Dante took her arm and led her to the Eclipse. “Have you ever been to an Italian birthday party?”
She nodded. “One of my best friends is Italian.”
“Have you ever been there as the date of one of the family?” He held her door open for her, helping her into her seat with a steadying hand on her elbow.
She shook her head. “No. Why?”
He shut the door and moved around to the driver’s seat. “Let’s just say you’re in for a bit of a shock.”
“Are they Neph like you?”
“My mother is Neph. She’s what we call a Legionnaire. Her main powers are inhuman strength and endurance.”
Whoa. She needed to remember not to piss off Mama. “So she’s Superwoman.”
“She likes to think so. But only Neph like Seth can fly. My mom’s a warrior, a total bad-ass.” He grinned. “You always did your homework in my house.”
“How many different types of Neph are there? I know there are the winged ones like Seth, and the fire types like you. Now Legionnaires?”
He shot her a quick, thoughtful glance. “I’m a Seris. Fire does my bidding. Seth is an Angelus, with wings of light.”
“Are all Neph winged?”
He shook his head. “Only the Angelus.”
“Oh.” So he wouldn’t grow fiery wings. She was oddly disappointed about that.
“Legionnaires are among the most common angel-born, along with Knights, who have the ability to summon weapons from thin air.”
“That sounds pretty cool.”
“It is. Malachi have the ability to speak any language they read or hear, can read the auras of those around them, and teleport short distances.”
“Which makes for a nice commute in the mornings.”
He laughed. “Yeah. Well. Most Malachi use cars like everyone else. Remember, our powers use energy, just like walking or riding a bike does. So the energy it takes to teleport to the office and back again would be the same amount of energy needed to walk there, but used in one quick burst. It’s tiring.”
“So it’s not a power that’s used often, I gather.”
He shook his head. “When I use my flame, I pull the heat from the air around me and from inside me. I’ll feel both hot and cold to the touch, because my flame is heating my skin but my inner fire is dimming the more I use my abilities.”
“How are Shem different from Neph? Other than feeding, I mean.” Beth had been meaning to ask that question for some time, but the right time had never come up before.
“Their evil marks them. You remember what Diana looked like right before you shot her?”
Beth shuddered.
“Exactly. They can hide their evil behind a human facade, but that’s all it is. A facade. Once you peel that away, the true abomination is revealed. They feed off of humans, flesh, emotions, heat—”
“So they could feed off of your heat?”
“Not...exactly. A Shem Seris feeds off the life energy of their victims, their inner fire, until the person dies. The victim will often complain about being cold and can never get warm enough. Once their inner fire is consumed, they die.”
She shivered. “So you could become a Shem.”
He shook his head. “No. It doesn’t quite work that way. I was born Nephilim, and when my powers emerged I chose to use them for good, like my mother before me. Shem angel-born are psychotic little narcissists even before their powers emerge.”
They drove in silence for a bit before Beth asked the other question that had been plaguing her. “What kind of Shem are we after?”
“A Shem Azar.”
“What do they do? What are their powers?” Beth needed to understand what they were facing if she was going to keep Dante safe.
“Azar have the ability to heal both physical and spiritual wounds. They also have the ability to inflict wounds, but the only Azar I know of hates doing it. He said it makes him feel unclean.”
“And our Shem?”
He sighed. “Shem Azar feed on the flesh of their victims.”
“They’re cannibals?” She thought back to the wounds they’d found on Jennifer Blake. “Oh my God. It ate her.”
He nodded. “Yeah. They tend to find the insides the most desirable parts. The heart, the liver...”
She shuddered. “The offal.”
“Yup.” His grim tone lightened as they pulled up in front of a restaurant. “We’re here.”
“Yay.” She swallowed thickly. She wasn’t sure she was up to eating. And not just because of cannibal Shem.
He chuckled. “You’ve faced some pretty bad guys. You can handle one itty bitty family dinner.”
When she glared at him he just laughed. Nice to know I amuse the hell out of him.
Dante took her immediately to an older couple standing near the entrance of the restaurant. He kissed them both, something that surprised her. She wasn’t used to seeing men kiss their fathers on the cheek like that, but Dante made it seem natural.
“Dante. Ti trovo bene, figlio mio.”
“Mama. Come stai?”
“Bene, bene. E tu?”
“I’m good, Mama.” He tugged Beth forward. “I’d like you to meet Elizabeth Rand. Elizabeth, this is my mother, Teresa Zucco.”
Teresa was a small, slender woman in her early fifties, with dark hair streaked with silver and the same warm brown gaze that characterized her son. Her voice was laced with more than a hint of Italy. It was hard to think of such a tiny woman not only giving birth to Dante but being a mighty warrior. Beth held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Teresa took hold of her hand, staring at her with the same intensity she’d seen so often on Dante’s face. She smiled at her son, her expression pleased. “Mi piace questo una ancora meglio di quello scorso.”
Dante turned bright red, leaving Beth to wonder what his mother had said to him. He cleared his throat and turned to his father, who was trying not to laugh. “Dad, this is Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is my father, Rosario Zucco.”
“Call me Russ.” Dante’s father had no accent, but a huge smile, laughing blue eyes and a small hint of silver threaded through his golden hair. It was easy to see where Dante had gotten most of his looks, and his size. Russ towered over her in the same way his massive son did.
“Nice to meet you, Russ.”
Dante’s father had a firm handshake.
Teresa patted Beth’s arm. “You’ll eat with us, naturalmente.” She turned her attention once more to Dante. “Gio will be here tonight, and Anna and Francesca.”
“Gio’s here?” Dante looked utterly delighted. “I thought he was still out looking for Rafe.”
Russ took Teresa’s arm and began leading her into the restaurant. “He was. He came back for tonight’s birthday party.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Dante took Beth’s hand. “Gio is my older brother.”
“And one of you?”
Beth didn’t miss the sharp glance Teresa shot them over her shoulder, but Dante replied serenely. “Yes.”
When Teresa turned back around, the odd satisfaction on Teresa’s face sent shivers down Beth’s spine.
They arrived at the table, Teresa making quick introductions in half Italian, half English that left Beth’s mind reeling. “Gio, this is your brother’s fidanzata, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, my eldest son, Giovanni.”
Beth held out her hand, refusing to be intimidated by Gio’s sheer size. The Zucco men were huge, and Gio was no exception. Giovanni Zucco was an older, fiercer version of Dante, but with his mother’s dark hair. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.” Gio shared a guarded glance with Dante, smiling at her when Dante nodded. “Very nice to meet you.” He winked at Dante, and suddenly Beth saw how much he resemb
led his father. His wicked grin went from ear to ear as he held out her chair. “Allow me.”
“Leccaculo,” Dante coughed under his breath. He grimaced as his mother whapped him upside the head. “Sorry, Mama.”
“Hmph.” Teresa took her own seat as her sons and one of her daughters laughed. The other one looked like she’d sucked a lemon. “Francesca, say hello to Dante’s fidanzata.”
“Hello.”
Well. Francesca’s chilly tone didn’t exactly fill Beth with the warm and fuzzies. “Hello.” Francesca had her father’s gold hair and a cold expression that wasn’t shared by the rest of the Zucco clan. Her husband sat quietly at her side, drinking and ignoring everyone around him, including his two adorable children.
“Hi, I’m Anna, the baby.” Anna was a dainty blonde with a ready grin who took after her father, but with her mother’s brown eyes, a trait shared by all of the Zucco children. “And these are my munchkins, Suzanne and Anthony.” Suzanne was about eighteen months old and utterly adorable, while her son was around three and stared at Beth like she was the second coming. “This is my husband, Trevor.”
Trevor quickly swallowed the hors d’oeuvre he’d been munching on. “Hi.” He held out his hand, shaking Beth’s firmly. “Nice to meet you.”
“What is it you do for a living?” Francesca’s tone was belligerent.
Beth smiled sweetly as Dante whispered in her ear. “Wine?”
Oh God, yes please. If Francesca was going to be that relative, she’d need some alcoholic fortification. “Thanks.”
He patted her shoulder before taking off, and Beth could feel the sympathy dripping off the gesture. Not that he stuck around to help her. She turned her attention back to his older sister. “I’m a private investigator.”
“Really?” The evil satisfaction on her face had Beth wondering what the hell she’d ever done to Francesca Zucco to earn such enmity. “Dante hates private investigators.”
“Does he?” Beth glanced over at Teresa to find the older woman scowling at her daughter.
“I just simply cannot believe that an intelligent woman in this day and age would choose a career as a private investigator when she could have been a lawyer or a doctor. Or even a nurse,” Francesca said with a venomous side glance at her youngest sister.
“Keep me out of it, Frankie,” Anna said cheerfully, but with a hint of steel in her tone. Beth recognized the look. Dante had sent it her way more than once. “I have no interest in whatever crawled up your ass and died.” Anna grinned at her mother. “Sorry.”
“Well, all I want to know is, why can’t you have a real career? Lillian had a wonderful career as a photographer before she married Dante.”
Beth clenched her hands in her lap and reminded herself that she could be arrested if she did what she was thinking of doing. “Were you and Lillian close?” she asked as nonchalantly as possible.
“Lillian and Frankie were best friends,” Anna offered up before the older woman could reply. “They still are, as a matter of fact.”
“Ah,” Beth nodded, deciding to get her own dig in. She’d done her homework on Dante, and now was her chance to prove it. She tilted her head. “How is she handling the divorce from Hershman?”
There was silence for a moment. Beth looked up to see shock and anger on the face of Francesca. “What do you mean, divorce?”
Beth took the glass of wine Dante held out for her, gently placing it on the table. She very carefully did not look at Dante. “She filed for divorce three days ago. Didn’t she tell you?”
Francesca’s answering smile was poisonous. “Well, now that she’s divorcing Jerry, maybe she’ll come back to the family where she belongs.” She smiled sweetly at Dante.
“Which family would that be?” Beth kept the bland smile in place with an effort. Francesca was really beginning to get on her nerves.
“You know I would never consider taking Lillian back, Francesca,” Dante growled suddenly. Maybe this was an old argument, and she’d just found herself in the middle of it.
Francesca shrugged, a smug little smile on her face. “I know she hurt you, Dante, but you have to realize that Jerry just swept her off her feet. She wants you back. She’s wanted you back for a year now. Why won’t you listen to her? Give her another chance.”
Dante sighed. “When will you stop harping on the subject? I have no further interest in Lillian.” He reached under the table and gave Beth’s hand a surreptitious squeeze, a movement that was not lost on Francesca. He pried her hands apart and took one of them in his own, resting it against the back of his hard thigh. His thumb gently ran over her knuckles. “I’m taken.”
“Enough, Francesca.” Teresa, a frown on her face, glared at her second oldest child. “Your brother lives his life as he sees fit. If Lillian had wanted to be with Dante so badly she would never have slept with Jerry.” Teresa dismissed her former daughter-in-law with one wave of her dainty hand. “Now, Elizabeth, tell me about your family.” She smiled encouragingly, but Beth still felt herself stiffening.
“My parents were divorced when I was four. Both my parents have been remarried.” Beth refused to say how many times, not in front of Francesca.
“And where are they now? Are they living in Delaware?”
“My mother is currently living in Los Angeles, and my father has been in Florida for the past five years.” Beth bit back a smile. “My father owns Rand Construction, and my mother...” There was no real way to explain exactly what her mother did, so Beth shrugged.
“Really? I’ve heard they are a good company to work for,” Anna said with genuine curiosity.
Beth smiled. “He enjoys his work, which is more than I can say for most people these days.”
Francesca smirked behind her napkin. “So, let me see if I’ve got this straight. Your father is a construction worker, and your mother is a professional gold-digger. Do I have that right?”
There was silence for a moment, with Anna looking uncomfortable, Russ looking shocked and the Zucco boys looking pissed off.
“Oh, I tawt I taw a puddy tat,” Beth whispered, grinning savagely. She leaned back comfortably in her chair.
Dante’s hand tightened around hers in warning.
She chose to ignore it.
“Tell, me, Francesca, did the dean ever figure out exactly who it was who set the gym on fire?” She leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand. She ignored the startled gasps of Dante’s family, far too intent on the expression on Francesca’s face. She saw the shock that settled in just before Francesca excused herself to go to the ladies room.
Beth found herself unceremoniously hauled to her feet. “Excuse us, I need to introduce her around,” Dante ground out around a smile. Ignoring the shocked looks on the faces of his parents he dragged Beth behind him.
Beth tsked. “Aw, puddy fall down go boom,” she whispered gleefully.
“One more word and I swear I will turn you over my knee and paddle you here and now,” he grated. He had the semblance of a smile plastered on his face, but she could almost hear his teeth grinding. If he clenched his jaw any harder he’d be spitting out shards of broken molars. “Where the hell did you come up with that bit of information?” he growled as he pulled her along behind him.
“It’s in her sealed records,” she replied softly, glancing around curiously. Every eye was on her. She wondered if they’d figured out she’d been fighting with Francesca. From the friendly, curious gazes directed her way, she was going with no.
He stopped and stared at her, taken aback by her response. “My sister actually did that?”
“She didn’t light the match, but she certainly assisted. They didn’t have definite proof, but there was some evidence that she got the gas.” She found herself stroking his arm, trying to offer comfort. She’d had no idea he hadn’t known, and now she regretted
using it against Francesca. Winning against his sister wasn’t worth seeing him hurt. “I’m sorry, I thought you knew.”
He blew out an aggravated breath. “She’s always been pissed that it was the boys who got powers and she and Anna were by-blows.”
“By-blows?”
He smiled at someone who yelled out his name. “By-blow is a child or grandchild of a Neph born without powers. Francesca has always believed she should have followed in Mama’s footsteps, but instead Gio and I have.”
“And it chaps her ass, so she tries to run your lives.”
“Basically.” He took her hand in his and gently walked her over to one of the many tables in the banquet hall. He casually kissed one of the elderly ladies on the cheek. “Aunt Rosa, buon compleanno.” The affection in his voice warmed her. The man obviously adored his family, even the annoying ones.
“Grazie, Dante, grazie. Chi è il tuo amica?”
“È il mio fidanzata, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is my aunt, Rosa Benedetto Giancarno. My mother’s sister.”
Beth nodded politely. “How do you do?”
Rosa laughed. “Not too badly, for my age.” Her accent was thicker than her sister’s, her figure more rounded, but they both had the same laughing brown eyes and ease of manners that Beth found so charming. “I hope you are enjoying yourself?” She gazed up at Beth, and Beth found herself charmed.
“As much as I possibly can,” she grinned.
As Dante talked quietly in Italian to Rosa’s husband, Lou, Rosa stood and pulled Beth aside. “Now I introduce you around properly,” she declared as she marched Beth off. Looking back, she saw Dante watching her as he replied to something his uncle said. His attention was almost immediately claimed by another uncle, and the three seemed to enter into a lively conversation. Still, as she was led around the room, Beth occasionally felt Dante’s attention focused on her and knew he was watching.
She didn’t remember half of the people she was introduced to, trained investigator or not. She did manage to not show how shocked she was by how much of her life had already circulated around the room.
The Fire Within Page 15
