Niccolo (Blood Brothers) (9 page)

Sasha suspected he was holding something back but decided to drop it—for the moment. There would be time to figure out what he meant after she found her son. In the meantime, she was wasting precious time standing around. “I’m leaving, whether I have your assistance or not.”

“I don’t think—

“There’s nothing to think about. Will you come with me or do I go this alone?”

He moved closer and grazed her cheek with his fingertips. “I’d never leave you in your time of need.”

“Thank you, Yuri.” She headed for the door but she didn’t look back. For the first time, ever, she didn’t feel comfortable being around her friend.

Chapter Eight

“
Madre de Dios!
I have never seen anything like this.” Angel exclaimed in shock as they entered a building just outside of Vienna.

“Nor have I.” Niccolo shuddered at the sight. Though he wasn’t particularly religious, he made the sign of the cross in the air. The small office in which they stood was suitable for maybe thirty or so people. Niccolo tried to wrap his head around the sheer carnage of the scene. In over six hundred years he had never seen such bloodshed. Bodies lay on the ground, limbs were ripped off, and a putrid smell filled the air. All the victims were human.

Niccolo’s breath caught in his throat. A woman lay naked on a desk, her head dangling at an odd angle. When he touched the head, it fell off. He jumped back. “The bastards!”

Angel knelt down beside the body of a mutilated man who didn’t look much older than Jagger. “This was very recent. The blood is still warm.” Angel stood up, wiping the blood he had touched onto the side of his pants. “We’ve not missed the perpetrators by much. We may still be able to catch up with them.”

Niccolo sighed in frustration. He had learned quite a few things by studying this scene. Rogues were indeed responsible for this, as well as shifters. Something else bothered him, however. Why had no one had heard these people scream? Other forces must be working here. Witches? Warlocks? Jagger? “No. I think there may be other factors involved; they’ll be long gone by now.”

A new scent wafted to his nose. It was familiar, yet foreign, reminding him of when his brothers were near, but not quite. The smell was family. Jagger.

The very thought that his son could be involved in this frightened him to his very core. He hoped to God there was some logical explanation for this but the probability of it being something else wasn’t good.

He realized then that despite all he had done to try and make Jagger’s life easier, he still had not done enough. If his son were indeed involved, he placed the blame squarely at his own feet.

“Something is troubling you, my friend.” Angel walked over to him.

“I can’t imagine what must have been gone through these people’s minds when it happened. Do you get the impression there are other powers involved—not just rogues, I mean.”

“Yes. I got that too, but that’s not what you’re thinking about, is it?” Angel was too perceptive for his own good. “I sense a heaviness in your heart. It’s your son, isn’t it? Or perhaps the young witch you left back in Munich?”

Angel had been an agent with the Underground for nearly a century. Originally from Havana, he’d chosen to make his home base in the Dominican Republic where he owned several businesses. Angel had joined the Underground after rogues killed his sister. Although he was just over two hundred years old, his quick mind and analytical brain made him a very valuable member for the cause.

It also helped that he was attractive—at least the ladies seemed to think so—and oozed charm. Angel used his wit and looks to obtain lots of information which had been useful to the Underground over the years. However, he could be quite vicious when crossed. Aside from being a great asset, he’d also proven to be a good friend.

“Is it that obvious?” Niccolo asked.

“Well, I can only imagine how you must feel about your son’s possible involvement, but the warlock back at Wolf’s really upset you.”

“He’s got a big mouth.”

“But it wasn’t what he said, was it? I think you were more upset by how close he seems to be to your Sasha.”

“She’s not my Sasha! She’s nothing to me except the mother of my son.”

“Yet you could barely keep your eyes off her. I’m not as old as you are, but I can recognize that she is your bloodmate. What I can’t figure out is why you’re trying so hard to fight it.”

“Angel, I think it’s time for you to drop the subject. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You may not think so, but I have eyes.”

“Dammit, you’re just as infuriating as my brothers.”

Angel chuckled. “It’s an honor that you think so.”

Niccolo turned away from the other vampire. He was more confused than ever. Sasha was
not
his bloodmate. How could she be when he felt so conflicted around her? His heart had belonged to Petra. Sasha was merely an inconvenience. His body was engaged where she was concerned, but his mind wasn’t. He was about to tell Angel as much when a sudden movement caught his eye. From nowhere, a vampire appeared, claws out, teeth bared.

Niccolo and Angel went into battle mode. As the vampire approached, Niccolo dodged a blow aimed at him and slammed his palm into his attacker’s chest. The assailant went flying back into the far wall.

Angel swiftly grabbed the vampire by the collar and slammed him into the wall again. To Niccolo’s surprise, the vampire stopped fighting back, a defeated look in his eyes. “Angel, stop,” he commanded, when his friend was about to thrust the vampire into the wall again.

Angel hesitated for a moment before letting go.

“Kill me now and be done with it, rogues,” the vampire muttered, his brown eyes flashing with defiance, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Rogues? What was he talking about? “You’re the one who attacked us,” Niccolo pointed out as he drew closer to the vampire. Something was off kilter here. “What is your name?”

“My name isn’t important, rogue. Just kill me and be done with it,” the young vampire repeated.

“We had no plans to kill anyone, but I would suggest you cooperate before we change our minds.”

“Liars! You two slaughtered all of these people.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Angel growled. “We just arrived. We couldn’t have killed these people.”

The young vampire pointed to Niccolo. “I saw you. As plain as day.”

“As my friend said, we’ve just arrived.” Niccolo nudged Angel out of the way and pressed his forearm against the vampire’s throat. “Now tell us your name.”

“Stefan,” was all he said.

“Look at me, Stefan. If we did this, wouldn’t we be covered in blood?”

Stefan nodded. His gaze darted back and forth between the older vampires before visibly relaxing.

“Stefan, it’s a bit baffling to me that you survived this after what we’ve witnessed. How is that, and why do you think I was responsible for this?”

“I ... I hid,” Stefan stuttered, his face red with obvious shame.

Angel had questions as well. “No one sensed you? This is the work of more than just rogues; there were shifters here and you mean to tell us that they didn’t catch your scent?”

“They ... they knew I was here, at least I think they did. I think they wanted me to watch. Oh, God, they took Elsa and I just watched like a damn coward!” Stefan buried his face in his hands and began to cry.

It made Niccolo a bit uncomfortable to see this man break down this way. In human years, the young vampire didn’t look a day past eighteen, but Niccolo knew he was much older. “How old are you, Stefan?”

“Eighty-five. I’ve run this office for nearly fifty years. These people didn’t deserve to die like this.”

“Did the attackers say anything?” Angel asked.

Stefan’s brow furrowed like he was thinking really hard. “One of them looked toward my hiding place and said, ‘This is only the beginning.’ Then ... he said something weird: ‘We shall inherit the earth.’ What did he mean?”

Angel looked at Niccolo. “Is it just a coincidence that this place is owned by a vampire? What about the other sites?”

Niccolo’s brain kicked into gear. What was going on? Had they just landed in the middle of some big conspiracy?

“Tell me, Stefan, why did you think I was already here?” Niccolo still wanted an answer.

“There was a vampire who looked just like you. He had your coloring and build. I thought ... but I suppose there were some differences.”

“
Dio!
”

“Jagger?” Angel guessed shrewdly.

Niccolo didn’t answer. He wanted to deny it, but had to face facts. Stefan’s testimony, coupled with the scent Niccolo had picked up earlier, pretty much confirmed Jagger’s presence. “Let’s get the hell out of here before someone else stumbles on this scene. Stefan, you’re coming with us.”

<><><>

Sasha looked at her watch. Where the hell had Yuri gone? After a fruitless search through the city, they had returned to Wolf’s. He’d said he would only be gone for a minute, but more than twenty had passed. She paced the floor of the sitting room.

She was beside herself with worry about Jagger. It was frustrating that no one seemed to know what was going on. And yet, despite her anxiety for her son, she couldn’t stop thinking about Niccolo.

Seeing him again after all this time was torture, especially when she still had feelings for him. She wished she could stop loving him and maybe then she could stop suffering. Even if he was still entrenched within the enchantment spell, she hated that he refused to see the truth. It was beyond ridiculous that he still believed she created the spell. More like he had put
her
under a spell! Her hundredth birthday couldn’t come fast enough. When it did, things would be much different. Her father would no longer be able to hold her powers hostage. And then she’d cast a spell on herself to chill her heart toward Niccolo Grimaldi.

Yuri entered the room. “You seem deep in thought, little one. I think that your concern is not just for your son—you are thinking about his father, perhaps?” She turned to face him and sighed. Although he had been a good friend to her, she didn’t think Niccolo was any of Yuri’s business.

“It’s not important. What took you so long?”

“I’m sorry for the delay. I had to contact a couple of business associates. You should probably get some sleep. Your eyes are bloodshot and I bet you haven’t rested well for days.”

“I haven’t, but I won’t relax until Jagger is found.”

“You’re no use to him if you pass out from exhaustion, Sasha. There are many rooms here; why not take advantage of them? We haven’t heard anything from the others yet. If you take a quick nap, you’ll feel refreshed.”

What he said made sense, but she didn’t want to sleep. She wanted to go back out and continue searching for her son.

“You are dead on your feet. Do you think Jagger would want you in this state?”

“Okay, maybe I will lie down for a little while.” Yuri was right; she was useless if she didn’t get some rest. Sasha was so tired she could barely think straight.

He took her hand and she allowed him to lead her down a long narrow hall to one of the rooms. It was dark and had a large bed in the middle. Yuri shut the door behind them.

“Thanks, Yuri. You’ve been wonderful, but you can leave now,” she murmured tiredly.

“I can be an even better friend, Sasha. You know how I feel about you.” The hypnotic tone of his voice penetrated her mind, “Here, let me get you out of these clothes and then get you under the covers.” The compulsion to comply was strong.

His fingers were already working on the buttons of her blouse. “Yuri… she offered a token protest.

“Shh, I’m just helping you out of your clothes. You know I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.” Her shirt was off, and he began to undo her slacks.

She stared at Yuri, her mind oddly cloudy. Damned if he didn’t look like Niccolo in that moment. Sasha stepped out of her pants and moved to get on the bed, but to her surprise, he pulled her against him.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long. Just one kiss is all I ask,” he said before he pressed his lips against hers.

Sasha stood motionless from surprise and fatigue. His kiss grew more insistent as his grip tightened on her, bringing her closer. Out of sheer curiosity, she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss. She had to know if she could feel something for someone other than Niccolo. Her lips parted under the probing of Yuri’s tongue. She gave her all to that kiss and pressed her body to his. His mouth moved hungrily over hers.

She felt nothing, not even a slight stirring between her legs. Yuri’s kiss didn’t even approach what she felt when she was in Niccolo’s arms. She tried to push away from him, but he held her tightly.

“Yuri, no. Let me go.” She placed her palms against his chest.

“I burn for you, Sasha. Please don’t tell me no.” He dipped his head again. She turned her head away as his kiss landed on her cheek.

She didn’t have a chance to respond before the door burst open. “What the hell is going on?”

“Niccolo!”

His amber eyes were glowing and he looked very pissed.

Chapter Nine

Niccolo was so furious that he could barely see straight. After the information they had gathered in Austria, he and Angel had decided to split up. Angel would take Stefan to Dante and Romeo. Niccolo was going to check on Sasha and see how she was holding up. However, the moment he had entered the house, he knew something was out of place.

There was no sign of Sasha and Khrushchev, but he thought he could hear the faint sound of their voices in the back of the house. Although he half-expected it, he was still surprised to find Sasha locked in Khrushchev’s embrace. Sasha was practically naked, standing in only her bra and panties. When he burst into the room, she jumped out of the warlock’s arms with a guilty expression on her face.

“I asked you a question. What the hell is going on here?”

“What do you think, Grimaldi? I thought you were the smart one of the family.”

“What are you talking about, Yuri? Niccolo, this isn’t what it looks like.” She sounded desperate, and there was a look of bewilderment on her face.

Niccolo glared at them both. “So this is what you two have been up to since we’ve been gone. Did you make this place your love nest while no one else was around? I’ve been out looking for my son and you’ve been here spreading your legs?”

Sasha gasped, her face turning scarlet. “That isn’t true! Yuri and I have been doing some searching of our own. We’ve only been back for a short time ourselves.”

“But I see you’ve managed to find something else to occupy your time with.”

Sasha looked imploringly at Khrushchev. “Yuri, tell him the truth. This isn’t what it looks like.”

The warlock laughed. “Darling, there’s no need to hide our love from this vampire. Who is he to you, anyway, but a sperm donor? Really, Grimaldi, you should learn to knock.”

“Liar! How could you?” She brought her hand back and smacked Khrushchev across the face.

Niccolo wasn’t buying the outraged virgin act from her. He had eyes, and he knew what he saw. He would deal with her later. Right now he couldn’t ignore the warlock any longer.

“They have a saying in America, Khrushchev, and I think you should heed these words carefully: don’t write a check that your ass can’t cash.”

Khrushchev threw his bead back and laughed. “How quaint. Was that a threat, Grimaldi?”

“If you knew me, you’d know that I don’t make threats—I follow through.”

“That’s pretty big talk for someone who doesn’t have his brothers to back him up this time.”

“I don’t need them to take care of you,” Niccolo countered. Who the hell did this guy think he was? From the moment he had met Khrushchev, Niccolo had wanted nothing more than to tear this bastard apart piece by piece. This time he was through practicing restraint.

“Both of you, stop this! This was totally innocent, Niccolo, now leave me alone. And Yuri, I don’t know what has gotten into you, but I don’t like it one bit. Get out!” She had thrown her clothes back on.

Niccolo snorted in disgust. “There’s no need for you to pretend. I know what I saw.”

“Then you should have seen me trying to push away from him!”

He was too angry to take in what she’d said. “What kind of woman are you? Are your carnal needs more important than what’s going on with our son? You didn’t even ask what I’ve found out.”

“You didn’t give me a chance! You came in here throwing accusations at me like I’m some kind of tramp. I’m not a liar. If I wanted to be with Yuri, we would have already consummated our relationship. Trust me, we’ve had plenty of opportunities. She stood in front of him, hands on hips, five-foot-three inches of fury. “Go puff your chest out somewhere else, Niccolo, because I don’t need this shit right now.”

Khrushchev smirked. “Yes, Grimaldi, why don’t you leave me and my woman alone?”

That was it!

Niccolo pushed Sasha aside and slammed his fist into the warlock’s face. Khrushchev reeled back, but immediately regained his feet, catching Niccolo on the side of his face. As punches went, Nico had had worse, but it was enough to make him lose his balance and fall back.

“Stop it!” Sasha screamed at the top of her lungs, but both men ignored her.

Niccolo landed a blow to the warlock’s stomach, making him double over. The next second, a bolt of light crashed into him, sending him flying across the room. His chest felt as though it were on fire from the blast.

He was back on his feet in an instant, charging at the laughing warlock, who shot another bolt of light. This time, however, he was prepared and dodged it. Niccolo flew at Khrushchev and tackled him to the floor. They thrashed around and finally ended up against a wall.

The warlock brought his hands up to thrust Niccolo away, but his strength was no match for the enraged vampire.

Niccolo was on top of Khrushchev and dug his fingers into his enemy’s hair before pounding his head onto the floor. As he continued to slam the warlock’s head up and down, he felt his chest begin to heat up. He looked down and saw that Khrushchev’s hands were glowing, burning a hole into his shirt with their searing heat.

He ignored the pain and knocked the warlock’s head even harder into the floor. Blood trickled down the side of his opponent’s mouth. Niccolo jolted forward as something landed on his back.

“Stop it, you’ll kill each other!” She yanked at his shoulders and tried to pull him off, but he was unyielding.

Niccolo shoved her off with one hand. Unfortunately, his temporary distraction gave the warlock just enough room to send Niccolo back with a glancing blow, then follow up with a knee to his groin. Niccolo howled in pain and fury.

He was tired of playing games with this bastard; it was time for him to die. His incisors descended and he leaned over and bit a large chunk of flesh from the warlock’s neck and spit it back into his face. Blood splattered in his face.

Khrushchev screamed in agony and removed his hands from Niccolo’s chest to cover his neck. The coppery scent of blood increased Niccolo’s bloodlust. He wiped his eyes and smiled down at the warlock. “Do you have anything to say before you die?”

“Fuck you, Grimaldi. You’re so damn smug now, but you won’t be so cocky when
he
comes for you.”

Niccolo hesitated. “What are you talking about?”

“You and all of your brothers will die—I hope he kills
you
first.”

Before Niccolo could respond, a bright flash of light temporarily blinded him.

Khrushchev was gone.

“How could you? What the hell do you think you were doing?” Sasha demanded. She sat on the floor, her expression one of bewilderment.

Niccolo hovered over her, slowly licking the blood from his lips. Khrushchev’s blood tasted foul. Niccolo knew that warlocks could only teleport short distances at a time, but Khrushchev was probably far enough out of his reach now that it was no longer worth the chase.
Coward
.

Niccolo ignored her question. “Do you know what he meant?”

She shook her head. “I have no clue. He’s never acted this way before so I’m just as shocked as you are.”

“Are you really?”

She frowned. “How can you ask that? Of course I am.”

“Get up. I want answers now. Why was your friend at the airport when we arrived?”

Sasha slowly made it to her feet and moved away from him. “I don’t know what you’re accusing me of, Niccolo, but you can shove your goddamn accusations up your ass. I did nothing wrong!”

“And the fact that I found that bastard pawing you while you stood in his arms half-naked was innocent? Are you really telling me I didn’t see what I did? Was it just an illusion? Or was I imagining things when you flung yourself on my back to protect your lover?” He cocked a brow in disbelief.

“I was trying to get you both to stop! I don’t want either one of you fighting.”

“Then why did you let him kiss you, hold you? Explain to me the touching little scene I witnessed.” He stalked toward her with slow, deliberate steps.

Her eyes widened as she took a step back. “Stop this now, Niccolo.”

He didn’t answer as he continued to walk toward her, until Sasha was pressed against a wall. Niccolo reached out and spanned her throat with his hand. Once again the feeling he got whenever he was near her was beginning to take over. Her sweet fragrance drifted to his nostrils. Niccolo felt the need to take her into his arms and bury his cock so deep inside of her that they would both be lost in a wave of pure ecstasy. He aligned his body against hers.

Just one taste,
he told himself,
and maybe I can get over this madness.
He lowered his head until their lips almost touched, but she twisted her head away.

“Your face is splattered with blood,” she hissed. “It’s disgusting.”

He grabbed her chin and turned her head back toward him. “Blood that I have shed for you.”

“You didn’t shed blood for me. You went after Yuri because of your damned ego.”

He ignored her words. “Damn, I must be crazy. My son is missing, danger surrounds us as we speak, yet I can’t stop thinking about fucking you into submission.”

“Too bad you’ll never get the chance.”

A grin curved his lips. “You don’t think?”

“No,” she protested.

“Yes. Woman, you have no idea what you’ve put me through.”

She gave him a surprisingly strong shove and managed to duck away from him. “What
I’ve
done to you? How about what you’ve put me through?”

“You—”

“No! I will have my say and you had better listen to me well, Niccolo Grimaldi, because I won’t repeat myself. Thirty years ago, I fell in love with you. Your warmth and understanding about my family situation made me feel that even if you couldn’t return my feelings, we could at least be friends. Then you fell for Petra. Maybe I could have lived with that, but there were more forces at work than I realized at the time.”

“What do you mean?”

“You once said Petra couldn’t have cast a spell on you. Well, you were right, although I honestly thought she had at the time. If she had been the one who’d initiated the enchantment spell it would have ended with her death.”

“Who, then, if it wasn’t you or her?”

“My father. Blade told me what he’d done. It must be another reason for my father and brothers’ falling out. I think the only reason my father confided in him was because he believed that he could involve Blade in his plot, about which no one will give me any answers.”

“Why would he cast a spell on me? It makes no sense.”

“I have never been one of my father’s confidantes, but I have a feeling that it has something to do with this.” She raised her palm to reveal a blood-colored birthmark that was shaped like a wildflower.

Why hadn’t he noticed it before? Now that he thought about it, she’d always held her hands behind her back or clenched in front of her. “What is that?”

“It’s the sign of Hecate. Those born with this sign are said to carry great power. Unfortunately, though I bear this mark, I have never displayed any great abilities. As far as my power is concerned, I’ve been a mediocre witch at best.” A self-deprecating smile appeared on her face.

“What does this mark have to do with your father and me?”

“I think he’s always resented me because of this mark. He also knew how I felt about you. Everyone did. But he wanted you and Petra, the favored child, together, for reasons I’m not quite sure of. When I told him I carried your child, he was furious, yet that didn’t stop him from trying to take my son away from me. He told me that although I was the wrong daughter, the end result would remain the same. I still don’t know what he meant by that.” She took a deep breath. “I fought hard to keep Jagger. I wrote you not long after I found out I was pregnant, but you never responded. I could only believe you really meant those words the morning after Petra died.”

“I received no letter!”

“I wouldn’t lie about something this important, Niccolo. I wrote, but after two years of raising him alone, I realized that not hearing from you was probably a blessing in disguise. You had your brothers and the Underground, and I had Jagger. I appreciate the fact you’ve supported us financially, and I wish that you two could have had time together, but there’s no point in wallowing in regret now. You’re not the same person I loved and respected. My point is that while you have rights regarding your son, you have no rights where I’m concerned!”

Niccolo flinched. He noticed she had used the word “respect” in the past tense. He remained silent as she continued to speak.

“I don’t know the specific spell my father used that not only made you fall for Petra but also gave you a disgust for me, but you no longer have to worry about my feelings. Once we find Jagger, I never want to see you again.”

She turned away.

Niccolo couldn’t let it go. “Why were you here with Khrushchev?”

“I’ve already said that’s none of your damn business.” She refused to look at him as she opened the door. “Clean yourself up, Niccolo, you’re a mess.”