The Medici Queen

by Emily Bex

  Shade took a step closer to him, looking down into Ethan’s face. Raven had him boxed in from the back. Shade heard Raven in his head, warning him this wasn’t a good idea and they should take it outside.

  Shade got in Ethan’s face. "But before we kill them, we slice off their cocks and ram it up their ass. Then rip their heart out and push it down their throat. It is called retribution for abusing and cheating on a female who gave you her trust."

  Ethan held up his hand. "Hey, man. Take it easy. Jeez, you are way too serious. I mean, don't get me wrong. I miss Kate. Wish she’d stuck it out with me. Breaking up was not my idea. I mean, she was a great piece of ass, but you know that already, right? If she hadn't broken up with me, you wouldn't be able to sample my leftovers."

  Raven took a deep breath when he heard Shade growl and he knew Shade wanted this bastard dead, now!

  Shade looked deep in Ethan’s eyes, locking him tight in place so the mortal couldn’t move. His voice was a deadly low deep growl that sounded like something had crawled straight up from hell. His beast was out and wanted his due for his mate. Shade growled out the words, "Turn around and walk out the door."

  He watched as the bastard mindlessly followed the instructions, walking in a trance out the door of the club. Raven saw the mortal head for the door, and stepped in front of him, leading the way. As they made their way to the door, Shade was shaking with anger, the longest fucking walk of his life. He would see to it his bel had her revenge, and this scum would never walk the face of the earth again.

  Once outside, Raven continued to walk as the mortal mindlessly followed down a long street, finally turning into a darkened alley. Theo saw them exit the club and dropped in behind Shade. Theo wasn’t sure what had gone down, but clearly, the mortal was about to see his final minutes on earth.

  As they entered the alley, Shade slammed the mortal’s back up against the brick building and unlocked his mind. He wanted the mortal to see and feel everything. Shade showed him an evil grin, exposing his fangs as the mortal bastard pissed his pants. Shade grabbed the mortal’s cock and squeezed hard, as Ethan’s scream echoed off the walls.

  Shade’s eyes flashed a brilliant red. He released Ethan’s dick and grabbed his throat, lifting the bastard’s feet from the ground as he writhed in pain. Shade roared like thunder in the night. "Scared, little man? How does it feel to be alone and vulnerable? Hurt and in pain?”

  Shade felt Raven and Theo crouching behind him, keeping a look out, both their eyes glowing and fangs protruding.

  Shade wanted to feel the mortal’s fear before he took him out. He willed forth the music of a heavy metal band, so it sounded like it was coming from a nearby club, to drown out the sounds that would emanate from the alley.

  Ethan looked around, confused. He was walking down a dark alley. What the fuck? How did I get out here? He felt himself getting slammed against the brick wall and the face of the dark haired Italian was inches from his. Ethan's heart started to pound as he watched the face transform, the eyes glowing red, and the appearance of fangs. Ethan shook his head. No way this is happening! What the fuck was I drinking in there, anyway?

  He was about to plead for mercy when the vampire grabbed his junk and squeezed. Ethan screamed as it felt like his balls would rupture. He noticed two other vampires standing behind this one. Kate is with a vampire? Someone needs to warn her! He heard his own scream cut off as the monster slid his hand around his throat and applied just enough pressure to block his air. Ethan flailed lamely, pounding his fist on the man's impossibly hard chest, then grasping at his own throat, trying to pull the monster’s hands away as he gasped for air.

  Squeezing Ethan’s airway, Shade watched him flail, the mortal’s perfectly manicured fingers clawing helplessly at his hand. Shade released his grip on Ethan’s neck, just enough to let him draw a breath.

  The saliva dripped from Shade’s fangs, he was so eager to take the mortal down, but he wanted him to feel every minute of the agony. Shade punched Ethan hard in the chest, pushing his fist quickly inside his chest, and squeezed his heart. "Feel that, player? Hurts, just like you hurt her!”

  Yanking the mortal’s heart outside of his chest, Shade knew he had little time left before the man died. Shade held the beating heart in his hand in front of the mortal’s face and squeezed it as it oozed between his fingers, and watched the life fade from Ethan’s fear-filled eyes, knowing the last thing he saw was his own still beating heart being crushed in Shade’s hand.

  "You crushed her and now I crush you. For my queen! Death to you, bastard," he snarled.

  Shade held the mortal in place, as his blood started pooling on the street. He could hear his warriors’ growl as the smell of blood lured them. Shade could feel the sword coming at him, as Raven threw it to him. Shade caught the sword in midair with one hand and with a forceful strike, beheaded the bastard who’d never hurt his bel again.

  Shade held the blonde head high in the air, as the mortal’s limp body dropped to the street. Shade’s roar echoed above the booming music. "Per sempre, Medici!"

  He pitched the head in the alley, throwing the bloodied sword down. Walking out of the alley, he left the dead mortal for his warriors to dispose of. He felt his body tremble and shake. He didn’t typically slay innocent mortals, but this was no innocent and he’d taken revenge for the only person that ever meant something to him, his light in the darkness. She’d always walk in the light with him for now and all eternity. This was for her and her alone. He couldn’t erase her past or her memories, but he could remove the source of her pain.

  75

  Kate checked her calendar, trying to fit in everything she needed to finish at the Paris house, help Reynaldo get the house in California converted to an inn, and finish the nursery before Shade grounded her completely. Even though she felt great with this pregnancy, she knew he would always worry. She picked up the cell phone to call Reynaldo when she got an incoming call. Kate looked at the caller ID and saw Shannon's name. A smile spread across her face as she answered.

  "Hey, Shan. What's up?"

  Shannon immediately started talking, "Hey. Have you been watching the news?"

  Kate scrunched up her face. "The news? I rarely turn the TV on anymore. Why, is something wrong?"

  Shannon tugged at her hair as she paced the floor. "Well, weird, for sure. I thought you'd want to know. It's Ethan."

  Kate rolled her eyes. "Ethan? Really? You called to tell me about Ethan? What's he doing now?"

  Shannon shrugged. "Kate, he's missing. The news said his family filed a missing person’s report about a week ago. He hasn't been at work. His apartment is untouched, no sign of forced entry or foul play. They found his car parked downtown near that bar where we all used to hang out. He's just...missing. He's just disappeared."

  Kate was silent on the other end of the phone. She had a flash memory of Shade returning from D.C. last week, his shirt and jeans covered in blood, something she’d not seen in months. He was silent when he arrived, hurried in to take a shower and offered no explanation. And as usual, she didn’t ask for one. He came to her after his shower, holding her, caressing her. They’d made love and he whispered no one would ever hurt her again. She’d thought it an odd thing to say, and when she asked him what he meant, he just smiled and kissed her. She shook her head, coincidence, it was just a coincidence. Why would Shade ever hurt Ethan? She’s pretty sure she’d never mentioned Ethan by name when discussing him with Shade.

  Shannon waited for her response, listening to the silence. “Kate? Are you still there?"

  Kate's attention was pulled back to the present. "Yes, I'm here. I was just...thinking."

  Shannon paused a minute. "You don't think...you know...I mean..."

  Kate stopped her friend from finishing the sentence, "I'm sure he'll turn up. You know Ethan. He probably found some girl and they took off for the Bahamas or something. It's nothing."

  Shannon paced, biting at her lip. She could feel Kate's tension, as they
both danced around the possibilities of what they both knew.

  "Yeah, I'm sure you're right. He'll turn up. Well, I just thought you'd want to know. No big loss, right? Just one less asshole in the world."

  Kate nodded her head. "Yes...one less."

  Shannon told her goodbye and told Kate she'd call if she heard anything, both of them knowing the world had heard the last of Ethan Young.

  Kate responded, "Yeah, okay. See ya, Shan." Kate ended the call and walked to the window, looking out into the dark, seeing her own reflection in the glass. What have you done, Shade?

  76

  Shade left the warrior camp. It was time to go home. He loved the sound of that word as it rolled through his mind...home. Coming in through the patio doors, he stopped at his study, unloaded his weapon onto the desk and headed up the stairs to find his bel. As he walked inside the bedroom, he found her on the bed, the laptop balanced on her legs. He watched her for a few moments, her feet bare, and her belly round with their son.

  "You look engaged in something, care to share, mi amore?"

  Kate heard him as he came up the stairs. Her mind had been in turmoil since the call with Shannon. Her instincts told her there was a correlation between Shade and the disappearance of Ethan. But what if she was wrong? She’d been scanning the news reports online, looking for some clue. She didn’t learn anything other than what Shannon had already told her. She remembered the bar mentioned in the news article. It was one they used to frequent, one of Ethan’s favorites. She never liked it much, as it was just a meat market. Ethan would have her on his arm, but he’d always make eye contact with every other single female in the place. They fought about it often. She looked up at Shade when he spoke. "Shade, do you know Ethan?"

  Blocking his thoughts from her immediately, he looked at her with a questioning expression. I know he is dead, as the fucking bastard should be. "Ethan? Doesn’t ring a bell." Sitting down, he started unlacing his boots. Who the fuck let the cat out of the bag? She knows!

  Kate watched him as he avoided eye contact. She felt the shield go up as he blocked his thoughts from her and busied himself, pulling off his boots. She studied him for a minute. He never looked at her, never flashed that smile. "You know, you’re good at many things. Lying isn’t one of them. Shannon called me today. She saw on the news where Ethan was missing, has been missing for about a week. I'm not angry, just confused. What are you keeping from me?"

  Shade dropped his boots to the floor and looked up at her, pushing his hair from his eyes. "First of all, who the hell is Ethan? And why was he on the news? You are confused? Well, include me in that count, si?"

  Kate pushed the laptop aside and slid off the bed, his agitation revealing more than he knew. Did she even want to know the answer to these questions? She walked to where he sat in the armchair and slipped into his lap.

  "Ethan was the man I was engaged to before I met you. I’d just broken up with him. I don't think you ever met. In fact, I don't think I ever mentioned him by name. You never inquired about my past, and I was happy to leave him behind, and all the memories associated with him. So maybe it’s nothing? But you don't go into D.C. very often, now that you have Raven in charge. So, perhaps it’s a coincidence. Ethan's disappearance and you coming home in blood stained jeans and a shirt beyond cleaning."

  Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her neck gently. He knew he should tell her, she would eventually figure it out, if she hadn’t already. He hated exposing her to the ugliness of the kill, and how fucking much pleasure it brought him to take that bastard out of this world.

  "So, his name is Ethan. Is there something you want me to do? Do you want me to find him for you? As for my bloody clothes, it is not the first time you have seen them, Kate. Nor will it be the last."

  Kate laid her head against his chest. Her instincts were telling her he knew exactly what happened to Ethan, but he wasn’t going to open up to her about this. "I don't want you to find him, Shade. Ethan means nothing to me. You do whatever you need to do."

  She knew. He could feel it. Shade ran his hand through her hair as she rested her head against his chest. "Let me ask a hypothetical question. What if I did make this Ethan disappear, how would that make you feel? I’m curious now that we seem to be on the subject because you more or less assumed I already did it."

  Kate sat upright and locked eyes with him. "A hypothetical?" She knew this was no hypothetical. She looked down, processing the information. Shade wouldn’t just randomly attack and kill him. Ethan would have done something, threatened him, or her.

  "Honestly, lover, I feel nothing. Ethan used people. He felt privileged, like the rules didn’t apply to him somehow. He was very charming, in the beginning. He was good at manipulating people to get what he wanted. But he had a cruel streak. I loved him, and he used that against me. He mocked me when his infidelities caused me such heartbreak. He laughed at my concept of romantic love, that one man could love one woman. He told me I’d better get with the times if I expected to keep a man. We broke up, and I’d been through so many disappointments with men, I thought he was right. That it was me, and my expectations were unrealistic. I’d sworn off men, and relationships, and then I went to Alec and Rissa's party, and there you were. I felt connected to you immediately, and it scared me to death. That’s why I took off the way I did. Why I couldn't find my words. Later, Rissa warned me you were a player, and I couldn’t bear the thought of having my heart broken again."

  Kissing her lips, he let her feel the love he had for her, let it wrap around her like a cocoon.

  "I was a player, mi amore, but in a different sense. My darkness and my beast made me do things I have come to regret. But a true love means devotion and loyalty, respect, and honor. Mortal men are capable of it, so they tell me. But I am very happy to hear you feel nothing for him. That if I had disposed of him, it would not bring you heartbreak. That pleases me. Some men deserve their ends, Kate. I hate what he did to you, how he made you feel, but in a way, I am very glad for it. I wanted you to know what love is, a soul that dances with your own. I just hope you never regret anything I ever did to be with you."

  He had answered without answering. Kate knew he’d never speak of the details of what happened to Ethan. She knew that Ethan was no longer alive and the mortal world would find nothing. No clues would lead them to Shade, or anyone else. Ethan Young had just ceased to exist, and they’d never speak of it again.

  "I’ve never regretted anything in our lives together. And I can't imagine I ever will. I no longer exist without you."

  "Good. Then come to bed with me, I want you next to me in my death slumber."

  Picking her up, he carried her to the bed, lying her down gently. He stripped from his leathers and climbed in and she curled onto his chest. They both knew, without saying the words that the world held one less bastard.

  "I will always love you, mi amore, I will always protect you, and nothing in this world will ever hurt you again."

  77

  Luca sat with his feet on the desk in Shade's study, scanning the security cameras, the images flashing across the screens every few seconds. They had added cameras now to cover the drive and main gate to the warrior camp, as well as the perimeter of the wall around the camp. With the exception of the one incident about a week ago when Shade came back from D.C. in blood-soaked clothes, the activity at Bel Rosso and the Dead House had been slow, which was fine with Luca. Luca had made an inquiry of Shade at the time, asking if there was something happening in D.C., but Shade shrugged it off as nothing. Like Kate, Luca had also heard from Shannon about Kate’s missing ex.

  Shade was in the camp almost every evening now, and the rogue situation in D.C. seemed to have totally dissipated. Luca stood and stretched, thinking he’d take a smoke break when he saw two Virginia State Police patrol cars enter their property. The lead car paused as its headlights illuminated the sign that read 'Bel Rosso Vineyards', and then both cars continued up the drive.

  "Fuck!" Luca s
ent a telepathic message to Shade right away. “Cop cars on the property, master. Taking the driveway to the main house.”

  Luca stepped into the corridor outside the office where he saw Gi. They both exchanged a knowing glance and Gi told him he’d greet them at the door and stall for time. Luca teleported upstairs to the bedroom Kate was working on. It would soon be Theresa's, where he found both Theresa and Kate.

  "Kate, cops are here. Stay upstairs until Gi calls you down. And for fuck sake, don’t let Aegis respond to the cops!"

  Kate looked at Luca, their eyes locked, and they both knew this was about Ethan. Kate felt a moment of panic and fought to gain control. She must protect him at all cost. She closed her eyes and called to Aegis, telling her to stay out of sight.

  As soon as Shade heard Luca's warning in his head he knew exactly what this was about. This could be serious trouble. Teleporting from the camp inside the bedroom, he was a blur, changing out of his leathers and into jeans. Damn fucking bastard was still causing his woman chaos. Kate stepped inside their bedroom. Shade nodded to her, telepathically giving her instructions, “Play it cool, I am teleporting down to the study, show them in if you need me. Go!”

  She left the room, and he could feel her nervous anxiety as he immediately teleported into his study to wait their arrival. Tuning into her, he could feel and hear everything that was said. Making himself look busy, he looked like any other mortal businessman working in his study in the evening hours.

  Gi responded to the doorbell, opening the door and greeting the police. "Good evening officers. How may I help you?"

  The two policemen glanced over his shoulder, taking in the interior of the house as one of them spoke, "Does a Kate Reese live here?"

  Gi nodded. "Well, she is Kate Medici now, but yes."

  The officer made a note. "Could we speak with her please?"

  Gi nodded. "Of course, please follow me."