Swinging her legs over the side of the chair, she stood and walked along the edge of the pool, her back to him. She dipped her toe into the water and could feel his eyes burning into her back. She turned to face him and reached behind her, unzipping the perfectly tailored skirt. She shimmied the skirt down her hips and slowly stepped out of it, before unbuttoning the white silk blouse. She shook her shoulders and watched the garment float to her feet. She stood before him in a matching baby blue lace thong and bra set.
"Two weeks, Alec. There’s a huge polo match for Ashton’s favorite charity. He’ll be there, his wife won’t. I’m sure I can get access to him, get his juices flowing. If you wish to accompany me, to lead the way, that’s your choice. Two weeks. You have a deal."
Turning, she dove into the pool, her body sleekly gliding through the water. She unlatched her bra and watched it float to the surface. She swam to the edge of the pool nearest him and emerged from the water. She pushed her hair back from her face, her tits floating on the waters’ surface.
"Make it happen."
He smiled wickedly. "I'll call the dream-walker. We’ll discuss a plan to get the President's juices flowing again, as well as me helping him empty out all those bad memories from the dungeon beneath Castello. Consider it done, my darling."
Floating backward in the pool, her body rested just below the surface of the blue water. Closing her eyes, she remembered that room, how it made her feel, and she smiled. Oh, it will be done, my wicked vampire, without a doubt. You get rid of the President and I get you fucking me to the edge of death whenever I want.
10
The Dead House was rocking as usual. The warriors were all in their assigned grids, and Shade knew Alec was contemplating entering the next Presidential election. If that happened, then things would change drastically. For one, he’d need more warriors. Losing so many warriors in the Battle of Bel Rosso, he initially supplemented with warriors from Florence, but he couldn’t drain his foreign territories of protection long-term. The new camp had produced some good warriors in the last few years, and this year’s group was looking good as well. It troubled him that he had to turn so many of them away. The Medici camp had developed the same strong reputation in the States as it held in Europe, and as a consequence, he was drawing more and better candidates.
Many of the recruits were young, with little experience, but great potential. He’d had to turn away qualified candidates because of space, and also because of age. The Virginia camp couldn’t handle the younger breed of warrior. The camp in Florence was designed to take children as young as ten, but he hadn’t developed the capacity to handle that here yet. There was so much to teach them, and they required many years of training before becoming proficient. He’d been mulling over a few ideas when Theo walked in with Olivia.
Olivia had returned to him shortly after they lost Fiamma, asking for a second chance, and she’d more than earned the right to stay. She was a dedicated warrior, despite her appearance. She looked almost too delicate. She stood tall, like most immortals, with long brown hair that fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Her eyes were a pale blue, and their almond shape gave her an exotic look. She had high, defined cheekbones, and a peaches and cream complexion. Despite her skill with weapons, and her aggressive tactics as a warrior, her voice and general demeanor remained soft.
It didn’t take long after her return for Olivia to adapt and establish a bond with her brothers. Unlike her first visit, she’d been able to win over the respect of her fellow warriors. Olivia worked well in the Dead House and had proven to be a vital part of his team. Theo remained his SIC, and he ran it with precision. He easily adapted to change, never complaining and Shade found he was usually in good spirits. Shade nodded in their direction when they entered.
"You two heading out for the night?"
Theo threw his booted foot up on the chair, tossing his shaggy locks over his shoulder, and slid a shuriken inside his boot. "Usually do a few rounds in G-town, check out the Canton house and then check in on the others. We have a few hot spots now that it’s warming up weather wise. But no worries, master, we can handle it."
Shade liked Theo’s down-to-earth approach to things. "Well, I may make a few rounds myself tonight. Let me know if any activity flares up, I haven’t had a good rogue kill in a while. I will be hanging out here, checking the grids and kill rosters, reading over some of your reports, see if anything gets my attention. Get to work you two."
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them as both Theo and Olivia teleported out. Flopping down at the large conference table, he spread out the rosters and grids and began checking out what Theo had been up to. Several of Max's Virginia warriors had joined his coven after the battle, and he’d made a point of monitoring their performance closely. They’d taken the blood oath to Medici, and he liked how they’d done so far, but he was still not ready to put them in any leadership positions. Theo had done a good job of rotating their assignments, and giving them a broad range of experiences, working with them on weapons skills, and they were proving to be worthy of carrying the title of Medici warriors.
Hearing boots on the metal stairs, he looked up to find Robert, one of the warrior’s he inherited from Max’s coven. Robert seemed startled to find the master sitting in the Command Center. Shade smiled at him. "Evening, Robert. Problem? Didn’t mean to startle you, I assume you’re looking for Theo."
Robert liked his new master. He was fair and always available to his coven. Max had rarely been attentive to his coven. "No problem, master, I was just checking in for my grid assignment before I join the other warriors."
Shade motioned for him to take a seat. "Sit down. Relax. Theo and the others can wait. I rarely get in here anymore. Theo has things well in hand and keeps me informed of anything important. Therefore, I don’t get to talk to many of you from the Virginia coven. I know you have a home and family here. How are things going for you? Is there anything I can assist you with?"
Robert didn’t know what to think, the Medici was asking him if he needed assistance. "No, master, I’m just dealing with a small argument on the home front. Sibling rivalry, nothing this old warrior can’t handle."
Shade threw back his head and laughed. "I am a father myself, two sons, another baby on the way. But I have yet to have those headaches. How many bambinos do you have?"
Robert sat up straight, his chest puffing out with pride. "Just the two. A son and daughter. My son is the oldest by only a year. Both of them were born warriors."
Winking at Robert, Shade liked what he heard. "Good stock, bringing up warriors, and never easy. I know my Lorenzo can’t wait to become a warrior."
Robert chuckled. "Well, Master Shade, it’s not always easy having two warriors, especially when one is chosen to be in your camp and the other turned away. It brings out the true rivalry and a lot of yelling and screaming."
Shade looked puzzled. Robert was a damn good warrior and he’d been around a while. Shade couldn’t imagine either of his children being turned away.
"So, your son was accepted into the fold and the daughter turned away? I do not like the sound of that. What is your son's name, I am familiar with the new warriors, but I do not recall knowing one was your son, forgive me."