“It’s Faye’s fault and nobody else’s,” I said firmly. “We have to stop blaming ourselves and each other. What’s done is done and there’s nothing that we can do now. I’m just grateful that you guys are taking us in.”
“Hey, guys, looks like you’re all ready to go. You must be dying to get off of this plane,” said Steve, walking toward us with Liam and Josh, who looked like he needed some coffee.
“You could say that,” said Bradan, looking at his watch.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Eight-thirty p.m.,” said Bradan.
“Liam, your brother sent us a limo. You’re going to have to share a ride with Talia,” said Steve.
“That’s fine,” he answered. “Melody, Chelsey, and Slade will probably be joining us, too.”
“Actually, I’ll meet up with you there later,” said Slade. “I’m going to stop home and check on things. Probably shower and change, too.”
“Okay,” said Liam.
“You live in Romania. Isn’t that pretty far from here?” I asked.
Slade grinned. “It won’t take me more than ten minutes to get there.”
“What about you guys?” I asked Bradan. “Do you live in Dublin, too?”
“Yeah, but not in the castle,” he answered. “Although, we hang out there often.”
Steve opened up the doorway. “Nice night,” he said, sticking his head outside.
“Yeah, it is,” said Liam, stepping around him. “Nice night for a race, don’t you think?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” said Steve.
All of us but Steve got off of the plane and stood next to it in the cool darkness.
Liam turned to Josh, who looked like he was ready to pass out. “You gonna make it, buddy?”
“I’m fine,” he replied, smiling weakly. “Just need to eat something, I guess. Feeling a little lightheaded.”
Liam put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “You’re welcome to stop over for dinner tonight. Aiden won’t mind.”
“No, that’s okay,” he said. “I already booked a room in town. I’ll eat and probably go to bed early. Steve called me a cab. It should be here any minute.”
“Okay, if you change your mind, the offer still stands. We’re going to have a big spread. Steak and Guinness pie, corned beef, potato and leek soup. Séamus, our private chef, is a phenomenal cook.”
“Sounds like fun, but I’m exhausted. Thanks, man.”
He patted him on the back. “No problem. Go and rest up.”
“I will. Thanks, Liam.”
“Thanks for helping to get us home safely,” he answered.
“Your rides should be arriving shortly. I’m going to help Talia with her things,” called Steve from the plane’s doorway.
“Okay,” said Liam.
We were at another private hangar, this one much smaller than the others. Nobody was around, and other than the lights that lit up the runway, it was dark and getting cooler by the minute.
“Where is everyone?” asked Melody, shivering.
Liam pointed toward a white tower, which was also lit up. “Looks like there’s someone directing the flights, but other than that, it’s just us,” said Liam. He looked at Melody. “Are you cold?”
“Just a little,” she said, her teeth chattering.
I opened up the bag I was still holding and pulled out two hoodies. I tossed one to her.
“Thanks,” she said, quickly pulling it over her head. “I’m freezing my butt off.”
I put the other one on and then shoved my hands into the pockets. From the chill, I figured it had to be somewhere between thirty and forty degrees. “Actually, this isn’t too bad compared to Montana.”
“It’s okay if you’re dressed for it,” said Melody. “Or… a vampire.”
“It is definitely cool, but I love this kind of weather,” said Liam, taking a deep breath. “It clears the lungs and opens up the mind.”
“Right,” said Melody. She looked at me. “Do we have anything warmer than these hoodies?”
“Not really,” I answered.
“Then I think we’re going to need a lot more clothes,” she said.
“I’ll take you shopping tomorrow,” said Slade. “You girls can pick out whatever you think that you’ll need.”
“Cool,” said Melody. “Or, you can just give us your credit card and drop us off at the mall.”
I scowled at her. “Seriously? He’s not our father.”
“And you’re not from around here. We’ll take you shopping,” said Liam. “I could use some new duds myself.”
“That’s very sweet of you guys, but you really don’t have to keep spending money on us,” I said. “I’m sure Melody and I can figure out something.”
“Not this again,” Slade said, smiling. “I told you before – I’m going to take care of you.” He looked at Liam. “We are going to take care of you.”
“What he said,” said Liam.
“It just feels weird,” I replied, smiling sheepishly. “Making you pay for everything.”
Slade bit the side of his lip and then smiled. “Would it feel less weird if you worked for the band and we paid you?”
“Of course,” I said. “Why, are you offering us jobs?”
Slade looked at Liam again. “We could probably find something for you both to do.”
“I bet,” said Talia, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. “You were always good at making a woman useful, Slade.”
Slade rolled his eyes.
“Oh, my God, where did you come from?” gasped Melody.
“From the plane,” replied Talia, smirking. “Same as you.”
“Vampires can fly, remember,” I reminded her. “Very quickly, too.”
“Well, yeah… but I had no idea you could move that fast, Talia,” said Melody.
“You should see how fast Slade moves,” said Talia. “He’s been known to kill two hearts, or… I mean two birds with one stone.”
“Enough, Talia,” said Slade, his face dark.
Her eyes widened innocently. “Enough, what? I was just complimenting you.”
He grunted. “Right.”
“Where is Steve?” asked Liam.
“He mentioned something about locking up the plane,” said Talia, setting her carry-on bag down.
“Here comes the limo,” said Liam, pointing to a set of headlights coming near us.
“Catch you guys later,” said Bradan, who’d been texting someone. He put the phone away and smiled. “I’ll race you two to my house. Ma has some blood for us.” Then he shot up into the starry skies. Sean and Jimmy said goodbye and then quickly followed suit.
The limo stopped and the driver got out. “Sorry I’m late,” apologized the young man, looking nervous. “I had to get gas and they were having problems with the pumps.”
“No problem,” said Liam. “You can’t control that kind of stuff.”
“It was a pain in the butt,” replied the driver as he opened up the door to the limo.
Talia, Melody, and Liam got inside. As I was about to get in, Slade, grabbed my hand and stopped me. “Hold on.”
“Uh, okay.”
“You coming?” asked Liam.
“Later,” he answered, pulling me to the side. He looked at the driver. “Could you give us a moment alone?”
“Sure,” he replied. He walked back around and got inside the vehicle.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Don’t slap me. I’m going to kiss you,” he whispered.
I stared at him in shock. “What?”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You’re my fiancée, remember?”
“Oh yeah,” I answered, feeling my heart begin to race. I stared at his lips and imagined them on mine. I hadn’t kissed anyone in so long and I had to admit, I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather kiss at that moment.
He slid his hand around my waist and pulled me close. Once again, I smelled traces of candy. “Ready?”
he asked.
“Yeah,” I whispered, staring at his face, which was back to looking healthy and as handsome as ever. Whatever Talia had given him had certainly done the trick. He was once again poster material and swoon-worthy.
His green eyes glittered in the darkness as he licked his lips. “It’s been so long, I don’t know if I remember how to do this.”
I giggled. “I’m certainly not an expert. So, don’t be too surprised.”
“Everything about you surprises me,” he said, touching my cheek. “And I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
I stared into his eyes, which were beginning to glow again. “Your eyes. Why do they do that?” I whispered.
“Because of how badly I want this,” he whispered back, pressing his lips to mine.
My legs turned to jelly as he began to kiss me with an urgency that took my breath away. Shocked and excited, I clung to him as his tongue sought out mine and did delicious things to my mouth. As the kiss deepened, his hands slid over my hips and I could feel the hardness of his desire pressed up against me, making me hot and tingly.
Slade pulled himself away from my lips and took a step back. “Jesus,” he whispered, trying to catch his breath. “You should probably get into the limo,” he said, not looking at me.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay,” I said, wondering if I’d done something wrong. I stopped walking and turned to him. “Are you sure you’re not mad at me or something?”
He frowned. “No. Why would I be?”
“I guess I don’t know. You just look angry for some reason.”
“I’m fine. Just get into the limo,” he said, dismissing me.
“Fine,” I said, now angry myself. Here I was helping him out and he was being a jerk. Well, screw him. The next time he asked me to kiss him, I’d tell him where to go.
AS THE LIMO left, I flew into the air and headed toward Romania, my thoughts still on Chelsey.
That kiss.
It was based on a lie, but the truth was we’d both had wanted it. I could tell from the moment our lips met. And damn, it had taken a lot of willpower to break away from her. It had taken even more willpower not to steal her away and show Chelsey exactly why my eyes burned with desire. But doing that was madness. For one thing, she might not want it as badly as I did. For two, she was mortal. And for three… it wasn’t right. She’d just lost her family and seducing her would be immoral.
But there had been nothing fake about what had happened between us. Nothing immoral, either. I thought about the way she’d kissed me back with just as much passion, and it was exhilarating. I’d felt her heart pounding in her chest and had sensed the heat of her desire as it pressed against my zipper. Even now I could feel myself hardening again, just thinking about it.
Doesn’t matter… she’s a mortal.
I growled angrily and flew faster toward Romania, wanting to leave my wicked thoughts in Dublin. I needed to feel the coldness of the night air against my face. But with every mile I flew, her lips and her young, nubile body still haunted my thoughts.
You’re just a horny bastard, I told myself.
The truth was that I barely knew Chelsey and I’d vowed to never get involved with a mortal again. Not after what happened with Vanessa. I could never take a chance like that again. I needed to stick with my own kind.
Like Talia, but never… Talia.
Been there.
Done that.
And not by choice.
Talia’s mocking face popped into my head and any remaining lust quickly deflated. I wondered what kind of business Aiden had with her. She wasn’t a woman to be trusted, and Aiden was a multi-millionaire. Getting involved with Talia was dangerous. I decided to keep an eye on her while distancing myself from Chelsey, at least until I could look at her without wanting to drag her to bed.
WHEN I ARRIVED at my condo, I pulled out a half-liter bag of blood from my refrigerator and digested it. As I reached inside for a second package, the light turned on in the kitchen.
“Good grief, you scared the daylights out of me,” said my housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffrey, putting a hand to her chest. “Thought I was going to have a heart attack.”
I grinned sheepishly. “Sorry.”
She walked over and began to clean the mess I’d made on the counter. “It’s okay. I should have known it was you. Nobody else knows the security code. Where have you been, by the way? I’ve been worried sick about you.”
Mira Jeffrey wasn’t a vampire. She was just a sweet, retired nurse I’d hired ten years ago. We’d met one evening after I’d walked into the clinic where she worked, desperate for blood. She caught me trying to steal, but instead of freaking out, she actually helped me. I didn’t even have to charm her.
“I know what you are,” she said, staring at me sadly. “You’re one of them. Just like my son. Take the blood, young man. I know you need it to survive.”
The short, heavyset woman with the crinkly blue eyes and white hair stunned me. I wasn’t sure what to do about her.
“It’s okay,” she insisted, grabbing another bag. “Take this one, too. I insist.”
I quickly found out that her son had also been made a vampire when he was in his early twenties. She’d supplied him for a number of years, until he was killed by a group of vampire hunters. It left her brokenhearted, but also sympathetic for those of us who were thrust into this kind of existence without any choice in the matter. After that, she started supplying me with donated blood from the local blood bank, where she volunteered. Eventually, she quit her job at the hospital, putting much more time in at the blood bank, while I hired her to be my personal housekeeper. It worked out for both of us, especially for her, as I paid her an outlandish amount to keep an eye on my condo. Because I traveled so frequently, her work was easy and we both knew it. But I didn’t mind. She made my life so much easier and was a good woman. Plus, I could tell that she generally cared about me, and that kind of thing was priceless.
“I lost my phone,” I said. “I’ll get a new one in the morning. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she replied, spraying cleaner on the counter. She began wiping it off with a paper towel. “I just got a little worried is all.”
“The only thing you should be worrying about is where you’re taking your next cruise,” I said, leaning toward her. I kissed her cheek, which smelled like jasmine. “Have you planned it out yet?”
Her face lit up. “Yes. Hilda and Adela think we should try something new. An Alaskan cruise, maybe?”
“Really? Why there?”
“Adela said they have icebergs and that the views are supposed to be amazing.”
“Icebergs, huh? When are you ladies planning on going?”
“Possibly next month, if Hilda can gather the money for her ticket.”
“If she can’t, I’ll pay for it.”
She smiled and touched my arm. “You are such a sweet boy, Slade. God was truly blessing me when you walked into my life.”
“If there is a God, then he was blessing me that day, Mira.”
She sighed. “It’s such a waste that a fine young man like you doesn’t have a lady in his life.”
I feigned shock. “But I do, Mira. You’re my lady. What more do I need?”
She waved her hand at me, smiling in delight. “That’s not what I mean and you know it! Look, I know you don’t want to date mortals, but there must be another vampire somewhere who can bring you happiness.”
“If there is, I haven’t met her,” I said, walking out of the kitchen.
Mira followed me down the hallway toward my bedroom. “What about Talia?”
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to her. “What do you know of Talia?”
She shrugged. “Not much. She called here about two weeks ago. Asked for you.”
Funny, she didn’t mention that on the plane. “Interesting,” I said. “What did she say?”
“She just asked for you. I told her that you
were in the U.S. and that was about the extent of our conversation. She’s a vampire, isn’t she?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I figured that if she had your home phone number, she must be special.”
“I don’t know about special,” I answered, walking to my bedroom door. I turned to her. “I’m going to take a shower and leave for a while. I’ll check back in tomorrow, and by then, I should have a new phone.”
“What if I need to get ahold of you?”
I bit back a smile. She couldn’t stop mothering me and there was no way I’d take that from her. “I’ll be at Liam’s. You have the number.”
“The castle?” she asked, pulling her cell out of her robe.
“Yes.”
“Okay. You’re right. I do have that number.” She yawned. “I’m going to bed. Have a good night.”
“You too.”
I closed my door, grabbed some clothing, and took a shower.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, I’d changed into a black pair of chinos and a blue dress shirt. I looked in the mirror, satisfied that my complexion was back to normal. As I combed and styled my hair, I thought about Chelsey. She’d obviously been frustrated when she’d gotten into the limo. Maybe I had been kind of dick. The kiss had bothered me, though. Bothered me only because even now, I wanted to do it again. Hell, do much more. A girl like her could make a man lose control, mortal or not. I had to watch myself around her, but it didn’t mean I had to be an asshole.
Sighing, I walked into the bedroom, grabbed a long, black leather jacket, put on a pair of loafers, and took off toward the castle.
THE RIDE TO the castle lasted about an hour. It was dark when we arrived but the first view of the castle was breathtaking, even at night.
“Oh, my God, I feel like Cinderella going to the ball,” whispered Melody as we neared the entrance to the old, gothic fortress.
“Isn’t it grand?” said Steve, who was sitting across from us next to Talia. He pointed. “This is one of the few castles that have been passed down from generation to generation, and still privately owned. Liam, you lucky bastard, I bet you don’t even appreciate the historic value of Castle Rylan.”
Slade (Venom Series) Book Two Page 17