The Devil's Masquerade: The Poison

by Jennifer Loren

  “No,” I say, as I try to sit up. “No, I am not going anywhere. I’m fine. I am sure it is just from all the excitement today.” Turning back towards Kayla, I smile and kiss her gently. “It was probably you. You are so beautiful it makes me weak all over. I think you should tone down the sex appeal next time I see you.” I laugh, but she still looks at me with concern. “Stop worrying. That’s my job. I told you I would take care of you, and I meant it.” Taking in her lips, I reassure her once again with a smile. “Forever, Kayla, I am yours and only yours.” She smiles, holding tight to me. It takes everything I have to release my grasp of her. Leaving Kayla looking so worried is not easy, but I can’t be gone too long, not without being questioned anyway, and I don’t want Savage to know that I am still communicating with my family. I don’t want anyone to know. I need that edge on him and everyone else. The more he thinks I am separating myself from them, the more comfortable he will get with me and eventually slip up. Not to mention, I am still supposed to pretend not to have any interest in my family, so they can’t be used against me.

  Chapter 30

  Nick

  With the promise that I can see my family soon, I pick up the pace and learn everything I can. Galena is kind enough to take me out into the city and help me out during the slow times. “No, Nick, you need to be more patient. Let it come to you, and then control.” She eyes an expectant victim, and next thing I know, they are down on their knees, begging to help her with whatever she needs. “See … simple.” She moans as she takes the man’s face into her hands. “You are coming home with me.” He nods, and I roll my eyes. “There is a beautiful woman for you, Nicholas.” I look over at the woman and shake my head at Galena. “She isn’t good enough?”

  “She isn’t my wife. Only Kayla is good enough for me,” I say.

  “Well, how sweet. It must be wonderful to be so in love, but you know with this position, you are not obligated to one woman. My father has had many women in addition to my mother, and she stood by his side just as confident. I am sure your wife would be willing to do the same considering your powerful position.”

  I laugh, “You don’t know Kayla. Besides, when you have all you need, there is no need for any other.” I wink at her, and she smiles.

  “You know what? You have inspired me nephew.” She kisses my cheek and sends the man on his way.

  “You’re not keeping him?” I ask, surprised to see her let him go.

  “No, I think I will try this dedicated-to-the one-I-love thing. You seem to be very convinced of the idea.”

  “Oh, you are in love, huh? Who is this wonderfully deserving man?”

  “His name is Marius. I have loved him for a long time, and he loves me.”

  “Marius Cane? The Lord of the Third? The one your father would send you to hell for, before he would ever approve of you being in a relationship with?” I snap at her.

  “Yes, but Nicholas, I swear he is a great man. Father’s jealousy of him blinds him to his abilities, but I think you could convince him otherwise. If you would only meet him. I am sure you would see his potential as much as I do. Would you like to meet him?”

  Reluctantly, I nod, watching as she vibrates with excitement as if she is sixteen and in love for the first time. “I hope he treats you well, or I will have to kick his ass.” I smile at her even though I already know he is a dirt bag. She takes my arm with an even larger smile.

  Galena doesn’t seem to have aged much over the years, in looks or maturity. She still has a hard time handling her emotions. She possesses a naïve innocence about her, she has an almost childish nature. Savage has not allowed her to grow up. Maybe he likes keeping her as his little girl and not a brave woman like she is trying to be for him.

  Galena drives me to a place that is out of the way and well-hidden from prying eyes. The estate is impressive and well-guarded. The moment we step out onto the grounds, we are greeted by several house servants who ask us to wait for Marius in a faraway room of the house. Already, I feel as if he is hiding something from us; however, Galena awaits him with no sign of concern. House servants surround us with attention, but I wave them away and wander the estate freely while Galena follows with sighs of frustration. The house is covered in richness and pictures of Marius on most every wall. There is even one large picture of Marius standing naked with a stern, demanding expression. I look Galena’s way, and she shrugs.

  “He is a proud man,” she says.

  “Huh. Doesn’t look like he has all that much to be proud of,” I say to her instant huffing response. Eventually, I find myself wandering into the garage of the home. There are several expensive cars, motorcycles, and every other possible fast toy a man would love to get his hands on. None of them interest me much until I find one that reminds me of another car I had seen once, and so does the out of state license plate. I knew it was him I saw! “How do you know him, Galena?”

  “What kind of question is that? You know very well how we met. Why?”

  “I assume you realize he isn’t a one woman man?”

  She laughs harshly, “You can tell by his car that he is fucking other women? Really? What? Are there panties on the stick shift, Nicholas?”

  “Not exactly, but I have seen him with another woman before.”

  “Well, it is not as if it is a secret that we both see others, but we are in love and no one else compares to me as far as he is concerned, I assure you.”

  “Oh, I’m sure.” I glance her way but ignore her glare. “Why the out of state license plate? Did he just move here or something?”

  “He only stays here for meetings, or business. He usually resides on the opposite side of the country. He prefers the weather,” she says.

  “You mean he prefers to be somewhere he can be naked all the time and be praised for all his greatness,” I mock.

  She is not impressed with my display. She grabs my arm and drags me back into the house. “Come on. I am sure once you meet him you will see what I mean.” I am instantly guarded as we walk back into the living area, but Galena runs in with excitement. “Galena!” I yell, grabbing hold of her arm to prevent her from getting too far away from me.

  “It is okay, Nephew. I am well familiar with this home,” she says, smiling wide as she runs towards the man that walks out confidently. Galena pulls away from my grasp and runs into his arms. Marius Cane.

  He stands stiff as she covers him with affection. “Enough,” he says, pushing her off of him. The growl from my lungs must have clearly signaled my disapproval of his rough handling of her. He steps back with a smile and sweetly takes her hand before kissing it. “No worries, Nicholas. She is my light and means everything to me. We argue like any other couple, of course. We have been together for a long time; it is expected for such a long relationship. We have been together ever since she finally saw through that fraud, Keel. How he became a Lord, I will never know.” He signals politely to sit with him in an absurdly luxurious room. Servants rush in with food on golden dishes and wine in the finest crystal glasses, while laying a silk napkin on my lap. Marius sits back in his custom seating with a superior smile on his face, and already, I understand why Savage despises this man. “Nicholas, Galena has told me so many great things about you, but I have also done some other inquiring about you on my own. From what I hear, we are very much the same.” I raise my eyebrows to his suggestion that we are anything alike. “Yes, we are both highly intelligent, incredibly powerful, and word has it, highly skilled lovers. You could say we are brothers.”

  “I have a brother, and I assure you that it is not you,” I say quickly.

  “Don’t get me wrong, Nicholas. I mean no harm. I only want to help you understand how great we could be if we worked together. There is so much I could teach you. I could help you improve your skills at every level,” Marius says while Galena nauseatingly hangs on his every word.

  I fight back my initial impulses and, instead, sit back calmly. “And what is in it for you? All this good will towards me. I can�
�t imagine it comes at no cost.”

  “The cost is minimal. Nothing more than appreciation. You must know your family’s clear power over all the others. If we combine forces, we can take out any of them, and I will be happy to serve our interests from a higher power. I could make a life with Galena here, and …”

  “How high of a power?” I ask, knowing already what his desire is.

  He smiles wide. “Feel free to make that decision on your own, Nicholas. I am sure you are intelligent enough to know that it is in your best interest to have me next to your side.”

  “Let’s just say I am willing to do this for you. Why are you talking to me and not my grandfather? He is, after all, the one with the power to do this for you.” He leans forward with tense lips, waves Galena off him, and sends her to another room.

  Once we are alone, his casual attitude becomes more desperate, and he continues, “Galena and I have been together for some time. He, for some reason, has never liked me. I am not sure why, but he forbid us to be together and has stricken Galena with infertility until she can prove she has no desire for me. I would love nothing more than to have a child with her, but I can’t do that until I have a power of a certain kind. Now with me as a leader …” I stand up, shaking my head, ready to leave. His sudden anger is felt between us both as he rises and eyes me directly. “I suggest you sit, son. You might learn something of value from me.” He grabs my arm and jerks me around to face him. Something he should have known not to do.

  His grip is feeble compared to my grip on his heart. “Your arrogance is only going to get you killed. I suggest, Old Man, that you stand back, and get out of my way,” I say with his army quickly surrounding me and provoking me to want to kill.

  “Nicholas, stop! Please!” Galena runs in, pawing at me to release her lover. I let him go, and still steaming, I take a step back from him. “While we are at it, stay away from Franky, too.” His initially confused expression tells me a lot. How many women is this man seeing anyway? He doesn’t even remember all their names? I leave with a silent Galena in tow.

  “No more Galena. I don’t want to see him ever again, and I suggest you never see him again either. He is your Achilles Heel, and he will only continue to cause you pain.” She doesn’t speak but curls over herself in obvious pain. I realize she needs to be comforted now and not by verbal disappointment with her. I lean over to her and wrap my arm around her, something that seems to shock her. “You’re too good for him, and he knows it. That’s why he treats you so badly. He is trying to convince you that you need him when, in reality, he needs you,” I say to her wide eyes. “I won’t allow your relationship any more than your father will.”

  “Or your father. Dante didn’t like him either and was just as protective of me as you are. It’s nice to have his spirit back within you,” Galena says looking over me with a hopeful smile. Right now, I hope I can escape Savage like my father did.

  Chapter 31

  Kayla

  Nick is not Nick, and he certainly didn’t look good when he left us. Thankfully, Elijah wasn’t in the mood to be his usual smartass self on the way home. I only glanced his way once, but he was clearly deep in thought, and I wasn’t going to interrupt that since I wanted to go to my own far off place.

  Brayden wakes up from a nightmare as soon as I get home, and it takes me some time to get him back to sleep. I assume everyone else is sound asleep by the time I get ready to go to bed, but I hear Elijah and Ryan talking in Nick’s office.

  “So, maybe I should handle things from here?” Ryan says.

  “Handle it how?” Their silence is troubling. “No, Ryan. You saw what it did to Nicky. That chair will kill you,” Elijah fires back.

  “It didn’t kill him. It won’t kill me,” Ryan replies.

  I rush in and stare Ryan down, “Don’t you dare get in that chair!”

  “Kayla, I have to. Nick needs my help. That much is clear.”

  “Why is that clear? He is fine. He is still Nick, and he will find a way to deal with our enemies, kill Savage, and come home.” Elijah and Ryan both roll their eyes at me. “Don’t do that. Don’t you dare dismiss me.”

  “Kayla, you saw him. You saw how weak he is. Savage is beating him down, and unless we do something, he isn’t going to come back at all. We need to fight these crazy fucks and bring Nicky home before it is too late,” Elijah says.

  “I need to talk to him. I need to …” I say before Elijah takes hold of me.

  “You talked to him. You saw him tonight, Kayla!”

  “You saw Nick?” Franky rushes in on us and stares at each of us before focusing on me. “You saw Nick? How is he? Did he say when he would be back?”

  “We weren’t talking about Nick. We were talking about someone else,” Elijah says to her.

  “Don’t bullshit me. I know you were talking about him. At least tell me that he is okay,” she says forcefully to Elijah.

  “Go to bed Franky. We will let you know if we hear from Nicky, I promise,” Elijah says, waiting until he is sure she has left before closing the door and locking it.

  “Why didn’t you tell her?” Ryan asks.

  “I would prefer to keep all information to as few people as possible for now. Besides, no sense worrying people for no reason.” Elijah stands tall and silent for a moment before turning towards us again. “Okay this is what we are going to do …” This is the first time I understand why Nick trusts Elijah so much and why they were so close. They are both similar in their actions and the way they think. Elijah carefully plans out our moves and talks to Ryan and I as if we are his equals, allowing our input to be considered. He is an excellent leader, just like Nick.

  After discussing every possible advantage we could take, we decide to finish the discussion tomorrow after we get some rest. I hate going to bed without Nick. I hate being in that bed without him. I prefer to sleep in Nicky’s room, so I grab my pillow and head off to his extra bed, but I come face to face with Elijah.

  “Where are you going?” he asks, shirtless and with his usually tamed hair hanging down freely around his face.

  “I was going to check on Nicky.”

  “He’s fine. I just checked on him and Brayden before I made myself a nightcap.”

  “A nightcap, really? Is that necessary?” I shake my head at him but find him much closer than before.

  “Yes. I can’t sleep, and it looks as if you can’t either. You don’t like your bed Kayla?” I shake my head. “Why?” he asks, looking me over and playing with my hair. “You look tired. You need some sleep. I need you to be well-rested if you are going to help me get your husband back.” I look up into his sparkling blue eyes and crash into his chest, searching for that comfort Nick would always provide. Elijah holds me tight and kisses the top of my head. “Don’t worry. I’m going to make sure everything works out for all of us.” I grip him tighter, fighting my tears, and he picks me up. “Come on, Trouble. You are going to sleep in your bed and get some sleep even if I have to tie you to it.” He puts me in bed and lies next to me on top of the covers.

  “What are you doing?” I ask him.

  “I told you. I am going to make sure you are going to get some sleep, and I think the only way to do that is for there to be a warm body next to you.” He smiles. “I promise I will sleep on top of the covers. You can be protectively underneath. Feel free to sleep naked though.”

  “Eli.” I sit up with a huff.

  “Calm down, Stress Ball. I’m not going to touch you. I only want to live up to my promise to your husband, nothing more. Believe it or not, you can trust me. Even if you came on to me, I would have to tell you no. Besides, I’m not that kind of man,” he says, smiling wide in my face.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t test your loyalty,” I say, staring into his calming eyes, knowing he would kiss me right now if I was anyone else. I slide down into my bed and reach out, taking Elijah’s hand to his shock. “You can hold my hand but nothing else.” True to his word, Elijah never makes a move, but
he holds my hand whenever I need him to.

  The one thing Savage doesn’t expect is for us to attack him. First, we have to decide what we need to takeover. There are no clear options. We have gone over the map and information over and over, and none of us can agree. Then, out of nowhere, our strange dog jumps on to the table and sniffs around before barking.

  “What the hell is up with this dog?” Ryan asks, trying to push him away.

  I begin to think of what Nick has been saying for months, there is something strange about this dog. Nick’s intuition has never been wrong. “No wait!” I yell. I look down at the area that Eey has marked with his paw. “I think he knows something?”

  “Who? The dog? Are you crazy? There is nothing in that area,” Elijah snaps.

  “Let’s at least check it out,” I say but am quickly dismissed and so is Eey. I gaze over at the dog as he puts his paw on my leg. I know he knows something. Nick was right. There is something strange about this dog. No one is going to listen to me, but I bet I can get one or maybe even two to help me check it out.

  Secretly, I talk Terrance and Eddy into helping me. I don’t think they have any faith in the idea either, but they are willing to oblige me out of respect. Not what I would prefer, but it will do for now.

  “Kayla, are you sure we should be doing this?” Terrance asks.

  “I have a hunch, and I promise my hunches are usually spot on.” I lied. Eddy messes with his equipment, seeing if there is anything out in the middle of this wilderness. “Anything?” I ask hopefully.

  “Nothing but some rabbits and some deer. I wish I could say otherwise, but …”

  “Just keep looking,” I say, sitting back in my seat and ignoring their odd glances towards me. At this point, they already think I am crazy, might as well keeping pushing for results even if it does seem crazy. I did, after all, bring the dog, who is now hanging his head out the window with his tongue flapping in the wind. They are going to have me committed. I’m sure of it. Before I give up completely, Eey starts barking wildly, and we all look around trying to see whatever it is he is seeing. “Stop the car Terrance.” We pull over and let Eey out who immediately uses the bathroom. Really? He looks back at me and wags his tail before barking again. “Great. Good boy,” I say with a sigh until he starts running. I look back at Eddy and Terrance before I start running after him. Thankfully, they follow. I can barely keep up with the dog. Oh I hope he is onto something and we are not chasing after a squirrel. Eventually, Eey slows down and begins crawling on his belly.