city of Genoa.
“We will need several vehicles once we arrive. No hotel. I will personally see to the accommodations.” He ended the call and slipped his phone into his pocket with a soft sigh.
“What are you not telling me?” Becca asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“This will not be easy, but I believe Lily can do it.” Sam took her hand and kissed it before turning to her. “Martin was a brilliant man. I know, despite her fears, Lily can figure this out.”
“What about Debir and Filipp? Don’t we need them, too?” Becca asked.
“No.” Sam squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before continuing. “We have them right where they need to be at the moment.”
Becca gave him her most intimidating look, the one she used when she wouldn’t back down until she had the information she wanted.
“We’ve had suspicions they are up to something. They were sent to Romania to investigate a coven of witches, but their reports are sketchy at best. We have also just received information that one or both of them is involved with a woman named Valentina Pavel.”
The name sparked something in Becca’s memory. “Pavel? That was the name of one of the witches in Martin’s journals.”
“How did you. . .”
“I lived in that subterranean library with Lily when she was investigating a rash of werewolf deaths years ago. While doing research, I helped Lily read her sire’s journals. There was so much I learned . . . things you would never believe.”
Sam pulled her into his arms and kissed his daughter’s forehead. “Remind me never to underestimate you.”
The hours blurred together as Gideon slipped in and out of consciousness. While he slept, something unprecedented happened. He dreamed. He dreamed of long talks with Ian in faraway places. They talked about his plans and how Gideon wanted to become Becca’s perfect mate. Ian was the angel sitting on his shoulder, reminding him how everything could go so terribly wrong. Gideon wouldn’t have it. He had fooled everyone, including Ian’s parents, into believing he was the one and only Ian Holt.
As his eyes opened after a dream where he and Ian had a physical fight, Gideon focused on the person sitting beside his bed.
“Hey.” Becca pushed the sweat-drenched hair from his forehead. “Were you having a nightmare?”
He nodded, reveling in the feel of her touch.
“Do you want something to drink? You’re still a bit dehydrated.”
“In a minute. Right now . . . I just want you beside me.” Gideon’s voice was hoarse from lack of use. He scooted into the middle of the king-sized bed, leaving plenty of room for her.
Becca slid onto the bed and wrapped her arms around his torso.
“I’ve missed you so much. You can’t imagine . . .” Gideon had longed for that very moment for years and in that instant, it was even better than he had hoped.
“A lot has happened in such a short time. My mind is such a mess. I have so much to tell you.” Becca tried not to show her nervousness when she let out a soft laugh.
Gideon carefully turned onto his side, cupped her face, and traced his thumb across the apple of her cheek.
Kiss her! Ian chanted in frustration.
Gideon obeyed without hesitation. He leaned forward to find her lips eager and waiting for his. He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth and gave it a soft nip before caressing it with his tongue. Becca’s low moans let him know he was doing everything right. He tensed and pulled back when her embrace became too tight.
“Sorry,” Becca said with a smile on her swollen lips.
“It was worth it.” He kissed the corner of her mouth, then nuzzled her neck, and sighed contentedly. He had never felt so at peace in his entire existence.
“I would love to lay here in your arms all day, but there are things we need to talk about.” Her fingers ran through his hair in an attempt to coax his lips away from her neck.
“I know.” He squeezed his good eye shut before pulling back
“We will need several vehicles once we arrive. No hotel. I will personally see to the accommodations.” He ended the call and slipped his phone into his pocket with a soft sigh.
“What are you not telling me?” Becca asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“This will not be easy, but I believe Lily can do it.” Sam took her hand and kissed it before turning to her. “Martin was a brilliant man. I know, despite her fears, Lily can figure this out.”
“What about Debir and Filipp? Don’t we need them, too?” Becca asked.
“No.” Sam squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before continuing. “We have them right where they need to be at the moment.”
Becca gave him her most intimidating look, the one she used when she wouldn’t back down until she had the information she wanted.
“We’ve had suspicions they are up to something. They were sent to Romania to investigate a coven of witches, but their reports are sketchy at best. We have also just received information that one or both of them is involved with a woman named Valentina Pavel.”
The name sparked something in Becca’s memory. “Pavel? That was the name of one of the witches in Martin’s journals.”
“How did you. . .”
“I lived in that subterranean library with Lily when she was investigating a rash of werewolf deaths years ago. While doing research, I helped Lily read her sire’s journals. There was so much I learned . . . things you would never believe.”
Sam pulled her into his arms and kissed his daughter’s forehead. “Remind me never to underestimate you.”
The hours blurred together as Gideon slipped in and out of consciousness. While he slept, something unprecedented happened. He dreamed. He dreamed of long talks with Ian in faraway places. They talked about his plans and how Gideon wanted to become Becca’s perfect mate. Ian was the angel sitting on his shoulder, reminding him how everything could go so terribly wrong. Gideon wouldn’t have it. He had fooled everyone, including Ian’s parents, into believing he was the one and only Ian Holt.
As his eyes opened after a dream where he and Ian had a physical fight, Gideon focused on the person sitting beside his bed.
“Hey.” Becca pushed the sweat-drenched hair from his forehead. “Were you having a nightmare?”
He nodded, reveling in the feel of her touch.
“Do you want something to drink? You’re still a bit dehydrated.”
“In a minute. Right now . . . I just want you beside me.” Gideon’s voice was hoarse from lack of use. He scooted into the middle of the king-sized bed, leaving plenty of room for her.
Becca slid onto the bed and wrapped her arms around his torso.
“I’ve missed you so much. You can’t imagine . . .” Gideon had longed for that very moment for years and in that instant, it was even better than he had hoped.
“A lot has happened in such a short time. My mind is such a mess. I have so much to tell you.” Becca tried not to show her nervousness when she let out a soft laugh.
Gideon carefully turned onto his side, cupped her face, and traced his thumb across the apple of her cheek.
Kiss her! Ian chanted in frustration.
Gideon obeyed without hesitation. He leaned forward to find her lips eager and waiting for his. He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth and gave it a soft nip before caressing it with his tongue. Becca’s low moans let him know he was doing everything right. He tensed and pulled back when her embrace became too tight.
“Sorry,” Becca said with a smile on her swollen lips.
“It was worth it.” He kissed the corner of her mouth, then nuzzled her neck, and sighed contentedly. He had never felt so at peace in his entire existence.
“I would love to lay here in your arms all day, but there are things we need to talk about.” Her fingers ran through his hair in an attempt to coax his lips away from her neck.
“I know.” He squeezed his good eye shut before pulling back
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