Accidentally Married To a Vampire(35)

This was always one of the metrics Niccolo and his men watched. Day laborers were easy prey because no one really tracked them. They often lived under false identities and roamed from state to state.

"I must investigate and handle the situation. Then I will … " he cleared his throat, finding it difficult to say the words, "handle the issue of high gas prices."

She narrowed her eyes. "Fine. But I want hourly updates. Got it?"

Niccolo had to do what he could to appease the queen and avoid the dungeons for as long as possible. He only hoped Helena found a way to break their bond quickly.

He bowed his head. "As you wish."

He sifted to the New York penthouse to prepare his weapons. He'd promised himself he'd stay away, but he could not resist. He missed Helena so badly that he could not feed-not even a drop of flavorless bagged blood. Nor could he sleep. It had been just two days since she'd left, but it felt like an eternity. He felt her sorrow and pain twenty-four hours a day. Could it be that she wept even in her sleep? The thought drove him mad. He hoped she'd find a way to break their bond-not that it would stop him from loving her, but at least he didn't have to feel her pain too. At least she might be free to move on and find another worthy of her.

He lay on the bed in a plain white t-shirt and worn jeans, using her favorite cream sweater as a pillow so he could wallow in her scent. He stared at the ceiling, hands folded neatly over his stomach, wondering where he'd gone wrong in life. What had he done to deserve such a miserable fate?                       
       
           



       

Sì, he had a dark past, but he learned the error of his ways and fought ruthlessly to protect the innocent. Countless lives-children, mothers, sons and daughters-surely the tens of thousands he'd saved meant something? Was it really so much to ask for a life wrapped in the loving warmth of a good woman? Helena had brought the light back into his soul. How cruel the universe was to give him something so spectacular only to make it impossible for him to keep her without destroying her.

The doorbell rang to save Niccolo from his personal pity party. He lethargically climbed out of bed and made his way to the door. Gods he was so hungry. So weak. Useless now.

Viktor would have to do the Obscuro hunting tonight.

He slowly opened the door. He peaked through the crack to see a young man standing in a windbreaker and long bicycle pants.

"Sì?"

"You Niccolo DiConti?"

Niccolo nodded.

The guy slipped an envelope through the crack. "I've been told I gotta wait for a reply."

Niccolo tore open the letter. His eyes only took one second to register the words. His heart stopped beating for the length of one breath, and then his blood began to boil.

Bastard! Andrus would die after a very, very long visit to Niccolo's secret cavern in the bowels of Barcelona. No one there would hear the screams as he took the flesh from his bones nick by nick.

"Ain't got all day man. What's the answer?" asked the courier.

"Tell him I will rip his balls off, stuff them in his mouth, then tear off his head while I make him masticate!"

The courier raised one brow and stepped back. "Kay. Dude. Whatever." He pulled out a walkie-talkie from pocket. "Hey. Found Mr. DiC..." dramatic pause, "onti. Says ‘he accepts.'" He looked back up at the seething Niccolo. "Don't worry about the tip, man. And you should try laying off the 'roids and coffee. Not a good combo for you."





***





"You're a total ass. You know that, don't you?" Helena barked at Andrus from across the deep-cherry antique dining table. The room was well lit by a large, but neglected crystal chandelier. Several corners of the spacious room hosted dusty marble statues of toga-clad men cupping handfuls of grapes raised toward the sky. Post Its, displaying words such as douche bag and imbecile, adorned the statues' surfaces. Helena surmised these must be a few of the gods. How mature.

Five of the six Demilord warriors sitting around the table snickered as Helena dressed Andrus down.

Helena's eyes darted furiously at each of them, dishing a helping of "shut the hell up."

They returned to quietly eating their steak and potatoes, but maintained healthy smirks.

"I suppose you think that vampire mate of yours is an angel. Right?" said Andrus.

Helena grumbled and looked down at her untouched plate. "No. He's an even bigger ass than you are. If that's even possible."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Andres replied with a grin. His men chuckled.

She was appalled by their glib dispositions. "You think this is some kind of joke?" She snarled at each of them.

Their smiles melted away.

"Sorry," Andrus said quietly. "I understand you are upset, that you feel I betrayed you, but that's no reason to not eat. It's been two days."

Helena simply wasn't hungry. "I know how long it's been. The question is, when are you going to let me go home?"

Andrus shrugged and picked up his fork to spear a chunk of baked potato soaked in butter. "Not until I know you're safe from him."

Helena suddenly noticed how Andrus did the quick blinking thing with his eyes when he said that. If memory served right, he'd done it the day they'd met too. His poker tell.

"You suck at that, you know," Helena said.

The men stopped eating again and watched intently for Andrus' response.

Andrus chewed slowly then swallowed. "At what?"

"Lying. And, you know what kills me? I would have done anything to help you if you'd just had the courtesy to ask. But you decided to pull this. Why?" Helena stood up and pounded her fist on the table, sending her fork flying. "I wanted to stay with him! We could have had a chance if you'd just left us alone! Why? Why Andrus! You made him choose between a war, the life of his men, and me. What did I do to deserve this … from you, of all people?"

Andrus winced. "I-I can't … "

"Is this some kind of punishment? Because I didn't give up on Niccolo after one kiss from you?"

His men exchanged astonished glances.                       
       
           



       

Andrus' face flushed. He rose from his seat, walked over to Helena, and yanked her hand.

She popped out of her seat and pulled her hand back. "Fine! You wanna talk? Let's . Because I've got plenty to say!" she yelled.

She followed him into the empty kitchen.

Helena was first shocked by his rude behavior and then by how rundown the kitchen looked. Some of the white tiles were missing from the walls, the white ceramic sink and tiled counters were chipped and cracked. An old refrigerator groaned in the corner. In fact, the entire mansion looked like the inside of a forgotten, Victorian-era museum. This was the home of a person, or group of people, who'd clearly given up on life.

Fists clenched tightly, Andrus paced across the kitchen. "No," he finally said in a hushed voice. "I would never punish you for something like that. But you should be thanking me for showing you what he's really like. He let you go without batting an eyelash, and you were ready to spend eternity with him. He's not the one for you."

"What are you saying? That you are?" she asked bitterly.

He growled. "I am not worthy of anyone, least of all you."

"Whatever! Then why are you doing this?" She screamed.

He ran his hands through his short, dark spikes. "You would never understand the truth, but this isn't about revenge-not against you, anyway."

Helena's mind began sliding the pieces into place. Andrus was using her for revenge. Against who? Couldn't be Niccolo. If that were the case, Andrus would have killed her. Or, killed Niccolo that first night in the hotel. So, if not Niccolo, then who?

Light bulb. "Dammit, Andrus! This is about her! Isn't it?" Helena gave him an ineffective push.

Andrus' face went from flushed to pale.

She was right. Helena wondered if maybe he still desired Reyna. Sometimes the lines between love and hate blurred.

"But I've never met the woman. What possible use could I be?"

He cleared his throat and stared down at Helena's feet. "I've sent a letter to Niccolo, advising that you will be executed unless he brings Reyna to me tomorrow evening."

"What!?" she screamed.

Andrus sighed. "I will not harm you, I vow it."

Helena huffed. "Too fricking late." Then a thought struck her … the queen was extremely powerful and dangerous. And bonkers. "Niccolo will be killed if he tries to take her on."

Andrus shook his head. "The Execution-"

"Niccolo! His name is Niccolo! And if you knew anything about him, you'd realize he's no different from you. He didn't want to become a vampire anymore than you wanted to be a Demilord." Why am I defending him? The jerk told me he loved me, tried to sleep with me, then abandoned me.

Andrus cleared his throat and nodded. "Niccolo is quite intelligent; he will bring her to me. I would go after her myself, but she's impossible to track. This is the best solution."