“And he tortured me by ripping out my fangs. And did something to me so they aren’t growing back.” With a shake of her head, she sighed. “I feel like this story is getting too convoluted. What if someone asks me what he did? Or wants to examine me?”
Nic’s anger crawled up from his gut and prickled along his skin. “No one. Will. Ever. Touch. You.”
“You can’t promise—”
“No, Evangeline. I will not let another vampire harm you. I am very old. Stronger than all but a select few. If anyone tries to touch you, I will stop them. Forcefully.” A possessive need to claim, to drag her away somewhere safe, to protect this human who was now his whole world clamped his heart in a vise, and he struggled to shove his feelings down where Evangeline would not sense them.
“Nic…” Evangeline stopped and peered up at him. “You’re scaring me. Is the world really so…violent you’ll need to hurt people before they hurt me?”
He had to calm down. But how? In a few hours, he’d have to leave her alone. Unprotected. With two vampire bodyguards he’d never met. Vaffanculo. He clenched his jaw hard enough to hear his back teeth grind together, then forced himself to blow out a breath. “I am sorry, cara. I am not myself. To answer your question, no. Italy is safe. Vampires are welcomed here. And your bonding marks will help protect you.”
“But no one can know I’m human.” A hint of sadness tinged her tone.
“It would be best if we kept that secret to ourselves.” Urging her onto a side street, silence filled the space between them. Nic marveled how much had changed during his absence. While the buildings maintained all of their old-world charm, too many had neon signs blaring in the windows that had not been there the last time he’d been free. With a quick check of his watch, Nic steered Evangeline into a decrepit, plain looking structure with a simple wooden door.
“Where are we—oh my God.” Evangeline stopped short, and Nic released her to let her take in the majesty all around her. “This is…I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. Not even in pictures.”
The sun streamed into the church through narrow stained-glass windows high on the walls. From the outside, they were almost hidden by the deep window frames, but inside, rainbows of light painted the floor. Inlays of gold and multi-colored marble depicted the stations of the cross, and the front of the church bore an intricate crucifix high above the simple altar.
Nic kept his voice low as he closed his hands around Evangeline’s hips and pressed his front to her back. “This is one of the oldest churches in Sorrento. It lay in ruins for over two hundred years, until the last century. The townspeople restored it to its former glory. Services are held here every Sunday.”
“Is it okay that we’re in here?” she glanced up at Nic, her cheeks flushing. “I mean…I’m not…the Hand of God…”
“This basilica is open to the public during the week, cara. There are tours every afternoon. Come. Let us sit for a few minutes.” He guided Evangeline into the third pew from the back.
“I built these,” he said as he ran his hand over the smooth, darkly stained wood. A small gold plaque on the box that held bibles for each churchgoer bore his name, and Evangeline peered up and down the row, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“I didn’t know you could…” She gestured to the intricate design on the armrest.
With a chuckle he hoped was only slightly strained, he sat back and extended his legs, crossing them at the ankles. “I learned woodworking in a tiny town an hour north of here. In a few months, we will go. The vampire who taught me…he is a master. Perhaps we can have him make a few pieces for our home.”
“You have everything already,” she said, her brows curving. “What do you—we—need?”
“Anything that makes the house ours.” Nic turned slightly and took her hands. “You are my life mate, Evangeline. We are…partners. Equals. Everything I own…I chose. I would like to know what you would pick for our home.”
Her cheeks flushed, and her smile widened, the light dancing in her eyes behind the contacts. “Maybe something for the…outside. What did you call it? The terrazza?”
“Si. The patio.” He could not wait to hear her speak his language fluently. Warmth filled him, driving away the chill of his fears. “Then we will start there.”
“I spent my entire life underground.” Evangeline fiddled with the hem of her red silk blouse. “I want to be outside as much as possible.”
“When I…return…we will dine al fresco every night until the rains come.” He leaned closer and brushed a gentle kiss to her lips, sealing his promise.
Scanning the handful of worshippers and tourists wandering around the ornate room, he tried to stave off his dark thoughts, but the specter of the interrogation loomed ever closer.
Evangeline twined their fingers. “You’re worried.”
“Si,” Nic said with a sigh. “When I am gone, Evangeline, you can trust Vittoria. She will come to the house tonight and stay with you.”
“I don’t…” She rolled her eyes and frowned. “Never mind. I guess I do sort of need a babysitter. I don’t know anything about your life. This life.” Her voice faltered. “M-My life.”
“In a few weeks, this will be an unpleasant memory and you will have settled into our new life.” Nic pulled her closer, his arm around her waist. “But there is one more thing you must do for me.”
“What?” Squeezing his hand, she tipped her head up to meet his gaze. “Anything.”
“Carlo is arranging private security for us. They will arrive this afternoon.” At her wide eyes, he rushed to continue. “Vittoria is young. She is not weak, but she has no training in surveillance or protection. Until we know how news of my…resurrection is received, and the world understands that you are vampire, they will stay in the guest house.”
“More vampires? More…people?” Her fear was a bitter taste in his mouth, and Nic ached to be able to comfort her. He understood her panic. Walking through the streets of Sorrento had been overwhelming for him, and he loved this city. The crowds. The noises. The people all around him. All around his life mate. After eighteen years alone, no one to talk to, only pain, he didn’t know how to reconcile his desperate need to reclaim some normalcy with his newfound fears. After fighting in three wars, he was no stranger to PTSD. To nightmares. But now, he had Evangeline.
“You’re sure we need…security?”
Nic shook his head. “No. I am certain of little. I hope you will not need them—that I will be back home with you in two days and we will be safe. But until I take the Conclave’s measure, I will not risk your safety.”
The basilica’s bells tolled for the top of the hour, and Nic’s shoulders tensed. The headache brewing behind his eyes annoyed him. He should be able to enjoy these last few hours with Evangeline, but instead, he could think of nothing but the silver chains and bars that would soon surround him.
“Come, cara. I want to introduce you to the best pizza in Sorrento before we return home.” Standing, he offered her his hand.
As they slipped through the church doors, he heard her thoughts. “I can’t lose him.”
He hoped to all that was holy that she wouldn’t.
4
Despite how often she’d dreamed of being out in the world, Evangeline wasn’t ready for the press of people, the horns blaring in the streets, and the smells.
Coffee. Sweat. Exhaust. Flowers. Aftershave. Garbage.
Trying to breathe through her mouth, Evangeline held on to Nic’s arm as he led her down the town’s main street, pausing every few minutes to point out a shop she might want to visit while he was locked in the Conclave’s prison. As if she’d leave the house and get into a moving vehicle without him. Or do anything other than worry.
“If you need clothing,” he said, “Sofia’s is the nicest shop in Sorrento. My company supplies them with fabric from India, Japan, and Mexico, and Sofia and her daughters do all of the tailoring themselves. At least…they used to before I was captured.” Nic
led her into the brightly lit shop, and she wanted to protest. Carlo—at Nic’s behest—had arranged for a mountain of clothing to be delivered, folded, and hung in Nic’s closet before their plane had touched down in Naples.
“Scusi. Sofia è qui?” he asked a young woman behind the counter.
“Si, signore. Un momento, per favore.” The girl slipped behind a curtain and Evangeline caught a few words in Italian, including bello—handsome. She peered up at her life mate. An image of him locked in the silver cage in her father’s lab flashed behind her lids. He looked so very different now. Stronger, yes, but also…whole. When she’d found him, his eyes had held such emptiness. Now, the deep purple orbs sparkled and he broke into a smile as an older woman peered out from the back room.
“Sofia. Sono felice di vederti,” Nic said to the short, solid woman with gray hair pulled into a messy bun. “Do you remember me?”
“Signore Angliatti?” Sofia squinted, pulled a pair of glasses from her pocket, and shuffled closer. “È vero?”
“Si. May we speak English?”
“Of course. I heard rumors, signore. But I did not dare hope…” She pressed her hand to her heart. “For so long, the town mourned your loss. We prayed for you.”
Nic tightened his grip on Evangeline’s hand, and she squeezed back, offering silent support as he wrestled with his emotions. “Thank you,” he said, his voice rough. “This is my life mate, Evangeline. She is new to Italy.”
Sofia enveloped her in a tight hug. “It is good to meet you, signora. We have missed Signore Angliatti many years. My girls and I work only with his fabrics.”
“That’s…wonderful.” Evangeline patted the woman’s back and forced a smile as she pulled away but worry had her fitting herself to Nic’s side as quickly as she could. What if Sofia realized she wasn’t a vampire?
“We could not bring much with us when we left America,” Nic said. “Evangeline may want to shop while I am gone…on a business trip. Will you open an account for her and bill me?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Sofia brushed past them and started rummaging through dozens of skirts on one of the racks. “You have time now? I close the shop, and we find you many nice things.”
“Sofia,” Nic said as he draped his arm around Evangeline’s shoulders, “we do not have time today. Perhaps tomorrow—” he glanced down at Evangeline and must have read the panic in her gaze, “—or next week?”
“Any day for you, signora.” Levering up on her toes, Sofia kissed both of Evangeline’s cheeks. “We will see you often, I hope.”
As soon as they’d closed the shop door, Evangeline took a deep, shuddering breath. “Do you know everyone in town?”
Nic chuckled. “No. Not anymore. But this is—and was—my home. I shopped in these stores. Dined in these restaurants. Always alone.” He tipped her chin up so he could look her in the eyes. “I want to share everything with you, Evangeline.”
“I’m not used to this.” When his brows drew together, she clarified, “People. Shopping. Even…these shoes.” For her entire life, she’d lived in her boots. But in Nic’s closet this morning, she’d found ten different pairs of flats, sandals, and heels, but no boots. “I need time, Nic. Be patient with me.”
“Always.” He claimed her mouth, hauling her against him as his tongue traced the seam of her lips. When she yielded, he groaned quietly, and the evidence of his arousal pressed to her hip. “Dio mio, Evangeline. I cannot get enough of you.”
“We could go…home,” she said as she tried to catch her breath. How could she feel so much for this man after only two weeks? Her emotions bounced from fear to elation to raw need so quickly, she couldn’t get a handle on one before another barreled into her.
Her stomach rumbled, and Nic arched a brow. “Not until you eat something.” Taking her arm, he led her under an awning and into a courtyard. Tables set with red checkered cloths and small glasses beckoned under huge trees letting dappled sunlight dance over the silverware.
“Un tavolo per due,” Nic said to a pretty older woman wearing a red apron who rushed to greet them.
“Per pranzo o cafe?”
“Per pranzo, grazie.” They followed the woman to a table next to a row of hedges, and Nic held out Evangeline’s chair.
As she sank onto the metal seat, Evangeline hugged herself tightly. “What did you just say?” she asked as soon as they were alone.
“That we would like a table for two for lunch. I apologize, cara. I will try to remember to speak English. Sorrento is a tourist town, and most here are bilingual.” He glanced down at his menu briefly, then his amethyst gaze sought out hers once more. “Will you trust me to order for you?”
“Uh…si. I don’t know what most of this stuff is.” The menu, written all in Italian, had more options than she’d ever imagined possible. “I recognize pizza. That’s about it. We had vegetables we grew, potatoes, TVP, and whatever I brought in hunting and fishing. But I’m pretty sure the kitchen had all of six spices.”
A hint of sadness washed over Nic’s handsome features, but before Evangeline could press him about the sudden change in his demeanor, their server approached with a wide smile on her face.
“Buona sera.”
“Inglese, per favore?” Nic asked. At the girl’s nod, he proceeded to order two glasses of something called Montepulciano and a Neapolitan pizza. The girl scribbled on a small notepad, then almost curtsied before hurrying back inside.
Seconds later, another woman rushed over with two glasses of wine.
“To the start of our new life.” Nic raised his glass, and Evangeline followed suit, though she couldn’t muster his enthusiasm.
You mean the life we can’t start until you’re free again.
Forcing a smile, she toasted him, trying not to let her worry ruin what he probably hoped would be a good memory—for both of them. If she let herself dwell on the upcoming interrogation, she’d start to panic, and Nic needed her to be strong today of all days. She could fall apart in private, tonight, when she was alone.
“To our new life,” she said quietly. “When do you have to leave?”
His smile disappeared, and Nic downed half of the glass of wine in a single swallow. “At six. The Conclave is located in the center of Rome, and I must turn myself in by ten.”
“Can…I come with you?” She fiddled with her napkin, and a warm breeze brought his scent to her nose.
“No, cara. Carlo will drive me. I will feel better if you were nowhere near the Conclave while I am…in their custody.” His eyes dimmed, and the stiff set of his shoulders and the strain in his tone had her dropping her hands to her lap where he couldn’t see her clenched fists.
“Wh-when you get back, can we…um…have a few days just to ourselves?”
Nic reached across the table, palm up, and waited for her to link their fingers. “Of course. What is wrong?”
Why couldn’t she find something light and fun to talk about? Something to distract him from the horrors he was about to endure. Shaking her head, she was about to try to make some excuse, but the server brought their pizza, saving her and giving her time to find a moment of clarity.
Because you don’t know how to have fun.
“Tell me something…you used to like to do. Before. I don’t know you, Nic.” Shock played over his features and she rushed to continue. “You told me about your making. About your wife and son. We’re bonded, and I know your heart. But not…you. What do you like to do for fun? What’s your favorite food? Your favorite book?”
“We will have time, Evangeline. You will know me. And I will know you. For today, perhaps it is enough to know that I am rather fond of pizza?”
“Are you just saying that to get me to eat?”
He fought his smile for a moment, then broke into a deep laugh, and something inside her melted a little. True happiness changed his entire demeanor, brought out a sparkle in his eyes that showed a zeal for life she knew he’d lost after so many years as her father’s prisone
r.
“Perhaps. But try it. I am curious to see your reaction.”
Though she wasn’t sure she could keep anything down, she mirrored his movements as he picked up a slice of the steaming pie and folded it into a little v. Her first bite sent her taste buds into overdrive. Spice, rich tomatoes, and a bit of charred flour, then cheese. “Oh God,” she mumbled as she decided she very much liked this mozzarella stuff.
The look on Nic’s face was worth battling through the vague nausea she’d carried all day. After all, she did need food. “You eat like this all the time?”
“Si. But we eat little, you must remember.” He switched to his thoughts as his smile faded. “You are vampire now, Evangeline. To the public. We will order takeaway whenever we dine out so you can have your fill at home.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she blinked hard, the purple contact lenses sliding oddly over her eyes. “How much should I eat?” There were so many things she didn’t know. She couldn’t survive without Nic. Not out in the world. Vowing then and there she wouldn’t leave the house while he was gone, she set the rest of the slice down.
“This meal is small enough. Finish the other two slices. You have not eaten enough since we escaped. But we can get a second pizza to take home. Or anything else you want. Pasta? Lasagna? Chicken picatta?”
“I don’t know what that last one is.”
Nic motioned to the server as Evangeline picked up her slice again. “Per favore, can we have an order of chicken picatta to take home for tomorrow?”
“Si, signore.” The woman stared at Nic for several seconds, shuffling from foot to foot. “Scusi, signore, ma lei e Nicola Angliatti, si?”
His shoulders stiffened, and he leaned closer to the girl and lowered his voice. “Si. Per favore, non dire a nessuno che mi hai visto. Vogliamo essere invisibili.”
“D’accordo, signore.” She rushed off, and Nic ran a hand through his hair. He’d left it loose today, and the thick locks settled over his shoulders.
“I am sorry, Evangeline. The server recognized me. I asked her not to tell anyone she’d seen us. That we wanted privacy. I trust Sofia’s discretion. This young woman…I do not know her.” He glanced down at his watch. “As soon as she brings the takeaway box, we should return to the house. Carlo will meet us there with our new security.”
Revelations in Blood Page 3