Secrets (The Forever series, Book 8) (11 page)

But of course he doesn’t. Who should he run into, but the
man himself? The only one he would rather
not
have to explain himself
to. Constantine is walking through the foyer back towards the stairs with a
Scotch in his hand. Cole knows from Liv that this will be about the time that
he goes to sleep so he isn’t surprised to see him dressed for bed. Can’t say
that he has ever seen Constantine quite so casually dressed. He looks
different, relaxed. That changes, though, when he sees Cole sneaking in.
Constantine raises his eyebrow at him. “Where are you sneaking in from?” he
asks, with a slight smirk.

“None of your fucking business,” Cole growls at him as he
walks up the stairs.

Constantine is at his side in an instant. “I don’t tolerate
insolence, boy,” he says and Cole turns to glare at him. “There’s no sire here
to protect you this time,” he adds.

“You can threaten me all you like, but lay a finger on me
and Liv will never speak to you again.” Cole is stupidly bold in his
conviction.

Constantine tilts his head at him in that way where, if the
roles were reversed and Cole was two thousand and whatever years old, he would
reach out and rip it off. That is such a Vampire thing. He never would have
even thought about doing something like that before he was turned. Constantine
breathes in deeply and an evil smile crosses his face. “I see,” he says,
narrowing his eyes. “You are sneaking in from a secret rendezvous.”

Cole should have been expecting that. Her sire’s senses are
even more honed than her’s. “It’s nothing to do with you.”

“No? I told you once that everything to do with Aefre is to
do with me. If you are hurting her I will be forced to do something about it.”

“I’m not hurting her,” Cole says, only mildly worried.

“So you plan to tell her of your activities?” Constantine
presses.

“How do you know she doesn’t already know?” he responds.

“I know the walk of shame when I see one,” he says, and Cole
has no doubt that he does. Not because he has ever done it, you understand, but
there must be thousands of women he has sent down that particular path.

“Yes, I plan on telling her,” Cole says, as there really
isn’t much point in denying it further.

“Good, be sure that you do the minute you speak to her. It’s
better if she hears it from you.” The implied threat lingers in the air like a
bad smell.

“You can’t interfere without giving her reason to wonder
why,” Cole says, brave in the face of his growing anger and hatred.

“True, but I only have her best interests at heart. She will
see that if I am forced to reveal that her husband is keeping secrets.”
Constantine spits out the word “husband” and it gets Cole fired up. Constantine
brings out his petty side and as hard as he tries to ignore him, he just knows
exactly which buttons to push to piss Cole off.

“My wife and I don’t have secrets,” he says and takes great
pleasure in seeing the very fleeting wince at the word “wife.” “We know
everything about each other.”

Constantine smirks at him again. “Well, now I know that
isn’t true. She has many secrets that she keeps from you. Secrets that I share
with her.”

Cole’s anger is turning to rage now, but he puts a lid on
it. They are the same height, the same build. If they were humans they would
probably be evenly matched and whatever the consequences, he would punch that
smirk off his face. But, as it is, Constantine can knock his head off without
even thinking about it. Cole knows he would never throw the first punch, but he
would strike back if Cole hit him first, regardless of whether Liv would
forgive him or not.

“That’s what you think,” Cole says, even though he knows it
is probably a lie, and Constantine probably does as well.

“Really?” he asks in mock disbelief. “So she speaks with you
about the plans we make for our future?”

Cole bunches his fists against his sides and grits his
teeth. “You don’t have a future with her. Not until I say so, and I will
never
let her go.”

“Until you say so?” Constantine repeats in genuine disbelief
now.

“That’s right,” Cole says, pleased to have knocked him off
his peg, even by a fraction of an inch. “I will never leave her. That’s what
your whole plan hinges on, doesn’t it? Me leaving her? You know that she won’t
leave me. She chose me. She chose
me
to turn so she could love me
forever and be my wife. She chose
me
in Vegas when I offered to let her
go. Do you really think that if she wanted to be with you she would have turned
me down?” Cole is goading him and is not ashamed to admit that the look in the
older Vampire’s eyes scares him. Cole has seen his ruthlessness and he has
heard the tales of his bloodthirsty Roman warrior side. He takes one look at
the sheer hatred in Constantine’s eyes that have now gone jet black to know
that the tales are the stone cold truth. No fiction necessary.

“She won’t leave you because she would never abandon a new
charge,” he says calmly, which is in complete contrast to the rage swirling in
his eyes. “Make no mistake that when she thinks you are strong enough she will
leave you and come to me.”

“We’ll see,” Cole says offhandedly, not wanting Constantine
to know that he is getting to him. Cole turns to head up the rest of the
stairs, wanting to get as far away from those evil eyes as possible, but
Constantine stops him with his next words uttered just as quietly, just as
calmly as before.

“She is already taking steps in preparation for becoming my
wife. She has taken ownership of half of my estate and calls our castle our
home.” If that wasn’t enough to rip Cole’s heart out, he continues, lowering
his voice even further, “She cannot keep her hands off me when we are alone
together and she tells me she cannot wait to be with me, to be my wife. When I
am buried deep inside her, with my arms wrapped tightly around her in our bed
with her lips pressed against me, she tells me how much she loves me and needs
me.”

Cole raises his clenched fist and--hoping desperately that
he gets out of this alive--he pulls back his arm to punch Constantine in the
face, but his hand has closed over Cole’s before he could blink.

“I would think very carefully about that next move,”
Constantine warns him as his hand tightens. He can see Constantine’s muscles
bunch up on his bare chest before the sickening snap of his bones and the
blinding pain that comes as he breaks Cole’s hand. Mother of fuck that hurts,
but Cole won’t give him the satisfaction of showing just how much. “You will
learn respect if I have to wait for these moments to teach it to you. I can be
a patient man. I can wait for the next one.” Constantine squeezes his hand
again and Cole’s focus goes blurry before he lets go.

“Constantine?” Sebastian asks, at his side in concern.

Fuck, his hand hurts, Cole thinks before he straightens it
and it heals and thankfully the pain goes.

“Is everything okay?” Sebastian asks.

“Yes, no problem,” Constantine says with a loving smile to
his charge, which turns to ice as he glares back at Cole. Cole returns the
glare and stomps up the remaining stairs to the bedroom, practically punching
the damn door off its hinges. He detests that man so much. None of what he said
was true. He was just saying it to get to him. Liv wouldn’t do that to him. He
knows she wouldn’t. He turns to close the door and catches sight of the two of
them disappearing into Sebastian’s room. He flexes his hand, but it’s fine now
and he raises his eyebrow as he quietly closes the door. They are both dressed
in just pajama bottoms, although Constantine had a robe on. Could it be that
there is more to that relationship? Cole has often wondered how he shows affection
to his male charges. Or at least how same sex sire-charge relationships in
general work. He has to suppose that in his two thousand plus years,
Constantine has been with men as well as women. He just never would have
expected to see it. He wonders if Liv knows that he is screwing Sebastian
behind her back. She said he was remaining faithful to her, so he is betting
not. That makes him smile as he now has something to tell her that she probably
won’t be best pleased about. He strips off and balls up his clothes into the
hamper and stands under the shower for a good few minutes before he washes
thoroughly and turns the jets off. He is bone tired now. It creeps up on him
when she isn’t here. It’s 4 AM and this is his normal time to wake up. Thank
fuck that he doesn’t have to go in today. His head hits the pillow and he is
about to crash when he hears Liv call to him. “Cole?”

His eyes fly open and he sits up. He is still alone. He must
have already been dreaming.

“Cole?” He hears her again.

“Liv?” he asks out loud, feeling a bit ridiculous.

“Hey, baby,” she says.

“Hi. How are you doing this?” Cole asks in wonder.

“Just a little trick I picked up. Close your eyes,” she
says.

He closes them and he can see her smiling at him. “I have
been trying to reach you for ages. Where have you been?” she asks.

He sighs. “I will tell you, but first, are you okay? Are you
still locked up?”

“No, I’m out. I’m fine.”

“I wish you had told me about your father,” he says
petulantly.

“I wanted to be sure before I mentioned it. It is a pretty
big deal. I’ll tell you all the details later,” she says, ignoring his tone.

“Okay, but you are sure everything is fine?”

“Yes. Drake seems to be quite the tyrant. Everyone is shit
scared of him, but I think I amuse him,” she says with a small chuckle.

“He is treating you well?”

“As well as I would expect, I suppose. It’s all very weird
here. I’m going to stay until the day after tomorrow. There is this Coronation
thing he wants me to stay for. I’ll come back after that. This morning there is
this naming thing I have to go to. I’m waiting for him to come and get me,” she
says.

“I need you,” he says softly.

“I know, baby. I’m sorry I’m not there. I have to do this to
keep you safe, but I want to as well. Tell me you understand,” she says just as
softly.

It’s a demand, not a question. He wants to tell her that he
doesn’t understand, that he wants her to come home right away, but instead he
says, “Yeah, of course. Don’t let him treat you badly.”

“Thank you, my love. I won’t. He finds my attitude towards him
a change from the norm I think.”

“Well, give him Hell.”

“I will. I have had plenty of practice at defying
authority,” she says and laughs her sweet laugh. “Are you getting on all right
with…everyone?”

The pause speaks volumes. What she means is, is he getting
on all right with Constantine without her there as a buffer. Every fiber of his
being is screaming to tell her about the incident on the stairs, but she will
only fuss and worry. “Yes. Don’t worry about us, just take care of yourself.”

“Always,” she says with a hint of arrogance that makes him
smile. “Now, you had something to tell me about where you were?”

“Err, yeah. Fuck, Liv. I’m so sorry, just please know that
before I tell you where I was. I miss you so much, I was going crazy. I went to
see another woman,” he says in a rush and there is silence, and he can see her
in his head narrowing her eyes at him.

“Okaaay,” she draws it out as she crosses her arms. “I
assume you did more than just see her?”

“Yes. I fucked her, but that’s all it was. I have no
feelings for her at all. I just needed a release. I’m sorry,” He bites his lip
waiting for her response.

“It’s okay, baby. I get it. Really I do. I know it’s
difficult for you when I’m not there. Especially as you are still so new,” she
says.

“You’re not mad?” he asks her, wishing just a little bit
that she was so he would know she is jealous.

“No, of course not. How can I be mad at you for doing
something I have asked you to do? I’d rather you spoke to me about it first,
but I know that wasn’t possible. I know you need a human you feel you have
control over,” she says.

“She’s a Vampire,” he admits, the feeling of dread welling
up as she isn’t going to understand after all.

“Oh,” she says flatly and he cringes. “One younger than
you?” It is almost a warning. His first instinct is to lie, but she will know.

“No.” He comes clean.

“I see. Where did you meet her?” she asks stiffly.

“Work. She’s working on the movie,” Cole says.

Silence.

“Liv? Are you still there?”

“Yes, of course. I’m just surprised, that’s all. But it
doesn’t matter. I know you have a high sex drive and if I’m not there I can’t
expect you to go unfulfilled. All new male Vampires feel what you are, but it’s
worse for you because I am away so much.” She rationalizes it for him and he
wishes that she hadn’t. He wishes that she would yell and cry, and then he
feels awful that he wants her to feel pain. He is so confused right now in his
exhausted state.

“I need you,” he says again, hating the desperation in his
voice. “I need you to come home.”

“I know, baby, I will be back soon. I have to see this
through and then I’ll be home,” she soothes.

“I’m aching for you,” he says softly as he starts to ache
again.

“Take your hand and pretend it’s mine,” she says. “Stroke
yourself.”

“It’s not the same,” he complains, but he does it anyway.

“I know, but just picture me pleasing you.”

He can still see her in his head, smiling gently at him. “I
need it wet,” he mumbles.

“There’s lotion in my bedside cabinet,” Liv says. “Use
that.”

“So practical,” Cole says and chuckles as he leans over and
grabs the bottle. He squirts it onto his hands and rubs them together and then
he resumes his jerking off.

“Better?” she asks.

“Yes,” he says. “Tell me what you want to do to me.”

“I want to take you in my mouth and lick you and suck you
until you are so hard,” she says and he moans softly as he can almost feel her
doing it. Cole turns onto his side as she continues to speak and he carries on
with his hand, speeding up as she heats up the conversation.