“Where do you think my mother is, Nigel?” I whispered hoarsely.
“I do not know. I continue to look for her. I hold on to the hope that she’s alive and content, even if that happiness comes from a man other than me.”
“Do you truly think she left Kian on her own and disappeared?” Stefan questioned.
“At first, I was in shock. I didn’t want to believe she’d leave without saying goodbye. Now I’m unsure, Stefan.” Nigel folded his hands in his lap. “She may have wanted to leave the world of vampires behind. I could understand why she would.”
“Do you know anything else about her?” I was desperate for information. I wanted to know everything I could find out about her.
“Nothing else that will be helpful at this junction. I wish I could tell you more.” Nigel stood up and made his way to the door. He turned and looked back at us, a wistful look on his face.
“I meant what I said the other day. Your mother was almost as beautiful as you.” He looked at the floor before looking at us both. “Cherish every moment you have with her, Stefan. Take nothing for granted.”
Inclining his head, he slipped out the door, pulling it closed quietly behind him. I sat unmoving on Stefan’s lap, focusing on his fingers running up and down my back.
“What do you think, Stefan?”
He sighed heavily. “Are you sure you want to know what I am thinking?”
“Of course. You know more about this vampire stuff than I do.”
“I think your father is much more dangerous than I originally thought. We must be on our guard at all times. He will view you as a valuable tool in his arsenal.” Stefan’s face hardened as he spoke. “Do not meet him alone. Ever.”
“What are we going to do?”
Stefan wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against the coolness of his hard chest. “We go about our lives as normal. We are heading back to Indonesia in two days to prepare to come back here to live. I can better keep my eye on what he is planning if I am closer to the Council members.”
I had unwittingly dragged him deeper into the ‘vampire bullshit’ he despised so much. How much more was it going to take until he said enough was enough and left?
“I will never leave you, Josephine. These are minor details, remember?” I pulled back slightly and observed his face. I could see his mind moving quickly, making calculations and playing out scenarios in his mind. He was planning strategy, engaging in a complicated game of mental Chess. I wouldn’t want to be a pawn in a game that he played.
He toyed with the necklace he had given me for a moment before meeting my eyes. A roguish smile softened his face. “You would never be a pawn. You would be my Queen.”
“Sweet talker. Don’t try to seduce me with your sexy talk.” I slapped at his chest playfully.
“I speak only the truth.” He kissed me softly before gently moving me off of his lap. “I need to talk to Lukas.”
He stalked across the room and pulled open the door, the muscles in his back stretching as he moved.
“Stefan?” I mentally called to him.
He turned to face me with one hand on the door, his face filled with curiosity as he stared back at me.
“Thank you. For keeping me safe. For loving me. For risking your life.”
A grin broke over his devastingly handsome face. “Ah, I would do anything for you, vackra. I will be back in a bit.”
He waggled his eyebrows and shut the door behind him. I fell back against the couch, covering my face with my hands as my mind tried to absorb all of the information I’d learned.
Things just became extremely serious and potentially dangerous.
Chapter 4 - There’s a Time to Run
With our time ticking down in New York before we started our journey back to Bali, I found myself in a melancholy sort of mood. As much as I loved the green lushness of Indonesia, I’d seen another side of Stefan here in New York. He seemed more alive and relaxed since we’d been here. Maybe it was the anonymity of the city, the ability to fade into the obscurity of a crowd of people. As I pictured him swaggering through my thoughts, I inwardly laughed. Stefan always stood out; his inhuman beauty and grace always drew attention to him wherever we went. It was hard to ignore the longing stares and feel the lust that followed him, as normal and natural as breathing.
Stefan had left early in the morning to attend to errands and business issues. With my mind still reeling from Nigel’s confession and his information from my mother, I’d wandered out to peruse the numerous art galleries within walking distance of our apartment.