“I’m waiting, Sofia.”
Fuck. He wasn’t going to let it go. She was screwed. “I’m scared to say it, Niko.”
“I’m just as scared to hear it, but this will eat you up if you don’t get it out.”
“You’re right.” Of course he was. He always was. Both of them were always right. It was comforting and unsettling at the same time.
Sofia pulled out of his embrace and looked into his eyes. She took several deep breaths, closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again and exhaled. “I love you. I love you, Niko. I love you both. You and Reeve. This is fucking crazy. I’ve fallen in love with two men. What the fuck do I do now?”
Chapter Sixteen
Niko pulled her close, his heart racing so fast he felt certain it would burst, sprout wings, and fly right out the window. He’d known, of course. The emotion had been coming off her in waves for over a week. Reeve had known, too. They’d finally talked about it that very morning, while Sofia had slept.
But it wouldn’t do any good to tell her they both felt the same way. Not without telling her what they were. How could they do that now? She was terrified of her ex, and none of them actually knew what was going on with the FBI investigation. Was Rake hiding in the forests surrounding the resort? Was he aware he was being investigated? They had only sketchy information, and the last thing they wanted to do was see Sofia more afraid than she already was.
“Sofia,” he whispered. “I’m crazy about you. We both are.” It was a half-assed answer, and he hated giving it to her. He felt like a giant shit to even say it. He wanted to shout his love for her from the rooftops.
He felt her body stiffen, and it nearly tore his heart in two. She pushed away from him and stood up. “I guess I should get some more sleep.”
“Please, love…please stay out here with me a while longer.”
“Niko…” She shook her head slightly, the way she always did when his powers overwhelmed her. He didn’t even have to use them. She was so sensitive to both of them that she felt their effect even when they tried to rein them in.
The urge to tell her the truth bubbled up inside him. If he let her believe he didn’t love her, too, they’d lose her. As soon as this was over she’d leave without knowing how they really felt, and Niko couldn’t have that. He’d never imagined he’d meet anyone like her, and he wasn’t going to let her go. He couldn't.
He’d watched eight of them fall in love over the decades, and never believed it would happen to him. He and Reeve had always joked they’d be the last holdouts, running the resort by themselves one day, but Niko knew now that was nonsense. He wanted this woman—no other would ever do—and he knew Reeve felt the same way.
He should go and get him right now so they could both tell her together. Tell her they loved her and tell her what they were. Otherwise they’d lose her forever.
As if Reeve had sensed what was going on or had read their thoughts, Niko turned to see him standing in the archway between the sitting room and the balcony. Sofia stared at them in turn, fear and confusion on her face. Now they had to tell her. She was so sensitive to everything, and no doubt had noticed some bizarre things already. They’d slipped up too many times in front of her, and she’d noticed the looks that passed between them when they’d done so.
She sensed their thoughts now. Niko was sure of it. He was also certain they frightened her because she couldn’t understand them.
“I heard voices,” said Reeve. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” said Sofia. “It’s not.” She glanced at Niko. “I told you what was on my mind. Now it’s your turn. Both of you.”
“What does she mean?” asked Reeve, stepping out onto the balcony.
“That’s for Sofia to tell you.”
“I told Niko I love him,” she whispered. “And I love you, too, Reeve.” Niko wanted to wipe away the single tear that trickled down her cheek, but he knew this wasn’t the right time to touch her. He could feel her nerve endings stretched and ready to snap. “I love you both.”
“And I told her we were crazy about her, too.”
Reeve gave him a dreadful look, full of disbelief and anger. “That’s how you answered her? Really, Niko?”
Niko shrugged. “Do we tell her the truth then? The entire truth? Do we have another choice here?”
The two men stared at each other for long moments, communicating without words.
“What the fuck is going on?” Sofia’s soft question was filled with fear. “What’s the entire truth?”
“Sit down, love,” said Niko. “I’ll make you another drink. You’ll need it.”
* * * *
Sofia wanted to bolt from the room. She’d never been this afraid in her life, and she didn’t even understand what she feared more. The air in the room was close and hot, and her hair felt like it was standing on end. Something unseen but tangible had passed between Niko and Reeve just now. She’d felt it. It was dark and dangerous, and she knew it would change her life forever.
When Niko brought her another drink, she gulped it, and he had to pat her on the back as she coughed and sputtered. Her head felt light, and she would have fallen if he hadn’t carried her into the sitting room and helped her take a seat on the sofa.
She crossed her arms, shivering now. He rose and walked down the hallway while Reeve sat next to her and rubbed her arms and legs. When Niko returned, he wrapped her in a blanket and pulled her close.
“Tell me,” she said. “Whatever it is, just tell me.” She couldn't even guess what this sacred truth was. Her mind was full of jumbled thoughts and irrational fear.
“In 1919 we were sent here as part of a larger group of Nephilim. Fallen angels. We were supposed to help people find more peaceful ways to protest Prohibition.”
Sofia pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. There was no sign of bullshit. She knew what to look for. She’d lived with Rake’s lies and evasive answers for too long not to be able to spot it.
“What the fuck are you saying, Niko?”
“We’re not mortal. Zach and Emmett are now, but I’m getting ahead of the story.”
Sofia didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Whatever she’d been imagining they were going to tell her, it sure as hell wasn’t this.
“Twelve years of Catholic school,” she said. “Just thought you should know that.”
The corners of Niko’s mouth turned up. “Okay, but can I ask you please to try and put whatever you learned about angels out of your head for right now? I can assure you they didn’t teach you this.”
She nodded.
“There were twelve of us originally. Instead of fulfilling our mission, we took advantage of the pleasures here on Earth. We got drunk, we seduced women, and basically ignored the reason we were sent here.”
“Seduced women. Like you do now.”
He and Reeve exchanged an anxious glance over her head.
“Stop doing that. You two do that all the time. Do you think I can’t see you?”
“I’m sorry,” said Reeve. “It’s just that we don’t want you to think you mean nothing but sex to us. It’s simply not true.”
“What do I mean to you then?” Her heart hammered so loudly she was certain they could hear it. If Reeve told her they were crazy about her, she’d leave the place and never return. She had no idea where she’d go, but she wouldn’t stay here any longer.
“Sofia…we love you.”
She had to squint to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. Reeve’s dark eyes were wet.
“It’s true,” said Niko.
She didn’t know what to say. It was exactly what she’d wanted to hear, but did it mean anything at all in light of this new revelation? Could they really be angels? How was that possible? She’d spent years paying lip service to everything she’d been taught in school. Was she truly capable of believing in such things?
“Finish your story first. Then we’ll talk about the ‘L’ word.” She knew she sounded like a bitch, but she nee
ded time to process this.
“We were punished for our sins,” said Niko. “Cast down to Earth for eternity, free to indulge in our favorites vices but without them bringing us any permanent satisfaction.”
“That’s why you do this?”
“Yes. But, Sofia, we swear to you, that even though…even though it may have started out that way with you, our feelings are real. It’s not that way now.”
“It’s okay, Niko.” He touched her face gently, and it took every ounce of willpower not to give into the desire she felt. “Please finish telling me the story.”
“We started this resort in 1921—”
“What? Wait…the picture in the lobby…that’s you. All of you. In…”
“It was taken in the late twenties,” said Reeve. “It was during a party, but not a themed one.”
She stared at him, unsure what to think. “How old are you?”
“Ageless. It’s meaningless to us.”
“We started the resort in 1921,” said Niko again, “as a way to indulge in our vices. But it didn’t take long for most of us to grow restless and bored.”
“I can’t picture it. Twelve of you, running this place, and…all those women. How many women? My God. Do you even know?” There was that glance again. She ignored it this time. Her entire body felt cold, despite the blanket and their hot bodies next to hers.
“The odd feelings in the air, the scents that emanate from you, the way you two hardly eat or sleep, how warm you always are, and your unbelievable stamina in bed. All those things aren’t…You aren’t human.”
“In this form we’re as human as you, Sofia, only with enhanced abilities.”
“Enhanced abilities? What the hell does that mean?”
“Our Nephilim powers.”
“Powers? You used powers on me?”
Niko shook his head. “No. We did not.”
“That’s how you got me to tell you my real name the first time…oh my God.” She threw off the blanket and paced around the room, feeling like the biggest fucking idiot on the planet. “You tricked me. You seduced me and you hypnotized me or something.”
“Sofia, I swear to you I did not.”
“You did the same thing tonight. You tricked me into telling you I love you.”
“But I love you, too. We both do. But I knew if I told you that, I’d also have to tell you the truth about us.”
She stopped walking and faced him. “Why?”
“Because it’s the only way we can earn redemption. A mortal woman has to fall in love with two of us, as a constant reminder of our sins, and has to agree to share us.”
“That’s so harsh.”
“No shit,” said Reeve. “But that’s it, in a nutshell.”
“If you didn’t use your powers on me, why did I feel like I could fall right into your eyes that night? Why do I still feel that way around both of you?”
“You’re sensitive to us. Not everyone is. I swear to you I only pushed a little that night.”
She narrowed her eyes. “So you did do something to me.”
“Sofia, please. We can’t affect free will. We can only manipulate the environment to enhance emotions that are already there.”
Sofia averted her gaze, embarrassed. She’d been so freaking hot for him that night he wouldn’t have had to push or manipulate, or whatever he wanted to call it, very much.
Niko crossed the room and took her in his arms. “Please come back and sit down. There’s more to tell you.”
“I’m not sure I want to know it.”
“It might become important that you do. Please?”
She let him lead her back to the sofa and took her place between them.
“Our punishment has a couple of interesting twists,” said Reeve. “As Niko said, we can’t become mortal unless a woman falls in love with two of us and agrees to stay with us both. No marriage or babies, either. Bigamy laws, of course, and…” He cut his gaze toward Niko for a second. “Remember the portrait of Lilith in the lobby?”
“What about her?” Sofia shivered as she recalled those obsidian eyes and that malicious smile.
“She’s not a cousin.”
“You’re not cousins either. You lied to me.”
“We lie to everyone,” said Reeve. “We have to. We need a cover story for obvious reasons.”
“What about your staff?”
“They know the truth.”
That meant Tiffany knew. She’d helped Sofia pick out a costume, and had accepted her real name without a hitch, when all this time she’d known the truth about what they really were.
“Lilith is a demon. We spurned her once, a long time ago, and she placed a curse on us. Even if we choose mortality we can’t father children.”
“Holy shit.”
Reeve snorted. “Yeah. That’s for sure.”
“But you use condoms…”
“To keep up appearances. We can’t get sick or pass on disease from someone to any of you. We don’t need to eat or drink, and we don’t need to sleep, although we can do all those things if we want to. We can even get drunk if we choose.”
Sofia tried to imagine what it would be like to be alive that long. They’d started this resort in 1921, and that meant they’d been in business over ninety years. The changes they’d seen were staggering. “Where are the others? You said there were twelve of you, but there were only six in your meeting.”
“Zach and Emmett became mortal about two months ago,” said Reeve. “Remember the woman you saw walking around the lake with them the first time we met? That’s Abigail, the woman who chose them.”
“She was a guest here, just like you are,” said Niko.
It must be true then. Sofia wondered if Abigail would talk to her. “What about the others?”
“Demetrius and Gregory are still Nephilim, like us. Blade and Cristian live here with Joelle, who chose them in 1952. They’re over ninety years old now and stay in their suite most of the time.”
“So…the others are dead?”
“Yes. Leo and Andras were the first. Blair was the chambermaid we told you about that was running from your great-grandfather. She came here in 1936, and all three died sixty years later.”
“She was real then. That wasn’t just a story you told me to get information about Frankie.”
Niko smiled. “Yes, Blair was real. We can show you pictures of her with Leo and Sterling if you’d like.”
“You remember her?”
“Yes. We remember all of them. The events of the past ninety-one years are as fresh to us as if they’d happened last week.”
“That’s why you speak about this place that way. It wasn’t your family who started it. It was you and the others.”
“Yes, that’s right. First Leo and Andras with Blair, then Hugh and Sterling chose mortality. Caleigh came to work as a singer at the nightclub in 1943. All three died in 2004.”
“The nightclub?” She stared at Niko. “So how long ago did it close? When you said you performed there I assumed it had been recent.”
“We closed it shortly after World War II.”
“I feel something down there. In the basement. It’s not evil or anything, but it’s there.”
Niko nodded. “I do, too. I think Caleigh might still be there.”
Sofia shook her head. “This is too much to take in, Niko.”
“I know.”
“I need some time to think about this.”
“We aren’t going anywhere, love. Take all the time you need.”
As Sofia looked from one to the other, she wondered if a lifetime would be enough to process everything they’d just told her.
Chapter Seventeen
Reeve sat in his office with Gregory and Jordan, listening to Jordan outline everything he’d uncovered so far. Everything he was authorized to tell them, that is. Internal Affairs in Chicago had reopened most of the files against Rake and his friends, but it was going slowly. A lot of the cops they worked with were reluctant to cr
oss them. The men had held a tremendous amount of power for a long time.
They’d removed the tap on Sofia’s phone and the program from her computer, but they also suspected Rake was on to them because he’d disappeared two weeks earlier. He was completely off the grid, and they were trying to find him, but he was good at covering his tracks.
Jordan had agents watching the resort. Reeve and Gregory had become quite upset when Jordan told them that, but had calmed down when he assured them that none of their guests or staff would know about it. His men knew how to stay invisible.
“Our biggest concern right now is that he’s out there somewhere, he knows Sofia is here, and he knows we’re wise to him,” said Jordan. “That makes him dangerous. I don’t think he’s a threat to your business. His stronghold in the police force is finished. He’s been suspended without pay. Even if they reinstate him one day, he won’t be in vice, and he won’t be able to target the resort under any official capacity.”
“What about his friends?” asked Reeve.
“They’re lying low and keeping quiet. A few of them have also been suspended, but we know where they are.”
“None of them have run yet?”
“No. Rake is on his own. How long can you keep Sofia here?”
“As long as needed.”
“What about her job and her family? Should we tell her cousins any of this?” asked Gregory.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do about her cousins,” said Reeve. “They should be told, but I’m afraid they’ll go off after Rake on their own.”
“Then don’t say anything to them,” said Jordan. “I don’t need a bunch of vigilantes running around the woods.”
“They ask her questions about this place every day,” said Reeve. “Sooner or later the subject of her imminent return home is going to come up.”
“How long before the room is complete?”
“Less than one week. The party is scheduled for Friday night. We’ve invited her cousins but after that they won’t have any reason to be here. We can put off their questions for that long.”
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