by Nina Bangs
“Will you be okay alone to shave and brush your teeth?”
He was a vampire. He was strong. All right, so semi-strong. No way would he admit that teeth-brushing and shaving were in the same category as bench-pressing a thousand pounds right now. “Sure. No problem.”
Her smile held a secret. “Great. That’ll give me a chance to change your sheets.”
Thorn frowned as he watched her leave. He didn’t like the idea of her doing stuff like that for him. He wanted to pamper her. Forever. He thought about forever as he dried his hair, brushed his teeth, and shaved.
Grim was the one who came to help him back to his room.
“Where’s Kayla?” Did he sound possessive? That’s how Thorn felt, but he didn’t want to sound that way. Women hated possessive men. But it was in his vampire nature to guard and protect what he thought of as his. Of course, she’d gotten in his face more than once when he’d tried to tell her what to do. He smiled at the memories.
“She’s downstairs. She’ll be up in a few minutes.” Grim had settled him back into bed quickly. Then he left without saying anything more.
Strange. Grim liked to talk. But Thorn didn’t get a chance to wonder about Grim’s quietness before he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Two sets of footsteps. Grim had just left, so he wouldn’t be returning with Kayla. Then who? She hadn’t mentioned any visitors.
He watched the door, tension filling him even though he had no reason to feel it. One of the guys from Nirvana had probably stopped by, and Kayla had felt Thorn was well enough to see him.
The door opened and Kayla stepped into the room. There was a man behind her. Instead of walking over to Thorn’s bed, she simply stepped aside.
Thorn stared at the man filling the doorway. And saw himself.
“Hi, son.”
The stranger who wore his face walked over and sat on the chair by his bed. “Hope you’re feeling better.”
Thorn couldn’t stop staring at the man’s face. His dark hair, his eyes, his mouth. “Father?”
If Kayla had given him time to prepare, Thorn probably would have rolled out his father’s name, Rolf. Because the father he knew had died the night he rejected his son. But shock had crumpled Thorn’s defenses, and he spoke the first word that entered his mind.
“It’s been a long time.” His father folded and unfolded his hands.
Then not as calm as he looked. That made Thorn feel better. He didn’t want to be the only one who felt his world had just shattered and left him staring at the pieces.
“Your woman and Grim tracked me down. Don’t know how they did it. I’ll never be able to repay them. I’ve searched for you everywhere. Damn, but you change your name a lot.” His smile was tentative.
Thorn looked past his father to where “your woman” was glaring at Dad’s back. “Kayla is a miracle worker.” He hoped she understood that her “miracle” included everything she’d done for him since the moment they’d met.
She met Thorn’s gaze and smiled. “I’ll leave you and your father alone. Call if you need anything.” Then she left.
Thorn fought for control. So many emotions. His first instinct was to lash out at his father. But surprisingly, he realized his anger felt old and tired. Just as his love for Sparkle had faded, his fury at his father had lost its intensity over the centuries. That didn’t mean he was ready to forget everything.
“Why did you want to see me? You were pretty clear about your feelings the last time we were together.” Thorn didn’t try to keep the bitterness from his voice.
His father looked away. “I was dealing with a lot of guilt and denial at the time. I reacted by striking out at you. By the time I realized what I’d said, you were gone.”
“Guilt and denial?” This was news to Thorn.
“I caused everything that happened.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “The cosmic troublemaker that sold you into slavery and then killed your mom, sister, and brother came to the village looking for me.”
Thorn didn’t speak, didn’t blink, didn’t even try to think. Once again he was back in that small village, the cold biting into him as he wrestled with his own guilt and played the if-I-had-only game.
His father stared at the far wall, avoiding his son’s eyes. “The bastard had been after me to capture slaves for him on my raids. Others did it, but I refused. You were his revenge. What better punishment than to know my son was a slave? Your mother, brother, and sister died because they were easy prey.”
“Because I wasn’t there. Because—”
“Stop.” His father leaned toward him. “It wasn’t your fault. Anymore than it was your mother’s fault for not staying in the village. Do you think I haven’t looked back and wished that I’d come home a week earlier, given him the damn slaves he wanted, killed the bastard when I first met him? Life happens, and we don’t have the luxury of knowing the future.” He closed his eyes. “God knows how I’ve regretted so many things, but probably my greatest regret is how I treated you.”
The silence was alive with emotions, too many for Thorn to handle. “Who was he? I want his name.”
His father opened his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “Caveen. But he doesn’t matter anymore.” Something deadly crept into his voice. “I made it my life’s mission to make sure he paid for everything. I asked questions until I found out that someone called the Big Boss was in charge of all cosmic troublemakers. For centuries I searched for this guy. Finally I found him.” He smiled, but it was a cold smile. “Luckily for me, the Big Boss has dealt with our clan before. He likes us. Unluckily for Caveen, he’d pissed off the Big Boss one too many times.”
Thorn propped himself up higher in his bed. He wished he were sitting in a chair. He had enough pride not to want his father to see him weakened. “So what did the Big Boss do?”
“He destroyed him.”
“I didn’t believe anyone could kill one of them.” Thorn thought about Ganymede. If the cat didn’t get his head together soon, he might see the end of his long existence.
“The Big Boss did it. I saw the bastard die.”
Silence filled the room. Thorn knew what happened next was up to him. He could hold tight to the rage and hurt from so many centuries ago. Or he could allow those emotions to slide back into the past.
Thorn looked away from his father. Who was left to hate? The man who’d destroyed his family was dead. Sparkle was guilty of nothing worse than dumping him. And his father had searched for him, cared about him. And what had Thorn done? He’d nursed his anger and not once had he tried to find his father.
Leaning his head back against his pillow, Thorn mentally dug a deep hole on some barren hillside and buried the past with all its pain. Forever.
“So, Dad. What’re you doing with your life?” Yes, his father could be “Dad” to him in this time and place. Thorn smiled and meant it.
His father’s expression relaxed into a grin. And if his eyes looked a little damp, neither of them mentioned it.
“I design robots.”
“No kidding.” Thorn laughed. He couldn’t help imagining. Robots for Nirvana. Sure, the pier was gone. But that didn’t mean it couldn’t rise again. “Ever consider changing jobs? I have an offer you can’t turn down.” Crap. Wrong wording. “Scratch that. I have an offer you’ll love.”
“Let’s hear it.”
* * *
Kayla sat in the kitchen drinking coffee alone. They’d been in Thorn’s bedroom for hours and both of them were still alive, so all was good. So many things could’ve gone wrong. And once again she questioned whether she’d had the right to meddle in Thorn’s family business no matter how well-meaning she’d been.
She was setting herself up for heartbreak. Maybe he didn’t want her inserting herself into every aspect of his life. Kayla had descended on him when he was at his most vulnerable and maybe now that he was growing stronger he’d want her gone.
Once again she thought about the life-changing decision she’d made once
she knew she loved him. No one could ever say she hadn’t understood what she’d be losing. She would become vampire and never again walk in the sunlight or eat a pizza. She’d watch her family grow old and die while she remained twenty-seven. But Kayla was willing to accept those sacrifices for the joy of loving him for the next thousand years. If he loved her. He hadn’t said the words yet.
By the time Rolf walked into the kitchen, Kayla was well on her way to completing her list of the one hundred most likely ways Thorn Mackenzie would break her heart.
Thorn’s father didn’t sit down. “I’m leaving for now, Kayla.” He smiled. “My son warned me that you’d react badly if I continued to refer to you as his woman.”
She started to rise. “I’ll see you out.”
“No, you won’t. I’ll see myself out. You have somewhere more important to be. Thorn is anxious to see you.” He started to turn away and then paused. “Words can never tell you how grateful I am that you gave my son back to me.”
Then he was gone in a blur of motion that startled her. Kayla took a deep breath of courage and headed for the stairs. She hesitated at the bottom, though. What would he say? Her stomach churned at all the possibilities. Calm down. Why was she so freaking nervous? He’d probably just ask her to heat up some blood for him.
Well, nothing would change just because she couldn’t work up the courage to face him. Straightening her back, she climbed the steps and walked into his room. Then she stood there and waited.
He was propped up in bed and looked as breathtaking as the first time she’d seen him. His expression gave nothing away.
“Did everything go okay?” Don’t fidget. Kayla tried to look calmly interested but not obsessively so.
“Why don’t you come over here?” He patted the side of his bed.
The bed not the chair? That was a good sign. Kayla offered him a friendly smile. She made sure it didn’t say, “I want to bite your butt.”
Kayla perched on the edge of the bed down near his feet. “I saw your father on his way out. He seemed happy.”
Thorn cocked his head and studied her. “You know, if I didn’t know what a fearless spy you were, I’d say you were nervous.”
“Nervous?” Were her eyes too wide? She narrowed them. “Definitely not.” She forced herself not to chew on her lower lip.
His smile was crooked and sexy and irresistible. “Come closer, Kayla. I’d say I don’t bite, but I do.”
She inched her way up the bed until she was next to his stomach. And when he just stared at her, she finally broke.
“This is stupid. Where do you want me to sit? And when I get there will you please tell me what happened? And then—”
“And then . . . ,” he mocked.
He grabbed her and tucked her in beside him before she could take her next breath. She’d gotten used to thinking of him as fairly helpless. Her mistake. Kayla had forgotten exactly how strong and fast he could be. He was recovering more quickly than she’d expected, more quickly than she wanted. Yes, she’d enjoyed having him need her. Kayla couldn’t regret this time with him.
“And then we’ll talk about how much I love you.” His words were a bare whisper next to her ear.
Everything stopped—her heartbeat, her breathing, her life. Because a moment like this deserved to be savored in complete stillness.
By the time she gasped for that next breath and her heartbeat gave a mighty ker-thump, she realized her cheeks were wet.
“You’re crying? Here.” He pulled a tissue from the box on the nightstand and shoved it at her. “This would really be tearing up my ego if I hadn’t already heard you say you loved me.”
Kayla shook her head and sniffled. “Tears of joy.”
“Oh.” He sounded relieved. And then he chuckled. “A thousand-year-old vampire who’s nervous about saying three words. My street cred is shot.” He lowered his gaze. “You’ll marry me?”
“Marry?” Words tumbled around in her head, but none of them seemed awesome enough for this moment.
Thorn wasn’t smiling when he looked up. All the passion and love he felt for her, enough for countless lifetimes, shone in his eyes. “It’s a human ritual. Your family will expect it.” Finally he smiled. “And surprisingly, I find that even though our love will bind us together without them, I want to hear the words, say the words so everyone will know.” He raised one brow. “So?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” She didn’t give him a chance to say anything more. Gripping his hair, she pulled him to her and kissed him. The kiss was long and deep and arousing. “Are you sure you can’t . . . ?”
“I damn well can.”
And he did.
* * *
It had been one week, two days, and four hours since Thorn had said he loved her. Not that Kayla kept track of that kind of thing. And if Sparkle kept them waiting much longer it would be five hours.
Kayla looked at the clock on the conference room wall. “I wonder why she called this meeting?”
Thorn sat beside her. Beneath the table, his hand rested possessively on her thigh. She placed her hand over his and wished they were home in bed. Or on the couch or the pool table or the fluffy rug in front of the fireplace.
“Did you tell Sparkle about your plans?” She glanced at the door. Still no Sparkle.
“No. I’ll try to catch her after this meeting.” Thorn looked distracted. “You know, I suddenly recalled something I wanted to talk to you about. Remember when you bit my ass in the shower?”
Beside her, Klepoth showed sudden interest in the conversation.
“Shh. Keep your voice down.” Frantically, she searched for a way to detour around this subject. Nothing came to mind. Panic was a great mind eraser. “Yes, I remember.” It wasn’t something she’d ever forget.
Thorn was looking at her now, eyes narrowed and lips thinned. “You said it was practice. Practice for what?”
Now he was annoying her. “You’ve already guessed or else you wouldn’t be wearing that scowl. Practice for when I’m a vampire.”
For once he seemed speechless. Good. Because she had a few things to say before he exploded all over her plans. “We’re marrying. And somewhere among all those promises are the words ‘until death do us part.’ Well, death is going to part us pretty quickly if I stay human. That’s not an option for me. I refuse to die and leave you crushed by grief.” She thought about that for a moment. “Of course, after spending fifty-plus years with me, you might just throw a party. Anyway, I know you can’t make me vampire, but Dacian isn’t a Mackenzie and he can. I’ve asked him.”
Thorn’s expression was thunderous. “No letch of a night-feeder is going to put his fangs into the throat of the woman I love.”
Kayla controlled her eye-rolls. “He’s not a letch, and he’s married to Cinn. Wrist, not the throat. There will be no sexual thoughts on either side. Besides, I’ll expect you to be there.” She was trying to sound in control and sure of herself, but his anger bothered her. She really wanted this, wanted to share everything in his life.
He closed his eyes and she could almost see him reeling in his anger and storing it under the seat. When he opened his eyes, she almost cried with love and relief.
“Are you sure this is what you want, Kayla? It’s not something you can take for a trial run and then return if it doesn’t make you happy.”
Didn’t he know that he would always make her happy? And what he was, what she would be, was part of that happiness. “Yes.”
He nodded. “We’ll talk to Dacian later.”
Kayla felt as though she’d climbed Mt. Everest and planted her flag on the summit. All her other problems were little ones. Talking about little problems . . .
“I called my father before you woke tonight. I told him I quit and that I’d never be joining the family business. I also told him I was marrying a wonderful man.” She smiled. “He yelled, threatened, and generally blustered a lot. Then he got all emotional about his little girl. I promised to send him a wedding invitatio
n.”
Thorn looked thoughtful. “Will he try to recruit me for the family business? If so, you’ll have to explain that I drink on the job.”
Kayla didn’t have a chance to answer, because just then Sparkle entered the room. All conversations stopped.
Sparkle wasn’t sparkling tonight. She wore plain jeans stuffed into plain boots topped off by a plain black sweater. Her nails were color free and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
This never-before-seen phenomenon caused a rush of whispers.
Kayla nudged Thorn. “Look. There’s a rolling suitcase by the door.”
Sparkle went to the chair at the head of the table but didn’t sit. She looked around at all the faces. Then she spoke.
“I’m leaving the Castle of Dark Dreams tonight. I don’t know when I’ll be back. I might never return. I’ve arranged for Live the Fantasy to continue on in my absence.” She held her hand up to stem the shocked exclamations. “A large section of the Great Wall of China disappeared tonight. I suppose we should be thankful Mede left some of it standing.”
Kayla had always thought that Sparkle was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. Sparkle was still beautiful, but tonight Kayla could see the millennia she’d existed in her eyes.
“I received a call from the Big Boss tonight. He said he can’t ignore the chaos Mede is visiting on Earth any longer. He’s decided to destroy him.”
No one moved. No one spoke. But disbelief was a sonic boom as her words sank in.
“Mede and I saw the pyramids rise and Rome fall. I’ve loved him throughout the centuries even though we weren’t always together. Now, he needs me.” Her lips tipped up in a small smile. “Although he’d be the first one to claim that all he needed was a container of ice cream and his remote.”
The silence was a living breathing thing.
“I’m going to search for him and hope that I find him before the Big Boss does. Wish me luck.” She didn’t stop to talk with anyone as she walked to the door, retrieved her suitcase, and headed for the lobby doors.