by Emily Bex
The Blood Covenant
Book One in the Medici Warrior Series
by Emily Bex
Foundations Publishing Company
Brandon, MS 39047
www.foundationsbooks.net
The Blood Covenant
Book One in the Medici Warrior Series
By: Emily Bex
Cover by Dawne Dominique
Edited by Laura Ranger
Copyright 2019© Emily Bex
Published in the United States of America
Worldwide Electronic & Digital Rights
Worldwide English Language Print Rights
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews.
“From the power portals of Florence, Italy to Washington, D.C., Emily Bex breathes life into the realm of the undead. Blood Covenant combines the hedonistic jet-setting pleasures of billionaire romance and the dirty little secret thrills of a dead sexy vampire!
“Shade’s a gorgeous billionaire immortal, sex-of-your-dreams-lover, warrior-king who owns a slew of quality vineyards. What more do you want? For centuries, he’s been a vampiric master among masters and carries royal blood from a golden age when the great Medici family ruled Florence. A passionate lover with a dangerous past, he’s since learned patience and knows that what he desires will come to him willingly, and what he desires most is a vivacious redhead. Too bad Shade’s true business and existence cannot be publicized… The language is immediate, and the story fast paced. I loved Kate’s down to earth sensibility and the way she fostered Shade’s protective instincts. This is a slow burn romance that will provide many happy hours of reading.”
– Katalina Leon
USA Today Bestselling Author
Dedication
The Medici Warrior book series is dedicated to all the dreamers, the hopeless romantics, and to my partner in crime, Johanna Morisette.
Acknowledgements
This book could not have been written without the help of my collaborator, Johanna Morisette. She dragged me reluctantly into a world of vampires and inspired me to write. She had the initial vision for Shade and was instrumental in the development of his character. Throughout the seven years it took to write this series, she remained my sounding board for the development of the storyline. These characters, and this saga, would not exist if not for her constant support and input which kept me motivated to keep pushing forward.
Table of Reference
Italian Words to Know
Prologue
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Sample of Book 2: The Turning
About the Author
More from This Author
Italian words to know:
Amore Love
Bambino(s) Baby/babies
Bastardo Bastard
Bel Beautiful
Belezza Beauty
Bellissimo Very beautiful
Buonasera Good evening
Cazzo Fuck
Dipendenza Addiction
Dolce Sweet
Fratello Brother
Grazie Thank you
Madre Mother
Mi/mio My
Moltobella Very beautiful
Padre Father
Per favore Please
Per Sempre Forever
Rosso Red
Scusi Excuse me
Si Yes
Sorella Sister
Stupido Stupid
Ti amo I love you
Prologue
He knew when he met her how it would end.
Throughout the years, Shade had often wondered if, given the chance, he could have walked away. He was drawn to her like no other, the light in his darkness. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew she was the one, but in binding her to him, he had sealed her fate, and his. Maybe, if he had been stronger, turned his back on her, or let her walk away that first night, he could have spared them both.
He has no regrets for himself. He loves her with a passion that burns with the heat of a thousand suns. For him, the risk was always worth the reward. There was no price he was not willing to pay to be with her. When he asks, she says she would change nothing, but still, he can’t help but wonder.
1
Alec circulated among his guests at the lavish cocktail party. He called them friends, but they weren’t his friends, not really. They knew almost nothing about him, at least not the real him. They knew his name was Alec Canton, and he was a senator from the great state of Connecticut. They knew he had his eyes on the prize, with intentions of ruling as President. But they didn’t know he was a vampire, a master.
He lived among mortals, undetected, which wasn’t an easy feat. There were many that would try to bring him down. Mortal threats he could manage, it was the immortals he had to pay attention to. He had a legion of warriors who defended him, or who were supposed to defend him. But their skills were lacking. In the past, he hadn’t put much effort into hiring his warriors. While he was a master, he wasn’t a warrior. He’d learned to survive off his wits, not his brawn. He preferred to leave the physical fights to the vampires who were born with those skills.
He easily assimilated into the mortal realm and as a day-walker, was able to move among them freely. He’d come to recognize his legion of warriors were a rather haphazard bunch who wouldn’t serve him well going forward.
That brought him to tonight, and this soiree he’d asked Rissa to host for him. Larissa, his social high-br
ow mate, had been selected from a pool of mortals for her social standing, her moneyed background, and her connections, all of which would serve him well in his bid for political power. Of course, her beauty was a given, and the fact she was equally as ambitious and manipulative as he, was also a plus. So, he’d turned her, and thankfully, she inherited his gift as a day-walker. Together, they’d rule this town.
Rissa had invited his political cronies, the press, D.C. social climbers, and a few friends, because Shade needed to see them. He needed to see Alec’s world, and the people who populated it, if he was going to re-structure his warriors and find someone to lead them.
Shade was standing off to the side, observing, taking in everything, missing nothing. Shade Medici, he was another master and a warrior, but not just any warrior. He was the warrior and the whole purpose of this little get together.
He and Shade had known each other for centuries and he’d asked him here from Florence to work with his legion of warriors, check out his lifestyle, and figure out where they needed to go from here.
***
Shade was taking stock of his current surroundings here in the middle of Georgetown. He’d never taken a long-term assignment in the States before. He was the descendent of Medici royalty; the Warrior of Warriors. He was a King and High Master vampire. Not that he went around with a nametag on his chest. In this line of work, it was best not everyone knew who he was.
He administered to his allies in the vampire world and provided masters with warriors for protection, fighting battles for territory, or helping them establish their own legion of warriors. He’d already conquered Europe and had expansion on his mind. He had a wandering warrior’s heart and his businesses needed to expand into modern times, blending the old European traditions into the new world.
To the mortals, he was known only for his fine wines and expansive vineyards. More than two thirds of his wine production was shipped to the mortals, but he also made a specific brand exclusively for immortals. They called it Midnight, a secret mixture of blood and wine that took the edge off until a vampire could properly feed.
Alec was the master here, and he took this mortal shit seriously. Shade had never understood why a vampire would have the good fortune to be born immortal, and then wish to live as mortal. Who was he to judge? He was here for money, territory and power. Alec was his pathway to achieving all three. Alec needed his skills if he thought this ragtag bunch of punks were warriors. They were useless, and if Alec sought protection, he’d better figure that out sooner rather than later.
Shade sipped the Midnight and watched the roomful of pompous mortal bastards, inflated with their own sense of self-importance. He listened to their gossip and the ball-breaking deals that always went down outside the office. Some things between the two worlds weren’t very different.
He scoped out the women. Hell, he was always up for a good night of feeding and fucking. But none of these women were to his taste. They all had their noses in the air, thinking he was below their means. Little did they know, he could buy and sell all of them many times over. As for the women, he could drop them to their knees with one look, and he never had to chase. They always came to him.
He watched as Alec worked the crowd, the mortals fawning all over him and Shade smiled. The bastard always got what he wanted, but tonight, he was going to change that. He watched Alec walk toward him and knew he wanted to know his assessment of the mercenaries he‘d hired. Shade didn’t play games when it came to his warriors and his fighting skills. Alec was going to hear the truth. His warriors sucked.
Alec approached him as Shade carefully observed the crowd. “So, what do think? Did you meet my warriors today?”
Shade began, “I met them, but I wouldn’t call them warriors. A pack of unorganized punks with no skills is more what I would call them, brother.”
Alec creased his brow. “I know they aren't up to the caliber of Medici warriors. I didn't kid myself about that. Can you work with them? Whip them into shape?”
Throwing back the last of the Midnight in his crystal wine glass, Shade gave him a look. “No one is up to Medici caliber, that’s why I am here. I can work with them. It’s going to take me nine months minimum, more like a year, and that is the low side of my estimate, brother. I don’t have much to work with. I can bring in some of my boys, show them how we do it Medici style, and then see if they want to run for the rooftops or stay and play.”
Alec ran his hand through his hair, cursing. He was thinking this was going to cost him a fortune. He knew what Shade wanted. He owned every vineyard in Tuscany now, and a few in France and Greece. A money offer wouldn’t be nearly as enticing as property with an established vineyard. Even if it did need work, it would get his attention.
“Then how about this,” Alec said, “your services for one year and in exchange, I deed over the 3,000-acre property I own in Virginia. It has a house that needs some work and has vineyards on about 800 acres. The plants are established, but not well maintained, and you have room for expansion. The assessed value was coming in around twenty million. That should cover it, and you can live on the property so you won't have additional living expenses while you're here. Teleport into D.C. What do you think? That's a fair offer, Shade.”
Shade chuckled. “Fair? You bastard. You think training warriors is easy? Not on your life. No, I am not going to settle for one little piss-ant piece of land in the middle of bum-fuck, Virginia. I want the Medici’s to go coast to coast, and you have the means to make it happen.
“I’ve seen the property, Alec. It will cost me a fortune to renovate the damn place and get the vineyards in working condition. I will need to hire people to get the vineyards up to par, not to mention renovate that house to make it livable—the whole nine yards and then some. But…” Here Shade raised a finger. “You have something else I want, so let’s get serious and put your dick back in your pants. I’m done with comparing now.”
Alec grimaced. “Yes, it’ll take an investment of time and money, I acknowledge that. But it's twenty million, brother. What's it going to take? I mean, you can turn that property around. Produce Midnight here in the States, save on all the import costs. This could be huge for you.”
Shade pulled on his tie. He hated wearing suits. He was more comfortable in leathers and boots, but this damn game playing with the mortals was what he had to do.
“First of all, I need good vineyards to produce quality wine and I do nothing but quality. I need a working winery on the property, and I must tell you, that doesn’t come cheap. And you forgot one detail. The property sits in the middle of Maximus’ territory. It’s not a given, Alec. Don’t take me for a fool. Max may not sit idly by, while I start expanding my business.”
Alec flagged the butler down to bring them another round. This was going to be a long negotiation. “Maximus is an ally, you know that. I’ve owned the property for years. We have an understanding. I don't tread on his turf, and he doesn't tread on mine. If you want, I'm sure he'll endorse the deal. Will that make you happy?”
The butler handed them both another glass of Midnight. Shade took his time, glanced around at the dandies of D.C. and sipped his Midnight. With every second he stalled, he knew Alec’s ass got tighter. Negotiations over territory took time, and Shade had all of eternity.
“That may be, Alec, but when I take this property, you know as well as I do I intend to keep it. Maximus and I will have to figure out a deal, fight it out or whatever it comes to, so don’t blow it off like it is nothing. Let’s face the facts here, you don’t want this place. I know you. What in the hell are you ever going to do with it? Rissa would never step foot in the country, she might break a damn nail. So, I will take it off your hands. Throw in the Napa Valley property with the established vineyards and the new house , and I might take your ass seriously.”
Alec looked astounded. ”Are you fucking kidding? You want the Napa property too? That piece of land is close to 4,000-acres and sitting in Marin County. It has to be cl
ose to fifty million. I grant the property in California is in better shape, the vineyards producing and the house is new. But you'll be here on the east coast, and you still have your coven in Italy to take care of. Spreading yourself a little thin, don't you think?”
Shade slapped him on the back. “It’s called expansion, Alec. I have no desire to stay in one spot for long. Just being here for a year takes me away from a lot of my duties. I have Marco, my Second-In-Command, taking care of business in Florence. I have a large coven to take care of, a lot of warriors, they all collect a paycheck that comes out of my pocket.”
Shade paused to take a drink from his glass and continued, “You want me, you want my skills… decide. I’m looking where you are right now, where you’re going. You will need me and my warriors for a very long time to come. Your investment in me will take you into the future. You think some mortal secret service idiot is going to protect you like a Medici warrior? Think again, because you know when you hit the big time, the Council is going to bust your ass for it. They don’t like you mingling with the mortals as it is. Think about it. You know what I want. The deal is on the table, your call.”
Alec sighed. He knew there was no way out of this. If he wanted Shade, it was going to cost him the Virginia and California properties. If he said no, Shade would be on to the next job before the words were out of his mouth. One thing about the European vampires, they kept with the old traditions. There were no schools for training warriors in the States, and it showed. “You drive a hard bargain, my friend. But for that much money, you damn sure better protect my ass. Otherwise, I'll tell Rissa to be sure to get a refund. You've got a deal. Both pieces of property will be deeded over. I'll have my lawyer draw up the contract.”
Shade smiled wickedly. “Deal, Senator. Now, one more thing. There is a place right outside of Georgetown. Run down old house, not sure what in the hell it was used for. Your warriors told me you own the place. The inside is gutted, perfect for creating a command post for the warriors. A central place for them to meet, get their orders and allow me to track their activities. It’s a Dead House, brother. Are you up for me using it for my own purposes? I need to have total control of these goons, Alec. No interference. They need to know going in, I don’t take bullshit and what I say...goes.”
