Romeo (Blood Brothers) (9 page)

“Earth to Romeo.” Wolf waved his hand in his face. Romeo forced the disturbing thoughts from his mind.

“What did you say?”

“I was asking how you wanted to handle this. They’re in there and I believe they know we’re out here.” Wolf surveyed their surroundings, probably making sure they weren’t being watched.

“They do know we’re out here. If I can smell them, and I can, you’d best believe the shifter inside can smell us, too.” Aries inhaled deeply, taking another whiff of air. “Yes, there’s definitely a scent of awareness about them. We should go on the offensive before they come out to us.”

“Good point. If they’re waiting for us, we may as well go through the front door. I’ll take Renault. Wolf, you take the vampire, and Aries—”

“Yes, I know. I’ll take the shifter, like always.”

Romeo sighed. “Fine, Aries you can take the vampire and Wolf will take the shifter. Satisfied?”

Aries shrugged. “I was just making an observation. No need to bite my head off.”

“Let’s just go and get this done.” Romeo walked to the front of the house with Wolf and Aries following closely. When they stepped up to the front door, it flew open. Standing at the entrance was a tall, thin vampire. He looked as though he hadn’t seen the sun in years.

“We have been expecting you for a while now.” The vampire smiled eerily, which immediately put Romeo on his guard. “Come in.” He motioned them into the house.

Romeo looked at his companions, who looked as dumbfounded as he felt. What was the meaning of this?

“You were expecting us?”

“But, of course. Please come in; my boss would love to speak with you.”

Romeo frowned. “You do know why we’re here, don’t you?”

The creepy smile spread across the pale vampire’s face again. Romeo hadn’t lived so long by being stupid. Before he could question Pale Boy again, Wolf asked the question that was on all their minds.

“Who told you we’d be here?”

Pale Boy threw a contemptuous look at Wolf. “My master only has business with Grimaldi. He doesn’t deal with underlings,” he sneered.

“I’ll show you underlings, you dumb fuck.” Wolf shot forward. Romeo, not one to break up a fight, stepped aside. Wolf grabbed the pale vampire by the collar with one fist and raised the other to slam into his adversary’s face. To their surprise, just when Wolf’s fist was about to connect, the vampire disappeared.

“What the hell?” Wolf exclaimed, looking around him.

“It’s begun,” Aries whispered. “I told you Renault is a powerful warlock. I bet that vampire wasn’t real. Even the scent threw me off.”

Wolf protested. “But I felt him. He was solid.”

“Temporarily. I warned you that Renault is very skilled.”

Romeo loved to fight, but battling warlocks was tricky because they never fought fair. Then again, most rogue vampires didn’t either. “We’ll proceed with caution. Just be on the lookout. He’s probably set a trap to get me in the house alone. Stay close.” Romeo entered the house and moved into a long hallway. The thrill of what was to come seared though his body.

“I’ve locked onto their scent. We’re getting closer,” Aries said from behind him.

The house was shrouded in darkness, but one good thing about being a vampire was the ability to see in the dark. Romeo didn’t know what Renault was playing at, but whatever it was, it wouldn’t work.

His fingers twitched, itching to break bone, tear flesh, annihilate. A primitive feeling older than existence filled him with the need to kill— his bloodlust was aroused. This was more like it. These were feelings he could deal with. As he walked further down the twisting corridor, Romeo realized they had been walking for a time but getting nowhere. “What’s going on here?” He whispered to the two immortals at his back.

“He’s using magic to prevent us from getting to him. He may try to get out of the house before we reach him. Wait!” Aries paused, sniffing the air again. He turned toward a wall and threw a fist out, shattering the barrier to bits. “This way.” The shifter took the lead, sniffing as he went until he stopped in front of a steel door that looked similar to one in a bank vault.

Romeo placed his hand on the barrier. Even though he was strong enough to break through the door, it would still take precious minutes that he might not have. If Jagger had been here, he’d be able to get past it in a matter of seconds. With Wolf and Aries to help him, they should be able to get through it relatively quickly. “Boys?”

The three of them slammed their fists against the steel door, making it shudder. They repeated the motion four more times before the door collapsed inward. Before they had a chance to step through, a shifter in wolf form sprang forward, his teeth bared and aimed at Romeo’s throat. Romeo managed to duck just in time.

Aries let out a savage howl before falling to his hands and knees, his body quickly transforming, dark, coarse hair springing out where bare skin had been. His face elongated and sharp teeth extended from his mouth. His clothes fell in a puddle at his feet.

Romeo rushed out of the rogue shifter’s way as he charged at him again. The shifter, undaunted, attacked yet again. This time Romeo was ready and gripped the wolf by the neck, shaking him and giving Aries enough time to complete shifting.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw his friend springing toward them. Romeo let go of the shifter in his grasp and turned to Wolf. “Let’s go.”

The two vampires entered the room while the two shaped-shifted immortals circled each other in preparation for a fight to the death. Romeo had every confidence that Aries would come out on top and, even if he didn’t, Romeo wouldn’t allow the rogue out of the house alive.

Inside the room, a vampire stood proud and defiant, his silver eyes glowing malevolently. He didn’t seem very threatening with his diminutive height and slender frame, which almost appeared feminine. Years of experience, however, had taught Romeo not to underestimate an opponent’s size, because it was always the smaller ones you had to doubly be wary of.

“Backup is on the way, you know.” The small vampire grinned. “You might get rid of us, but more will be here shortly. You won’t leave here intact.”

“Where is Renault?” Romeo demanded.

Out of the shadows stepped an extremely obese man, who looked as though he’d never missed a meal in his life. The thought had barely crossed Romeo’s mind when he was hit with a bolt so strong, it sent him stumbling back.

“Looking for me?” This had to be Renault. Romeo had only had pictures of his prey, but the one for this Council member had obviously been taken years ago because the man in the photo was much slimmer.

Regaining his footing, Romeo charged toward the warlock. Wolf was already exchanging blows with the other vampire. Renault disappeared and materialized on the other side of the room.

“Did you think I would make it easy for you, Grimaldi? Do you honestly think killing me will change anything? If you believe that, you and your brothers are dumber than we thought,” Renault taunted.

On the verge of lunging at him again, Romeo halted. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Why don’t you figure it out for yourself? You’ve already killed three of us, yet the movement goes on, stronger than ever. We shall inherit the earth. This world was meant for the strong. Why you and your brothers persist in trying to stop this is beyond me.” Renault shook his head.

Romeo flashed forward, temporarily distracting the warlock long enough to hit him in his spongy stomach. “Oof.” The warlock doubled over before once more disappearing and reappearing on the other side of the room. Renault glared at Romeo with hatred so tangible he could almost see it.

“You’ll pay for that, vampire.” The warlock raised his hands and, to Romeo’s surprise, he was lifted off his feet and slammed into a wall. His body was raised in the air again and crashed so hard into another wall that bones were crushed this time.

It felt like some of his ribs had snapped. Romeo gritted his teeth, determined not to give the bastard the satisfaction of hearing him scream. It would be a few minutes before he could heal but he didn’t have the luxury to wait. Besides, he’d fought in worst conditions than this. Once he got his hands on that warlock’s neck, he was going to rip his fucking head off.

“Give up, Grimaldi, and I just may take pity on you.” The warlock laughed.

“Do you think your warlock tricks will be able to stop me from killing you? Do your worst, but if I get my hands on you, you will wish you’d never started this.” Romeo spat, blood mixing with his saliva.

“Those are brave words for someone in your condition.”

“One thing you seem to have forgotten, warlock, a vampire my age heals rapidly. Warlocks don’t. Perhaps, you are the one who should give up.” Romeo struggled to his feet, finally realizing that charging at the warlock would do no good. Renault could anticipate his moves and teleport to the other side of the room... Wait, that was it! When the warlock teleported, it was always to the exact opposite side of the room.

Romeo felt his bones mending, but he wasn’t quite one hundred percent yet. Still, he had to make his move now or who knew what the warlock had planned for him. He saw Wolf tear his sharpened nails down the side of the rogue vampire’s face, popping out an eye. Wolf was clearly doing okay on his own.

Romeo had to take care of the warlock now. If it was true that reinforcements were on their way, he knew he and his friends had to end this quickly. Romeo made to move as though he were charging toward Renault but, anticipating that the warlock would dematerialize and reappear on the other side of the room, he immediately changed direction, catching his enemy by surprise.

Romeo grabbed the warlock by the throat and rammed his fist into the man’s face, hearing and feeling bones shatter. Romeo hit him again and again in the same spot until Renault’s face had collapsed into itself. His incisors descended and he tore at the warlock’s throat.

Surprisingly, the warlock still hung onto life, his body growing so hot suddenly that Romeo had no choice but to let go. Renault’s nearly lifeless body slumped to the floor. “If you think killing me will put an end to this, you’re wrong. This is only the beginning,” the warlock whispered.

Not caring to hear anymore, Romeo stomped on his head and squished it beneath his heel in disgust ending the miserable bastard’s life. He touched his sore ribs. They ached a bit, but the pain was bearable. He turned around in time to see Wolf rip out the rogue vampire’s heart and crush it in his fist to ensure death. Wolf tossed the rogue and his heart aside, then wiped his hand on his pants. “Rogue blood makes me nauseous,” Wolf muttered.

Romeo shot him a faint smile. “Let’s check on Aries and get the hell out of here before the cavalry arrives.” The two vampires stepped out of the room to see Aries in human form standing naked over the rogue shifter who lay dead at his feet. “Damn. I should have brought an extra pair of pants with me.” Aries laughed.

Romeo shook his head. “Unfortunately, the clothes on the bodies in that room won’t fit you. Just shift to wolf form again and we’ll get you something to wear when we’re a good distance away from here.” He then turned to Wolf. “We have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“There’s a traitor among us.”

Chapter Eleven

Dante pounded into her sopping wet pussy, grinding harder and deeper with each stroke. Her thick chocolate thighs quivered in his grip. “Oh, yes! Fuck this pussy, baby! Give it to me good!” The woman yelled out in ecstasy.

He wished she’d shut the hell up, because he was going to lose interest fast.
Dio,
what was her name again? Was it Renee? Rhonda? Ronnie? Whatever it was, he didn’t care. He just needed relief from the ache that had built up within him.

On the way home to his apartment, Dante had stopped at one of the restaurants he owned. He’d spotted this woman dining with a few others. Though her dining companions could probably have passed for supermodels and had given him interested looks, it was her plump frame and chocolate brown skin that had caught his eyes. When she’d laughed, her cheeks had dimpled up prettily... just like Maggie’s. He’d observed her over a glass of Merlot, her mannerisms and features so like the woman he was obsessed with.

By the time the woman and her friends had prepared to leave, Dante had managed to convince himself how much like Maggie she looked. He’d approached her and it wasn’t long before she’d agreed to bring him back to her lower East Side apartment. She’d told him that she was a designer and she was meeting with a couple of clients, so he hadn’t been far off his mark in thinking her companions were models.

The more he’d talked to her, however, the more he’d realized that she was nothing like Maggie. The woman was a bit too uncouth for his taste. However, by the time he’d got to her place, his cock was painfully hard and Dante couldn’t face another night of masturbation.

So what if she wasn’t who he really wanted? She was a warm body with a pussy. She’d do. Besides, if he closed his eyes, he could pretend.

“That’s right. Give Rhoda what she wants. Fuck me with your big cock,” the woman yelled again, finally clearing up the mystery of her name.

Dante shuddered as he continued to thrust into her. It was getting more difficult to maintain his erection, especially when Rhoda spoke of herself in third person. Closing his eyes, he visualized the voluptuous angel who’d haunted his dreams for the past few months. “Oh, Maggie,” he groaned.

The body beneath him stiffened, but he continued to plow into it until he found his release. When he opened his eyes, it was to see a very pissed off face beneath him. “Get the fuck off me. How dare you call me by some other bitch’s name?” Rhoda shoved at his chest.

Dante groaned in embarrassment, his dick instantly going limp. He pulled back. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,”