wasn’t like he couldn’t use the rest. He tried to empty his mind as he drove through downtown L.A.
He couldn’t help but think about the events of the past couple of months. He had been an agent in the Underground since it had been formed, by his eldest brother, Dante. It had been created to eliminate the rogue vampire threat. Dante’s main goal however, was to find the one called Il Diavolo, the rogue Dante believed was responsible for the murder of their parents. Things of late were coming to a head, and yet this was the first week that he was not on an assignment for the Underground.
He pulled up to a gated Beverly Hills condo community and stopped at the security post.
“Good evening, Mr. Grimaldi.”
“Good evening, Thomas.”
The security guard, Thomas, was usually very chatty. Normally, Niccolo would not have minded sparing a few moments to talk to the obviously bored man, but tonight was not one of those times.
“I see you took the Ferrari out tonight. On a nice night like this, I would have thought you’d take out the Porsche so you could drive with the top down.”
“Is it nice out? I didn’t notice. I have several things to attend to, so I’m in a bit of a hurry tonight. Would you open the gate, please?”
Thomas looked a little taken aback by his abruptness but opened the gate. “Sure thing, Mr. Grimaldi. Have a nice night,” he said, sounding a bit put out. Niccolo decided to make it up to him later.
“Oh, wait!”
Niccolo stopped his car and looked back.
“A pretty young lady came by looking for you, but I couldn’t let her in, you know. Security reasons and all.”
Niccolo nodded and thanked the guard. What else was new? There were always women trying to get into his home.
He pulled into his parking spot and got out of the car. As he approached his condo, his sixth sense went crazy. Someone was inside his home; he could hear them pacing in his living room. Rogue? He took a deep whiff of the night air. No, it wasn’t another vampire, but he didn’t think it was a human either.
His fingers shifted to claw-like talons, and his incisors descended. Whoever had gotten inside his home was about to get gutted. He treaded lightly as he made his way to the door, and pressed his ear against the door. The pacing back and forth on his carpeted floor continued. It seemed like someone was waiting for him. Wanting to keep the element of surprise on his side, he burst through the door ready to strike.
When he saw who was on the other side of the door, it was he who was stunned. His wide-eyed visitor was none other than Sasha Romanova.
“Thank God you’re home,” she cried before catapulting herself into his arms.
Chapter Four
“Sasha!” He wrapped his arms around her slight frame to hold her steady. His mind went numb as a flash flood of emotions coursed through him. Seeing her again so suddenly brought back painful memories he had tried to put behind him. Niccolo often regretted the way they had last parted.
The first time he’d met Sasha while visiting her family over thirty years ago, they had gotten along well. He had admired her serenity, her quirky sense of humor, and the way her expressive eyes grew animated whenever she spoke. She wasn’t the kind person who only talked to hear themselves speak. When Sasha spoke her words her conversation was interesting and insightful. Once he had met Petra, however, Sasha had somehow faded into the background. The odd thing was, besides that night when they’d made Jagger, and their last confrontation, he couldn’t remember much else about their interactions.
Sasha had not reached out to him since, and the only reason why he could think she could not was because of something pertaining to his son. His heart began to race out of control. He gripped her forearms and held her away from him so that he could see her face. “Where’s Jagger?”
Sasha’s
He couldn’t help but think about the events of the past couple of months. He had been an agent in the Underground since it had been formed, by his eldest brother, Dante. It had been created to eliminate the rogue vampire threat. Dante’s main goal however, was to find the one called Il Diavolo, the rogue Dante believed was responsible for the murder of their parents. Things of late were coming to a head, and yet this was the first week that he was not on an assignment for the Underground.
He pulled up to a gated Beverly Hills condo community and stopped at the security post.
“Good evening, Mr. Grimaldi.”
“Good evening, Thomas.”
The security guard, Thomas, was usually very chatty. Normally, Niccolo would not have minded sparing a few moments to talk to the obviously bored man, but tonight was not one of those times.
“I see you took the Ferrari out tonight. On a nice night like this, I would have thought you’d take out the Porsche so you could drive with the top down.”
“Is it nice out? I didn’t notice. I have several things to attend to, so I’m in a bit of a hurry tonight. Would you open the gate, please?”
Thomas looked a little taken aback by his abruptness but opened the gate. “Sure thing, Mr. Grimaldi. Have a nice night,” he said, sounding a bit put out. Niccolo decided to make it up to him later.
“Oh, wait!”
Niccolo stopped his car and looked back.
“A pretty young lady came by looking for you, but I couldn’t let her in, you know. Security reasons and all.”
Niccolo nodded and thanked the guard. What else was new? There were always women trying to get into his home.
He pulled into his parking spot and got out of the car. As he approached his condo, his sixth sense went crazy. Someone was inside his home; he could hear them pacing in his living room. Rogue? He took a deep whiff of the night air. No, it wasn’t another vampire, but he didn’t think it was a human either.
His fingers shifted to claw-like talons, and his incisors descended. Whoever had gotten inside his home was about to get gutted. He treaded lightly as he made his way to the door, and pressed his ear against the door. The pacing back and forth on his carpeted floor continued. It seemed like someone was waiting for him. Wanting to keep the element of surprise on his side, he burst through the door ready to strike.
When he saw who was on the other side of the door, it was he who was stunned. His wide-eyed visitor was none other than Sasha Romanova.
“Thank God you’re home,” she cried before catapulting herself into his arms.
Chapter Four
“Sasha!” He wrapped his arms around her slight frame to hold her steady. His mind went numb as a flash flood of emotions coursed through him. Seeing her again so suddenly brought back painful memories he had tried to put behind him. Niccolo often regretted the way they had last parted.
The first time he’d met Sasha while visiting her family over thirty years ago, they had gotten along well. He had admired her serenity, her quirky sense of humor, and the way her expressive eyes grew animated whenever she spoke. She wasn’t the kind person who only talked to hear themselves speak. When Sasha spoke her words her conversation was interesting and insightful. Once he had met Petra, however, Sasha had somehow faded into the background. The odd thing was, besides that night when they’d made Jagger, and their last confrontation, he couldn’t remember much else about their interactions.
Sasha had not reached out to him since, and the only reason why he could think she could not was because of something pertaining to his son. His heart began to race out of control. He gripped her forearms and held her away from him so that he could see her face. “Where’s Jagger?”
Sasha’s
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