“Ah, let me guess. A billionaire husband who loves to show off his gorgeous wife?”
Inger cocked her head slightly. “Something like that.” She placed her glass on the table. “I hope I’m not rude for jumping straight into it, but the office mentioned that you wanted to meet urgently.”
Alexandra frowned a little, obviously not used to women brushing her off like that. “Yes, I wanted to discuss prenups with you.”
Inger blinked. Prenups? And here she was flirting with Inger? The woman was outrageous. Also, this wasn’t an emergency. This could’ve been dealt with at the office. But business was business. She nodded. “We can talk about prenuptial agreements. It largely depends on what it is you want to protect. Your assets, personal information, children…you name it and we can draft something for your review.”
The woman brushed her dark hair behind her ear. “What if I want to protect everything?”
“In that case, I would suggest you talk with your fiancé first before you present her with the document.”
Alexandra grimaced. “She’s not going to like it.”
Inger swept the room, buying time to be diplomatic about this and caught their waiter’s eye. She nodded and he rushed over to take their orders. After he had left again, she leaned forward and noticed the other woman’s eyes dipping to rest on her bosom. Inger waited until the dark eyes rose to meet hers. Alexandra didn’t even look apologetic at having been caught.
“A bit of compromise could do the trick. Very, very few women are willing to give their children up during a divorce.”
The other woman took a sip of her scotch. “Do you have children, Inger?”
“One.”
“I don’t want to pry, but did you and your husband sign a prenup when you got married?”
Vampires didn’t believe in prenups. Maybe because they didn’t believe in divorce— at all. What human would want to give up a gorgeous woman, who gave you toe-curling orgasms and loved you every day as if it was your last day on earth?
“No, we didn’t.”
The businesswoman looked surprised, almost aghast. “Do people actually still get married without prenups?”
“Some do,” Inger said with a faint smile as Paloma’s beautiful face flashed before her.
The woman shook her head and drained her glass. “I’ve worked too hard for everything I own, to just…just… I can’t just give it up like that.” She pursed her lips and after scanning the room to compose herself, returned her attention to Inger. “May I ask how long you’ve been married?”
Inger nodded. She rarely shared anything personal with her clients, but she suddenly felt like talking about Paloma. Even if it was in a vague, indirect sense. “We’ve been married for twenty years now.”
“Wow!” Alexandra shook her head, her eyes wide. “It’s so rare to hear stories like that, especially amongst my group of acquaintances.”
Inger shrugged. “I guess I was just lucky.” Very lucky.
†
The Amazonian Fork Lodge was deemed the best in the small town. This close to the jungle, not many people saw the need to invest in a luxurious hotel. Instead lodges, that combined modern features and nature, were quite popular. Syria stood under the hot shower, washing away the stench of the prison as well as the stench of Copernicus’ fear, off her. The man almost soiled his pants several times tonight. She rinsed her hair, taking notice that it needed a trim. She walked into her room and dried herself off. After getting dressed, she opened a hidden compartment in her duffel bag and took out one of the three ampoules and a syringe. She injected herself and crushed the bottle in her hands. She didn’t want this to fall into Copernicus’ hands. Tahlia had been very clear about that.
She had a few hours left to feed and to find a deserted place to dig a pit for the night. That was the one thing she had hated the most about this trip. She had to rough it each night and find a safe place to create a lair for the night.
Dressed, she left her room, passing Copernicus’ room. The man was already otherwise occupied, if the soft sighs and giggles coming from his room were any indication.
The town was busy for this time of the night, but it was understandable, considering how hot it could get during the day. The cool breeze of the night was a welcoming reprieve from the oppressive heat. She turned towards a cantina nearby, since it drew a massive number of patrons it would be so easy to lure a drunken client down a dark alley and leave him there to recuperate.
Just as expected, she had barely set her foot in the cantina when a large man with a handlebar moustache approached her. She flirted with him a little and shared a drink. A few minutes later, she was in a dark nearby alley, drinking deeply from him. She had just closed the pricks, when she felt it. She held the man up with one hand and turned, just in time to see a dark shadow slip out of the alley. Syria gently sat the man down and with her senses on high alert, walked down the alley to investigate. She scented the air and almost gagged when she got a lungful of the meat being cooked nearby. But she also picked up a faint scent that made her eyebrows shoot up.
A vampire!
She had been so sure she was being stalked; a feeling she had gotten when they were in Argentina. Not wanting to alarm Copernicus, she had decided to keep the knowledge to herself. It was good to have confirmation. What was worrying though, was that it was vampire. She should’ve been able to pick up the presence of another vampire almost immediately. This one seemed to be cloaking his presence and scent. Only Royals could do that. She left the alley, following the scent trail. It led her down the main street and when she passed the last house and was greeted by a wall of jungle overgrowth, she stopped. This was too easy. She recalled one lesson with Tahlia, where the Queen had left her side open during an intense sparring match. Syria had immediately jumped at the chance and launched a strike for the unprotected area, only to find herself being flung through the air and landing hard on her back. The black eyes were hard when Tahlia came over to stare down at her.
“When it looks too easy; believe me, it’s not.”
Syria wasn’t in the mood to walk into an ambush, so she turned and went back the way she had come.
†
Cold blue eyes watched as Syria stopped at the edge of the jungle and turned back. So close. She had been so close. The vampire felt her fangs lengthen and she bit down hard on her lower lip to stop herself from screaming her frustration to the universe. She wasn’t going to give up. Syria Manas was going to pay.
Only then would she find the peace to walk into the sunlight.
†
Clarissa sat back, her eyes not once leaving the screen. She swallowed hard. The number of children kidnapped a year in the States alone was staggering. Of that total number, only a tiny fraction of those kids was rescued and returned to their families. She saw a link to a personal testimony and clicked on it. The haggard face of a woman, a mother, filled the screen. Before she could press play, the door opened and Jessica entered. She was dressed in jeans and t-shirt, her hair slightly mussed. The boyish look made Clarissa’s knees weak. She lifted her face for a kiss and Jessica came over to comply.
“Hi, honey.”
“Hi.” She pulled the lanky woman onto her lap and began to nuzzle her neck. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Nope,” Jessica murmured as she slanted her neck to offer Clarissa better access. “Just returned.”
“Ok.” She lifted her head from Jessica’s neck. “Raven’s down for the night.”
Jessica lifted an eyebrow and slipped off Clarissa’s lap to peer into the crib. Clarissa joined her; her eyes tender as she caressed the face of their sleeping daughter.
“Oh, Rissa, she’s so beautiful.”
“I know, my love.” She kissed Jessica’s cheek as she pulled her closer. “I can scarcely believe she’s ours.”
“You better believe it, hon. I remember giving birth to her.” She turned into Clarissa’s arms and looked up at her. The look in her eyes changed. “Since our little angel is o
ut like a light, what was it you wanted from me?”
Clarissa brushed her thumb over Jessica’s lower lip. “You. I always want you.”
“The things you say to me, my love.” Their lips met and held as they kissed deeply. Clarissa put everything she felt for her beloved into the kiss. To think not so long ago, she had been on the brink of ending her own existence— only for Jessica to stumble upon her and change her life forever. Yet, the memories of those empty years, without Jessica, still whispered her awake some nights. She tightened her hold on the woman in her arms and lifted her head.
“I love you, Jess.”
Jessica’s eyes were a dark grey as she searched Clarissa’s. “Show me, vampire.”
Clarissa growled as she lifted Jessica and carried her over to the bed.
III
Trinity stepped out of the shower and reached for the towel to find the towel rack empty. She sighed and looked down at her nakedness. Well, there was no other way to do this. She exited the bathroom and came to an abrupt stop at the sight that greeted her. Gabriella lay on the bed with the missing towels strewn around her. She, too, was completely naked, except for the huge smile she wore with sheer confidence.
“Oh, look at you, babe,” Gabriella purred with a lusty leer on her face that made Trinity chuckle. She simply loved it when Gabriella was in a playful mood. That usually translated into a long, sweaty night of heavenly delights. She approached the bed and Gabriella sat up. He full breasts jutted out proudly and Trinity’s eyes locked onto the hard nipples. She pressed her lover into the bed as she blanketed her with her damp body. The heat from Gabriella’s body immediately seeped into hers and Trinity moaned softly at the exquisite sense of being home. She locked her lips over Gabriella’s and kissed her with all the love and devotion she felt for the beautiful woman. The kiss, the closeness, the moment…it all carried them away and soon they were rolling around feverishly on the large bed. Their hips were thrusting wildly against each other as their teeth delivered tiny nips to soft sweet skin. Their hands were roaming with familiar abandon over naked skin. Trinity had wrestled Gabriella onto her stomach and was thrusting energetically against the rounded derriere as soft grunts escaped her lips.
“I want you inside, my love. Really deep inside.”
As close as she was to exploding, Trinity couldn’t deny Gabriella’s breathy request and she slid off her lover to lay next to her, positioning them both on their sides. She wanted to look into Gabriella’s eyes when she made her come. She bit her lower lip when she found the brunette wet and swollen, ready to be possessed. Gabriella was watching her with hungry anticipation and when Trinity entered her, the amber eyes widened slightly. A long leg over Trinity’s hip hooked her closer and nimble hips began to undulate against her hand.
“I love you,” Gabriella hissed between her teeth as she clasped Trinity’s head in her hands and pulled her close for a hard kiss that involved a lot of tongue and teeth. Trinity moaned when she tasted blood, her bloodlust sparking. She wrenched her mouth from Gabriella’s. She could see her own reflection in Gabriella’s eyes; her eyes glowing red as she asked for permission. A soft smile was all the approval she needed as she licked the pulsing vein before she bit down. She heard a soft gasp and felt Gabriella’s channel tighten spasmodically as her orgasm hit. Trinity increased her pace, adding another finger and causing Gabriella to keen softly as waves of pleasure crashed through her body. She was about to move down Gabriella’s quaking body to taste her, when a soft mewling sound reached her ears. Caught between finishing Gabriella off and seeing to her daughter, Trinity froze for a moment.
“I’ll kill you if you leave me like this,” Gabriella hissed as she, too, increased the pace of her hips. Thankfully Noa quieted down for a moment and Trinity slid down Gabriella’s body to suck her clit into her mouth. She realized that it was a great move, for Gabriella was hit by another orgasm. It took a long while for the brunette to come down enough for her to be able to speak again.
“Give me a moment and I’ll take care of you, my love.” Her golden eyes were dazed from spent passion.
“Later.” She rolled away from Gabriella and made her way over to the crib. Noa’s eyes were wide open and she was staring at Trinity with her other mother’s golden eyes. “Hi, darling. Are you hungry? You must be by now. Lucky for you I’ve refrained from stealing your supper.” She lifted the tiny redhead out of the crib and carried her over to Gabriella, who still looked a little shaken after her orgasm. With a wide smile, Gabriella accepted their daughter and gathered her in for her feeding. This was Trinity’s favorite pastime, to watch her woman feed their child, and she settled in next to Gabriella to watch.
“Have they visited together yet?”
Trinity shook her head, not taking her eyes off the serene look on Noa’s face. “Not yet.” Every night the babies were brought together in the entertainment lounge and placed on the carpet. The strangest thing would happen then. They would reach for each other and lie together in a jumbled heap as an odd humming would fill the air. No one knew what it meant. Not even Molan. And he was the supposed expert on the Outlander race. After a few minutes the babies would fall asleep and they would tuck them in for the night while the parents visited for a while longer. “We’ll take her after she’s been fed and changed.”
Gabriella smiled. “Yes, I’ve missed out on the last three nights.”
Trinity didn’t say anything, but that was one of the things that concerned her the most lately. Gabriella’s working schedule. The woman was up early and would sometimes come home when Noa was already asleep. At least, she made sure to express some breast milk in the mornings before she left, otherwise their daughter would’ve starved to death, waiting for her mother to return from the office.
Gabriella loved her job and Trinity could see that it brought her immense pleasure. Until Gabriella realized all by herself that she was missing out on their daughter’s development, Trinity wasn’t going to make her choose.
†
Copernicus ambled over to the bathroom naked. He did his business and returned to the room to find the girl, Floriana, still fast asleep. He had noticed the leggy brunette in a hotel lobby in Rio and had asked her to accompany them on their trip. He smiled as he studied her sleeping face. She had been a more than adequate companion and he would be sad to see her go. However, now that they’d found Chuey, things could get a little hairy from here. He would rather have her home safe in Rio than caught in the middle of whatever they would be walking into. He still got chills when he recalled the look in Chuey’s eyes. There was something dark and ominous at play here. That was what he needed, if he wanted to have an advantage over the Royals. He stiffened when a soft chirp broke the silence. Floriana frowned and turned, but luckily didn’t wake. She had drained him and he doubted he was ready for another session. He made his way over to the dresser where his phone lay. Who would send him a message at two a.m.? He opened the message and gulped.
The single-worded message left no doubt as to whom it was from.
Si.
He wondered if he should respond. Maybe he should wait a while and see if… The message tone sounded again.
Si.
Crap! He should definitely respond.
Bueno. I’ll speak to the Governor first thing tomorrow to facilitate your release.
He shrugged into his robe and stepped out of the room. They had asked be housed in the most isolated section of the lodge so that Syria could come and go as she pleased. She was probably still around since there was still a few hours before dawn. He entered her room and found it empty. Well, to a vampire the night was their day. He doubted she was far though.
“Were you looking for me?”
He spun around with a gasp. The tall figure of the vampire was silhouetted by the moonlight, where she stood on the bamboo balcony overlooking the jungle. It was pitch-black outside and he wondered what she was looking at.
“Chuey got back to me. He’ll take us.” When there was no resp
onse, he continued. “I’ll meet with Medina tomorrow morning to negotiate his release. Frankly, if you ask me, I believe that teenage psycho belongs behind bars.”
He couldn’t make out her face, but he could sense the warning she was sending him. “We should be careful what we say from here onwards. The jungle has ears and eyes.”
His eyes widened as he looked beyond her into the dark jungle. “Did you see something?”
“There is something unusual in the air.”
Copernicus nodded. “Consider me warned.” He left the room and made sure to lock his door as he entered the room. Floriana sat up, her eyes wild with fear.
“Where were you? Someone was in here just now.” She pulled her knees to her chest as she looked around her, thoroughly spooked. “I pretended to sleep, but I could hear him moving around.”
He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. He was scared, but it wouldn’t serve any purpose to show that now. “I’m here now. Tomorrow, I’ll make sure to put you on a plane to Lima and from there to Rio.” He saw relief on her face. “Now relax and try to sleep some more while I keep watch.”
†
Inger was tired as she entered their suite to find Paloma in bed with Isis curled up against her chest, the baby enthralled by Paloma’s singing. Inger blew a kiss at Paloma as she began to disrobe. She entered the bathroom to remove her makeup, all the while listening to Paloma’s beautiful voice. After all these years, she was surprised to find that there was still so much she didn’t know about her wife. It was only after Isis’ birth that she found out that her vampire could sing, and beautifully. On numerous occasions over the past six months, she had been awakened by the soft haunting quality of Paloma’s voice. The first time she had gaped at her wife; to Paloma’s amusement. At her inquiry about Paloma’s singing talent, the blonde had simply shrugged and said that she had forgotten that she could sing. Apparently, the last time she did so, was when she was still a teenager. Inger had vowed to find out everything there was to know about her wife. After finishing her nightly routine, she went to crawl in next to Paloma. Isis crooned at the sight of her mother and immediately pawed her chest. Grabbing a pillow, she rested the baby on it and unbuttoning her night shirt, pulled out her breast. Isis’ mouth latched onto the nipple immediately and began to suck eagerly. She looked up to catch Paloma’s gaze and cupped the vampire’s cheek, her eyes assuring her that she would be taken care of later.
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