The Mortal One (The Mortal One Series) (18 page)

“Yes.”

“That is almost four lifetimes to earn money. I have made very good investments over the years, I own a lot of real estate throughout Italy, and interest is a wonderful thing.”

“But you don’t put the money in a bank, do you? I mean, they’d get suspicious if you’ve had a bank account open for over a hundred years, right?”

“I have a very trustworthy lawyer who manages my affairs. He doesn’t know exactly what I am, but he is paid very well not to ask questions. His father helped me, and his father, and…well you get the idea.”

I nodded, listening. I was glad to finally get the burning questions that have been in and out of my mind since I moved into the apartment. “So you do have a bank account?”

Nico smiled, knowing I was on a roll with questions. He was trying to be as patient with me as possible, and he was actually answering without hesitation.

“Yes. It’s under a false name and every fifty years or so, the account is closed and re-opened under a new name.”

“What’s the name it’s under now?” I was waiting for some ordinary name like John Doe.

“Nico,” he said, blankly. “What else would it be under?”

I opened my mouth to say something and closed it again. I was expecting something more complicated than just his name. That was just too easy. “Really?” I finally asked, waiting to see if there was something I missed.

“Really. The last name is Marionelli right now, but it changes every so often. Sometimes it is Nico Marionelli the second or third, but yes, it is simple. It’s easier to remember.” He seemed amused by how surprised I was at this new knowledge.

He kissed the side of my cheek and we looked out over the night for several minutes before he turned to me again. I was looking for the Duomo or some sort of landmark, trying to figure out where we were. I knew we were east of the city, but that was it.

“Were those all the questions you had for me?”

I nodded absently. “For now. I could ask a few hundred more, but I can wait. At least I know you can afford my apartment now.”

“Yes, it is something you don’t need to worry about.”

I did still want to work because it was something to do and I enjoyed it. I knew, though, that Matt needed a visa from me soon so he could put me on the books. “Well, it reminds me…if I’m going to be staying, I need to apply for a visa or citizenship or something. My travel visa is only good for ninety days.” I had been thinking about this on and off for about two weeks now and I knew I had to get it taken care of. I didn’t even know how to start the process.

“Well, I guess now is as good a time as any.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Close your eyes.”

I saw Nico reaching into his back pocket and he paused when he saw that my eyes weren’t shut yet. I humored him and shut them.

“Now hold out your hand.”

I held out my right hand and felt a piece of paper fall into my palm. I fingered the papers. “Can I open them?”

“Yes.”

I looked at the papers, all very legal looking. I looked up for some sort of interpretation to all of this. “I’m gonna need some help here.”

“You’re an Italian citizen now. I had my lawyers draft it earlier today.” He grinned with pride.

A citizen? I felt Nico staring at me, most likely trying to gauge my reaction. I wanted to be happy, but something wasn’t quite right.

“Your papers will help for a couple different reasons. You won’t be known under your current name, you’re now legal to work, and we won’t have to worry about you getting thrown out after your ninety-day visa expires.”

“Well that all certainly helps.” I peered through the documents, looking for a name.

“What are you looking for?”

“The name that I’ll be known as.”

Nico pointed to the top of the second page. “Your first name, my last name.”

“Oh.”

“Just oh?” His eyebrow raised.

I shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know what to say. I mean, how did you get all this done?”

“You worry too much. My lawyers drafted it up at my request. As far as the Italian government is concerned, you and I are married so you could become a citizen.” He said this so matter-of-factly so I barely caught the last part.

“Married?” I blurted out before I could contain my reaction. “Excuse me?”

Nico put his arm around my shoulder. “Dylan, it’s just paperwork. Please don’t make more out of this than it needs to be. Besides, it changes your last name so your friends or anyone else can’t look you up. It was the easiest way to get the paperwork filed.”

“How romantic,” I commented dryly. I never thought I would get married again – not after Chris. Being involved with vampires was supposed to be easier, at least from that standpoint. I bit my bottom lip, trying to figure out how to explain all this to Nico. He was just trying to help and I would be eternally grateful, but marriage was a big step that I didn’t want to take, even if it was just on paper.

Nico wrapped his arm tighter around me and kissed my temple, leading me downstairs. “Please do not be angry. I did it for us.”

“So I’m Dylan Marionelli now?” I thumbed through the paperwork to see it in print.

Nico smiled. “Yes you are.”

“Hmmm,” I said. I’d need more convincing. Mindlessly, I looked down at my left hand and noticed the severe lack of any hardware to go with my new last name. Why did I care that there was no ring there? It was just supposed to be paperwork. If he had wanted to marry me, he would have asked me. So why did I feel the sudden urge to cry?

We reached the bottom of the stairs and he hesitated by the front door. “It is late and I need to get you back.”

I nodded, staring at the floor.

“What am I missing?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve upset you in some way?”

I looked past him instead of at him. “No, it’s fine.”

Nico shook his head. “I may not be around women often, but I know that fine is not a good thing.”

I wiped at my eyes and stood up tall. “Truly, I’m fine.”

“Did you want a ring?”

“What?”

He gestured at the papers in my hand. “We are married. Would a ring be appropriate?”

I chewed on my bottom lip before shaking my head. “No. It’s just paperwork.” Once I said it, I started to believe it. In time, I could get used to the idea. It was so I could be in the country legally. Italy was now my home. The sooner I accepted it, the sooner I could move on.

“We should get you back. Jen may wonder what happened to you.”

Right. I secretly hoped she was planning a late night with Antonio’s friend so I could have some time with Nico after the club. I wanted to enjoy his company and it wasn’t going to happen if she was there. She just had to have a blood type that only like one out of every fifty Americans have. It was so like Jen to always be the unique one.

“Okay,” I managed as I followed him down the staircase. I really liked the old feel of this place and thought it would make a great bed and breakfast. He had interests that kept him busy during the nights, like a job. Real estate was his thing. What would I do to pass my nights once I became a vampire? Maybe I could convince him to move and turn this place into a bed and breakfast. I have the restaurant experience.

I’d have to remember to ask him about my idea one day. I had more than enough time.

As we made our way back into the city center, we paused outside of a very loud, very bright night club. He seemed to be waiting for something.

“Why did we stop?” I looked around for some reason to be here.

“Antonio should be here any minute. You and he are going to go in and hang out with Jen and her date. That way there are no questions.”

Nico was a little too good at this game of charades. He reached in and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought him a little closer. I did not want to stop.

“Ahem.”

I looked up to see Antonio standing beside us and waiting to usher us inside.

“Hi,” I said as I moved away from Nico.

Nico traced a finger down my cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” I watched him walk around the corner of the building until he was gone.

“Shall we?” Antonio asked, holding his elbow out to me.

I took his arm and walked in.

***

“No wonder you don’t want to leave Italy!” Jen whispered when she yanked me towards the bathroom with her. The women pressed in among us were applying lipstick in the mirrors and spraying perfumes on each other. We were given a few sideways glances as the two of us stood along the far wall.

“The date is going well?” I asked. I was glad that Eduardo had made that quick of an impression.

Jen shook her head and eyed me as she readied to admit something. “No…well, yes, but that’s not what I mean.”

“What do you mean, then?” I wasn’t sure where she was going with this conversation and I certainly wasn’t going to offer up anything extra.

“Two men! I didn’t think you had it in you.”

A woman applying lipstick in the mirror pushed her wavy brown hair behind her ear and turned from the mirror to look at me.

“Wh-what?” I stuttered, trying not to hyperventilate in the crowded bathroom. Women shoved past us to the lines in front of the stalls. I didn’t know she had seen Nico, the real Nico, and I outside of the club. I thought we had been far enough from the door.

“I saw you kissing the guy outside the club,” Jen gushed. “I just can’t believe Nico is cool with you seeing another guy. That is just friggin’ awesome!” She hesitated on something and then her eyes widened. “Are you sleeping with both of them? Together?”

I could tell I had just appealed to her biggest fantasy. I didn’t see too many ways out of this one. How was I supposed to explain my kissing Nico right in front of Antonio? The only way I
could
was by going along with the scenario she had cooked up in her head. It sounded a little slutty to me, yet Jen thought it was a dream come true.

I concentrating on the red and white tiles we were standing on as I nodded to confirm her suspicions. I certainly couldn’t clear things up with the truth, so I let her have her fantasies. She thought she’d live vicariously through me and my new life. I would only have to lie for a few more days until she was on the plane back home on Friday. After that, the lies wouldn’t mean anything anymore, except that she would be safe from the craziness I’d involved myself in.

She grabbed me prior to jumping up and down as she shrieked in excitement. It caused a few heads to turn but she just kept hugging. Jen was the only person I knew that could get excited like this, especially over the idea of her best friend having a threesome. I never said she was the sanest person.

“I am so proud of you,” she giggled as we finally left the bathroom. Antonio and Eduardo were standing outside and waiting for us. Eduardo grabbed Jen’s hand almost immediately and whisked her out on to the dance floor.

Antonio led me slowly to the other side of the room so we could dance or talk. He would let me decide. I stepped in close to whisper into his ear and be heard over the loud booming of techno music. His cologne was spicy, like cinnamon, and it filled my senses. It made me take another step in before I could decide against it.

“She thinks we’re sleeping together,” I whispered, trying not to sound too prudish.

“Isn’t that the idea?” He slid in next to me and smirked at the implications.

I shook my head. “No. She thinks you, me,
and
Nico are sleeping together.”

“What?” His eyes grew a little large at this.

I nodded. “She saw us outside. She jumped to her own conclusions and rather than try explaining, I agreed.”

“Nice,” he said, pulling me against him as we saw Eduardo and Jen gliding across the dance floor. She had her hips pressed into his pelvis, gyrating with the music. She was so focused on her date that I don’t think I even registered on her radar.

“Nice?” This was hardly what I considered nice. My best friend now believed I was sleeping with two men, which was something I could never actually do. The worst part was she believed it.

“Well, it wouldn’t be the worst thing ever,” he said, catching my eye.

“Oh.” Before I could form a question to his comment, his lips were on mine. He stepped in close so his body was against mine and I had no doubt about his intentions, since it was pressed into my hip. “Antonio,” I pulled my mouth away from his. “This is not going to happen.”

“Dylan, you take yourself too seriously,” Antonio announced. He pulled back enough so I could look into his face, but his arms stayed wrapped around my waist. “Ease up.”

I took a step back to leave his grasp. “No, you need to back off.”

“Dylan, come on!” He tried closing the distance between us again but I stopped him with a hand on his chest.

He looked at me as if I had just caused him physical pain. I stopped and stared at him, waiting for some sort of explanation.

“I’m just trying to put on a good show for your friend,” he said. I heard the words coming out of his mouth but I really didn’t believe it. Even as he looked at me, I knew he didn’t believe them either.