Odyssey (The Vampire Destiny Series Companion Book 1) (42 page)

“Silly me! I forgot that you have things to do.  We’ll continue this later,” she said smoothly, adjusting my briefs and patting my chest affectionately.  She left the room in a perfume of arousal and I was still in a state of shock as I watched her leave.

“Josephine.  Come back here,” I moaned in a strangled voice.  My cock throbbed and my mind was still not functioning properly.

Her voice drifted back to me from the living room.  “Sweetheart, when you play with fire, you get burned.  Get dressed.”

It was tempting to finish the job she started.  However, I would much rather make her pay for her teasing.  I dressed quickly and adjusted myself uncomfortably underneath the unyielding metal of my zipper.  Our antics had caused me to run short on time and I hurried down the hall and leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss.

“Even though you are wicked, I love you.”  My mouth brushed against hers before running a finger down her cheek and standing back up.  I knew she was watching me and I made sure to add more swagger to my step as I left the apartment.

***

Throughout the day, I wondered how Josephine’s meeting with her long lost brother was going.  It could go either way…I knew nothing about Nikolaus Ahearne.  Nigel assured me his intentions were honorable.  He simply wanted to reconnect with the sister he thought he would never see again.  I gave them a few hours together before I headed home.  When I stepped off the elevator, I could hear their muddled conversation as I approached our door.

Josephine must have sensed my approach.  I could feel the eagerness spike in the blood we shared.  Pushing open the apartment door, I quietly strode in and closed the door behind me, glancing between Nikolaus and Josephine.  I swaggered into the living room, dropping into one of the armchairs across from the couch.  I stretched my long legs out in front of me and my piercing gaze locked on her.

“I see your visitor has arrived,” I remarked coolly.  I sized up her brother.  He was tall and leanly muscled, both arms covered with sleeves of tattoos.  His thin t-shirt hugged his chest and his hair was a deep mahogany, streaks of copper highlighting his hair.  I could see Josephine in his features, from his almond shaped green eyes to his sharp cheekbones.

My fingers tapped against the arms of the chair, shrewdly appearing more imposing than necessary.  Even though I knew this man was her sibling, I had no reservations in letting her know I was displeased to see her with another man, even if that man happened to be family.

She dropped Nikolaus’s hand and moved to stand at the edge of my chair, sitting down on my lap and curling up against my chest.  My mood lightened and my arms wrapped around her, sighing heavily against her hair.

“Have you enjoyed your visit with him, vackra?”
My mental voice, along with my mood, was unsettled.

“It’s been informative.”
  She replayed some of the visions through her mind, allowing me to methodically read her thoughts.  My entire body went rigid underneath her as I mentally sorted through each of them.

Tilting her head back, she pressed a kiss to my throat.  “Stefan, this is my brother Nikolaus.  Nikolaus, this is Stefan.  My
mate
.”  I noticed she made sure to put the emphasis on mate to appease my more possessive side.  My body relaxed slightly underneath her, pleased at her choice of words.

Nikolaus focused on me for a moment and a roguish smile spread across his face, two dimples appearing on both sides of his cheeks.   He clapped his hands together once and then rubbed them together, his deep laughter resounding throughout the living room.  “Josie, you’re with Stefan Lifsten?  Hell, yes! This is better than I expected.  I know what you can do, Stefan.  I just need to know if you’re willing to do it.”

Appearing completely disinterested, my hand leisurely stroked across the small of Josephine’s back.  I chuckled and kissed her forehead affectionately.  “And what is it that you know I can do, Nikolaus?”

Nikolaus leaned back against the couch, spreading his arms across the top of the cushions, the colorful sleeves of his tattoos on display.  “Kill our father of course.”

My gaze turned glacial, but I had no other reaction to Nikolaus’s statement.  I continued to stoke her skin as I sat silently in the chair.  Resting my head against the chair, I raised an eyebrow and spoke.  “Why do you think I would want to kill your father?  He is a Board member and such actions would be considered treason.”

Nikolaus tilted his head back and rolled his green eyes that were so much like Josephine’s up to the ceiling.  “Yeah, yeah.  Treason and all that fucking vampire protocol bullshit that’s been shoved down my throat for years.  Don’t you think it’s time for things to change?”

My hand stilled on her back.  “Josephine, I need to talk to your brother alone.”

“Stefan,” she began, her voice rising in protest.

Now was not the time for her to question me.  She could berate me later, but I needed her cooperation now.

“Josephine.”  My eyes were hard as I stared at her, making it clear this topic was not open for discussion.

Mumbling under her breath angrily, she stomped out of the room and went into our bedroom, making a production of slamming the door.

Nikolaus leaned forward and laced his fingers together.  “Listen, Stefan.  You don’t know me and I get that you’re trying to act like you’re going to toe the line.  Maybe you are and I’m wrong about who you are and what you stand for.  But that’s my sister in there and I know what Kian is capable of.  She’s next.  He’ll either willingly convince her to come or he’ll kill you to get to her.  If she tries to defy him, he’ll kill her.”

Stabbing anger pulsed through me at his words.  He was correct, of course.  If Kian would kill their mother, he would have no trepidation in killing Josephine.

It was time to test her brother to see how honest he was willing to be with me.  “Explain how you know what he is capable of doing.”

“Kian has the ability to block most vampires’ abilities, Stefan.  Did you notice you can’t see anything when he’s involved?  It’s ironic that the smug bastard doesn’t know that I can read him like a fucking book.  His little experiment turned on him, never expecting that his genetics and my mother’s abilities could be used against him.  I know all of his dirty little secrets, the things he thought he had hidden away.  He fucking killed my mother, Stefan.”  Nikolaus’s voice broke and it reminded me so much of Josephine that I wanted to offer him solace.  “The only reason I maintain any contact with him is so I can try to keep my eye on what he’s doing.  I’d rather kill the asshole than look at him.  But I can’t so I’m asking you.  No, I take that back.   I’m fucking begging for you to help me.  And if you don’t want to help me, at least do it to save my sister.”

The hatred Nikolaus harbored was dangerous.  It was consuming him, clouding his reason.  If I was any other vampire, I could easily report this plan to the Council and Nikolaus would be dead within the day.

“I will take your proposal under consideration, Nikolaus.  I cannot promise you anything else.”

“I won’t ask for anything more.  It burns my ass to even have to consider someone else doing my dirty work.”  He was quiet for a moment.  “Can I ask you something?”

Folding my hands in my lap, I inclined my head.  “You may ask.  I may not answer.”

Nikolaus laughed softly.  “I like you, Stefan.  But back to my question.  Do you love her?”

I did not hesitate in my answer.  “More than my own existence.”

“That’s the difference between you and my father.  He doesn’t love anyone except himself and his fucking insane need for power.  You can sit there in that chair in this fancy apartment and pretend that you care about fucking protocol.  I know you love my sister.  You know you love my sister.  And we both know she loves you.  Fuck, even if I had doubts, I saw her face when you walked in the room.  It’s a matter of survival now.  It’s either kill or be killed at this point.  You are standing between what he wants and he’ll stop at nothing to get it.”

Neither of us spoke for a moment.  I crossed my ankles and shook my head.  “Nothing will happen to her, Nikolaus.  You have my word.”

“Yeah, Nigel thought the same thing about my mother,” Nikolaus said insistently.  He was intent on driving his point home and scaring me shitless.

“I am not Nigel, Nikolaus.”  My words were cold and calculated.  I could almost feel the shards of ice in my words.  “Nigel is a decent man and a respectable vampire.  He is tied into the Council too deeply and has not accepted that Armes is dead.  Once he finally admits that she was murdered, another ally bent on revenge will be created.  An ally that seeks vengeance craves retribution more than he wants to live.  It can become an all-consuming thing, Nikolaus.  That combination can be deadly and the person will not be thinking of the big picture, only how to achieve it.”

“Touché.  I’m going to assume you’re not just talking about Nigel.”

He was perceptive; I would have to give him that much credit.  But now I was weighing the pros and cons of what the death of their father would mean to all parties involved.  I was not against the idea, however I wanted to be careful and methodically plan before acting rashly.

“You are correct.  I am not just talking about Nigel.  I am very old, Nikolaus.  I have not remained on this earth for almost 1,000 years by being impatient and impetuous.”

His foot twitched nervously.  “That’s why I’m asking for your help.  The Council trusts you.”

I sensed that Josephine had been listening in to this entire conversation.
“If you are finished picking through my mind, please pull yourself away from the door and join us, Josephine.”

Blushing profusely, she rejoined us in the living room.  I was still seated in the chair and I glanced at her with undisguised amusement.  Nikolaus stood and walked to her side and drew her into a tight embrace.

He pulled back and their eyes met. “I’m glad I finally met you, Josie.  I can see our mom in you.”  He smiled sadly; his eyes shining brightly with unshed tears.  “Are you staying in New York?”

“We’re heading back to Indonesia for a while to wrap things up.  We’ll be back though.”