Immortality Stolen (The Mortal One Series Book 2) (13 page)

“Thanks, man. I’ll have her back to you soon,” Matt said, whisking me off towards the bar, leaving me looking back at Nico with an apologetic face.

“There you are, sweetheart!” Giancarlo said as I approached the flip door at the bar. “You’re coming to bail me out?”

I nodded. He leaned in and gave me a kiss on each cheek. “Apparently you can’t hack it on your own,” I joked.

“I love when you give me shit. That side is yours,” he said, nodding to his left.

“I’m on it.” I twisted my hair up into a bun, washed my hands, and went over to the mass of people crowding the bar. “What can I get you?” I said to no one in particular.

Money was being shoved at me in every direction for everything from bottled beer to mojitos. A couple people asked for flaming drinks, but told them we couldn’t oblige tonight because of the crowd. It was fun to light the drinks on fire, but I didn’t have the time to do it and didn’t want to start a trend right now.

The time flew by and the crowd finally started to thin out.

Giancarlo came over and hip checked me. “Thank God you came out here when you did. No one saw it being this busy tonight.”

“I second that,” Matt said, heading over to the bar. “I just closed the doors.”

“It’s two already?”

“Time flies when you’re having fun, huh?”

I shook my head. Nico was gonna be pissed. “I was only going to stay an hour, Matt!”

Matt smiled. “Your man said he’d be back at closing to come get you. He saw you were having fun behind the bar.”

“Oh.” I was shocked. Nico made such a big deal of me not working that I didn’t think it would work. I’m glad he saw me in my element and let me do this. With all the chaos that’s been going on around me, this was the way for me to regain at least some of my sanity.

I looked around and didn’t see Nico, so I took advantage of it to help Giancarlo clean up behind the bar. The place was trashed because it was so busy. Beer caps were on the floor and walking around, I could tell we spilled a lot of beer and other stuff because my shoes were sticking as I stepped. Gross.

“Here’s your man,” Giancarlo said.

I nodded. “I’ll help you stock up before I get out of here.” My list of beer and liquor to bring up to the front was almost complete.

Nico stood by the bar. “You’re a good bartender.”

“Thanks.”

“I mean it. I can see why you like to work here.”

“Want to help me grab some stuff from the walk-in? I want to stock up for Giancarlo and then we can get out of here.”

“Sure,
mia
…,” he trailed off, realizing that his nickname would draw suspicions if someone overheard it.

“Matt, I’m dragging Nico to help me,” I yelled across the dining room. I doubted Matt would give two shits that I was bringing him into the back with me, but always liked to give him the head’s up.

“Put him to work. We need all the help we can get to get out of here at a decent time tonight.”

Nico followed behind me, checking out the dining room and everywhere else as we walked. The walk-in was the first stop to get all of the beer that needed to be brought into the coolers behind the bar.

“So I’m just your slave now?” he asked as I handed him a few cases to carry.

I laughed. “Not mine. Matt’s.”

He shook his head. “Absolutely not. I will be your slave. I’m here because you asked me to be.”

“Okay,” I said, grabbing two cases.

“Is this all you need to bring from here?”

I shook my head. “No, two cases left.” I kicked the stack with my foot.

Nico picked them up an added them to the four cases he already had in his arms. I loved that he was so strong, but it wasn’t human strength. I raised my eyebrows.
You sure?

“I’m fine.”

I walked back to the bar with Nico following close behind. Giancarlo came around and grabbed the cases from my arms and then saw the stack that Nico had.

“Damn, man. Can we hire you just for carrying things back and forth?” He joked.

Nico forced a smile. “I’m good, thanks.”

“One more trip,” I said.

“Lead the way.”

We went into the liquor room and I grabbed the clipboard to record what I was taking from the room. Matt kept great control over his liquor and as a former restaurant manager, I could appreciate it. This was how he and I bonded. It was manager porn for us.

“No wonder you like this job,” Nico commented. “You’re surrounded by wine.”

“Hey now,” I said. “You make me sound like a wino.” I did love my wine, but it wasn’t the reason I was working at a bar and he knew it.

Nico peeked around the corner before coming closer to me.

I shook my head.

“You don’t get a say in this right now.” He leaned against the length of my body and kissed me, pulling my bottom lip into his mouth. He released me as fast as he captured me.

“Tease,” I said, swatting his ass as he started to grab a case of wine.

“That was my fee for helping.”

I pulled a few random bottles of gin, vodka, and rum into one of the empty boxes and made the tick marks on the clipboard.

“Okay, that’s it,” I said, standing up with the box. He walked out first and I kicked the door closed with my foot. We always kept the door locked. Only a few of us had keys to the liquor room and that was the way Matt liked to keep it. I’m sure some of the servers would love to get in there for a few minutes, but I was damned if I would let it happen.

Nico slid the case of wine across the bar at Giancarlo, who grabbed it from him.

“I’m done,” I said, handing off the liquor to Giancarlo, too.

“You don’t want to mop?”

“No, this was your shift.”

He reached into the tip jar.

I reached across the bar and put my hand on his. “That’s yours tonight. I just came to help out.”

“No way, you earned at least half of this.”

“I’ll take my half the next time. Tonight I helped because we’re friends.”

“Damn, Dylan. Thank you.”

I smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Matt came over to the bar to grab a bottle of water.

“So, I did you a favor,” I said to him.

“Uh oh.”

“I need off until Saturday.”

He looked at Nico and then to me.

“She wouldn’t ask for it if it wasn’t important,” Nico said. I was a little shocked he said anything, but I think it helped my case.

“You will be back for Saturday night?”

I looked at Nico, who nodded. “Yes, I promise.”

Matt gave me a hug and Giancarlo actually shook Nico’s hand and thanked him for the help.

“See you Saturday,” Matt said as we walked out the back door.

Chapter 12

“ARE YOU HAPPY?” Nico said as we walked down the street in the dark.

I nodded. “Very. You have no idea how much I needed that after the week I’ve had.”

“Actually, I do. I didn’t realize how bartending was a stress release for you until I saw you in action tonight.”

I loved walking through Florence this late at night. It was peaceful. There were no tourists, no shops open to serve as a distraction. Simply the beauty of the city with all of its ornate fountains, old buildings, and cobblestone paths. Statues that have been standing for centuries were along the major roads, ignored by the average person passing. Not me, though. I noticed and appreciated them all.

“Nico!”

The annoying voice broke through the silence of the night like a gunshot.

“What the fuck?” I asked. Nico looked at me and shrugged before turning around to greet Violante.

Her dark brown hair fell in waves down to her waist. Big brown eyes hid behind the lashes she batted with expertise at Nico. She couldn’t have cared less that I was standing right next to him or that I had a diamond on my left hand to show that he wasn’t going to be taking her to his bed any time in the near future. She still saw me as a passing fling and I wanted to shove my boot up her ass desperately.

“Is there something the matter, Violante?” Nico asked. He was trying to blow her off, but she didn’t take the hint. Or refused to take it.

“Of course not. Can’t I stop to say hello?”

“Hi, Violante,” I said.

She ignored me as always. She looked at me for a moment and then turned her attention back at Nico. I looked at Nico as well, waiting for him to say or do something.

“Did you not hear Dylan?” Nico asked.

“I heard her, I chose not to answer her.”

“Goodbye, Violante,” Nico said, grabbing my hand to hurry me along down the road.

Her heels clacked down the cobblestone. “What are you talking about, Nico?” She asked, catching up to us.

“I have nothing to say if you are going to continue to ignore my wife as you do.”

“Your wife,” she said, tasting the word and not liking the flavor, “is mortal. When she becomes a vampire, then I will believe that the two of you are going to be together forever.”

Nico shook his head. “You are on delicate ground, Violante, and I would be careful where you step.”

“Costin told me you would be going to Paris tomorrow night.”

Nico nodded. She already knew all of this information, so I wasn’t sure what her angle was.

“I could accompany you. Provide you with some backup in case things go unexpectedly.”

“That won’t be necessary. Dylan will be accompanying me and we have all of the backup that we need in Paris.”

I smiled at her. It was nice to see that she didn’t always get her way and was particularly ecstatic that I could be here to see her get put into her place.

You’re not keeping him forever, bitch
.

“Do not speak into my head, Violante. Costin and Nico have both told you not to do it.” She was one of the few vampires who could speak her thoughts directly into my head and it was extremely unnerving. While I knew it would be something that could be done with other vampires, I was mortal and it freaked me out.

“What did you say to her?” Nico asked.

“I don’t know what the crazy bitch is talking about.” She stood there, smoothing her hair down as though nothing happened.

I shook my head. “I’m going back home. You can hash this out with her or come with me, but I’m not dealing with her childish antics any longer.”

“Bye, darling,” Violante said.

I turned on my heel and extended my middle finger at her before turning the corner and heading in the direction of my apartment. There were few people in the world that got under my skin, but she could get there faster than anyone. Maybe it’s because she had it big for my husband or maybe it was because she didn’t see me as her equal because I still had a pulse. Whatever it was, the sound of her voice made me crazy and if I didn’t have to spend another second with her, it was always preferred.

“You weren’t going to wait for me?”

Nico’s voice sounded behind me a few minutes later. I stopped and turned around at him. “Seriously?”

He shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know what her problem is.”

“I do. She wants to fuck you.”

“Dylan.”

“What? She does.” Nico hated having this conversation and never wanted to admit to what was clear to everyone else. He looked at me as though I was nuts, but if he really wanted to open his eyes, he would see it.

“She is just lonely.”

“Oh, bullshit. And you know it. What did she actually want?”

Nico shrugged. “I’m not really sure, I think she just wanted to come to Paris with me.”

“To fuck you,” I said, continuing towards my apartment.

“Really, Dylan?”

It was my turn to shrug. “You won’t be able to convince me otherwise. She’s hated me since I stepped into the picture. She hates that I’m mortal and hates it more that I’m in your bed instead of her.”

“I don’t know why the two of you can’t learn to get along.”

“Nico, that’s never going to happen. Even when you turn me and I’m like you, we’re still not going to get along,” I said.

He and I climbed the stairs to my apartment and as I opened the door, I let out a yawn.

“You’re tired?” He asked.

I nodded. “I’ve been going at quite a pace for a few nights now. You know it’s hard for me to sleep during the day.”

He kissed my forehead. “I’m sorry.”

I dismissed it. “It’s nothing to be sorry about. It is what it is.”

“We’re headed back to Paris tomorrow night,” Nico said, closing the door behind him.

I kicked off my shoes and collapsed on the couch. “Costin wasn’t kidding. I’m literally back long enough to pack some new clothes into my suitcase.”

“Your luggage that you bought in Paris arrived yesterday, though. The hotel mailed it overnight as you had requested.”

I perked up at the sound of this. “At least that’s some good news.” I walked over to where he pointed to the two new suitcases. He had already taken them out of the boxes. It dawned on me that I hadn’t told him about the obscene amount of money that I spent while shopping in Paris.

“I’m glad to see that you did some shopping,” Nico said.

“About that. I might have gotten carried away.”

Nico shook his head. “Nonsense. You could have spent as much as you wanted and it would have been fine. You deserve to go shopping and take care of you once in a while. I only wished that I was there to accompany you through the stores.”

I let out a breath I didn’t even realize was being held. Spending money was never something I was good at and while Nico and I were married, it still didn’t feel like my money. Hopefully in time, that would change.

“I’m going to let you get some sleep, sweetheart.”

“Are you staying here tonight?” I asked. All I wanted to do was curl myself around him, at least for a little while.

He stopped with his hand on the door, as though he hadn’t considered it until I asked. “Well, I could do that. But I do need to get to my place to pack my own luggage, so I will do that and then come back. There are still a few hours until sunrise. Our flight to Paris is shortly after sunset, so we will need to be quick.”

I nodded. “I will try to stay awake until then. I have some books that I can always read on my Kindle.”

“I have peaked through some of those books you keep on your device there. They’re dirty.”

“What?” I asked, shocked that he’d gone through my Kindle, but amused that he found my choice of reading to be dirty.

He laughed. “I’m not complaining, just a little surprised,
mia mortale
.”

“You’ll be back soon?” I asked.

“Promise,” he said, coming over to kiss me properly. “And when all this in Paris is done, we can finally move you out of this apartment and in with me as it should be.”

“Good. See you in a few. I’m going to get undressed.”

“Lock the door behind me,” Nico said, blowing me a kiss and walking out.

I went over to my luggage with all of the new clothes and started getting them into the laundry so I could take them to Paris with me. There were a few items that were already cleaned and ready to wear, including some sexy yet surprisingly comfortable lingerie, which is what I decided to wear to bed.

Nico got frustrated by the lingerie I wore because he didn’t know how to get it off, but it made me feel more confident, especially when I took a look at his abs.

With working out, I was slimming down while holding onto my curves, giving me a more defined hourglass shape and that was fine by me. I liked having boobs and becoming flat as a board was certainly not a goal of mine.

I brushed my teeth, slipped between the sheets, and then reached over to the nightstand to grab my Kindle. A Highlander romance appeared on the screen and it was just what I needed to escape from the craziness that had been consuming my life for the past several days.

Sleep was taking over before I had even progressed through three chapters. It was never good when I had to read the same line a few times. There was a rustle at the door and I looked over at the alarm clock. It was four in the morning. It explained why I was so damn tired.

The door opened and then closed but there was no other noise.

“Nico?” I called out.

“You’re still awake?” He answered back.

I got out of bed and met him in the hallway.

“I thought you would be sound asleep by now.”

“Me, too. I was falling asleep while reading when I heard you come in.”

He looked down at me. “I’m sorry. I thought my entrance was quiet.”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. You get your luggage packed?”

“I did.” He stopped and looked me up and down and shook his head. “Complicated lingerie, again?”

“French lingerie,” I corrected him.

“Hmmmph.”

I turned and walked back into the bedroom where he could get a full view of the laced up back and the thong. It had the effect I wanted because I could hear the guttural moan even from a few feet ahead of him.

He turned the light off in the living room and came into the bedroom. I curled into the bed and rested my head on the pillow. He stood at the foot of the bed and stepped out of his shoes and then began unbuttoning his shirt. I stood there, salivating. I loved watching this man get undressed. He was too good looking for his own good. He was muscular from head to toe and his abs were defined more than what you would see on any guy in the gym. To say that he was mine still shocked me, though I would never complain.

He caught me looking at him and smiled. “
Mia mortale
, you should be sleeping.”

“How do you want me to sleep when you’re getting naked in front of me?”

“I’m glad that you’re enjoying the show.”

“Always,” I said.

He crawled across the bed at me, leaving nothing but his briefs on. He made his way under the covers and held me. I shivered momentarily, his fingers cool to the touch on my shoulders.

“Sorry, I didn’t feed as much as I should have this week,” he said casually, kissing my shoulder.

This is where I should offer to let him take some from me. I almost did. But I felt like maybe there should be someone else in the room or nearby just in case he didn’t stop in time. I also wasn’t sure if I had enough to give with Christoph taking some just a few days ago. Olivier never said how long it would be before it wouldn’t be an issue anymore.

“Everything okay?” Nico asked. “Your mind is locked.”

I nodded. Thank goodness for small miracles. Antonio has been working with me on keeping my thoughts to myself so they couldn’t read anything. Of course we didn’t tell anyone that this was happening, but it was a good thing to know. I slipped when I was excited or nervous, but at least I could block out thoughts periodically.