acres of land surrounding the beautiful white marble house we call home, it belongs to the Stavros Group, a new subdivision of Isidoro’s organization that we manage here in Europe.
Niko, who’s already wearing a frown while he nurses an ice-cold cocktail under a flimsy straw umbrella, sits up in his sun chair, noticing me approach immediately. He places down the report he was reading, and in an instant his glower transforms into the most radiant smile.
“You’re back,” he says, patting his chair. “How was shooting?”
I prop the sniper rifle I had hoisted on my back against the chair’s leg and inhale the pleasantly briny scent of the sea. “I beat Jimmy’s ass by two points again. He’s driving over his Lamborghini next week, as per our agreement.”
Niko sighs, shaking his head. “Another car, Tommy? Really? I’ll need to call my guys for another garage extension.” He holds up four fingers. “You already have enough cars.”
I raise my shoulders, then plop down between his legs. “It’s not my fault the guy is a gambling addict with a car hobby.”
Jimmy is the closest thing to a best friend that I have.
Other than Isidoro, though I don’t get to see the vampire as often since he lives in the States.
But he visits enough so our friendship grew exponentially over the past two months.
Sadly, he’s not made much progress with his investigation into where Andras is hiding.
The threat still hangs over his head, even with the ruby already in his possession and the official coronation happening soon.
Speaking of that, I’m super excited about it. Me and Niko will be flying to the States the day before and we’ll be staying at this posh five-star hotel, courtesy of Isidoro. I’ve never been to a five-star hotel. I bet the food will be amazing.
I’m just getting settled and contemplating how to fess up my little secret, when my phone rings. It’s Isidoro.
“Heey, Isi! What’s up?” I answer and put the device on speaker.
“Hello, Tommy. I trust Niko is there with you?” he says in his singsong voice.
“Yep. All toasty and sunburned because he forgot to put on sunscreen again.” I snort, pressing on a red spot on Niko’s thigh.
“Ah, that is no good, friend. You must take care of yourself, or your Tommy might run off to some younger man. Or did you reconsider my offer to join the vampire world?”
Isidoro offered us the gift too, but we decided not to rush with it. Both Niko and I want to enjoy being normal humans for a few years before we make the leap.
“Still thinking about it,” Niko laughs, shaking his head. “So, did you need something? Don’t tell me you are nervous about the coronation. It’s so not like you.”
“I am not nervous, Nikolas,” Isidoro says, his tone harsher. “But yes, the coronation is why I am calling. There will be a slight change, and I wanted to give you a heads-up. It’s too late to resend the invitations, so we’ll leave it a surprise to the rest of the guests.”
Niko leans forward, propping his arms on my shoulders and his chin on my head. “Oh? Now you have me curious.”
Isidoro clears his throat. A pause follows, bleeding hesitation or something akin to it, which is unlike him. “My crowning isn’t the only thing we’ll be celebrating.”
Another tense pause. The suspense is killing me.
“C’mon, Isi, just spit it out. How bad could it be?” Niko prompts, amusement lacing his words.
“Julian and I are getting married.”
I shoot up, headbutting Niko in the process. “You and Julian are… What?”
I can’t believe this. What the fuck? Isidoro and Julian, the son of his enemy, the man we kidnapped whom Isidoro is holding hostage in his mansion in Mexico, on his own in complete isolation. The two of them are getting married at the coronation ceremony?
“We will talk more at the ceremony. This is not something we should discuss over the phone,” Isidoro says cryptically. “It was lovely hearing you both. I’m looking forward to seeing you.”
“Wait, hold on a minute!” I protest, but he just hangs up.
I stare at my phone as if it holds all the answers to the million and one questions now swimming in my mind. Then I look at Niko. “Uh, did Isi just drop on us that he and Julian are getting married?”
Niko rubs his ear, clearing sand off it. “He most certainly did.” He grins. “This one is gonna be interesting.”
Well, shit. I wonder what the heck happened. You don’t just call your friends right before your crowning ceremony and tell them you are also getting married on the same day. Something definitely went down, and truth be told, I’m dying to know exactly what it is.
“Hola, mijos,” Dona Chela calls out, climbing down the stairs with a sun umbrella in her hand and a tray with homemade lemonade and two glasses.
There is a spring in her step that wasn’t there a few weeks ago, and her smile is truly a sight.
“Hola, Dona Chela.” I take the tray from her, holding one glass at a time as she pours the icy-cold liquid. “Cómo estás… hoy?”
She beams at me, patting me on the arm. “Estoy bien!” She pinches my cheeks. “Very good, mijo! Niko is a good teacher.” She snickers, her incisors glinting as they catch the sun.
Like Isidoro, she’s a vampire now. Oh, and vampires don’t fear the sun—that part’s a myth.
Her cancer took a turn for the worse a month ago, right around the time we finally settled here.
We visited the best hospitals, tried all kinds of procedures, but it had progressed way too much. She had just a couple weeks left.
When we told Isidoro during one of his visits, he offered to turn her into a vampire.
We told her everything, and Niko asked her if she wanted Isidoro’s gift.
She accepted without hesitation, laughing and saying she always knew there was something off about our peculiar host. Not in a bad way, but in a magical way.
Turns out she’s some kind of a shaman. Who would’ve thought?
After I do a bit of speaking practice with her, she retreats into the house and starts on dinner. She insists on cooking for us every Friday, sometimes making traditional dishes and sometimes experimenting with Greek ones. Whichever route she takes though, there are never leftovers.
Alone with Niko again, I straddle his legs, ensuring my dick brushes his. “So…”
He bites off a moan. “This can’t be anything good,” he says, eyebrows knitting together. “What did you do this time? And please, tell me it’s not as crazy as Isidoro deciding last minute to get married to the son of his greatest enemy.”
I poke and trace his abs with one finger. “Why do you say that?” I play clueless, intensifying the rubbing. “And it’s nothing as insane as that, I promise. Have some faith in me.”
He groans. “Really? Have faith? In you, you little devil? I’m not buying it. Every time you have bad news, you try to get me horny first.”
I pop my finger against my lips, thinking.
Last time, when I accidentally shot at a gas canister during training and caused the entire truck loaded with them to blow up, I guess I did give him a blowjob before confessing it.
And before that, when I crashed the boat because I wanted to see how fast it would go, I edged him for an hour before fessing up and allowing him to come.
Okay, he might have a point. There’s a bit of a pattern.
“I promise it’s nothing as bad as the last two times.” I wiggle my ass, getting comfy as I lay my head on his chest.
His eyes shift from the ocean to me, reflecting its deep blue with infinite fondness. “Well, what did you do that’s not as bad as the last two times then?”
I finger his nipple. “Well… Ria called. And I might have invited her over. She’ll be here in a couple hours, and we are taking the yacht around the islands. Then we’ll visit the Amphitheater.”
Niko goes as pale as a ghost. He really isn’t a fan of Ria, but I keep telling him she’s just a little awkward is all.
I mean, she’s the daughter of some big shot, so it makes sense, if you think about it, what with how many people must approach her because they want something from her.
I’d be wary, too. But once you get to know her, she grows on you.
“Thomas,” Niko chides, channeling his authoritative voice.
My cock jolts, immediately interested. He never uses my full name unless he means to scold me. “I’m sorry. But I like hanging out with her. She’s so fun!”
“Thomas… Why did you invite her over without discussing it with me first?” He gropes my ass. “You’ve been such a naughty boy.” A hint of his grin cracks through the mask of fake annoyance and disappointment he’s wearing. “I have to punish you now, don’t I?”
“Oh nooo, whatever shall I do? Somebody please save me,” I mock-gasp, pulling my swim trunks down. “I think you should start by spanking me and then you should shove your big dick inside me and make me ride you.”
He groans, hard under me. “You are impossible.”
“No, I’m just addicted to your dick. And you.
” I smooch his cheek. “You are the best. Also, don’t worry about Ria—she will stay at a hotel.
I’ll pick her up from the airport and show her around the estate, then we’ll do the yacht cruise and have dinner in Athens.
She’s flying out first thing in the morning because she must attend a seminar in Germany.
” I flash my most mischievous smirk at Niko.
“She’ll only have an afternoon to ogle me. ”
He growls, tackling me off the chair. We land in the sand, he on his back with me still on top. His hands dig into my ass cheeks, possessive and greedy, and his mouth kisses its way down my neck, leaving in its wake fire. “Then I better make sure to mark you, so she knows who you belong to.”
I laugh as he leaves a ton of hickeys on me.
We roll in the sand for a bit, kissing and touching, then he carries me inside our beautiful home, straight into the shower cabin of our en-suite.
We get rid of the sand and then we move to the pool, where he tortures me with sweet and sensual fucking until my body is all wrinkled up from the water and my heart hums happily in my chest.