Darkest Risings (27 page)

“Ookayyy.
Thank you for telling me. I guess.” She frowned.

“Wilhemina?
Where does all of this leave us? You and I?”

She
sighed, and went to sit on the black leather sofa in the corner of his room.
When she didn’t say anything and stared at him, he walked over and sat beside
her, careful to leave several inches between them. He lost all train of thought
when he touched her, and now was not the time. His cock twitched in
disagreement, but he quickly stifled the urge to say fuck it, pull her under
him, and bury himself in her sweetness.

“I
don’t know where that leaves us, Aldin. Your mother robbed me of seven years
with my sister, robbed my sister of seven years of her life. I know you had
nothing to do with it, but she is your mother. I can’t pretend that doesn’t
bother me. I also can’t pretend to believe that my dislike of your mother
doesn’t carry the potential risk to cause problems between you and me later on.
You will eventually forgive her. I don’t know if I ever can, and I don’t want
to put you in a position where you might have to choose between her and me.”

“You
are right. I will always love Marilena, Wilhemina. No matter how angry she
makes me, no matter how many idiotic things she does that I don’t approve of.”
He took one of her hands in his. “But I swear to you that if it came to it, if
there was ever a time where I was forced to choose between you and her, I would
choose you. However, I don’t believe that will ever happen because I don’t
think you or my mother would put me in that position.”

“Aldin,”
she said quietly. “I would never put you in that position, but sometimes in
life things happen that we have no control over. I could not bear knowing that
I could one day be the reason for a problem between you and Marilena. I have to
try to think about this logically. My sister will never forgive her for what
she’s done. Lindsey does not want to be around her, or your family for that
matter. It will only remind her of what she went through. While she’s given me
her blessing to be with you if I choose, I’m worried it will hurt my
relationship with her once we are out of danger.”

“I
don’t believe anything can hurt your relationship with your sister. Not after
being kept apart for such a long time.”

“When
we are out of danger, Lindsey will want to leave here. I plan to go with her. I
cannot expect her to want to stay here.”

“Nor
do I. Then it is settled. When the danger has passed, I will go with you.”

“You
can’t be serious. I don’t have the money to keep you in a place even half as
nice as this.”

“Do
you think I would expect you to pay my way? I have more than enough money. We
can live anywhere you like. We can do anything you want, Wilhemina. I will even
pay for your sister’s living arrangements if she chooses to have her own place.
It’s the least I can do for her after what my mother has done.”

He
was going to lose her if he didn’t do something fast. While Wilhemina may not
agree to let him take care of her, he was sure that she’d want the best for her
sister. Besides, he could always work on Wilhemina later because he planned to
treat her like a queen and spoil her rotten. Right now he had to find a way to
keep her from walking out of his life for good.

“I
can’t allow you to pay my way either.”

“Why?”

“Honestly?”

“I
want nothing but honesty between us.”

“I
don’t know where I stand with you, Aldin.”

He’d
never told her he loved her. She’d opened her heart to him and he’d given her
nothing in return. He had never been in love. The one time he’d thought he’d
been had turned out to be a huge mistake. He hadn’t been sure before that he
understood what being in love really felt like. Now he did.

The
knowledge that she was contemplating walking out of his life shattered him. The
thought of her leaving him sent panic slithering through his veins like poison.
He could go on without her if forced to, but he would never truly be alive
again if that were to happen.

His
life would cease to have meaning if she left him. The mere thought of living
without her instilled a deep seated fear inside him like he’d never known.
That’s what love was.

“Wilhemina,
I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before now, but I—”

“
Aldin, get to the study now.”

He
groaned out loud as Ashe’s voice cut through his brain.

“Aldin?”

He
stood. The urgency in Ashe’s tone told him that whatever was going on was
important. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” He got up from the couch.

“Is
something wrong?” She stood and placed her hand on his arm.

“I
don’t know. Ashe asked me to come to the study.”

She
frowned.

“Other
vampires can talk to me telepathically like you and I do.”

“Oh.”

He
bent and kissed her softly on the lips, savoring her scent and taste. “We’ll
finish this conversation later?”

“Okay.”

He
hoped there would be a later to finish the conversation. Time was ticking away,
counting down quickly to the upcoming encounter with Trinidad at the old
warehouse. Things were about to get hectic and stay that way.

“Do
you want me to walk you back to you room?”

“No.
I can find my own way. Thank you.”

He
stared at her, taking in her lovely red hair and flawless skin before nodding
and shimmering to the study.

Ashe,
Aiston, Uriah, Conrad, Dominic, and Malachi were in the study along with Grady
who stood off to the side. Even Ragnor was in the room, but was standing in a
far corner silently observing the scene.

“What
the fuck is he doing here?” Aldin gave a small jerk of his head in Grady’s
direction.

Grady
had helped fight off the drifters at Drake’s. Hell, he’d probably saved
Aiston’s and possibly his own life. That didn’t change the fact that he was a
drifter, which made Aldin suspicious of him and his motives.

“I’ve
been hiding out. Trinidad knows I’m alive, and he’s good at
discovering
where people are that he
wants to find—me being high on that
want
to find
list. I seriously underestimated him when I attended his little
meeting. I didn’t think he had a clue I was there. Obviously, I was mistaken. I
was coming to warn you about the impending attack at Drake’s last night when I
was nabbed by a shitload of drifters. Took me awhile to get free. If Trinidad
had gotten to me before I got loose, I wouldn’t be standing here.” Grady didn’t
twitch or give any indication that he was being deceitful.

“Tell
me what you know about Trinidad.” Ragnor stepped forward.

“Who
the hell are you?” Grady asked.

“Don’t
worry about it. You will be told things on a need-to-know basis. Get used to
it,” Ashe ground out between his teeth.

Grady
eyed the Aleksandrov men one by one before resting his gaze back on Ragnor.
Anyone could see the resemblance, but none could deduce from that information
that Ragnor was their father. Nor could anyone possibly know that he was the
legendary Vampyre King. If Aldin and his brothers learned one thing over the
years of fighting, it was that you never laid all of your cards on the table
for everyone to see. When you had an Ace or two, you guarded them closely and
waited for the right time to play them.

“He
says he’s an ancient.” Grady scratched at the stubble on his jaw.

“Dude,
you need a bath. I can smell you over here,” Malachi grumbled.

“It’s
hard to shower when half of the city is trying to kill your ass,” Grady growled
back in response.

“Yeah,
well you smell like ass,” Aiston complained.

“Enough!
You can shower here once we are done.” Ragnor’s voice held an air of authority
that was unmistakable. “Now tell me everything you know about Trinidad.”

“Fine.
But don’t expect much. He isn’t a warm, fuzzy, sharing type of guy.” Grady
scratched at his scruff again before continuing. “He’s pissed.”

“No
shit,” Dominic said.

Grady
lifted a brow at Dominic. Aldin was beginning to like Grady. He was in a room
of hunters who technically should be cutting his head off, but he chose to hold
his own ground and not quiver like a sniveling coward.

“He’s
always talked about the legendary Vampyre King, and how the title rightfully
belongs to him. He plans on wiping all of you out. He wants to put himself on
the throne, so to speak. I can’t begin to tell you how bad that would be for
humans if he manages it. You cannot imagine how sadistic Trinidad is. He’s not
right in the noodle, yet he is cunning in a scary way. It’s like taking Freud,
turning him evil and crazy without fucking with his genius, then setting him
loose to do as he will.” Grady sat up.

Malachi
grunted.

“But
that is also his weakness. He doesn’t believe anyone is as intelligent as he
is. He doesn’t believe anyone can get one up on him.”

“Yet,
we’ve foiled his plans at just about every step thus far,” Aiston said.

“Yes,
but he blames those failures on the shit brains he has working for him,” Grady
answered.

“Weren’t
you one of those shit brains not long ago?” Aldin said.

Conrad
and Dominic snickered.

“Nope.
I did everything I was told. All of his plans were doable, were good. Most only
got screwed up because of the idiots he relied on to carry out those plans.
There are a few of us, including me, that are good at carrying out orders and
following instructions. But trying to get the dumb shits under us to not fuck
up is another thing. Trinidad has had his little army of drifters in training
for awhile now, but only about a third of them have become adequate enough in
combat to give you guys a run for your money.”

“If
you say so.” Malachi snorted.

“Don’t
be fooled. Up to this point, Trinidad has sent his lackeys in to carry out the
ambushes. I don’t believe for a moment he thought any of the idiots would
actually accomplish what they were supposed to. He was testing the waters. He
was learning about all of you, your weaknesses, your strengths, and gathering
information. When the first wave of the uprising begins, he will have a more
skilled army there. If you don’t go in with a plan, you will be slaughtered.
And don’t underestimate Trinidad’s power. He is stronger than anything I’ve
ever come across. I’ve seen him work spells too.”

Everyone
including Ragnor stared at Grady in silence. They already knew about Trinidad’s
spells after he’d used one along with a tranquilizer made from no drug they’d
ever seen before to kidnap and hold Malachi. Luckily, the hunter had escaped
unscathed.

“Do
you know how he makes the tranqs?”

“Nope.”
Grady answered. “Well?” He shrugged. “What’s your plan?”

“To
hold him off. To damage him and send him back in hiding. We have enough inside
information”—Aldin glanced up at Ragnor—”to defeat Trinidad. At this time,
however, the resources to do so are not available to us.”

“And
are you planning on throwing me back to the wolves?”

“You’ve
helped us on several occasions. I’m not overlooking that. But I can’t
differentiate between how much of that is due to wanting to save your own ass
and your desire to do the right thing.” Ashe leaned back in the chair behind
the big desk in the middle of the study.

Aldin
was sure he knew where Ashe’s thoughts were going concerning Grady. They could
not invite him into their home because none of them would be willing to expose
Ebony, Marcus, Avril, Lindsey, Wilhemina, or Geri to a potential threat. And no
matter how much Grady had helped, he was still a drifter—or something different
in any case—and could not be thoroughly trusted.

“I
don’t see a problem with him staying in the apartment over the garage,” Aldin
suggested. “We can keep an eye on him and he won’t be a potential threat inside
the house.”

“Anyone
else have a problem with that?” Ashe asked.

“Your
house, man,” Dominic said.

The
other hunters nodded in agreement along with Aiston.

“I
guess that’s settled then.” Ashe looked at Grady. “You can stay in the
apartment over the garage, but you are not allowed in this house at any time
without escort. Are we clear on that?”

“Crystal.”
Grady scowled.

“Very
well. If we are done here, I’ll show him to the apartment,” Ashe said.

When
everyone nodded, Ashe got up, walked to the door, and motioned for Grady to
follow him. Once they were gone, the tension kicked up a notch in the room.

“I
don’t fucking like it.” Malachi sneered.

 
“None of us do, but Grady has given us more
intel than we’ve been able to find out for months on our own. As much as I hate
to admit it, he’s an asset that could prove very useful,” Aiston said.

“I
don’t know how useful he is now that Trinidad knows he’s alive. Before that?
Maybe. Now?” Conrad shrugged.