“I know you love Troy,” Cassie said. “I know you want Andres to pay for what he’s done. And I don’t want my brother to be involved in any of this but I’m afraid he is.” Cassie turned to Troy again. “Nico has the necklace. I don’t know how or why, but he has it. Around his neck. I wasn’t leaving you. I was trying to keep you both alive.”
Troy grabbed her and wrapped her in his arms and held her, and she was terrified this would be the last time she felt him close, the last day he was with her. The last day Nico was with her. She pulled back. “This needs to end. We have to make it end. Whatever that means, however it has to happen. It ends today.”
“It ends today,” Troy said.
“And by the way, vampire,” she said. “Not only was I not leaving you. I’m a wolf and a stubborn one at that. You can’t get rid of me, even if you try.”
He wrapped his fingers around her neck and pulled her mouth to his. “Is that a promise?”
“Yes,” she said. “It’s a promise. I just don’t want this one to be sealed in my brother’s blood.”
“Sealed with a kiss,” he countered, and slanted his mouth over hers.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It ended tonight, and everything about the plan Cassie had agreed to with Troy and his brothers, was designed to make that a fact.
It was near midnight, five days after she and Troy had taken over Marcus’s mountain home, when Cassie walked up the wooden steps of an Area 51 diner off the deserted highway thirty miles out of the city limits where she was meeting Nico. A place where trouble could unfold safely, as there were very few humans that would come to the diner at this time. And there were plenty of vampires nearby to make sure the humans would forget whatever they might mistakenly encounter –like, an alien with fangs, that wasn’t an alien at all.
After much discussion, she and Troy had decided to allow days to pass before she contacted her brother, under the pretense of making Nico more urgent to see her. The truth was, at least for her, she was happy for the time with Troy, most of which they’d spent in bed either making love or talking. And though neither of them had said it, secretly, she was afraid the end that came tonight would be his, and she sensed he worried about the same.
Bells dinged on the door as Cassie entered the building, bringing into view the ten or so red booths, and a counter customers could eat at. No one else was here. Just herself, a waitress behind the counter who Cassie waved to and Nico.
Her brother sat in the back booth to her left, his dark hair, long and tousled. In typical Nico fashion, in contrast, his goatee was neatly trimmed. His eyes were sharp, intelligent. Aware. Just like his nose. Exactly why she’d showered and changed into new clothes at a rattrap hotel a block away, to be sure she had no scent on her that would alert Nico that she wasn’t alone tonight.
Cassie walked towards her brother, her heart racing, heavy with emotions which she tried to suppress because he’d smell them, and even if he didn’t, he might read them on her face. She was close to Nico. Or she thought she was. For the first time ever she doubted that.
Cassie scooted into the booth across from Nico, but not before he gave her an assessing, head to toe, stare. She’d dressed for easy weapons access in a sleek, fitted pair of black jeans and a black V-neck tank top, with stylish, but sturdy boots. A petite shoulder bag hung crossed over her chest. It was an outfit that looked like it had no room for silver and blades, but accommodated, she knew, all kinds of creative, and easily accessed ways to hide a weapon. Her backup plan to the silver lining her clothes was Troy and his two brothers, who were nearby and out of sight. Just like old times. Only in the old times, Nico would be part of the plan, not the target of it. And Marcus and Aylia wouldn’t be involved, waiting nearby for the moment that Aylia could work her magic on Troy.
For several long seconds, they sat there staring at each other. “Did it even cross your mind that I’ve been worried?” he demanded softly, his tone sharp, his anger crackling in the air.
Her temper flared to match his. “You’re worried? You have no idea how I’ve worried about you these last few days. What are you involved in that you shouldn’t be?”
He tilted his head slightly. “Elaborate.”
He hadn’t denied there was something. “Tell you so you know what I know?” she demanded. “Forget it. So I’ll ask you again. What are you involved in that you shouldn’t be?”
“Not a damn thing.”
She scented the air and there was nothing but truth there. Nothing. It made no sense. “Andres,” she said softly. “I know you have met with him.”
Fury rolled off of him. “You stay out of anything to do with Andres.”
“I’m already in it.”
“Because Troy dragged you into it,” he growled and pushed to his feet. “If Troy wants to know what I’ve been doing then let him ask me himself.” He motioned to the door. “Let’s go.”
She stood in front of him, desperate to stop a confrontation that could turn bloody. “Wait. Please.” She hesitated only a moment, choosing to trust her brother. “Andres was the wolf that attacked Troy in Reno. He was trying to use magic to turn himself into some undefeatable hybrid wolf vampire. Instead, he turned Troy. He’s battling the Red Virus and the only way we can save him is with the necklace I know you have.”
Seconds ticked by, and Cassie felt nothing from Nico, saw nothing in his face, until he pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “Let’s go to your vampire, or whatever he is now.” He set her away from him and started for the door. She growled with irritation. Why did she ever think things would go her way with the stubborn ass alpha wolf that was her brother?
“Nico, what part of ‘wait’ did you not understand?” She grabbed his arm. “That ‘whatever’ thing he’s become is dangerous.”
“I’m quaking in my boots,” he said flatly and then shoved the door open and exited before her, leaving her to follow on his heels. “Damn it, Nico.”
“Always a potty mouth,” he said. “Too much time in The Royal Guard.”
Cassie cursed again as Troy and his brothers appeared at the far end of the parking lot illuminated by moonlight, despite the streetlights they’d purposely blown out. “You know, we should talk before you talk to them,” she said, stepping to Nico’s side.
Nico ignored her, striding forward. “Why repeat myself more than once?” he asked. “They need to hear exactly what you need to hear.”
Cassie double stepped and kept pace, giving up on fighting what was to come, but still holding her breath as she and Nico stopped in front of Troy and his brothers. Her eyes sought out Troy’s, but his were locked on Nico, and beginning to glow silver. She moved to Troy’s side, curling her arm around his, needing him to feel her close, to remember how important Nico was to her. And equally so, she wanted Nico to see how openly she cared for Troy.
Nico didn’t seem to notice that anything might be wrong, and if he did, he didn’t care. “You going for the Fabio look with that blond hair or what, Troy?” he asked, not bothering with ‘hello’.