Odyssey (The Vampire Destiny Series Companion Book 1) (32 page)

Before I go, I have one more question, Kian.  My mother.  Who is she?  And where is she?”  She questioned in a breathless rush.  Her question had my attention, doubly so due to Nigel’s revelation.  Kian was not expecting such an inquiry from her, and the shock clearly registered on his face before the smooth demeanor shifted back into place.

“Your mother is gone.  She left me 28 years ago,” Kian replied.  His eyes drifted to his hands in his lap before meeting hers again.  “She chose to leave us, Josephine.  She chose to abandon her child and the husband she swore she loved above all others.  I do not wish to speak of her.

She swallowed hard and glanced up at me.  I attempted to keep my face expressionless, refusing to emote and let Kian know I had obtained any information. My jaw clenched a single time before I could stop myself and my right eyebrow twitched.  I hoped that he was so preoccupied with her questioning that my reaction would go unnoticed.

“I deserve to know her name, Kian.  You owe me that much,” Josephine retorted quietly.  She was persistent in her quest for information, refusing to let Kian off the hook.

Kian did not react well to her interrogation.  His smooth demeanor cracked as his hands squeezed the arms of the chair and his lips became a thin line.  Anger lined his expressive face and his sparkling green eyes flashed with rage.  “I will not speak her name.  Do not ask me again.  We will talk soon.”

He had unwittingly confirmed Nigel’s story with his adamant refusal to even speak Josephine’s mother’s name.  I lightly squeezed her hand, giving her a non-verbal queue that it was time to leave.  She stared at her father for another few seconds before letting me tug her towards the elevator.  Stepping inside, we met Kian’s gaze for the last time as the doors closed.  His face was an unyielding mask as the door separated us.

“That was unwise, Josephine.  I understand that you are new to this world and the protocol that goes along with it.  Angering a Board member can have unpleasant ramifications.”
  My mental voice brushed softly into her thoughts as the elevator began its descent.

“You sound like you’re reciting a passage from a rule book, Stefan.  I deserve to know who my mother is, Stefan.  He owes me that much, don’t you think?”

Of course she deserved to know her past.  I wanted to know every part of who she was, but provoking Kian was not the wisest plan of attack. 
“What I think and what Kian thinks are very likely two different things
,
vackra.  He makes the rules and it is my job to enforce them.  He is not a human that can easily be manipulated and controlled, Josephine.  He has ordered the deaths of many of my kind without a second thought or a moment of remorse.”
I turned slightly to face her and ran the back of my fingers across her cheekbone
.  “You have questions that need answers.  We will find them.  Together.”

The elevator doors opened into the garage area, effectively ending our non-verbal conversation.  Walking side by side, we headed through the room to a large door.  I paused and pulled my sunglasses from my pocket and swiftly placed them on, covering my eyes from the bright sunshine.  Giving the door a push, we were met by brisk air, sunshine and traffic.  The air was filled with the smells of the city: car exhaust, asphalt and the aroma of different foods, spilling out from neighboring restaurants.  Yet stronger than any of the annoying smells was the scent of Josephine.  Her fragrant blood overpowered everything, arousing and fulfilling me like nothing else could.

“Stefan!  Josephine!”

We turned in unison to see Nigel approaching us.  He wasn’t as tall as me, but he was barrel chested and could easily take on any opponent.  He inclined his head as he stopped to stand in front of us.

“I have your car waiting for you with your luggage inside.  Is there anything else I can do to be of assistance?” Nigel directed his question to me, but I could sense he was planning on approaching Josephine with the news he had shared with me.  I needed to make sure she was tucked safely away in the car when he blurted out his long kept secret.

“That should do, Nigel.  Thank you,” I answered, extending my hand to him.  He accepted and it was if we had signed a secret pact with that single act.  His sunglasses-covered eyes turned on Josephine

“Josephine, it was a pleasure meeting you.  We will see each other again under better circumstances, I hope.”

She glanced up at me for confirmation, and I nodded in response.  Nigel led us to the silver Mercedes sedan and opened the door for her.  She sank into the leather seat and Nigel leaned down slightly as he reached to shut the door for her.  He paused for a moment as she buckled her seatbelt and waited until the engine was purring before he quietly spoke.  “I loved your mother.  She was nearly as beautiful as you, Josephine.”

“My mother?  You know who my mother is?”  Her voice came out like a strangled shriek as she grabbed at Nigel’s arm.

“Later.”  Nigel gently disentangled his arm away from her grasp and closed the door.  Josephine’s eyes were locked on his face as we pulled away from the carriage house.

“Stefan?  You have to go back.  I have to talk to him!”  She was frantic to go back to find out the information Nigel had about her mother.  I was happy Nigel had given me the opportunity to make a getaway before he dropped his bombshell on her.

“Soon, Josephine.  I promise that you will find out everything.  You must be patient.” I drove quickly through the heavy traffic, dodging and changing lanes frequently as I headed down West 28th Street towards Chelsea.  It had been nearly six months since I had last been here, and I had not realized how much I had missed the hustle and sounds of the city.

Making a sharp turn, I drove into the underground parking underneath the building, pulling into my assigned parking space.  I gracefully unfolded myself from the spacious sedan, stopping long enough to pull our bag from the trunk.  Whistling softly, I made my way around to her door, opening it gallantly for her.

I was anticipating her questions.  They began the moment she stepped from the car and looked around the dimly lit parking garage.  “Where are we?”

Pressing the alarm button on the key fob, I was silent as I headed towards the elevator, stopping briefly to punch a code into the keypad by the elevator and the doors separated quietly.  I stepped inside and leaned provocatively against the back wall, simply jutting my head backwards for her to join me.  She let out a heavy sigh, making her displeasure at being kept in the dark apparent.  She joined me and I reached over to press ‘8’ on the panel and the doors closed, slowly rising with a small ding chiming as it passed each floor.  It rocked to a stop on the eighth floor, the doors opening to plush carpeting and beige walls.

“Shall we?”  I exited the elevator to the right and she trailed behind me as I ambled down the short hallway to 8B, pulling a key out of my pocket, unlocking the door and pushing it open.  Standing in the doorway, a smirk settled over my face.

“Are you going to come inside our home or would you like to meet our neighbor?”

She jolted in surprise at the casual mention of referring to this apartment as ‘ours’ versus ‘mine’.  Faltering for a second, she finally was able to get her feet to cooperate and she stepped inside, her wide eyes glancing around the living room.  “
Our
neighbor?  Whose apartment is this?”

Chapter Twelve- Light And Dark

Stepping inside the airy living room, she made small circles as she took in her surroundings.  The view from the apartment was quite impressive; it was one of the main reasons I had bought the building. The entire living room and kitchen was a wall of windows, offering a fantastic glimpse of the nearby Gallery district and the Highline.  The furniture was modern and sleek, the apartment decorated in neutral shades of cream and beige, accented with bright splashes of red and turquoise.  A giant fireplace with built in bookshelves lined one wall.

“This is my apartment, which is now yours as well.  It is something more for us to discuss later, yes?” I asked as I shut and locked the door.  I spun to face her with a devilish gleam in my eye.  “Would you like the grand tour now?”

Pursing her soft pink lips, she ran her fingers through her long hair.  “By all means.  Lead the way.”

Motioning for her to follow, I sauntered through the living room and kitchen, which led into a long, narrow hallway.  She was attempting to pay attention to the apartment, but I could feel her eyes raking over my shoulders and back, paying particular attention to my ass.

“Eye fucking me already, Josephine?”  I tossed a leer over my shoulder.  “This is the office.”  I pointed to a room on my right.  “Guest bathroom, laundry room.  And finally, this is our bedroom.”

Stalking into the spacious room, I dropped our suitcase on the dresser.  Josephine plopped down on the king size bed, bracing her arms behind her and watching as I crossed the room and flicked a switch on the wall.  Chocolate brown motorized curtains closed across the wall of windows, darkening the bedroom.  I zipped to her side and lounged on the bed beside of her, propping my head on one of my hands.  She relaxed her arms and lay back on the bed, staring up at my face.  I admired her beauty and strength; after all she had been through in the last 48 hours she still managed to take all of the changes in stride and with very little complaint.  Running my fingers over her hair, I stretched over to kiss her desirable lips before reluctantly lifting myself from the bed.

“You need to eat.  Shower and I will order food for you,” I said.  I stood in the doorway, staring at the stunning woman stretched across the bed.  It was one of those moments that floored me.  In my wildest dreams, I never thought she would be here with me.  “The bathroom is fully stocked.  Come and find me when you are finished.”

I left her to her own devices and headed back into the living room, quickly retrieving my laptop from my carry-on bag.  Josephine was exhausted, and it was likely she would not emerge from the bedroom for a few hours.  That gave me time to catch up on business.  Powering on my computer, I reached for my phone.  I waited until I heard the shower start and then I dialed the first of three numbers.

“Mr. Patterson.  I hope you have the paperwork in order.  I am back in New York and you need to bring it to my apartment.  Now.”

Offering no goodbye, I hung up and picked up another phone.  This one was untraceable and had no bells and whistles.  It simply was for the times when I did not want my calls traced.

Dialing again, I began speaking when the line was answered.  “Lukas, are you on a secure line?”  I paused and waited for his response.   “Good.  Pack your bags.  It is time to come back to New York.”