The Mortal One (The Mortal One Series) (19 page)

“Really?” I asked. “Just a show?”

“You’d really prefer him over me? I mean, seriously? His heart doesn’t even beat for God’s sake!” He spat the words vehemently and moved his face as close to mine as possible.

I wasn’t sure what his plan was and I didn’t want to find out. He didn’t understand the boundaries very well and I didn’t want to try and explain them. I was about to try when I sensed someone behind me. I tensed when I spun around to find it was Nico.

“Antonio, leave.” Nico advanced on Antonio as he spoke. I watched in muted fascination as the two men faced off on the edge of the dance floor.

Antonio nodded and turned on his heel. He walked as fast to the exit as he could possibly go without going into a full sprint.

“Thank you.” I clung to Nico’s side as several nearby women who had been watching the scene eyed him curiously. Nico grabbed me and we stepped away from the crowd.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I nodded. “It’s just that he doesn’t get you and I are different than what normally goes on.” I wasn’t sure why I was trying to defend Antonio, but in some strange way, I understood. Costin was always sharing and being a pet was just a step towards eternity. For me, it was much more than that.

“I know. I’m going to have to speak with him, though. If he tries something like that again, Costin’s going to need to step in. What started it all, anyway?”

I sighed, remembering all too clearly. As I began to explain, Nico laughed.

Chapter 17

“SO ARE WE going to talk about it?” Jen asked while sitting on the couch.

I avoided the topic as long as I could, pouring cereal into a bowl and taking a long time to get the milk out of the fridge. How she woke with this much energy was beyond me. The wine had given me a bit of a headache.

“Well?”

I looked up at her. I knew exactly what she wanted to talk about and I had absolutely no idea what to say. Nico and I didn’t discuss how this was going to be handled and now I sat here on my own trying to figure it out.

I made myself comfortable on the couch knowing that she had been thinking about this all night. She smiled, eager to hear some outrageous story about the two men in my life, though she had no idea what my life was really like and that there was only one man in my life. Only one who mattered anyway.

“Talk about what?” I finally asked with feigned innocence.

She rolled her eyes at me and let out a sigh. “Which one do you like better and what’s the other guy’s name? He seems very protective of you.”

Oh, so she noticed that. Now for a name. This was getting way too complicated and I was just hoping I could keep it all straight in my head until she got on a plane in two days. “That was Antonio.” There, I’d just swap names…should be easy.

“He’s hot. I mean, Nico’s good looking and all, but Antonio’s like steamy hot.”

I smiled. She was absolutely right. “Yeah, he is. He is amazing.”

“That answers it, then. He’s the one you like more.”

“How do you know that?”

Jen smiled. “Your whole face lit up as soon as you started talking about him. Your voice went a little hoarse and it was all I needed. He’s the one keeping you in Italy, not Nico, huh?”

Okay, so maybe she was able to read me better than I anticipated. That was the part I hated about Jen. She knew me all too well. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go. She was only supposed to meet Antonio and that was it. Now the lies were getting complicated and I wished she was getting on a plane tomorrow.

“Can I meet him? I mean, I only got to see him from across the dance floor. I want to really meet him and talk to him and find out why you’re so smitten because it can’t be based on looks alone.”

He was handsome, wasn’t he? It was good to know it wasn’t a vampire thing or that I was the only one who saw it.

Her meeting him, though, was going to be a problem. I couldn’t have her meet him, especially because of her blood type. I wasn’t sure how much control Nico really had or what to say so she could be okay with not meeting him. I thought of denying my feelings and saying it was all about Nico, who she presumed was really Antonio. I also figured that it would be hard to get the real Antonio back here with what happened earlier today without something seeming strange. I doubted that he’d want to come anywhere near me after the humiliation he suffered. I’d have to figure out a way to explain things to him somehow.

I needed a human friend in the midst of everything that’s been going on and he was the only one I had who could know the whole truth. I was going to have to plead with him for forgiveness.

In the meantime, Jen wanted answers and I had to lie. “I really haven’t decided who I like better. Nico is a better conversationalist.”

She looked at me as if she was deciding whether or not to believe me. She shrugged. “If I had both of these guys in my life, I don’t think I’d want to leave either.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Seriously, though,” Jen said. “You’re not coming back, are you?”

I shook my head. “No.”

Jen didn’t say anything. I didn’t know if it was because she was at a loss for words or if she had seen it coming for a while. Either way, we sat in silence until there was a knock at the door.

She and I stared blankly at each other. “Are you expecting anyone?” she asked.

“No.”

“Oooh, maybe it’s Eduardo to come back and finish what we started on the dance floor!” She wiggled her eyebrows at me and rushed to the door.

She opened the door and came back to sit in the chair, leaving the man at the door to fend for himself. I looked over to see Antonio walking through the door. He put up a hand in an awkward greeting.

“Hi,” I said, trying to sound friendly.

“Hey, can we go for a walk?”

I got off the couch. “Sure.”

“Have fun, kids!” Jen giggled as we headed to the door.

***

“It’s fine, really,” Antonio said to me as he and I climbed the wrought iron steps to my apartment. “I overstepped and it was my fault.”

I held on to his right arm as we stopped in front of the door. “Really? I mean, I guess I should have been clearer, too. I just want us to be friends. I need you. You’re….” I trailed off as I searched for the right words.

“Human?” He joked.

I smiled. “Not exactly what I was going for, but yeah, that’ll work, too.”

We went for full theatrics as we entered the door while laughing and holding on to each other, only to the audience of an empty apartment.

“Jen?”

I called. Nothing. I glanced at Antonio, only for him to shrug.

“Did she leave a note?” he asked while stepping towards the kitchen.

I thought of Olivier and all the drama from the past few days. “You don’t think that…that…!” The idea caught in the back of my throat.

Antonio interrupted me. “No. Here’s a note,” he waved a napkin from yesterday’s pizza run. The blue ink was hardly legible around the grease stains, but he was able to make most of it out. “She’s with Eduardo. He must have called her for a lunch date. She says she’ll be back in an hour.”

“Hmmm,” I said with a grin. “An hour, my ass...”

Antonio moved onto the couch. “Well, it gives us some time to talk, if you’d like.”

I nodded and took a seat in the chair across from him. “Only if I can ask some questions and get some honest answers.”

He smiled. “Sure.”

“Costin.” The one word was enough to elicit a sigh and groan from him.

I ignored his reaction. “Are you physically involved or is it just a blood thing?” I wanted to put the myth about the two of them to rest and finally erase any mental pictures I may have developed of the two of them from my mind.

“It’s, as you put it, a blood thing, though you must understand when Costin takes blood, it is erotic. He bites and I cannot help myself. I lose all inhibitions. That was my comment about it being better than sex.” My face must have shown something of shock because he felt the need to explain further. “There is no sex in the traditional sense, but he and I….” He stopped to reorganize his thoughts.

“Cuddle?” I asked, amusement in my voice.

“Amusing,” he retaliated. “But you could think of it like that.”

I could tell the topic was embarrassing him, so I moved on to something of stronger interest. “Has Costin ever offered Nico a taste of you?”

He laughed. “I was wondering when you were going to ask this. He has offered but Nico always declines. He does not usually like to feed from people he knows.”

“Oh.”

I could hear Jen approaching the door from her loud voice saying her farewell to Eduardo. A grin tugged at Antonio’s mouth as I threw myself at him and landed in his lap. She opened the door and my mouth was by his ear. While she thought I was whispering sweet nothings to him, I was telling him to shut up and stop laughing.

She stood in front of us, wearing a short frock dress, looking content and tired. “Hi,” she announced herself.

I peeled myself away from Antonio and turned to face her. “How was lunch?”

“It went as well as the lunch I interrupted here.”

Antonio wiped at his mouth and adjusted the collar of his shirt. “I can’t imagine what you’re referring to.”

“Mmm hmmm,” Jen laughed.

“I thought you would be out with Eduardo longer. You two couldn’t have possibly…,” I trailed off.

“Dylan!” Jen yelled. She pointed to Antonio, shot me a knowing look and then walked to her room.

“I didn’t want the details.”

“You weren’t going to get them,” she said, shutting the door.

Antonio raised his brows. “What was that about?”

I shrugged. “With Jen? Who knows.”

“I’ll leave you to solve the girl drama alone. I have to get back to Costin’s place before he wakes.”

“For more cuddling?” I laughed.

“Don’t make me regret answering your questions,” Antonio said. With that, he flashed a smile and walked out the door.

Chapter 18

“WHERE ARE YOU going?”

I turned around to see Jen standing in the doorway to my bedroom. I had just slipped into my ankle length boots and was running late. “I work tonight, remember?”

“Right. I’m gonna come by with Eduardo later,” she said as she walked in and helped me get into my dress. She reached behind me and zipped the back of my black dress.

“Cute outfit,” she commented. “I see why you wanted to get a job.”

I smiled. “Tell me about it. The clothes here are amazing, but they all come with a fairly hefty price tag.” I walked into the bathroom to touch up my makeup. “So, tell me more about Eduardo.”

Jen leaned against the vanity and I watched her face light up as I curled my eyelashes with charcoal mascara. “It’s kinda like a summer romance. We both know it’s not going to go any further than tomorrow, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.”

I looked up to face her. “Have you two…?”

She shook her head. “No, but I’m hoping for it tonight. I figured it’d be the best souvenir for my trip I could ask for. It’d make for some great stories back home, too.” She wagged her eye brows flirtatiously.

I just laughed. Being carefree, no matter what, was like Jen. “Alright, so Eduardo knows where the bar is?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yeah. By the way, can I raid your closet?” I could tell by the excitement in her voice that she’d been eyeing it since she got into town.

“Of course, but I don’t know what will fit. You’re at least a size smaller than me.” She looked at me and then over at herself. She squeezed at her gut a little and stood sideways in the mirror.

“You’ve slimmed down a little and I’ve put on some, so I think we’re closer than ever.”

It would figure. Finally, someone to share clothes with and she’s a continent away. “Help yourself. Hands off the knee high boots, though. I haven’t gotten to wear them yet myself.”

A low whine escaped her lips in protest but she didn’t say anything further.

***

The majority of the staff sat in the kitchen and leaned against the counter. I looked at my watch and scooped out some risotto onto a small plate, even though I saw the chef giving me a dirty look. It was the slowest night I’d seen at Yankee Bar since I started. It was already seven. A Sunday back home would have been a guarantee it was going to be slow because of people having to work on Monday, but here it was different. That said, if the place didn’t fill up within the next hour, it wasn’t going to. I grabbed a fork from underneath the line and shoveled the last of the risotto into my mouth before going back over to the bar.

Giancarlo was taking care of the few guys who were there. They were low maintenance frat boys who drank bottled beer and paid cash. They were having their own conversation in coded guy language, so I grabbed a cloth and started wiping down the other side of the bar.

A few more people walked into the bar carrying umbrellas. I glanced outside to see it had just started raining. A couple obviously tourists, sat down at one of the high tops closest to the bar, setting their camera equipment and backpack on the spare stool. They pulled down the bar menu and started talking back and forth about the specials. I eavesdropped a little and overheard them arguing about who was going to place the order. They must not have realized they were in an American style, bar.

I walked up to the table.

They looked up at me and the dirty-blonde husband grabbed his dictionary. I placed my hand on the dictionary. “I speak English.”

“Oh, good,” his frumpy wife remarked. “Can I get a Cosmo?”

I nodded. “Sure. And you?”

“Do you have Captain Morgan?” He wiped his glasses with the corner of his t-shirt.

“Yes. Do you want it with Coke?”

“Yes, thank you.”

A bombshell of a woman had taken a seat at the far end of the bar. Her long brown hair rolled in waves across her narrow shoulders and her eyes were painted a dazzling shade of purple. Giancarlo tried hard to keep himself in check as he watched her in fascination as he continued conversing with the frat boys.

The bombshell caught my eye and she stared at me for half a second. I blinked and heard something in my head. I left the table of the tourists and walked behind the bar. I made the two drinks and poured a glass of Sangiovese.

“Can you bring this to her?” I asked as I handed the glass of wine to Giancarlo and nodding to Bombshell.

That seemed to break him out of his trance. “What? Oh. How do you know it’s what she wants?”

I looked at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about. “She asked for it.”

“When? I never saw you talk to her. And trust me, I’ve been watching her.”

What was
he
talking about? Of course she asked for it. Didn’t she? I shook my head, knowing Giancarlo must be wrong, and brought the other two drinks over to the couple.

I wanted you to bring the glass to me, Dylan.

I stopped in the middle of the bar, almost dropping my tray. How was it I heard a voice inside my head that wasn’t my own? I glanced around but had already known who was talking. I didn’t want to look over because there was only one kind of person that could have a power like this. I really didn’t want to meet another vampire right now. As I peeked over at Bombshell, though, I knew she wasn’t giving me a choice.

I walked over and stood in front of her.

Violante.

I let my mind open up a little.
How are you able to get into my head?

She spoke out loud this time. “It’s one of my specialties. Convenient, isn’t it?”

I could think of some other words for it, too, though I kept my mind shut so she couldn’t extract them from my head. I wanted to ask her what she was doing here or what she wanted, yet didn’t want to come off as rude. “Can I help you with something?”

She laughed softly. “No. I just wanted to see the mortal that Niccolò has chosen over me.”

The jealous tone and her narrowed gaze on me were more than a little obvious. She seemed to be sizing me up. She stared at me with a fascination that was unnerving. She sat with not a hair out of place and her chocolate brown eyes watched every move that I made.

“Don’t worry. Costin has already told me that you are off limits.” She sipped the wine a little and looked over at Giancarlo, who was making drinks at the other end of the bar. I saw him look over and raise an eyebrow at me. I smiled at him and he quickly turned his attention back to the customers.

I watched Violante with my own quiet fascination. A female vampire. She was certainly a beauty and she knew it as she used her sex appeal to every advantage she could. I wanted to ask her some questions of her previous relationship with Nico though I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. She didn’t seem to be one of my best advocates, so keeping her at a distance was probably best. I waited for her to say something or ask something that warranted her coming to see me in person. Unless it was simply curiosity as she said. I turned to greet a guest a few stools down and as I reached over to get a glass, she was gone.

You’re not good enough for him.
I heard her final words reverberate in my head.

I opened my mind up with the only word that summed it all up.
Bitch
. Here’s hoping she heard that loud and clear.

Jen, Eduardo, and Antonio walked in and gave me a big wave. Jen had draped herself across Eduardo and made her intentions for the night obvious to anyone who was looking. Antonio smiled and sat down at the stool in front of me.

Jen ordered a round of drinks for her and Eduardo and practically sat on his lap. He had a childish grin across his face and enjoyed every moment of her. He kissed her neck as she giggled, letting her hands wrap around his neck. I let out an awkward cough and looked at Antonio.

“They’ve been like this all night,” he commented across the bar. “I’ve suggested to Eduardo that they go back to his place. Soon.”

“It sounds like a pretty good idea. Hey, what do you know about a Violante?”

Antonio’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me that she was here.”

That didn’t sound good. I nodded and he cursed under his breath.

He thought for a moment before responding. “She’s obsessed with Nico, or was…or something along that line. She was upset to say the least when you came into the picture, especially when Costin sent everyone the message they were to not only keep their hands off, but to protect you in the event of someone else trying to stake claim.”

I wrinkled my nose a little. “So what you’re trying to say is, her and I won’t become best friends anytime soon?” I laughed uneasily.

“You would be correct.” We both looked over at the frisky couple next to him and Antonio gave Eduardo a jab to the ribcage. “Take her to Dylan’s place or to your apartment or hell, even to my house, but not here.”

I laughed at his honesty to the situation. Public displays of affection always made me feel a little uneasy. I always felt like I should look away, but that’s never what my eyes wanted to do.

The two of them nodded and quickly left the bar, arm in arm. Antonio reached across the bar and planted a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll catch up to you later, too. Oh, and don’t forget to tell Nico about Violante.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

I nodded and he left. As if I could forget about an important detail like that!

Giancarlo walked over to me with inquisitive eyes staring me down. “So, the beautiful woman at the end of the bar….”

He waited for me to offer up some information that could help him with Violante.

“I’d keep my distance from her. I get the feeling she’s bad news,” I said and walked out from behind the bar.