by I. T. Lucas
“You can leave those in the hallway,” she told him. “You guys are probably thirsty after all this schlepping back and forth. Let’s get something to drink.” She motioned for them to follow her to the kitchen.
“Do we have anything?” Andrew asked.
She turned her head around and smiled. “A full fridge thanks to your sister and her trusty butler. “
Syssi had thought of everything, making sure they didn’t need to go grocery shopping for at least a week.
Nathalie opened the fridge and pulled out two beers for Andrew and Bhathian and a Perrier for herself. She handed the beers to the guys, then watched with envy as they gulped them down. A cold beer would’ve been wonderful. She unscrewed the top of her soda and took a long sip. Not as good, but good enough.
“Can immortal females drink beer while pregnant?” she asked Bhathian.
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Bridget.” He emptied the bottle and threw it into the recycling bin.
“Well, I’ll better say my goodbyes now. I’m flying out to Rio tonight.”
Nathalie pulled him down to her and kissed his cheek. “Good luck.”
Andrew clapped him on the back. “Roni said that he’d done something so he would get a notification whenever there is activity in Eva’s account. Don’t ask me to explain what or how because I didn’t understand most of it. But in any case, he is going to call me as soon as there is any activity in that account, and I’m going to call you.”
“Good deal.” They clasped hands.
“Are you going to make it to the wedding?” Nathalie asked just to make sure. He’d said he would, but it couldn’t hurt to ask again.
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything. If we are lucky, I’ll have your mother with me, if we are not, I’ll resume the search after the wedding.”
Nathalie nodded. “Don’t feel bad if you can’t find her.”
He nodded in agreement, but his expression told another story. “Take care of my baby, Andrew.”
“Naturally.” Andrew wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
Bhathian smiled, which was almost shocking because he practically never did. “I’m happy for you. You look good together.” He rubbed his hand over his jaw as if not sure what to do or say next. “Well, I’ll see you at the wedding.” He turned around and walked out.
“I’m going to miss him,” Nathalie whispered, suddenly sad to see him go.
She should be glad. Bhathian was going to find her mother, something she’d been praying for ever since Eva had disappeared.
She couldn’t help feeling anxious, though.
What if something happened to Bhathian? What if she never saw him again? What if he disappeared from her life the same way her mother had?
Her fear was irrational, she knew it, and yet she couldn’t help it.
Andrew hugged her even closer, then kissed the top of her head. “He is going to be okay, baby. Bhathian is a powerful immortal, one of the strongest, deadliest creatures on earth. You have nothing to worry about.”
Chapter 26: Kian
“When are you going to be done?” Syssi poked her head into Kian’s home office.
“When I decide I’m done. It’s not like this shit ever ends.” He pointed to the stack of files he’d brought with him from his underground office. He was still working the same insane hours as before, but for some reason dividing his time between the basement and his home office made a difference. At home, he could work barefoot, in a pair of old jeans that were softened by endless wash cycles. He could also take breaks and have a snack in the kitchen with Syssi, or just have Syssi.
Life was good.
Andrew and Nathalie moving into the keep was another source of satisfaction. He liked having his family near him. Not necessarily interacting with them—who had the time or the patience—but knowing they were within reach and safe, gave him much-needed peace of mind.
“Please decide soon. I want to bring Andrew and Nathalie a housewarming present.”
“Can’t you do it without me?”
She shook her head. “You’re coming with me. It would be rude not to.”
“What did you get them?”
She smirked. “What do you think? A cappuccino maker.”
Naturally. His wife’s new hobby, or rather obsession. “Good choice.”
“Right? I thought so too. By the way, did you call Sari?”
“About what?”
“The wedding, silly. Don’t tell me you forgot.”
Fuck. He did. Alex and the Russians had taken over his cognitive ram. Between talking with Turner and planning a coordinated extraction involving several units working together on foreign soil, a nice little thing like his brother-in-law’s wedding had been shoved to the to-do-later file of his brain and then forgotten.
“You should have reminded me. I’ll call her right now.” He glanced at his watch. It was early morning in Scotland, but Sari should be up already.
“Blame the wife, why not?” Syssi murmured as she turned to go.
“Wait! Don’t you want to be here when I talk to her? Discuss details?” What did he know about weddings?
“No. Just see if she is willing to do it and close on a specific date. I’ll call her later with the details. There is no point in discussing the particulars before she agrees. What if she says no?”
He frowned. “Why the hell would she refuse?”
Syssi shrugged. “Maybe they are in the middle of remodeling the ballroom? You’ve said they are renovating the castle. Or maybe she has a vacation scheduled? You shouldn’t take a yes for granted.”
“Fine.”
She blew him a kiss and sauntered away, her pert little ass swaying enticingly from side to side. He was tempted to drop everything and chase after her, get his hands on that beautiful ass.
Damn, she would shoo him away if he didn’t make the call first. He picked up the receiver and dialed Sari’s private line.
“Kian, what’s wrong?”
He grimaced. Sari assumed something had happened because he only called when disaster struck or there was some kind of emergency, and he needed her help.
“Nothing, everything is fine. For a change, I’m calling with some joyous news.”
He heard her puff out a breath. “That’s a relief. I could use some good news for a change.”
“Remember Nathalie? Bhathian’s daughter?”
“Of course.”
“She is marrying Andrew, Syssi’s brother.”
“Congratulations! Am I invited to another wedding?”
“Actually, I’m calling to see if you could host it. I don’t feel it’s safe bringing everyone over here again.”
“Sure! I’ll be happy to. When?”
“Six weeks, less if you can manage it. I was supposed to call you about it a few days ago, but I got distracted by other things.”
“What’s the rush? Don’t get me wrong, I can do it, but a little more time could’ve been nice.”
“Nathalie is pregnant, and she doesn’t want it to be obvious when she walks down the aisle. You know how women are, she wants the dress to look good.”
“I understand. Any specific instructions? Or am I free to do as I please?”
“Syssi will call you later with Nathalie’s wish list. I don’t think it will be anything grandiose, she is a very down to earth kind of girl. Nathalie, I mean. Syssi too.”
He felt bad about dropping the task in Sari’s lap. If she was as busy as he was, and he had no reason to think she wasn’t, planning a wedding was the last thing she needed to be added to her load.
“I’m sorry I’m burdening you with this, but I see no other choice. Not if we want the entire clan to attend.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll have my assistant take care of all the arrangements, and if she needs help, she knows where to get it.”
“That’s good. Makes me feel less guilty.”
Sari chuckled. “Not so fast. You’re still guilty of not c
alling more often.”
“Ditto, sister mine. You can pick up the phone as well.”
Sari laughed before disconnecting the call. They were so alike, Sari and he; workaholics, obsessive, driven. Syssi was his balance, the antidote, the one who forced him to slow down and enjoy life. He wished Sari would find someone like that too.
With a sigh, he pushed his chair back and got up. It was time to end his workday and go socializing.
What a concept…
“Oh, good, help me out.” Syssi thrust the big box into his arms. “Hold it while I tie the ribbon around it.”
She’d wrapped the box in some shimmery paper, not an easy feat given the size of it, and was now arranging an elaborate bow with the gold ribbon she’d used to hold it all together. A complete waste of time since it would get torn and thrown away in a few minutes.
“Why are you fussing with this so much?”
She lifted a brow, giving him that look women use when their men question something they consider self-explanatory. “You can’t bring a gift unwrapped.”
“Why not?”
“Because wrapping it nicely means you care. And that’s even more important than the gift itself.” She finished the bow and took a step back to admire her work.
He shrugged. “If you say so. Ready to go?”
“Aren’t you going to change into something that’s a little less worn out?”
“Nope.”
Syssi put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot on the floor—Amanda’s style. “How about shoes?”
“We are just going across the hall.”
The tapping got a little faster. “Humor me. It’s not polite.”
The exchange reminded him of another conversation during which he’d admonished Amanda for walking into his home office barefoot and wearing a nightshirt.
Damn, he would look like a hypocrite. “Fine. If it will make you happy.” Kian put the box on the kitchen counter. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Chapter 27: Robert
Robert collected his tools and handed them to the shift supervisor.
The guy put them in the lockbox. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Robert. Enjoy your evening.”
“You too.” Robert wiped the sweat off his brow with a handkerchief, then returned it to his back pocket. If he intended to keep the job, he would need more work clothes.
Not that he had a better alternative.
Carol’s talk with whoever was in charge back home hadn’t gone as well as she’d hoped for. What they were offering was a comfortable cage. He could live with Carol in an apartment in some secure building, but he wouldn’t be allowed to leave. They promised they would find him something to do, but they didn’t specify what.
Thanks, but no thanks.
He liked his newfound freedom too much to give it up so soon.
Frankly, he’d expected as much. Carol was naive and an airhead. What had she been thinking? That her people would accept him with open arms and give him full privileges because he’d saved her?
He knew they would suspect it was all a trick to infiltrate their stronghold. Hell, in their shoes he would have thought the same. But the fact remained that there was nothing for him there.
His only option was to stick to his original plan and convince Carol to marry him.
To achieve that goal, though, he would need to make an effort to appear more exciting. During lunch he’d talked with some of the guys he worked with, sharing his troubles, or rather a modified version that he hoped would fit a normal human couple. Chatting casually about personal stuff with other men had felt surprisingly good, making him feel less alone in the world.
Doomers didn’t share much. They talked about battles and who killed the most, or which hookers were the best. No one ever talked about what bothered him on a personal level; like how to win a woman’s heart.
The guys had told him he should take Carol out to nice places. Wine her and dine her and buy her presents. Apparently, that strategy worked with their wives and girlfriends. The thing was, these guys were the providers in the relationship and not the other way around. His so-called girlfriend would have to foot the bill. His next paycheck wasn’t until Friday.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to try their suggestions. If it worked fine, if not, then not. The worst that could happen was spending too much of Carol’s money in a fancy restaurant.
Later, when he got back, Carol wasn’t in their room. She’d left a note; something about going out to buy new periodicals to read.
Robert glanced around at the messy room. There were fashion and gossip magazines strewed about every surface, and he knew there were more in the bathroom.
It was obvious that Carol was bored and needed to find something to do. Robert flinched. The problem was that her idea of keeping herself busy was doing someone, not something.
She got back when he was getting out of the shower. “Hello, handsome,” she purred, her eyes roving over his nude body.
At least there was that. She liked the way he looked.
“Hello to you too…gorgeous,” he tacked on at the end.
According to the guys, complimenting your girlfriend as much as possible was the best way to win her over. Jorge had said it was even better than giving her presents.
Given Carol’s broad grin, the guy knew what he was talking about. Jorge’s other pearl of wisdom was that nothing trumped great sex, and as a tutorial he’d suggested Robert watched a couple of his favorite porn flicks.
As if an immortal male Robert’s age needed tutoring. But just to cover his bases, he’d watched them on the bus on his way to the hotel.
She sauntered to the bed and sat down, patting a spot next to her. “Come here.”
A perfect opportunity to practice what he’d learned.
Instead of sitting where she told him to, he walked over and pushed her back on the bed, then covered her with his body.
Her eyes sparkled. “Did you miss me, big boy?”
“I did, desperately.” He smashed his mouth over hers and kissed her until she couldn’t breathe.
It started as an act, repeating a line from one of the clips, but he was getting into it. His shaft was bursting with the need to be inside her. But maybe it wasn’t his acting that was arousing him so, but her response to it. He hadn’t seen such an expression of joy on her face since, well, ever.
If it made her that happy, he could keep acting. “You’re so beautiful, I can’t keep my hands off of you.” He touched her everywhere, stroking, kneading, pinching. She watched him with hooded eyes, breathless, as he pulled her T-shirt off and roughly pushed her shorts down. His fingers found her liquid center, and he slid two inside her, then three on the next thrust.
Carol gasped. She wasn’t used to such rough treatment from him, her tight channel squeezing forcefully around his three thick digits. Was he hurting her? Or was she enjoying the rough play? He’d better find out.
“Do you like it?” he whispered in her ear, then nipped it.
“Yes,” she breathed.
Mindful of her suffering at Sebastian’s hands, Robert had been treating her with extra care, but it seemed she was ready for things to get a little rougher, more intense. Perhaps it was a good sign. Maybe it meant that she was over her ordeal.
Without pause, he pulled his fingers out and speared her with his cock, shoving all the way in while still holding her down.
She orgasmed on the spot.
Holy Mortdh.
Robert had never been so rough with a female before, would have been appalled witnessing such a thing. But then he’d been dealing with mortal females. Fragile, breakable.
Carol only looked like a china doll, but she didn’t like being treated like one. On the inside, the female was diamond tough.
For once, Robert didn’t hold back. He fucked Carol with such gusto that the mattress slid off the box springs, landing partially on the floor while the box spring remained in place. He didn’t stop. If she wanted a rough fuck, he was going t
o give her one to remember.
The whole thing lasted less than ten minutes, and when he sank his fangs into her neck, he didn’t try to be gentle either. Not one of his best performances, but Carol wasn’t complaining, and that was all that mattered according to Jorge.
“Listen to your woman, bro,” he’d said. “Watch her body and find out what she likes, then do it even if you’re not sure about it. If she loves it, so will you.”
Smart guy.
Several long moments later, Carol opened her eyes with a blissed-out expression on her face. “Wow, Robert, is it really you?” She patted his back as if checking to make sure. “You’re not some doppelgänger?”
What or who the hell was a doppelgänger?
“No. It’s still me.” He pulled out on a gush of liquid. Damn, he must’ve emptied one hell of a load into her. “Get showered and dressed. I made a reservation at the Wynn hotel’s steakhouse for seven.”
She narrowed her eyes and slapped his bicep. “Now I know for sure you’re a doppelgänger. What have you done with my Robert?”
Her Robert?
It had a nice sound to it.
“Come on, silly woman. There is no time for games. Unless you want to forget about the reservation and save the money for something more important.”
She smirked. “Okay, now you’ve proved that you are still you.”
An hour later, they exited the taxi and walked into the fancy lobby of the Wynn.
Carol took his hand and tugged. “Come on, I’ll show you the high rollers’ tables. The really big money is behind closed doors, naturally, but it’s interesting to watch the guys in the enclaves too. For some reason, there are very few women who gamble at the tables. By the way, do you happen to have some precognition talent? Because if you do, you can make a killing here.”
He shook his head, not understanding what she was talking about. The noise level in the casino was deafening, and the gamblers emitted a nasty smell he wasn’t familiar with—a mix of anxiety and excitement with a hefty dose of greed.
Carol tugged on his hand again, pulling him down to her. “Look over there.” She pointed. “That’s a high roller for sure. Four bodyguards. I’ve never seen one with so many.”
