nodded.
~ * ~
Lorenzo and I drank way too much caffè latte while he filled in some memory blanks for me.
“Let me see if I’m getting this.” I took a sip from my one-millionth glass. “I was a super happy kid before our vampire uncles mind-fucked me.”
His brows collided, stern disapproval clear in his expression. “Language.”
“Sorry, but I was a happy little orphan, yes?”
“ Si .”
“Thomas and Uncle Zi were my nannies.”
He chuckled. “No. Primary caretakers. Father figures would be more appropriate, in this instance.”
That factoid proved harder to accept than the whole vampire deal. Thomas didn’t strike me as the nurturing type and, since it was his fault I didn’t remember his alleged, nurturing ways, I stuck with my first impression. Crazy, bossy, manipulative.
As for Uncle Zi, well, with no other memories to go by, he was just a monster with a pretty face and super sharp teeth. Ghost pain flared in my wrists.
“However, I was your legal guardian,” Lorenzo continued. “I took full custody when you were thirteen after—”
“The monsters ate my flesh?”
“They’re not zombies,” he replied in all seriousness.
“Sorry, kidding. But wait, do zombies exist, too? Any in the family?”
“Perhaps and, no, none in the family.”
“Okay, fine. Two vampires is enough weirdness for me right now, so let’s continue. Uh, where was I?” The caffeine made my thoughts bounce around my head like an out-of-control ping-pong ball. I tapped my glass in rapid staccato.
“The summation,” Lorenzo offered.
“Well, listen to you, mister smarty pants business man,” I teased. “We’re not in the boardroom, here.”
“Focus, Little Miss Caffeinated,” he teased right back.
Wow, what a change . Hanging out, laughing, not fighting. Sweet. “Okay, vampires, check. Brotherly love, check. Happy childhood, check. That leaves—”
“Boarding school,” he supplied.
I sobered, remembering our long, silent drive in the limo, the confusing tension emanating from him. At the time, I thought him impatient to be rid of me. How wrong I was.
“I get it now, why you sent me there. What else do you do with a thirteen-year-old kid who doesn’t remember who you are?”
He gave me a grave nod, sadness heavy in his dark gaze. “A bit more complicated than that, but yes, it was necessary.”
We shared a moment of silence.
“The first year was the worst. God, we missed you. That’s why Dom took off for Italy and Tony moved to L.A. It was too hard, the house too empty, when you were away at school. And even when you returned home on break—”
I tapped my forehead. “I wasn’t there.”
Lorenzo nodded.
“But Dom and Tony came back for most holidays. I remember some fun summer breaks with you guys. Well, with Tony and Faith. You and Dom were—and still are—total workaholics.”
“Now you know why.”
“Oh.” I stared out the window at a fog bank curling around Sutro Tower and snaking over the hill. The sky blazed blue above it and the sun shone on my house, warming it even as the nearby fog pushed a cool breeze through the open window. “So, we were a happy orphan family until the vampires drained my brain.”
Lorenzo winced at my choice of words, but didn’t deny them.
“It’s good to know why my teen years were so whacked.”
Lorenzo tapped his glass. “But?”
“But why did they do it? Why did they think I’d die when I was thirteen? Is it the power you all think I have? I don’t feel anything now.”
My brother shrugged. “It’s dormant. Or was.”
“I don’t feel a thing. What kind of power is it? Am I a witch? Are you? Do you have powers, too?”
He breathed out, long and slow. “No I don’t. But we should talk about all this later. It’s complicated.”
I snorted. “Of course it is.”
“You can’t fully understand. Not until after—”
“Memory rehab with Thomas?” I offered.
“ Si .” His lips curled downward. “It won’t be easy,
~ * ~
Lorenzo and I drank way too much caffè latte while he filled in some memory blanks for me.
“Let me see if I’m getting this.” I took a sip from my one-millionth glass. “I was a super happy kid before our vampire uncles mind-fucked me.”
His brows collided, stern disapproval clear in his expression. “Language.”
“Sorry, but I was a happy little orphan, yes?”
“ Si .”
“Thomas and Uncle Zi were my nannies.”
He chuckled. “No. Primary caretakers. Father figures would be more appropriate, in this instance.”
That factoid proved harder to accept than the whole vampire deal. Thomas didn’t strike me as the nurturing type and, since it was his fault I didn’t remember his alleged, nurturing ways, I stuck with my first impression. Crazy, bossy, manipulative.
As for Uncle Zi, well, with no other memories to go by, he was just a monster with a pretty face and super sharp teeth. Ghost pain flared in my wrists.
“However, I was your legal guardian,” Lorenzo continued. “I took full custody when you were thirteen after—”
“The monsters ate my flesh?”
“They’re not zombies,” he replied in all seriousness.
“Sorry, kidding. But wait, do zombies exist, too? Any in the family?”
“Perhaps and, no, none in the family.”
“Okay, fine. Two vampires is enough weirdness for me right now, so let’s continue. Uh, where was I?” The caffeine made my thoughts bounce around my head like an out-of-control ping-pong ball. I tapped my glass in rapid staccato.
“The summation,” Lorenzo offered.
“Well, listen to you, mister smarty pants business man,” I teased. “We’re not in the boardroom, here.”
“Focus, Little Miss Caffeinated,” he teased right back.
Wow, what a change . Hanging out, laughing, not fighting. Sweet. “Okay, vampires, check. Brotherly love, check. Happy childhood, check. That leaves—”
“Boarding school,” he supplied.
I sobered, remembering our long, silent drive in the limo, the confusing tension emanating from him. At the time, I thought him impatient to be rid of me. How wrong I was.
“I get it now, why you sent me there. What else do you do with a thirteen-year-old kid who doesn’t remember who you are?”
He gave me a grave nod, sadness heavy in his dark gaze. “A bit more complicated than that, but yes, it was necessary.”
We shared a moment of silence.
“The first year was the worst. God, we missed you. That’s why Dom took off for Italy and Tony moved to L.A. It was too hard, the house too empty, when you were away at school. And even when you returned home on break—”
I tapped my forehead. “I wasn’t there.”
Lorenzo nodded.
“But Dom and Tony came back for most holidays. I remember some fun summer breaks with you guys. Well, with Tony and Faith. You and Dom were—and still are—total workaholics.”
“Now you know why.”
“Oh.” I stared out the window at a fog bank curling around Sutro Tower and snaking over the hill. The sky blazed blue above it and the sun shone on my house, warming it even as the nearby fog pushed a cool breeze through the open window. “So, we were a happy orphan family until the vampires drained my brain.”
Lorenzo winced at my choice of words, but didn’t deny them.
“It’s good to know why my teen years were so whacked.”
Lorenzo tapped his glass. “But?”
“But why did they do it? Why did they think I’d die when I was thirteen? Is it the power you all think I have? I don’t feel anything now.”
My brother shrugged. “It’s dormant. Or was.”
“I don’t feel a thing. What kind of power is it? Am I a witch? Are you? Do you have powers, too?”
He breathed out, long and slow. “No I don’t. But we should talk about all this later. It’s complicated.”
I snorted. “Of course it is.”
“You can’t fully understand. Not until after—”
“Memory rehab with Thomas?” I offered.
“ Si .” His lips curled downward. “It won’t be easy,
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