Haven

by Celia Breslin

  “Anyway,” Kai continued. “The two dudes took off, Adrian and security did a little crowd damage control, and we found you.”

  “How did you know where I was?”

  “Thomas told us,” Adrian explained. “And offered his limo.”

  My scowl deepened. My so-called relative was quite the puppet master. I supposed I should feel grateful for his aid last night, but irritation crowded out any appreciation. I just didn’t trust the man.

  “Anyway.” Kai shot Adrian a stop-interrupting stare. “You were freezing.”

  “You mentioned that already.” I shifted, adjusting myself more comfortably.

  “I know, but you were wicked cold.”

  “Okay, freaky hypothermia moment. Check. You didn’t take me to the hospital because why?”

  “Faith called your brother. He vetoed it.”

  I crossed my arms. “Of course he did. Bad publicity for the family, right?” My lips curled downward. “Worst. Birthday. Ever.”

  “It wasn’t all bad,” Adrian purred. My elbow dug into his side. “Ow. Okay, okay, I’m gonna shower.” He retreated to my bathroom.

  I motioned to Kai. “You were saying?”

  “We put you to bed and tried to warm you with body heat. It worked. And here we are.”

  “Here we are,” I echoed. “I’m starving. Can you let me know when the food is ready?” My nice way of asking for alone time. I needed to process all of this.

  “Sure.” Kai strolled out with Faith in tow.

  I stretched and stared at the ceiling. I should use this time to analyze the witch attack and the appearance of this powerful uncle who intended to muck about in my head. And strategize ways to avoid said head-mucking. Vacay to Hawaii, anyone? But my mind—and hormones—clung to one overriding obsession. Alexander.

  A wave of desire roared through my body like nothing I’d ever experienced, leaving me trembling in its wake. Not that I’d had many men, just two in fact. But still, no man ever made me want to throw them to the ground and sink myself onto his shaft in the middle of a crowded dance floor. No man left me aching with an unfulfilled need just remembering them.

  No man almost accidentally killed me before, either. But I couldn’t hold that against him. I would hold my body against his, however, at the first possible opportunity. I rubbed my own arms, trying to alleviate the pulsing ache of my flesh wanting his. Who cared about a little near-death experience? It paled compared to this driving force.

  Adrian sauntered from the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist and I blinked past the spell of Alexander, focusing on the now. “Tell me about Alexander.” Just saying his name, having it slip past my lips, left a delicious taste in my mouth.

  Adrian grinned, humor crinkling the corners of his eyes. “I love that about you, babe. Straight to the point, no BS.”

  “Well?” I pushed. I needed to know. Now.

  He retrieved his phone from the bedside table, tapped the surface a few times, and tossed it to me. On the screen, a picture of Alexander with me, frozen in our moment on the dance floor, holding hands.

  “The looks you two gave each other last night were worthy of a porn movie. Hot. Totally X-rated.” His tone teased, and I searched his face for more. “Next time, get a room. Or go to Heaven.”

  “Ha. Ha. Now tell me about him.” I cradled the phone, drawn to the image.

  Adrian pulled on his shirt, a rustle of sound. “Last name, Wallace. That’s Scottish.”

  “That’s it? That’s all I get?” I devoured his handsome face on the screen. Alexander Wallace. Scottish. Mine. My heart raced with the undeniable knowledge.

  Adrian said something else and I missed it. “What?”

  He pried the cell from my fingers. “I said, I think he’s The Guy.”

  The statement should’ve given me pause, a huge dose of whoa, hold up, but instead my body agreed with him one hundred percent. That in itself was crazy, but I didn’t care.

  Mine.

  “Stop that,” I grumbled at the possessive voice in my head. Heat crept over my face.

  Adrian whistled. “Well, look at you.”

  “Shut up.”

  He snickered.

  “So, is he a friend of yours? Can you give me his number?”

  He nodded. “Sure. He comes to Sanguine on Sundays. Hangs with Thomas and his crowd.”

  Damn, they’re friends. No escaping my uncle.

  A knock on the door interrupted us. “Breakfast,” Kai called.

  I slid out of bed, happy my body functioned even though my mind remained locked on Alexander. “One last thing. Why are you doing business with a guy who can turn you into a mindless robot?”

  He understood I meant Thomas. His expression shut down. “Aw, c’mon, babe—”

  “Don’t you babe me.” I grabbed my black silk robe from the closet and pulled it on. “Don’t tell me it’s about the money. No amount of money can justify letting that kind of crazy in our club.”

  “Can we talk about this later?” Translation, like never.

  My stomach growled, overriding my quest for answers. “I need food. But don’t think you’re off the hook for long.”

  ~ * ~

  Mark plopped a mound of scrambled eggs with sausage and cheese onto a plate and pushed it in front of me on the breakfast bar. “Eat up.”

  Ren placed a mountain of toast in the center for everyone then took a seat next to his brother and dug into his food.

  “Thanks, guys.” The scent of the food made my mouth water. I took a bite of egg while eyeing Lorenzo near the sink, his back to us. I smelled coffee. When he turned, he held a caffè latte.

  He placed the glass by my plate. It was a true Italian caffè latte, no fancy foam or toppings, just hot milk with extra strong black coffee poured into it. Served in a glass, not a mug, breakfast style.

  Déjà vu struck and my hand trembled, just shy of touching the glass. “Have you made this for me before?”

  He nodded and took the seat across from me. “Si.”

  I considered his face, trying to read him, but he remained impassive, as usual.

  “When?”

  His eyes narrowed. “A long time ago.”

  His vague reply stirred a dusty corner in my mind. I took a careful sip. Heavy on the milk, the way I liked it. “When exactly?”

  Lorenzo shifted in his seat. “When you were a kid.”

  “How old?”

  He looked away. “That’s not important.”

  I took another sip of the perfect caffè latte. Lorenzo was uncomfortable, but why? “I think it is. Important.”

  My tension flooded the room. As if they sensed it, everyone stopped eating.

  “All of a sudden, I remember you making me coffee. That was nice.” I lifted the glass. “This is nice. And weird. Weird like last night when you kept hugging me.”

  Silence answered me, not even the clack of fork on plate breaking it.

  “So, now I’m wondering what else you used to do when I was a kid. Why don’t I remember? What did Thomas do to me? What memories are locked inside me? Good or bad?” My eyes watered, and I scowled and blinked fast, choosing anger over sadness. Anger kept me strong. Sadness would tear me apart.

  Kai, Mark, and Ren rose as one, picked up their plates, and headed downstairs. Adrian gave me a quick peck on the cheek and beat a hasty exit too. Faith remained seated beside me, muttering about cracks in the door and eating her food as if Lorenzo and I weren’t about to argue, as per our usual.

  I glared at my brother, hoping he’d let something slip. “You made it for me in a bowl with a ton of milk and a hint of coffee. At least when I was little. When I was thirteen, you added more caffè.”

  Still he said nothing. Why didn’t he say something?

  “This doesn’t make any sense. Why am I mad at you about a stupid cup of coffee?” I pushed the glass at him and stood, toppling my bar stool. My appetite vanished as I battled emotions not tied to solid memory. I couldn’t even express how sick I was
of not knowing.

  “It’s all part of the programming,” Faith commented, voice flat.

  My scowl deepened. Programming. Faulty memory. All weirdness led to Thomas.

  “Per favore, sorellina.” Lorenzo’s neutral tone gave nothing away, all business. “Finish your breakfast. You need it. We’ll talk after.” He picked up my chair, gaze averted.

  I sat, sipped my coffee, and polished off my food in silence, all pleasure in the meal gone. He was right. I needed it. My irrational anger subsided and took with it my thirst for answers. All I wanted now was a long, hot shower.

  Faith cleared the dishes and Lorenzo cleared his throat. “Come home with me. We can talk there. With Dom and Tony.”

  “No.” I stalked to the hall, as if I could escape him and the truth. “I need to shower.”

  His voice came soft, but I heard him. “Fine. I’ll wait.”

  I wheeled around, blinking hard at the temptation of tears again. “No. I’m not in the mood to hear one more word about my supposed brain damage or the surgery that crazy man thinks he’s going to do to my head. Or the power you two think I have.”

  “But our enemies—”

  “I can take care of myself and have been for a long time. Right now, I just want to shower, so back off.”

  Lorenzo strode over to me, but I waved him off. “Enough, Lo-Lo, just get out.”

  He sucked in a breath, shock and pain fighting for hold in his expression. “What did you call me?”

  “What, Lo-Lo?” No idea why I’d said it, but his sudden intensity made me back away from him, afraid of what I’d stumbled upon.

  He followed, clutching my arms. “Say it. Say it again!” Intensity scored his words.

  Pain stabbed my head, my world went black, and I remembered how much I loved my brother.

  ~ * ~

  “Lo-Lo, no! Don’t let them take me! Puhhleeease!”

  “Come to me, cara mia, it is time.” Thomas’s voice grabbed my body as if it had arms to pull me away from Lorenzo.

  I clung to my brother, desperate. “No, I won’t. You can’t make me!”

  Thomas appeared next to us. “You see, Lorenzo? Already she gains the strength to resist me. We must do this now or never. If we do not, she will die.”

  “I know,” Lorenzo rasped. My brother, my stoic brother, sounded like he fought tears. His arms tightened around me, safety, warmth, and security all in one embrace.

  Cold, strong hands gripped my shoulders, tugging me free of Lorenzo. “Come, Carina.” Another voice. Powerful. Impossible to ignore. My uncle Zi. Lo-Lo released me and sunk to his knees like someone sucked the strength out of him.

  Uncle Zi cradled me, gazing at me with the face of an angel. I rested my head against the dark curtain of his hair. My sobs subsided to hiccups.

  Dom and Tony joined Lorenzo on the floor, crying. I whimpered at the sound of their distress, twisting to see them.

  “Look at me, Carina,” Uncle Zi commanded. My eyes met his beautiful dark ones, mirrors of my own. “We love you. Always.”

  “Always,” Thomas echoed and lifted my hand. He pressed his lips to the inside of my wrist, the tenderness in his expression lulling me. A soft kiss on the pulse, once, twice... His mouth opened wide. Sharp teeth slid into my flesh.

  I screamed, the pain too much to endure. My brothers wailed. My blood flowed into Thomas, as did my life, year after year of memories pouring out of my veins, out of my mind with each beat of my heart.

  Lorenzo croaked, “Sorellina, sorellina mia.”

  Thomas pulled back, mouth stained red with my blood. “We near the end. Her memory and power are bound. Now the door must close.”

  Uncle Zi kissed my forehead and placed me on the floor between them. “Goodbye for now, my beloved one.”

  They each took an arm. Weak, I didn’t have the strength to even try to fight them.

  “As one.” A quiet command.

  “As one,” Thomas echoed.

  Fangs pierced my wrists. Lorenzo’s shouts followed me into oblivion.

  ~ * ~

  “Sorellina,” Lorenzo yelled in the real world.

  I jerked from his grasp, swatting at my arms, wrists burning with phantom pain.

  Mark and Ren burst through the door and swarmed Lorenzo while Kai and Faith pulled me away.

  “Stop.” At my command, Mark released his stranglehold on Lorenzo. My brother coughed and climbed to his feet.

  I rubbed my wrists, twisting my fists, the memory of teeth in my flesh still too vivid. “Everybody out.”

  After a long, hard stare at Lorenzo, my friends trooped out in silence.

  My brother leaned against the wall, rubbing his neck. “They’re good.”

  I joined him, a bocce ball of emotion lodged in my throat. He loves me, my brother really loves me. How could I have forgotten?

  “Sorellina?” He tilted my chin, forced me to look at him. His warm brown eyes beamed with love I couldn’t believe I didn’t see for so long. Blinded by magic. But I saw it now.

  “Lo-Lo,” I croaked and burst into tears.

  He crushed me to his chest until my waterworks subsided and I stepped back. “I soaked your shirt.” I sniffed and rubbed my nose, embarrassed by my uncharacteristic show of emotion.

  He shrugged and rewarded me with the most open smile I’d ever seen on his face.

  My heart swelled, and I swiped at my cheeks with the back of my hands. “You love me for real. Not just words. And I loved you. Love you.” I was thirteen all over again, awkward and needing my big brother to make it okay.

  “Yes.” He pulled me into another bear hug then led me to the couch. I sat cross-legged, hugged a black velvet throw pillow, and blew my nose a thousand times.

  He squeezed my shoulder. “What exactly did you remember?”

  “The ballroom. You, Dom, and Tony were there. You were crying then...” I glanced at my wrists. My throat felt raw from tears, but it didn’t compare to the shards-of-glass feeling of the bites in my arms, still too real.

  “You remembered what they did to you.” He spoke as if to a traumatized child, very carefully, as if I could shatter, which was fine. I didn’t feel adult at the moment, and I wanted my big brother to tell me the memory-stealing monsters under my bed weren’t real and—worse—weren’t related to me.

  Angry tears burned my eyes, hot and not cleansing in the least. “They took away everything, everyone I loved and left me with nothing. They said they loved me. But you don’t do that to someone you love, do you?”

  “There was a good reason for all of this pain, sorellina. I promise you.”

  “I’m sure there is, but before we go there, let’s talk about the enormous elephant in the room.”

  “Eh?”

  I held up my arms, my scar-free arms so recently gnawed in my memory. “Uh, helloooooo, Thomas and Zi bit me. What are they? Please tell me they’re not vampires.”

  “Okay, they’re not vampires.”

  I stared. “They’re vampires, aren’t they?”

  He nodded.

  ~ * ~

  Lorenzo and I drank way too much caffè latte while he filled in some memory blanks for me.

  “Let me see if I’m getting this.” I took a sip from my one-millionth glass. “I was a super happy kid before our vampire uncles mind-fucked me.”

  His brows collided, stern disapproval clear in his expression. “Language.”

  “Sorry, but I was a happy little orphan, yes?”

  “Si.”

  “Thomas and Uncle Zi were my nannies.”

  He chuckled. “No. Primary caretakers. Father figures would be more appropriate, in this instance.”

  That factoid proved harder to accept than the whole vampire deal. Thomas didn’t strike me as the nurturing type and, since it was his fault I didn’t remember his alleged, nurturing ways, I stuck with my first impression. Crazy, bossy, manipulative.

  As for Uncle Zi, well, with no other memories to go by, he was just a monster with a pretty fac
e and super sharp teeth. Ghost pain flared in my wrists.

  “However, I was your legal guardian,” Lorenzo continued. “I took full custody when you were thirteen after—”

  “The monsters ate my flesh?”

  “They’re not zombies,” he replied in all seriousness.

  “Sorry, kidding. But wait, do zombies exist, too? Any in the family?”

  “Perhaps and, no, none in the family.”

  “Okay, fine. Two vampires is enough weirdness for me right now, so let’s continue. Uh, where was I?” The caffeine made my thoughts bounce around my head like an out-of-control ping-pong ball. I tapped my glass in rapid staccato.

  “The summation,” Lorenzo offered.

  “Well, listen to you, mister smarty pants business man,” I teased. “We’re not in the boardroom, here.”

  “Focus, Little Miss Caffeinated,” he teased right back.

  Wow, what a change. Hanging out, laughing, not fighting. Sweet. “Okay, vampires, check. Brotherly love, check. Happy childhood, check. That leaves—”

  “Boarding school,” he supplied.

  I sobered, remembering our long, silent drive in the limo, the confusing tension emanating from him. At the time, I thought him impatient to be rid of me. How wrong I was.

  “I get it now, why you sent me there. What else do you do with a thirteen-year-old kid who doesn’t remember who you are?”

  He gave me a grave nod, sadness heavy in his dark gaze. “A bit more complicated than that, but yes, it was necessary.”

  We shared a moment of silence.

  “The first year was the worst. God, we missed you. That’s why Dom took off for Italy and Tony moved to L.A. It was too hard, the house too empty, when you were away at school. And even when you returned home on break—”

  I tapped my forehead. “I wasn’t there.”

  Lorenzo nodded.

  “But Dom and Tony came back for most holidays. I remember some fun summer breaks with you guys. Well, with Tony and Faith. You and Dom were—and still are—total workaholics.”

  “Now you know why.”

  “Oh.” I stared out the window at a fog bank curling around Sutro Tower and snaking over the hill. The sky blazed blue above it and the sun shone on my house, warming it even as the nearby fog pushed a cool breeze through the open window. “So, we were a happy orphan family until the vampires drained my brain.”