Thank you so much for what you did for my family."
"My wife is right. I am Lucian Dalakis. Welcome to our home. I'm just sorry it has
to be under such circumstances." She held out her hand again, but instead of shaking it,
Lucian brought her fingers to his mouth and kissed them. It was such an old-fashioned
gesture that Blythe was charmed.
Stefan stepped forward. "I would like for you to meet my wife, Laurel Rose."
The dark-haired woman offered a smile. "You've suffered much for us. Please let us
help you."
Blythe was uncomfortable with all the attention. She'd had too much of that during
the year she'd spent with Jethro Prince. He liked to show off his belongings and she'd
been considered just another possession of his that other men coveted. She shuddered,
trying to shake off the dark past. She had enough trouble in the present to deal with.
She looked to Cassidy for support. His blue eyes were steady as he positioned
himself just to her left, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why don't you all sit down
and I'll fill you in on what happened."
"Of course," Lucian nodded, with the others murmuring their assent.
They all moved away and sprawled across various sofas and chairs that filled the
opulent room. Honestly, this place was like something out of a magazine. Three walls
were filled with floor-to-ceiling bookcases, all loaded with books. A massive desk sat at
one end of the room while at this end there was a fireplace surrounded by two plush
sofas, three chairs and a loveseat. A gigantic coffee table sat in the center of the seating
area. The room screamed money.
Now that she wasn't being watched so closely, Blythe began to relax. The ice pack
felt good against her throbbing face. Hopefully it would keep the swelling to a
minimum.
She studied the people in the room, ignoring the fact that she'd relaxed significantly
when she realized the women were married to the Dalakis brothers. That didn't mean
that Cassidy didn't have a woman of his own, she reminded herself. Not that she cared.
Oh, damn. She chewed on her bottom lip. She did care. Somehow, someway, Sam
Cassidy had snuck past her walls and defenses and touched the woman beneath the
cold exterior. Just being around him made her feel warm and protected. That was so not
good. She needed to be strong. To remember that she could only depend on herself.
Blythe lectured herself as she listened to Cassidy with half an ear as he and then
Stefan filled the others in on what had happened. "How did you get here so fast?" She
sat forward, staring at Stefan.
Cassidy fell silent and once again everyone was staring at her. Too bad. It had
suddenly occurred to her that he'd been practically right behind them, which was
impossible unless he'd just left both men in her apartment.
Her eyes narrowed. "What did you do?" She pulled herself to her feet. "Did you
leave those men at my place?" She didn't wait for an answer. "That's just great. Now
the police will be looking for me."
She strode to the door, the need to get away, to distance herself from the crime,
paramount on her mind, but somehow Stefan was there ahead of her. She started and
fell back a step, only to have a pair of strong arms come around her. Cassidy. She didn't
even try to struggle. At this moment she didn't have strength enough to wrestle a
kitten.
"You don't understand," Cassidy whispered in her ear.
"Make me understand." She turned away from Cassidy to stare at Stefan. "Make
me understand."
Stefan sighed, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. "The bodies are gone
from your apartment. Both men are still alive. Barely. They have been sent back to their
boss with no memory of what happened." There was no apology in his gaze as he
continued. "Your door is fixed and all bloodstains have been removed from your home.
It's as if they never came to your apartment."
"But that's impossible, isn't it?" She shifted her gaze from Stefan to Cassidy. Both
their faces were shuttered. They were hiding something from her. "If you're not going
to be honest with me, then I'm leaving."
Not that she knew where she was going. She didn't even know where her purse
was. She didn't remember Cassidy carrying anything in from the car. Still, she had to
get away from these people. Let them keep their secrets. God only knew that she had
more than enough of her own.
"You can't leave." Delight had joined them. "You're hurt. You need to rest."
Blythe shook her head. "I appreciate what you want to do, but frankly you're all
strangers to me. I don't owe you anything and you don't owe me either. We're even.
We're done."
Cassidy tightened his grip around her, but was still careful not to squeeze her too
tight. "Blythe, there are things you don't know. Things that could endanger you even
more if you knew them."
"Oh shit. You're mafia, right? No!" She shook her head. "Don't tell me."
Stefan chuckled. "No, we're not mafia."
"I wouldn't work for criminals, Blythe." She could hear the pain in Cassidy's voice
and knew that she'd inadvertently hurt him with her words. She wanted to yell that she
didn't know him at all. But she held back. Because deep inside, she knew he was a good
man. The type of man that she hadn't come across much in her lifetime.
"I'm sorry." She placed her hands on his forearms where they crossed over her
shoulders and stomach.
His chin rubbed over the top of her head. "I know it's asking a lot, but please just
trust me. Just stay for the night."
Once again, she was lost in the comfort of his presence. She wanted the sense of
peace and safety that he gave her, even if it was only for one night. "I still don't
understand what's going on. I mean, I understand what's going on between you and
Adrian Prince. The man's as crazy as his brother was, especially when it comes to
vengeance. But I know you're all hiding something from me."
"Someone's coming." Lucian spoke just before a thump came on the front door. The
three men moved in the blink of an eye, placing themselves in front of the women.
Blythe found herself thrust behind Cassidy, staring at his back. The gun was back in his
hand.
"Man and woman." Stefan began to stroll out of the room. He paused long enough
to call over his shoulder. "Well, well, well." He sounded more amused than worried. "I
believe Zane York has finally come calling."
Zane stood on the front step of Lucian Dalakis' house and waited for someone to
answer the door. They were home. He could feel it in his bones. He'd been here many
times before, watching from the outside. This was the first time he'd get to see the
inside, assuming they let him over the threshold.
Sophia stood beside him, slightly nervous but hiding it well. No wonder. She knew
what he was and she knew what the Dalakis families were. Not many people would
walk willingly into the home of vampires. Once again, he was reminded of just how
special Sophia was. If he'd had his way, she'd be tucked away safe in his apartment. He
didn't think her place was safe any longer. But she was having none of it. If he didn't
take her with him, she'd have just followed him. She'd informed him as much when
he'd tried to talk her out of coming.
It had taken them longer to get here than he'd anticipated. Sophia had spent an
hour in her office after she'd finished talking to the police. She'd insisted on finishing
the magazine article she'd been working on and emailing it to the editor.
When he'd suggested that they leave, she'd given him a withering look and
informed him that, since she wasn't independently wealthy, if she wanted to eat she
had to work. He'd thought about telling her that he was independently wealthy, but
thought better of it. She was mad enough at the fact she'd slept an entire day away and
missed her work commitments. He didn't want to feed the flames of her anger. Besides,
he respected her sense of responsibility and commitment to her work. He felt the same
way about his work on the police force.
Then she'd phoned the newspapers that had been expecting articles from her. She
apologized to the editors for missing her deadline. He'd tried not to feel too guilty
about that. She handled it all smoothly and easily without really telling them anything
at all. He'd been more than impressed with her skill.
Then she'd written an article, which she'd sent to several newspapers. Since they
included the latest news with the phone call and Sophia's impression that the caller was
the killer, the editors were more than appeased.
Once that was done, she'd insisted on grabbing another quick shower before
pulling on clean clothes. He supposed she was feeling a bit sticky and sweaty after the
earlier sexual interlude on her desk.
They'd both been quiet on the trip over here. Both of them were thinking about the
caller's threat. Was another woman being stalked, being targeted for death even as they
drove over here? Zane hoped not, but he knew better. Another woman would die
tonight and there wasn't anything they could do to stop it.
Then there was his and Sophia's relationship. There was so much unsaid between
them, but this was not the time to talk about it. But soon. As soon as this mess was over,
he promised himself. They'd both take some time to explore the deep bond between
them.
The door was yanked opened and Stefan Dalakis filled the doorway. He glanced at
Sophia with interest. "Dalakis," Zane growled, fighting the urge to rip the other man's
throat out just for looking at his woman.
Stefan ignored Zane as he held out his hand to Sophia. "And who do we have
here?"
"Sophia Daring--I'm a freelance reporter."
Stefan's eyebrows raised in amusement. "A member of the press. How interesting."
He turned the full force of his green-eyed glare on Zane. "Zane York. To what do we
owe the honor?" The tone of his voice made it clear that he thought this was anything
but an honor.
"We need to talk."
The other man shook his head. "We're rather busy at the moment." He smiled
charmingly at Sophia. "You'll have to come back another day."
Zane almost turned and walked away. To hell with the Dalakis family. If they
ended up in trouble over this, it wasn't his fault. He'd had nothing but trouble in his life
since he first sought to learn about this family. At this moment, he wished he'd never
heard of them.
He felt Sophia's hand on the small of his back, offering comfort and support, giving
him strength. It was a light touch, but it meant so much to him. It made him feel as if he
were no longer alone in the world. Sophia was precious to him in a way he wasn't
certain she could ever truly understand.
Zane knew he couldn't walk away. Not now. Not when he knew that someone was
trying to frame the family for murder. If it were just the men, he might take his chances
and wait. But there were women to consider and they had to be protected at all costs.
Stefan started to close the door, but Zane stuck the toe of his boot inward, blocking
it from closing. Stefan's eyes narrowed menacingly and the muscles in his body
tightened and rolled.
Zane felt his own body responding, his muscles tensing, preparing for battle. He
was poised to strike if necessary. He had a woman of his own to protect now. "You
want to tell me why someone has murdered a woman, drained her blood and left your
family's name at the crime scene?"
He tried to hide it, but Zane sensed the other man's genuine shock. Stefan studied
them for a long moment, his green eyes assessing them both, and then slowly opened
the door. "You'd better come in."
Chapter Thirteen
Zane kept one arm locked protectively around Sophia as they both followed Stefan
down the hallway. With his preternatural senses, he knew that there was a group of
people gathered in the room just ahead of them. He could also sense Sophia's growing
unease. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. "Don't worry. They won't hurt you."
He knew that Stefan could hear him and it was as much as warning to the other
man as it was a promise to Sophia. Stefan glanced over his shoulder, but Zane gave no
indication that he thought Stefan might have overheard them. Zane wasn't going to
give away anything. Not yet.
Keeping Sophia close, his gaze swept the room, taking in the occupants. He knew
all but one. As expected, Lucian and both the Dalakis wives were there as well. There
was a blonde-haired woman seated in a high-backed chair. Zane's eyes narrowed. If he
woman, his arm draped across the back of the chair. There was no mistaking the
protective posture. Interesting.
Lucian had shifted his position as soon as he and Sophia had walked into the room,
sliding in front of the sofa where his wife and sister-in-law were sitting. Zane nodded
his approval. Good. They should be protective of their women. Anything less was
unacceptable.
Lucian's eyes widened ever-so slightly in surprise, but then they became shuttered
again as he glanced over at his brother.
"This is Sophia Daring. A reporter," Stefan informed them as he strolled over to
stand beside his family. "And we all know Zane York."
The women nodded, but didn't speak. Obviously, they all knew he'd been asking
questions about them for several years now and didn't trust him. He'd known this
wasn't going to be easy, but he was determined.
Sophia straightened and squared her shoulders. "I'm pleased to meet you all, but I
wish it could be under other circumstances." Before he could stop her, she launched
into a full report of the night in the cemetery and the call she'd received earlier tonight.
She spared no details, giving the graphic facts of the woman's death and of the note
she'd found with the body. Sophia also gave her opinion of the caller and what he was
trying to accomplish. He noted that she left out any mention of their relationship, but
the other three men in the room were staring at him with speculation in their eyes.
Both women seemed shocked by the news, Laurel Rose even more so than Delight.
Stefan's large hand wrapped around the back of his wife's neck, kneading it, offering
silent comfort. Zane noted that Laurel Rose shifted closer to her husband as she rubbed
her hands up and down her arms.
The blonde next to Cassidy gasp
ed and covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes
flew to Stefan and Lucian and then back to Cassidy. Now that was telling. Seems she
wasn't sure of the Dalakis brothers either.
"Why are you telling us this? Why didn't you go to the police?" Lucian stepped
forward, pure menace emanating from him.
Zane stepped in front of Sophia. "Back off, Dalakis. If she'd just handed the note
over to the police, you and your family would be front-page news by now." He kept his
body loose, prepared to fight. He still didn't quite trust these men. Stefan left his wife's
side and started to saunter closer while Cassidy left his position by the blonde and
shifted in front of her.
The tension in the room was palpable. A rumbling, much like a growl, came from
deep in Zane's chest. Lucian's eyes narrowed and Stefan moved still closer. Cassidy's
fingers tightened around the gun he still clenched in this hand.
"This is ridiculous." Sophia stepped around Zane, her hands on her hips.
"I agree." Delight stepped forward, shoved past her husband and held her hand out
to Sophia. "I'm Delight Dalakis, Lucian's wife, and this is Laurel Rose, Stefan's much
better half." While Zane watched, Laurel Rose eluded her massive husband as he
reached for her and clasped Sophia's hand.
"This is Sam Cassidy," Delight continued with the introductions. "And Blythe
Nixon, who we just met earlier this evening."
The name triggered something in Zane's head. He knew that name. He sifted
through his memory banks as he studied her and he suddenly remembered where he'd
heard her name before. The Club. She used to work at Jethro Prince's club. Now, this
was getting more intriguing by the second. What the hell was she doing here?
"Why don't we all sit down?" Delight was already leading Sophia to the sofa.
Damn it, he'd told her to stay next to him. Frustrated, he stalked after her, only to meet
a solid wall of resistance as Lucian and Stefan stepped in front of him. Standing
shoulder to shoulder, they blocked his view of Sophia.
His eyes flashed and he growled, exposing his fangs to them. Both men were
momentarily shocked and then they flashed their sharp teeth as well, their eyes
changing from green to red in a split second.
"That's enough." This time it was Laurel Rose who spoke. "We have bigger