Niccolo (Blood Brothers) (18 page)

Chapter Nineteen

Sasha was indeed sore when she woke up the next morning, but absolutely nothing could keep the smile off her face. Niccolo had not only screwed her for two hours straight without stopping, making her come several times, but he also had woken her up in the middle of the night and made love to her again with a tenderness that had brought tears to her eyes.

The slow, beautiful, gentle way he had touched her proved his feelings. Though he never uttered the words, she just knew.

His body was still next to hers. She turned around. His eyes were closed; he probably just as exhausted as she was.

Sasha leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his lips. His golden eyes flew open. “Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said.

“Good morning, beautiful. I’m pleased to see this wasn’t a dream. You’re real.”

“Of course, I am. Why would you think otherwise?” She stroked his hair-roughened cheek. Her heart swelled with love as she absorbed every intricate detail of his features, from the sensual curve of his lips to the shape of his brow.

“I feared that when I woke up you would be gone. For a long time I’ve known that it was you in my heart, but because of that damn spell and my own stupidity, I could not admit my true feelings. Every time I dreamed about you, I would wake up alone. Now you’re here with me, I can hardly believe it. I love you, Sasha.”

She gasped in delight. He’d made her wildest dream come true! He’d said he loved her, too. For so long she had longed for this moment and wondered what she would say in response, but now that the time was here, she was at a loss for words.

He looked at her with an expectant gleam in his eye. “Well?”

“I love you, too, Niccolo, but you already know that.”

“Yes, but I need to hear you say the words. I get scared, too, you know.”

“Really? I didn’t know you were scared of anything,” she said in awe. Was this her fearless Niccolo? He’d always hidden his vulnerable side from her. It only made her love him more that he could open up to her this way now. She felt a tear escape from the corner of her eye. He brushed the wetness away and pulled her closer to him.

His body felt warm, welcoming, and solid. She knew this was where she belonged, and she never wanted to leave the protection of his arms.

“Of course I get scared of things. I feared for Jagger’s safety. I feared I would never be the same after my run-in with your family. I feared you would stop loving me. And now I fear losing you.”

“I will never stop loving you. I don’t think I’m capable of loving anyone else. Though I’ve only ever been with you, I saw how my sister went through men with no love or feeling. It was repugnant. I waited for the right man to come into my life, and I’m glad I did.”

“I’m glad you waited, too, because I can’t take the thought of you with other men.”

“Who would have thought you’d be the jealous type?” She smiled at him.

“Haven’t you figured it out? We vampires are a very possessive lot, especially when it comes to our women. You should have seen my brother Marco with his bloodmate. He drove the poor woman absolutely nuts, and she started out as a human, so you can imagine what she must have gone through.”

“Poor thing. She’d have to have balls of steel to deal with one of the Grimaldis.”

“She’s very brave. I think you two will get on well.”

“I would love to meet her. It’s nice of her and your brother to let Jagger stay with them for a little while.”

“I’m sure Romeo is keeping him entertained.”

She groaned. “Our son will be thoroughly corrupted.”

Niccolo chuckled.

“Don’t laugh. Can you imagine what kind of trouble he would get into after hanging out with Romeo for a while?”

“I’m sure he’ll be okay. As you pointed out earlier, he’s a man and it’s up to him to make his own decisions.”

She pouted. “Do you have to throw my words back in my face?”

“Of course.” He winked at her. “I love the way you say ‘our son’ so naturally. I feel a little cheated that I missed so much of his life.”

“Do you want more children?”

He hesitated for a moment, and she feared he would say no. Instead, he took her face into his hands and kissed her deeply. “I would love to have another child with you. We make beautiful children together, don’t you think?”

“Yes, we do, so why am I’m sensing a ‘but’?”

“Thirty years have been wasted. Thirty years the two of us could have been together. I want you all to myself for a while and I’d like to become closer to the son I already have.”

“That sounds fair.”

“I think so. One day we will have more children, but not right now. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” She smiled at him; her heart felt like it would overflow with all the love she felt for him.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking about how much I love you. It’s still hard for me to believe we’re here together like this.”

“I know.” He kissed her again, cuddling her in his arms. He must have held her for several minutes, before he made a move to get up. “We should probably get dressed. Everyone will be at Marco’s house soon to discuss what’s going to happen next.”

“I was serious about being by your side and seeing this thing through.”

“And I’ve already told you no.”

“Let’s not go down that path again. I won’t change my mind about this.”

“Nor will I. Don’t you know what it would do to me if something happened to you?”

“Yes, because it’s the same way I’d feel if something happened to you. Look, I’m no longer helpless and my powers will grow stronger each day. I can feel it. You heard my father, there are more than rogue vampires involved: shifters, witches, and warlocks have joined forces. You’ll need my skills. I’ll contact my brothers and perhaps they will help us.”

Niccolo didn’t look like he would reply, but he finally did with a sigh. “We’ll see,” was all he said.

Sasha decided not to push the subject any further, knowing that she could wear him down a little later. At least “we’ll see” was not “no”. “Okay.” She kissed his cheek while her hand slid down his chest to travel further until she reached his cock.

“You’re ready again?” she teased. “Are you in the perpetual state of horniness?”

“For you, yes.”

“Do we have time for a fuck, before we go?”

“Of course, we do. If not, we’ll make time.”

He pulled her against him. “I owe you something first.”

“What?” she asked.

“A spanking.”

<><><>

“Honey, are you sure you have to leave so soon? You only got here yesterday. I thought you were going to stay for the week.” Maggie looked at her daughter, who was standing at the door with her travel pack. She seemed distressed.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, but something came up. Besides, I told Daddy I’d visit him before I went back down south.”

Jagger watched mother and daughter, wishing he’d had more time with Camryn. Perhaps he had come on a little too strong, but if there was something he had learned about being a vampire, it was that they went for what they wanted, and he couldn’t remember wanting anyone like he did Camryn Williams. She made him feel like a teenager again.

He didn’t know if he wanted her just for sex or for something more, but in the short time they’d spent under the same roof to together, he determined that no matter how much she ran, he’d catch her.

Jagger had tried getting to know her better but was thwarted by her at every attempt he had made. He realized he should probably save himself the aggravation and leave her alone, but all during dinner the prior night, he hadn’t been able to look away from her. When she spoke to her mother or his Uncle GianMarco, she would smile, showing off the deepest dimples he’d ever seen. But when she turned those big brown eyes on him, she seemed to be looking right through him as though he weren’t there. It was frustrating.

She’d soon learn it wouldn’t be easy getting rid of him.

His Uncle GianMarco walked over to give her a hug. “Take care of yourself, brat. We wish you could have stayed a little longer, but at least you won’t have anything to complain about when you go to sleep tonight.”

Camryn giggled. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to a decent night’s sleep. The two of you hump like bunnies and you’re loud about it.”

Maggie looked scandalized. “Camryn!”

“Mom, come on, if the two of you weren’t always carrying on, I wouldn’t have any ammunition.” Camryn checked her watch. “Okay, I’m going to hit the road to beat the rush-hour traffic.” Maggie gave her daughter a hug, tears glistening in her eyes.

“Do I not merit a hug?” Jagger asked, stepping forward.

Camryn held out her hand with obvious reluctance. She ought to have known better. Jagger grabbed her hand and pulled her against him. He closed his arms tightly around her and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “This isn’t over.” Then he released her.

Camryn’s pursed her lips and glared at him. “Goodbye,” she said with finality, turning away to face her mother. “Do you want to walk me to my car?”

Maggie grinned and took her hand. “Of course!”

“Marc, tell Romeo I said goodbye, and to stay out of trouble.” Camryn smiled at her stepfather.

“Ha! As if he would listen. At this very moment, he’s probably in a bar fight.” GianMarco chuckled.

Jagger made a move to follow them, but his uncle gripped his arm, holding him back. “Leave them be. They need their moment together. My wife doesn’t get to see her children as often as she likes.”

Jagger stepped back reluctantly as he watched Camryn and Maggie’s retreating figures. What was it about that particular woman that made him act this way? He had been with women more beautiful and sophisticated than her, yet she was the one who sparked a fire in his blood.

“She’s a lovely girl, isn’t she?”

Jagger looked over at his uncle, whose eyes had not left his wife’s retreating form.

“What are you talking about?” Jagger feigned a nonchalance he didn’t feel.

“Your mind is open to me, but I don’t have to read your thoughts to know of your interest in my stepdaughter. You couldn’t keep your eyes off her at dinner last night, and I suspect her early departure may be the result of something that happened between the two of you yesterday.”

Jagger realized there was no point in denying it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run her off.”

“Perhaps not, but you have to be careful when revealing yourself to mortals. I’ve lived among them most of my life and have revealed myself to only a very few. They can be skittish, and sometimes don’t know how to react to things they don’t understand. It’s human nature, unfortunately.”

“Yes, I realize this. I’ve lived among mortals myself, but Maggie seems to have embraced our lifestyle.”

“Yes, she’s adjusted to our ways now, but she was frightened in the beginning, and there was a difficult transition period. It wasn’t an instantaneous acceptance. One thing you will learn about Camryn, if you haven’t already, is that she’s a very single-minded young lady. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, but she’s young, only twenty-two, and generally mortals her age see things in black and white. In the beginning she was very uneasy around me, and even now, I feel she isn’t quite as accepting as she appears to be. Don’t get me wrong, I know she’s happy for her mother, but there’s still the element of fear.”

“How can she fear us when she won’t give us a chance?”

“She is giving us a chance, in her way. She just needs time.”

“That’s what you say, but according to the stories I’ve heard, you took what you wanted. Why can’t I?”

“Well, my circumstances were a little different. Look, it’s obvious to me you’re going to do what you want to, but I will caution you to take it easy. Give her some time.”

“How much time?”

“As much as she needs. You’ll need to exert a little patience. I know you’re frustrated and you think you want her—”

“I know I want her.”

“Okay, you know you want her, but does she want you?”

Jagger paused. It didn’t seem like she did, but he knew if she would just give him a chance she would. “Maybe not now, but eventually she will. She has to. Why else do I feel this instant pull toward her?”

GianMarco looked as though he wanted to say something but changed his mind. Jagger wished his mind-reading abilities were more adept so that he could tell what the older vampire was thinking.

“Tell me what I need to do to win her.”

GianMarco stared at him long and hard before he answered. “I hope you can appreciate my dilemma here. You’re my nephew and I care about you, but my first loyalty is with my wife and immediate family. Were Camryn any other woman, I would tell you to take her, but she’s not. She’s my stepdaughter, therefore under my protection, and I will not see her hurt.”

“I would never hurt her.”

“I know you don’t intend to, but if you force your attention on her, it will only make her run further away, and that would upset her mother. As you can tell, she’s already upset because her daughter is leaving earlier than planned. The last thing Maggie needs is to be upset in her condition.”

“I understand you, Uncle, but just so we understand each other...if time is what she needs, I will give it to her, but I won’t wait forever.”

GianMarco looked at him with a faint smile. “Perhaps you’re exactly what Camryn needs, but be warned, she’s quite a handful. I wish you luck. You’re going to need it.”

Epilogue

Everyone in the room wore grim expressions as Dante went over what he expected each of them to do. Niccolo could feel the tension inside Sasha and wished he could comfort her.

“Marco, although we need as many bodies as we can get for what’s about to go down, more than ever, you will need to keep your wife safe. I can’t and don’t expect you to leave her in her condition. Don’t let her out of the house unless she’s with you or a member of the Underground.”

Niccolo thought it was odd the way Dante refused to make eye contact with Maggie or, for that matter, even say her name. No one would mention what had happened between them.

“Romeo, I need to talk to you after dinner.” Dante then turned to Niccolo. “Nico, I’m going to need you to go to Europe and stick around, because I have a feeling the massacres are not over yet.”

“I’m going with him,” Sasha added.

“So am I,” said Jagger.

“No!” Niccolo shouted to both of them.

“You have to let me help you. You’re going to need me,” Sasha insisted.

“And I’m not staying behind either when I know you’re going to need all the help you can get. I’ve learned things: secret hideouts, some of the other players involved,” Jagger argued.

Niccolo shook his head. “You’re too young.”

“That is a crock of shit. Was I too young when I killed that rogue? Was I too young when I held off three rogues and two shifters? Papa, I understand you’re trying to protect me, but I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now. Trust me. I can do this. I understand the danger involved and if I believed for a second that I wasn’t up to it, I wouldn’t volunteer.” Jagger tone said he meant business.

Niccolo opened his mouth to object, but Sasha took his arm and shook her head. “He wants to help. Let him.”

“But he’s just a kid.”

“Maybe to you but he’s not. Neither of us needs to be coddled. We’re a family now, and Jagger and I want to stay by your side through this thing.”

Niccolo knew he was fighting a losing battle as he witnessed their determined looks. “But I’ll be devastated if I lose either one of you,” he protested.

Jagger walked over and knelt in front of him. “The thought of losing you is not appealing to us either, Papa, but you stick your neck out for the greater good. We know what we’re into. We’re a team and we’ll have each other’s backs.”

“You’re too damned wise for your years, boy.” Niccolo muttered.

Sasha’s eyes lit up. “We can come with you?”

“Yes, but you will both stay close to me at all times.”

“All we want is a chance.” She patted his hand with a smug smile before turning back to Dante. Niccolo had a feeling that he had just been railroaded. No matter, he would exact his payment later tonight when they were finally alone.

Niccolo squeezed her hand and pulled Jagger close to him. He loved these two more than life itself. Though he knew there were dangerous times ahead, everything would be all right with his woman and his son by his side.

<><><>

Dante leaned against the side of the house. Everyone else was inside enjoying one of Maggie’s peach cobblers. It was getting difficult to act naturally around her as though nothing had happened. He glanced at his watch. He had told Romeo to meet him outside five minutes ago. Where the hell was he?

Just as Dante turned to go back into the house, Romeo showed up. “What the hell took you so long?”

“Maggie insisted I finish dessert first, not that I needed much arm twisting. The woman is a genius in the kitchen.”

“I didn’t ask you outside to talk about her cooking.”

“What’s up with you tonight? You barely said two words to Maggie. I thought you liked her.”

“Let’s drop the subject,” Dante spoke between clenched teeth.

Romeo shrugged, with a nonplussed expression on his face. “So, did you want to discuss with me in private?”

“A war is about to happen if drastic measures aren’t taken.”

“What do you need?”

“I want you to take care of the heads of Council.”

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

“Kill them. Every single one of them.”

COMING SOON: Romeo

Book 3 in the Blood Brothers Series.