Robert bit his lip, holding back his laugh. "You have that backwards, master. My daughter, Rebecca, was accepted into your camp."
Shade raised his eyebrows. "Well, don’t I look like the unorganized master? I apologize to you, Robert. Rebecca is a good warrior. She came to us with good skill sets, easily adaptable to Medici code. I have seen her work. She is going to be deadly with a blade. Did your son tell you why he was not accepted? Marcello, Aislynn and I meet with each warrior personally, one on one. We give them things to work on, encourage them to come back again the next spring."
Robert was taken aback by how concerned Shade was. He liked him more and more, as he’d gotten to work under him and saw how he operated. His warriors were all fierce, and there was no bickering amongst them, they worked as a team and all for the cause of Medici and the coven. He wasn’t used to such dedication and camaraderie. Max had some cutthroat warriors in his coven, and it was every warrior for himself. Max neither cared nor worried about those he took care of. He was too busy traveling and pursuing other vices to worry about what he already had and those that had pledged their life to him.
"Robbie never said much about it, to be honest. I had no idea you actually talked to him and told him his faults. So, I can’t say."
Shade stood and paced as he thought the situation through. He wanted to help this family and keep them together. Hell, they’d been through enough with the takeover. This was a family man, and Shade wanted this family to thrive and stay together in his coven.
"Let me talk to Marcello and Aislynn and see what I can do. I cannot make a decision without the facts in front of me. Once I find out, no matter the outcome, I will get back to you, you can count on it."
Walking to Robert, he slapped him on the back, and they shook hands.
"I’d be forever in your debt, Master Shade, it would calm down my household, but I expect no favors. Being a Medici warrior is a great honor, and if Robbie isn’t up to your standards, at least I’ll know what he’ll need to become better. I can coach and help him."
Shade liked this man. What father didn’t want his son to succeed and become the best at his craft? "Let me do the research, and we will see what we can accomplish. No one in my coven struggles alone. Now, you have some work to do. If Theo questions you on being late, you just tell him master wished to speak with you. He will ask you nothing further."
As Shade lowered his frame into the chair, Robert stared back at him. He’d heard this master was extraordinary, as all the legends had told. This master was a family man and a leader, something Max’s coven was sorely missing. "My best wishes to your lady, and my family hopes the coming child is healthy. Good night, Master Shade."
Shade smiled and nodded as Robert made his way to the streets of D.C. Pulling out his phone to call Marcello, it suddenly vibrated in his hand. Looking down, he saw Alec on the caller ID. "Hell, what does Alec want?" Answering, he was ready for anything. "Medici."
11
Alec was ready to end his day, but he knew Shade's was just getting started. With Rissa asleep upstairs, he picked up his cell and stepped outside, into the courtyard, to make his call. He paced as he waited for Shade to answer. He heard the deep rumble of Shade's voice on the phone.
"Hey brother, you got a minute?"
"I got all the minutes you need. Problem?"
Alec sat down in the deck chair, draping one leg over the arm as he lit up. "Not a problem, exactly. But I do have another job for you. Need your gift again."
"Is that so? Who is the victim this time?" Shade shook his head. He couldn’t imagine who Alec would want to target next.
"Our President has announced he plans to run for office again, just as I feared he would. I could wait another four years, but I'm an impatient man. I think the time is right for me. We're still getting good press from the wedding. Rissa's damn photo is in the paper more than mine these days. The public eats up this whole fairytale romance. But that won't hold for the long-term. I need Ashton to back out of the race. I've already spoken to Rissa, and she’s ready to play her part. I just need you to get things started for me with a little dream-walking inside the head of the President. He needs some triple X-rated dreams of fucking Rissa's brains out. Then Rissa will do her part, and I'll take care of the rest. Just need you to prime the pump, so to speak."
Shade sat silently for a while, no idea in hell how to respond to this. "The President? Have you lost your fucking mind, Alec? Even for me, this won’t be easy. Dream-walk through his head, give him visions of fucking Rissa? I have to think this one over. I cannot give you an answer this moment."
Alec dropped his leg to the patio, as he leaned forward in the deck chair. "What do you mean? This is no different. Hell, you teleport inside the White House, shadow yourself. No one will know you're there! And come on, brother. This is me you're talking to. You spent enough years wallowing in the depravity of that sexual paradise you had buried beneath Castello. You won't even have to use your imagination to come up with enough kinky shit to fuel his imagination. Work from memory. You forget I've seen you in action, so don't go all mortal on me. I know you calmed the fuck down since then, but you're not convincing me you've gone all missionary position with Kate."
Slamming his fist down on the table, Shade refused to bring his life with Kate into this conversation. He wouldn’t take the bait or even respond to that statement.
"That stuff we were into is in the past. Besides, my memories are not helpful. I am going to have to go into his fucking brain box and look for his memories, what gets him off. He comes off like white bread, but I’m sure there is a lot below the surface. Balls of hell, Alec, how many nights do you expect me to do this, if I do it?"
Alec drew on the cigarette and exhaled slowly. He’d hooked him, now he just had to reel him in. Shade would like to think the darkness inside him was gone, but if there was one thing Alec had learned in his many years as a vampire, the darkness never left. You could push it down, cover it up, but with just a little encouragement, it always returned. He already had Shade thinking about how to get the job done.
"I'm not sure how long it will take. But you know that whole 'family values' front he puts on is part of his public image. There may not be much going down in his bedroom at night, but I guarantee it won't take much to get his mind going. I've seen him look at Rissa when we’re at official events. He has the seeds of lust growing, brother, now I just need you to water them. Don't make it too kinky, just make it hot. You know what the mortals like, submissive female, in heat and begging for it. Come on, brother. If you can't come up with a couple of weeks of sexual fantasy, then your ass has definitely been mated too long."
Sighing heavily, Shade wasn’t giving into this. He needed time to mull this over in his head. "And you agree to let Rissa do this? Brother, that’s cold. You would do anything to get ahead. You sure as fuck haven’t changed in the eons we have known each other. Look, I still need to think this through. I’m busy as hell with camp right now. I cannot imagine what you had to promise Rissa for this favor.”
"As a matter of fact, my mate did have a little request for me. Once she completes this assignment, she wants her own little reward. So maybe I can help you out. Seems she loves that den of depravity underneath Castello. And I take it from your puritanical response it’s no longer in use. Rissa wants a room like that in our house. I'll have to finish out the basement here in the townhouse, keep it below ground and soundproof it. But I'll take all those toys off your hand. Install them here. I'll pay to have it all moved, of course. Just think how happy Kate will be to know you got rid of it all."