Rogue (Sons of Sangue Book 4) (6 page)

Kimber used her hand to shield her eyes from the bright afternoon sun. She looked up at her impossibly tall and arrogant neighbor, still trying to get accustomed to the new look. It didn’t detract from him by any means, just added a dangerous edge. Her tongue stuck to her mouth, leaving her at a loss for words. Damn if he didn’t look somehow sexier in the full light of day. His blue gaze rimmed black, bearing down on her. Kimber didn’t miss the blatant interest she saw in their depths.

She cleared her throat and raised her glass of tea. “I’d offer you some tea, but you aren’t staying if you’re just here to lecture me on my choice of bars again.”

“Not funny, Kimber.” His deep voice warmed her from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. And she thought the afternoon was warm before Anton arrived. The temperature rose about ten degrees as he stepped onto her porch. “I was serious when I told you to stay away from the Rave.”

“I didn’t need your permission last night any more than I do today.”

Anton crossed the white wood planks and took the rocker on the far side of the table, where he sat and looked across her well-manicured lawn. “I was a bit of an ass last night.”

She nodded, finding humor in his need to apologize. She bet he didn’t eat crow often. Kimber hid her smile. “You were.”

“Seeing Wolf’s big paw on you brought out my bad side.”

“Why would you care?”

He bowed his dark head and looked to the porch at his feet, clasping his hands between his knees. “Because I know my brothers.
Shit.
I meant that in the past tense.”

“Brothers?”

“I was a member of the Sons of Sangue before I became a Devil.”

“Are they any worse than you?” She placed her tea glass on the table separating them to keep from beaning him with it. “You both wear motorcycle colors. What makes you a better choice?”

“I never said I was. As I recall, I told you that you should stay away from me.”

“You did. And yet, here you sit on my porch,” she pointed out. “I didn’t invite you. Maybe I need to tell you to stay away from me.”

He shrugged his large shoulders, stretching his white tee across his broad back. “You should.”

“So then what brings you by, Anton? A social call?”

Anton glanced up, his gaze holding hers momentarily before looking back into the distance. Kimber detected a bit of sadness within the blue depths before he turned away. She couldn’t help wonder who put it there.

“You want to talk about it?”

She had always been good at reading people and knew something troubled him. Kimber wondered how much she should pry, or if she should chalk it up as none of her business.

“There’s nothing to talk about,
tesoro.
” Anton cleared his throat, before giving her his gaze again. “Wolf is not the type of person you should spend time with.”

“I wasn’t. As you recall, I chose a different dance partner.”

His full lips thinned. “I don’t believe the young punk grinding on you last night was much better.”

“What do you want from me, Anton? I’m not yours to order around. You can’t come here and think you can tell me what to do or who I can see.”

He took in a deep breath. “No, you aren’t mine.”

“This conversation is over. You want a friend? Fine. Stop by anytime. I always have fresh brewed tea. You want coffee? I’ll stock it. We can sit across the table and we can talk about the weather, if that’s what you want. But my personal life?” She leveled him with a glare. “That’s off-limits. If I choose to date Wolf, or the other guy at the bar for that matter, then as my friend you need to learn to support my decision.”

“Like hell I do.”

“Not up for discussion, Anton. Take it or leave it.”

“You aren’t giving me another choice?”

Kimber shook her head and chuckled. “Exactly what other option do you want? I refuse to be your part-time stop when you need to get laid. I don’t do friends with benefits well. Call me old-fashioned.”

One brow raised. “And you think Wolf or Xander would offer you more?”

“Out of context. I was only using them as an example. Honestly, I don’t think you or the other two are worth my time.”

Anton snorted, but didn’t bother disputing her. “What about the other punk at the bar?”

“If it makes you feel better, he’s not my type either.”

He braced his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “Who is your type,
tesoro
?”

Kimber bit her tongue to keep from saying
you
. The look in his eyes seemed almost hopeful. Surely, just wishful thinking on her part. “When I find him, I’ll let you know.”

His answering smile reached his gaze. “You be sure to do that.”

She held up her glass again. “Tea?”

“No thanks. But maybe I’ll be back for that chitchat with my
friend
soon.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

As she watched his truck back down the driveway and head in the direction of his house, Kimber couldn’t help but wonder what had she been thinking. Having Anton around as a friend was akin to putting a diabetic in a room full of candy. Why was it the things that were bad for you were always the things you wanted most?

She blew out a stream of air through pursed lips. Yep, she was about to regret inviting him back into the friend zone.

The day turned out to be an unseasonably warm one. Hell, even on the back of his Fat Bob, he wasn’t getting much release from the heat of the midday sun as sweat trickled down his spine. Kane parked his bike to the left side of the door, cut the engine, and stepped over the back of it. He quickly unsnapped his helmet and placed it on the brown leather seat. Using his forearm, he swiped the sweat from his brow and headed for the clubhouse. Irritation clawed up his spine for having been called for an impromptu meeting. He supposed his sour mood might have had something to do with being awaken and forced to leave Cara’s side in their darkened, air-conditioned bedroom.

He would have much preferred to stay in bed and take advantage of his mate, who had the day off. Instead he had received a phone call from his twin. Kane couldn’t help wonder what Kaleb “Hawk” Tepes wanted so last-minute. Kaleb, president of the Sons, had told him to come alone and that it wasn’t an open meeting, meaning his brother wanted a one-on-one. He hoped that didn’t mean he had found out about Anton’s undercover work. No doubt he’d be mad as hell for being left out of the loop, but Cara was adamant the fewer who knew about their involvement and helping the DEA, the safer Anton and Draven would be.

Kane hadn’t agreed about keeping Kaleb out of the loop, but Kane wasn’t the one calling the shots. The police work was better left to his wife and her partner, Joe Hernandez. He didn’t always see eye-to-eye with her partner, but Kane couldn’t keep her in his sights 24/7 and he knew Hernandez had Cara’s back. Joe seemed to care a great deal for Cara, despite their differences where Kane came into the picture.

He opened the door to the clubhouse, spotting Ryder and Alexander lounging on the sofas, a six-pack of long necks half gone on the scarred wooden center table. Ryder had taken over Kane and Cara’s old room when they had moved out a little over a year ago. Alexander had claimed Grayson and Tamera’s old room, when the two had moved to the beach house following the birth of their son. The house had been owned by one of Grayson’s friends, who had moved farther south along the coast, selling the place to Grayson. Kaleb and Suzi still resided in the clubhouse, but Kane bet it wouldn’t be long before they looked for a place of their own. Baby Stefan was growing like a weed. Kane figured Suzi and Kaleb would want to keep Stefan away from the MC dealings often going down in the clubhouse. It wasn’t exactly an ideal place to bring up a child.

The door to the meeting room remained closed, probably why Kane couldn’t scent his twin. The room had been soundproofed for private meetings such as the one called today. It also kept them from being able to scent who was in attendance.

Kane nodded at Alexander and Ryder, who acknowledged his arrival with a tip of their chins. Alexander pointed at the meeting room with his long neck. “Hawk said to tell you to go on in. They’re waiting on you.”

His brow creased. “They?”

A hint of a smile crossed Alexander’s lips. “Your grandfather’s here. He arrived about an hour ago.”

“Shit,” Kane replied. He doubted whatever Vlad Tepes had to say or what brought him back to Pleasant, Oregon was going to be good. The old ruler didn’t leave his island off Belize unless he had a damn good reason.

Kane didn’t bother knocking. He pushed down the handle and swung the heavy wooden door open. Both Kaleb and Vlad looked up as he entered the space, closing the door behind him. Neither seemed to be in a good mood.
Awesome.
It was bad enough having to deal with a surly Kaleb on his own. Add in one pissed off primordial and it no doubt spelled trouble.

Pulling out his chair, he sat and clasped his hands on the tabletop, his gaze taking in the half empty bottle of Gentleman Jack. “Do I at least get to knock one back before you two decide to rake me over the coals?”

One of Kaleb’s brows rose. “Guilty much?”

“Why else would I get called here for a last-minute meeting and be told to come alone?”

Kaleb lifted the bottle of Jack, grabbed one of the empty rocks glasses, and filled it. He slid the tumbler across the table to Kane. Kane took it to his lips and downed the contents.

“Now that’s more like it.” He glanced at Vlad. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Grandfather?”

Kane couldn’t get a read on Vlad’s black gaze, but the set line of his mouth told Kane the old ruler wasn’t pleased about whatever brought him here. “Mircea’s gone missing.”

No beating around the bush. “What do you mean missing? Don’t you keep regular tabs on your brother?”

“Of course. Someone has to. The man is a danger to himself.” Vlad glowered. “And since I took his stepdaughter’s head, he hasn’t been his same docile self. I put one of my men on him, to report back to me should Mircea do something stupid, like leave Italy.”

“You forbid him to leave?” Kane grabbed the whiskey bottle from Kaleb and poured himself another couple of fingers. He quickly downed it, feeling the answering warmth. “I’m sure you giving him orders went over about as well as you taking Rosalee’s head. By the way, thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome. I should’ve ended her ungrateful life years ago. But out of reverence for my brother, I allowed her to live. I see now that was a mistake.” His expression hardened. “To say Mircea is not pleased with me is an understatement. I figured as much. His animosity toward me is nothing new. Mircea and my father left my brother Radu and me imprisoned by the Turks. I forgave him of his treachery when I turned him, but the fool feels Rosalee’s demise was my way of getting even.”

Kaleb shook his head. “Talk about turning a blind eye. The idiot refused to see his stepdaughter was a deceitful bitch who needed to die. So what does Mircea missing have to do with us exactly?”

Vlad’s lips drew back in a snarl. “I don’t think I have to tell you that Mircea will likely want an eye for and eye, which means he will stop at nothing less than seeing to one of your deaths. I’m not about to allow that happen.”

“Good to know.” One side of Kaleb’s lips inched up. “But I don’t intend to allow him the satisfaction. I took Alec Funar’s head. I’ll take his. It matters to me none.”

“Which could give him reason to make you his target, Kaleb.” Vlad’s brow raised. “He allowed the killing of a primordial to pass because you were my grandson, and because Alec deserved his execution. However, now that I have taken Rosalee’s head, he’ll come gunning for yours or Kane’s. I wanted to warn you both to keep on the lookout. If he so much as tries to hurt either of you, he will rue the day I gave him immortal life.”

Kaleb easily shrugged off the threat. Kane, on the other hand, knew Mircea would be damn near impossible to defeat on their own. He was older, and therefore much stronger than him or his brother put together. If they were to defeat the man, they’d have to come up with a good plan — that or completely blindside him.

“So what do you want us to do?” Kane leveled his gaze on his grandfather. “Surely, you don’t expect us to do nothing.”

“On the contrary,” Vlad said, one black brow arching. “If he so much as steps out of line, I expect you to kill the son of a bitch. He’s my last sibling, and I’d rather talk sense into his damn head. But if he tries to kill one of you, then I came to give you my blessing to take the arrogant ass out. I’ve given him more than enough chances over the past few centuries. He hasn’t learned a damn thing.”

Kaleb sat back in his chair and laced his fingers over his chest. A genuine smile crossed his face. “Best damn news I’ve heard all day. It would be my pleasure to end the bastard’s life.”

“He won’t be easy to defeat,” Vlad reminded them. “This is no time to be cocky, Kaleb. Arrogance will get you killed. Mircea may have been sitting on his ass for the last few centuries, but trust me, he holds the power of many men.”

“Duly noted, Grandfather. I will make sure my brother doesn’t do anything stupid.” Kane turned his gaze on Kaleb. “Club P or not, you need to include me on anything that has to do with Mircea.”