Secrets in Blood

by Patricia D. Eddy

  Pietro glared at Nic. “Her blood and her body were used to develop this serum you say could kill us all. And you trust her?”

  “She had no knowledge of this. She was used, just as I was. You did not see her fight her father, Pietro. You did not see those cocksuckers lash her to a tree and stick a knife into her, shoot her, drop her into a fire.” Nic’s voice broke. “You did not hear her muffled scream as she burned, and you did not hold her blistered body, see her sightless eyes. She was willing to sacrifice herself to remove any leverage her father would have over me. She was moments from death. I have had her blood. I know the bullet pierced her liver, nicked her lung. Had I been younger, I might not have been strong enough to save her.”

  “Dio,” Vittoria whispered. “You did not tell us, Nicola. Injured and needing your blood is a far cry from this.”

  “I did not wish to relive the hours I spent praying my blood would heal her. Nor do I wish to remember everything that bastard did to me over eighteen years of hell.” Nic scrubbed his hands over his face and returned his gaze to Pietro. “But I see that is necessary.”

  The tattooed vampire lowered his eyes in shame. “You would stake your life on her loyalty?”

  Evangeline drew in a sharp breath.

  “I have already done so, and I would do so again.”

  She stifled a sob. She hadn’t known just how much she needed his confidence in that moment. Surrounded by vampires who could easily kill her without breaking a sweat, she felt vulnerable like she had never felt before.

  Nic took a single step closer to Pietro. “I need to know if you will help us when we try to infiltrate the catacombs, or if Evangeline and I are on our own.”

  “I have been through many wars. I have turned a fair number of prisoners against their chosen sides. I will not rest easily until Luigi has given you his approval. But you are still il mio capo. I will help you.”

  Something passed between the two men she didn’t understand, and Nic nodded before turning to her. “Did he hurt you?”

  “No.” Her arms throbbed from Pietro’s iron grip, but if she admitted that, Nic would kill Pietro. Taking a step back, she hated the look of hurt on Nic’s face, but being this close to him…fuck. Even with the tension filling the small space, she ached for him.

  Nic returned his focus to Pietro. “If you ever lay a hand on her again, I will kill you.”

  Pietro bowed his head. “Si, capo. Please accept my apology.”

  “I am not the only one wronged,” he replied.

  Pietro turned to Evangeline. She took another step back. “I apologize.”

  She nodded. He seemed sincere, though even bound, she feared he could kill her easily.

  “Remove the handcuffs,” Nic said to no one in particular. “I need some air.” After he disappeared up the ladder to the roof, Evangeline turned to Carlo. “What does capo mean?”

  “Elder. Nicola is older than all of us, and so we honor him with this term of respect.”

  Vittoria cuffed the side of Pietro’s head. “Stupido! You could not hide your actions for even half a day?”

  “Did you know?” Evangeline asked her.

  “No. But I am not surprised. The Conclave has centuries of collective knowledge. That they take precautions is to be expected.”

  “And you’re satisfied, Pietro? Truly?”

  “I meant what I said, human. I apologize for my actions. I should not have touched you.”

  “I’m less concerned with that than with you spying on Nic. I know you vampires claim that you don’t need others, that you enjoy being alone, but I think you lie. You didn’t see Nic’s face when I spoke to him for the first time. He’d been locked away from all kindness, all compassion. He hadn’t had a stimulating conversation in eighteen years. I watched him practically come back from the dead with only a few words. When the three of you arrived, he rallied even more. And now you do this to him?”

  “The Conclave is everything to us,” Pietro said. “Nic understands that.”

  “I know he does. But that doesn’t mean you didn’t hurt him. You’d think that hundreds of years of life would make you all smarter than this. Or at least more adept at reading people.” Evangeline stalked back to the counter and the tablet, punching the refresh button and scowling when there were no updates on the images she’d requested.

  Carlo joined her. “Will you answer a question for me?”

  Evangeline nodded. “Sure.”

  “You obviously care very much for him. Enough to risk your life many times. Including here, with three vampires you do not know. Why are you delaying the bonding?”

  “I—I don’t know,” she stammered.

  “Do you have any idea how hard he is fighting to give you what you asked of him? What he is going to have to do for you, just to keep you safe?”

  Evangeline turned. “What do you mean?”

  “He will submit to the interrogation for you. He made a deal with Luigi. Turn himself in so they will guarantee your safety for the rest of your life.”

  “He said he had no choice.”

  “He had a choice. He could have avoided the interrogation. He would have lost his position on the Conclave, but not his company, his holdings, his home. I have seen the interrogations. Guilt is presumed. Not innocence. They will keep him in a silver and stone cell, bound, until he has answered all of their questions. I have seen them go on for up to a week. He is terrified. But he will submit, for Luigi agreed you would have all the rights of a full vampire life mate. Even if they find him guilty.”

  Evangeline’s lower lip found its way beneath her teeth again. “I didn’t know.”

  Carlo dug into the bags that were lined up against the counter and then went to the cooler. He packed a small assortment of food, added a bottle of wine, and three glasses.

  “Evangeline, what I am about to do is unconventional and may very well backfire. But I need you to understand. Nicola needs you to understand. Please follow me to the roof.”

  Though her hands shook, Nic was up there, and she wasn’t sure she could stand to be away from him any longer.

  As Evangeline reached the last handhold on the ladder, Carlo wrapped his hands around her waist. He picked her up, lifting her out of the skylight. Despite the gentleness of his touch, Evangeline shuddered, the nausea flooding her. Nic swore viciously in his native tongue. “Stronzo! Get your hands off of her!”

  She stumbled as Nic grabbed Carlo, holding him at the edge of the roof by his arms. Carlo scrambled for purchase, but Nic shook him over empty air. “You are my closest friend, Carlo, but I swear to you that I will drop you.”

  “Nicola, mi dispiace, but I had to show you. And her. You had to understand. Both of you. Look at her.”

  Evangeline’s chest heaved, and she couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. “Nic.” She launched herself at him, her arms circling his neck. As they came together, their bodies finding solace in each other, Evangeline knew. This was her life mate. He would never betray her, never leave her, and never willingly hurt her. He would be her family, and she realized she very much wanted that. “Don’t let go,” she whimpered.

  “Tesoro, amore mio, sono qui, I am here. I am always here for you.” He stroked her back, the soft fabric of the thermal shirt letting his warmth seep through. He buried his face in her neck. “Please accept me, Evangeline. Please. I do not know what I would do without you now. The bond is too strong.”

  “Yes. Okay.” Her words were muffled against his shirt, and he had to pull away to look at her.

  “What did you say?”

  “I said okay.”

  Nic sank his hands into her hair and crushed his mouth to hers. They only parted when Carlo cleared his throat.

  “Evangeline, please accept my apology. I should never have touched you, for you belong to Nicola.”

  “Wait a minute,” she protested. Nic’s arm tightened around her waist. “I’ve accepted him. But I’m not going to belong to anyone.”

  Ca
rlo laughed. “Of course not, my dear. You are not property. You are his life mate. Just as he is yours. What would you say if Vittoria tried to touch Nicola right now?”

  Evangeline’s reaction shocked her. “Hell, no,” she said sharply.

  “You see? I did what I did to show both of you that the bonding has progressed beyond the level of reason,” Carlo said. “Please sit. We will have some wine, and I will tell you everything I know of this process and what you must do to complete the bond.”

  27

  Carlo spread out the blanket on the flat roof of the gas station. Nic kept his hand on Evangeline’s thigh as they waited for Carlo to open the wine. Her stomach had tied itself in knots again, but at least this time she wasn’t nauseous, but almost…excited.

  Nic took the bottle from Carlo and filled her glass and then his own. Her first sip brought flavors of cherries, tobacco, and vanilla swirling together on her tongue. “Wow. I’ve never…” she said. “We weren’t allowed.”

  Carlo took a sip from his glass and watched the two of them. “During bonding, you are only for your life mate. The intense jealousy Nicola felt when I touched you is common. You were also displeased by my touch, si?”

  “Yes. She laced her fingers with Nic’s. “It hurt.”

  “You shook my hand hours ago. This was worse?”

  “Yes.”

  With his head bowed slightly, Carlo turned to Nic. “With your permission?”

  Nic nodded, but his grip on Evangeline’s fingers tightened. Carlo held out his hand again and reluctantly, she touched him briefly before searing pain made her yank her hand away.

  “Neither of you will ever truly feel comfortable touching a member of the opposite sex again, but today, you are experiencing the worst of the jealousy and pain. You will complete the bonding tonight.”

  “No. Here? This is not right.” Nic shook his head. “This should be…a special moment. Not…here.”

  “I know you wish for flowers and music, my friend, but what is important is not the surroundings, but the ritual itself.” The sky had turned a brilliant magenta, and Carlo waved his hand. “Have you not noticed the beauty that surrounds us even now?”

  Evangeline stared out over the skyline. She’d seen photos of sunsets, but before escaping with Nic, she hadn’t been outside the catacombs at sunset since the day he’d “died.” The orange and purple streaks in the sky took her breath away. She turned to Nic and caressed his cheek. “I don’t care where we are.” She leaned closer, her lips almost touching his ear. “I wish we were somewhere safe. Somewhere clean and soft and private. I wish a lot of things. But there’s one thing I don’t want.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t want to wait. If I have to spend another hour without finishing what we’ve started, I don’t know that I’ll survive.”

  “Nor will I.” After a gentle kiss, he pulled back and addressed Carlo again. “What do we do now? I know we are to mark one another, share a meal, but…will we know when and where to bite?”

  Carlo unpacked the bag, setting a small plastic tray in front of them. As he spoke, he withdrew a small feast. “A meal is traditional, but you can, of course, go directly to the marking. Each mark is designed to draw you closer. They are placed at the most intimate and vital of places—the neck, the wrist, and the heart. When you bond, you give your very life to one another. By allowing your life mate to feed from each of the life-sustaining veins, you give them your complete trust, for without sealing the wounds, each of the bonding marks has the potential to be fatal.”

  “Evangeline, your blood will sustain Nicola now. I daresay you will be the only one he feeds from for the rest of your life. So he will take from each vein as he marks you. Nicola, as you must bite her five times, you must be careful not to take much. Eventually, her body will adapt to be able to feed you regularly, replenishing the blood loss with ease. Red meat, iron-rich vegetables, and your own blood will ease that process. But for now, you could easily drain her, so be careful.”

  Nic nodded. “The meal will help you retain your strength, cara.” He offered her a slice of coppa, and she couldn’t help her blush.

  “I didn’t take his blood when I marked him. Will the bonding work if I don’t drink from him?” While the mark on her neck consisted of two pale slashes of skin, the one on Nicola’s neck was more of a dark bruise. Almost a hickey.

  Carlo dipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew a knife the size of her pinky finger. “I did some research while Nicola spoke with Luigi. There has never been a reported case of a human and a vampire bonding. However, once, thirty years ago, a vampire attempted to bond without the use of his fangs. He had been seriously injured—hit by a car as the bonding was at the apex. All of his teeth had been knocked out—including his fangs. Fangs will grow back, but the process takes several days. His intended held vigil at the hospital with him and they chose not to wait to bond. She bit him appropriately, and then cut her own body and fed him a drop of blood from each cut.”

  “And this worked?” Nic asked.

  “Si. The marks will be different, of course, from the knife, but if Evangeline were to cut you, then feed from your vein, I believe that would suffice. The blood exchange is imperative.” Carlo laid the knife in front of Evangeline, and she hesitantly slipped the blade into her pocket.

  “My blood will cause her pain, Carlo. I will not have that.”

  “I do not believe it will. Not now. Her body craves yours. She will accept your blood. Once the marks have been made, the desperate need to claim will ease. You will be able to be apart. If Evangeline were to touch me, she would not feel such intense pain, and you would not feel the overwhelming need to drop me off the side of a building.”

  “I am not so certain of that,” Nic grumbled.

  “Nic, he’s your closest friend.”

  “Can you blame me?” he asked.

  “Um, maybe. How could you possibly want to drop him off a building?”

  “I should ask Vittoria to give me a thorough physical? Now?” He raised his brows.

  The intense flash of jealousy that gripped Evangeline shocked her. “Oh. Maybe let’s hold off on that. Or make sure it never happens. You need to find a male doctor.”

  He chuckled. “Si. I do. I will.”

  Evangeline pulled Nic’s coin from under her shirt and ran her fingers over the inscriptions. Carlo watched them intently. “Evangeline, when did Nicola give you that coin?”

  “When I was a child. Why?”

  “Have you always worn it?”

  “No. Only occasionally over the years. But I slept with it under my pillow a lot. I thought I’d gotten him killed. Wearing this kept his memory alive.”

  Carlo sipped his wine thoughtfully. “That coin belonged to the man many consider the father of our race. Folklore is rife with tales of mysterious disappearances, cannibalism, and even magic. You and I know better, Nicola. We are devotees of science. Our long life and strength are due to a unique structure to our DNA. We can process blood as food, renew our bodies, delay aging. Science explains all of this. But science has never been able to explain the bonding process. The coin may have helped forge your bond.”

  “How?” Nic asked.

  “Bonding usually requires years of companionship. Yet by your own admission, you have had only days, a week at most. But Evangeline held you in her heart for years, and you thought of her whenever you were frightened or in pain. The two of you share a very special bond—one cemented through words and memories, not physical contact. That may be why bonding with a human is even possible.” Carlo drained the last of his wine. “Now I will tell you one other thing, and then we will make arrangements for your privacy. The last mark is directly over the heart. There will be pain, for this is not a mark that opens a vein. This pain is a necessary part of the bonding. You will endure together, and when you have mixed your blood, one heart to another, the bonding will be complete. Now I will leave you. The roof and the office will be yours until the morni
ng.”

  Carlo disappeared down the ladder before Evangeline even realized he’d gotten up. “Are we really going to do this?”

  “Are you frightened?” he asked.

  “Yes. This isn’t what I pictured when I thought of marrying.”

  “If you wish for a human wedding, we will have one. We could be married in Italy, overlooking the Mediterranean.”

  “After your interrogation?” Evangeline rested her hand over his heart, feeling the strong, steady beat.

  “Before. I will have forty-eight hours after we return to Italy before they will come for me.”

  “I’d like that.”

  Nic caressed her cheek. “Then that is what we will do. But now Evangeline, I need you to be sure of this. We cannot undo the bonding once we begin.”

  “Every second I’m close to you, I want more. I want all of you. I don’t want anyone else. Ever. I’m yours. I think a part of me has always been yours. Ever since that night in the woods.”

  “Be sure, Evangeline.” Nic held her face between his hands. Warmth flowed through her. “Be very sure. If we begin this, we will not stop until our lives are irrevocably bound. I will be yours, and you will be mine. I will give you all of me, but I will ask for all of you in return.”

  “You’re my home, Nic. All of my life, I felt out of place. Henry didn’t love me. Cassie never understood me. I have both with you. I’m sure. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my entire life.”

  Nic dipped his head, and his lips brushed hers with such tenderness, she couldn’t stop the single tear from rolling down her cheek. “I love you,” he said, with his mind and with his kiss. “Mine.”

  28

  As the sun dipped below the horizon, Nic refilled her wine glass, and she marveled at the simple beauty of her handsome vampire silhouetted against the canvas of the sky. Brilliant oranges, magentas, and amethyst streaks that matched the color of his eyes surrounded them.

  “I’m nervous,” she said quietly. Nic took a rolled bit of prosciutto di Parma and held the morsel close to her lips. She accepted the offering, and though she thought it silly—why did they need to feed one another?—she glanced down at the tray of food, chose a plump date from the spread, and wrapped the fruit in a gauzy thin slice of cured pancetta. As he curled his fingers around her wrist and guided her hand to his lips, she shuddered.