Niccolo (Blood Brothers) (13 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Dante surveyed the ugly scene in front of him and his heart nearly stopped. Two wolves were eating the remains of what looked like a man. A redheaded vampire he was sure he had seen before hovered over Jagger while two other rogues held his nephew’s arms. He knew this was Jagger; he looked too much like Nico to be anyone else but his nephew.

“Grimaldi!” The redhead turned around with a look of pure venom in his glowing eyes—his Papa’s eyes! Who the hell was this vampire? One of the wolves lifted his head and growled. The other followed suit as they circled him, Romeo, and Wolf.

Romeo hissed with obvious impatience. “Let’s waste these bastards. What are you waiting for, Dante?” Dante held up his hand to silence his restless brother.

“Who are you?” Dante demanded, his fingers flexing at his side. He wanted to strike out but knew that one wrong move could end his nephew’s life.

“Why, I’m the one you’ve been seeking. Looks like you’ve finally found me.” The redhead sneered.

“
Il Diavolo?
” Dante couldn’t believe after all these many years, he faced the rogue at last.

“
Il Diavolo?
Not quite, but close. Giovanni wishes he was as powerful as I. No. I’m not your weak
il Diavolo
, but I
am
your worst nightmare. Lazarus, Remus, attack!”

The two wolves sprang at Romeo and Wolf. Dante looked at the two rogues who held Jagger hostage. He could tell that he was much older than they were and he could probably take them without breaking a sweat. He moved swiftly, punching one in the face and delivering a kick to the stomach to the other. Temporarily stunned, they released Jagger, enabling Dante to grab his nephew and pushing him aside. The rouge recovered quickly and snarled at him with anger before they charged toward him. Dante ducked a fist that flew his way but was pounded in the chest by another. He staggered backward.

Instantly, the two rogues were on him with bared teeth. One swiped his clawed hand across Dante’s face, making him grunt in pain. He wouldn’t let them win—he couldn’t—not when he’d finally come face to face with the vampire he’d sought for so long.

He brought his knee up and caught one of the rogues in the groin. The injured rogue howled. Dante thrust him away and dodged the other’s fist, delivering his own punch. He heard the cracking of bones as he connected with the second rogue’s face. By now, the other rogue had recovered and moved in to bite Dante, aiming for his jugular, someone jumped onto the rogue’s back and sank his incisors into the rogue’s neck.

It was Jagger. Dante could now concentrate on one rogue at a time. The rogue he’d attacked was on his knees, his face still healing. Dante didn’t intend to let the bastard complete the process.

He grabbed the kneeling rogue by the collar and kicked him across the floor. The rogue crashed into the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, Dante checked to see how Romeo and Wolf were holding up. Romeo was laughing as he usually did in battle. Wolf’s adversary had shifted back to human form and the two immortals wrestled on the floor. It looked as though Wolf had the upper hand when he thrust his fist into his adversary’s throat and pulled out the man’s tongue.

Dante saw his nephew struggling and knew he had to finish off his opponent quickly so he could help him. The redheaded rogue was nowhere in sight. What the fuck?

Before he could ponder that any further, his enemy tackled him to the floor. Dante cursed himself for allowing his attention to stray. The rogue wrapped his claws around his throat, the talons digging into his skin.

Dante could feel blood seeping into his throat. He dug his own claws into the rogue’s face, eliciting another scream of pain from his enemy. The grip loosened around his neck.

A shout rang out from the other side of the room. Just as he feared—Jagger was not holding up well. The earlier attack had weakened him too much. The rogue dragged his talons down the front of Jagger’s already bloodied chest.

In a desperate attempt to get to his nephew, Dante gouged his opponent’s eyes out. The rogue shrieked and buried his face in his hands. Dante shoved him away, quickly stood up, and stomped the rogue’s head, squashing it like a grape. He then leaned down and ripped the writhing vampire’s chest open before pulling out his heart. Dante ripped the bloody organ to tiny pieces, ensuring the rogue’s death.

He rushed over to his nephew’s side and tossed the rogue away from him. He quickly looked over Jagger, whose breathing was ragged, his face pale and eyes clouded. “Jagger, are you okay?”

“Yes,” he whispered, though Dante wasn’t sure he believed him.

Dante turned back to the rogue he had thrown off of his nephew and breathed a sudden sigh of relief to see Nico flash through the door. Teeth barred and talons out, he flew at the rogue on the floor. Nico grabbed him by the neck and lifted him with one hand. His amber eyes glowed dangerously. “This is what happens when you fuck with my son,” he hissed.

The rogue struggled against Nico’s grip but was no match for Dante’s enraged younger brother. With his free hand Nico grabbed the rogue by the balls and ripped them off before stuffing them into the howling rogue’s mouth. Then he jabbed his claws into his enemy’s gut and split him wide open. The rogue’s organs spilled out. Blood gushed everywhere. Nico threw the vampire on the ground and scooped up the heart, crushing it in his palm. Dante had never seen his brother so cold-blooded.

He looked over at the others. Wolf’s opponent lay dead at his feet, and Romeo was still battling his werewolf. From the looks of things, the shifter was near death.

“Romeo, stop toying with him and finish him off.” Dante wanted to leave father and son in peace.

Romeo glared at him. “You’re no damn fun.” He grabbed the wolf and yanked out his spine, then made short order of ripping the agonized wolf apart. Dante turned back to Nico, who stood frozen. He looked at his injured son with such longing that Dante’s heart went out to him. “Will you be all right, Nico?

Nico nodded. Dante gave him a long, assessing look before signaling Wolf and Romeo to leave. He smiled at his brother and nephew in relief before walking out the door.

Niccolo looked at his son, who was kneeling over and clutching his chest in obvious pain. There was blood everywhere. He had always imagined that when he finally had a proper meeting with his son that it would be under much different circumstances, but here they were. He took a step forward. “Son ...” he whispered, throat clogged with emotion.

An overwhelming mixture of love and longing washed through him. He wasn’t sure how to act in this situation. Should he take Jagger into his arms and assure him things would be okay? Would his embrace even be welcomed?

Jagger’s dark head shot up. He was so different from the little boy he had seen twenty-seven years ago. Amber eyes so like his own were tinged with pink. Blood dripped down the sides of his mouth.

“Who are you?” Jagger demanded through gritted teeth. It was obvious he was trying very hard not to show how much pain he was in.

“I’m your papa; can’t you feel it?”

His son slowly got to his feet, eyes narrowed. “How do I know you are who you say you are? I’ve been fooled once already,” he said, backing away.

“Can you look at me and deny who I am? Are you not my very image? You called out to me and I’ve come.” Niccolo stepped forward, but Jagger retreated. There was a look of wariness in his son’s eyes; he knew it was because of the horror of past few days.

“
Dio!
What have they done to you? They’ve twisted your mind, haven’t they?”

“I ... I was on my way to find my father ... you. I needed answers I could no longer deny myself. At the airport someone approached me. He eyes like ours and said he was my father. I felt no connection with him at least not as one as deeply as a father and son bond should be, but then things became cloudy. It seems the last few days have been a blur to me. Obviously, black magic was involved, because that rogue was not my father.”

“Damn right he wasn’t, because I am. They hurt you; let me help you heal.” Niccolo moved again, but Jagger held up his hand and Niccolo felt a shield blocking his path.

“Do not erect barriers against me.”

“Under the circumstances, you must admit that it’s a bit awkward for me to just fall into your arms.”

“Then why did you seek me out in the first place?”

“Wouldn’t you want answers if you spent nearly thirty years of your life without the presence of a father you knew was alive and well? Didn’t you think I would wonder why you left my mother the way you did? She loved you, but you abandoned her and me. I’ve lain awake at night wondering why. Was I not good enough for you? Did you not want to deal with raising a half-breed?”

Niccolo knew his son was hurt and confused; he wished he could say something that would take away Jagger’s pain. His son looked at him with such contempt that it sliced his insides. He would have rather faced a thousand rogues, knowing there was no possibility of victory, than to have his son look at him like that. “Whether you believe me or not, I never abandoned you.”

“Liar!”

“It’s true, son. I may not have been in your life like a father should have been, but I was always around, making sure you were safe, providing for you so that you never went without.”

“Do you think material things matter to me? It was you I needed. You! Not your money or what you could provide. I’ve lived my whole life wondering what it is about me that kept you out of my life. Perhaps I could live with you not loving me, but I cannot get past how you treated my mother.”

“Believe me when I say I love you so much that not a day has gone by when I haven’t thought about you. It hurt to know you were growing up without me. I have pictures of every birthday party, every accomplishment. I have ones where your smile lights up your entire face, ones of you growing to manhood, and ones where you are in deep thought. Those are my favorites because I imagined you were thinking about me. When I look at them, it is almost as if you are right there with me, but the pictures have never been enough.” He broke off. Jagger looked as though he was softening but the look of mistrust was still evident.

“I wish I could have been there, but your mother and I did what we thought was best. As you’ve learned these past few days, I have some very dangerous enemies, and the threat encompasses my entire family and those I love. It is why your aunt died. Your mother and I didn’t think it was a good idea for me to be in your life. It’s probably still not a good idea, but our relationship is in the open now. I won’t allow you to shut me out. If you need me to get on my knees and beg your forgiveness then I will ... just don’t turn me away.”

Jagger looked at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Niccolo fell to his knees, pain piercing him so deeply he could barely gather breath. His head fell into his hands, tears dropping from his eyes. It was a familiar pain. He realized the last time he felt this was the night he’d walked away from the then two-year-old Jagger. It hurt far more than anything physical. “Don’t ... shut ... me ... out,” he pleaded.

When he received no response, his head shot up and he reached out to touch the barrier between them. “Perhaps you are too old to need me anymore, but I need you. I need you in my life very much, Jagger. I love you and I need you.” He gently pushed against the shield, hoping his son could feel the love radiating from him.

“I ... what about my mother? How can I forgive you after you broke her heart? How could you do that to her?”

“I freely admit what I did wasn’t right, but everything is not as it seems. There were other forces that kept us apart. However, within the past few days, your mama and I have been able to work out most of our differences. She’s back in Munich and she’s very worried about you. Please take down this barrier. Let me heal you. Let me take you in my arms and hold you like I’ve long to do all these years.”

Still Jagger hesitated. There was a look of confusion on his face as though he couldn’t make up his mind.

“One thing you will learn about me, son, is that I’ll never lie to you. Now that I’ve found you again, you’re not going to get rid of me.”

“Again?” Jagger’s golden eyes swam with unshed tears.

“Yes, again, son. When I learned of your existence, you were still a
bambino
, just two years old. I was so very proud of you. I wanted more than anything to take you with me. I didn’t care you were only half-vampire. All that mattered was that you were mine and I loved you. You have no idea what it was like for me to walk away from you. Please ...” Niccolo pressed his hand against the barrier once more, and to his surprise it disappeared.

Jagger dropped to his knees and faced his father. He touched Niccolo’s face in almost the same way he had when they had first met. Their eyes locked and he could feel his son warming toward him. “Papa?”

“Yes, son. I am here.” He pulled Jagger into his arms. The younger man broke into sobs as he wrapped his arms tightly around his father. Niccolo was filled with such joy that he knew if he died at this moment, he would die happy. “It’s okay, Papa is here. I’ll never leave you again.” He stroked his son’s head and rocked him back and forth.

“Papa?”

“Yes, Jagger?”

“I hurt.”

“I know. Let me heal you.” He clasped Jagger’s face in his hands. They spoke without words, communicating as only father and son could. After a while, Jagger seemed to understand. He nodded his head before his incisors descended.

Jagger leaned over and sank his teeth into the side of Niccolo’s neck. Niccolo clutched Jagger’s head against him as he fed.

Now, more than ever, he had to vanquish his enemies to keep Jagger and Sasha safe.

Chapter Fourteen

Sasha waited anxiously for Niccolo to return. Although he had promised he would bring their son back to her safely, she couldn’t help but worry. She hadn’t been able to sleep a wink, and she was very angry that Niccolo had sent someone to watch her. The vampire barely spoke two words to her and stayed out of her way, which was a good thing.

At the sound of the door opening, her bodyguard sprang to his feet and pushed her behind him. She ran around him to the hallway. Her face fell when the tall, blond vampire Wolf walked in. She clutched his arm. “Where’s Niccolo? Where is my son?”

“I almost envy them that they have a pretty little
fraulein
like you waiting for them.” He winked at her.

“Back off, Wolf, before my brother kicks your ass.” Romeo walked in with a smirk on his face. He winked at Sasha, too. “My brothers are getting out of the car. Jagger is with them.”

“Oh, thank God!” She nearly fainted with relief. The two vampires grabbed her arms to steady her.

Dante walked through the door then, but she looked past him, anxious to see the two men of her heart. Niccolo came inside with his arm around Jagger’s waist. Jagger was pale and his shirt was stained with dried blood.

“
Moy Malish!
My baby!” Sasha ran to him and threw herself into his arms.

Jagger caught her, squeezing her tightly against him. “
Uspokoysya, vse khorosho
,
Mama.” He kissed the top of her head.

Tears of relief streamed down her face. “Yes, I know everything is okay now that I have you back safe with me. But you look a mess. What happened? Who hurt you? Have you been eating properly?”

“Mama, please, you have to let go of my neck, I can barely breathe.” Jagger chuckled.

She released him as he placed her back on her feet. Sasha looked over at Niccolo and felt the old excitement rushing through her veins. No matter how many times she saw him, he still had that effect on her. She suddenly felt shy, remembering what they had shared earlier, and how delicious his cock had felt inside of her, and the forcefulness of his kisses and caresses against her skin. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to act now. For so long she had lived thinking he didn’t care, and even though he had finally admitted that he did, he had never said he loved her.

“What? No hug for me?” Niccolo lifted one dark, sexy brow, and opened his arms. She looked at Jagger with uncertainty. Her son gave her a little smile of encouragement.

She turned into Niccolo’s arms. He, too, lifted her off her feet and squeezed her tightly. Then he lowered his head to hers. She parted her lips to the welcome pressure of his tongue. He explored the cavern of her mouth as though savoring the flavor of her. Niccolo lifted his head and smiled down at her with a self-assurance that took her breath away. She could feel the heat surface in her cheeks, and was sure that her face was beet red.

Jagger cleared his throat loudly. “Umm, as lovely as this is, maybe we should move to the sitting room with the others.” He shook his head, obviously not wanting to witness his parents’ intimate reunion. “Besides, I’m not used to seeing my parents acting like a couple of teenagers.”

Sasha’s face was flaming hot now, while Niccolo let out a loud belly laugh. “Get used to it, son.”

“Good grief.” Jagger rolled his eyes before leaving the two alone in the hall.

“Niccolo, put me down.” She pushed at his chest.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes.”

“As Romeo would say, ‘you’re no damn fun.’”

“That is not what you said last night and this morning.” She poked her tongue at him.

“You little minx. I should paddle you bottom for being such a tease.”

“Is that a promise?”

“
Strega,
” he whispered as he set her on her feet. “I missed you.”

“Did you really?” she asked in wonder.

“Of course, I did.” By the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, she could tell he was sincere.

“Niccolo, where do we go from here?”

“Short term or long term?”

“Both, I suppose.”

“I know that I want you near me. I would like you to consider living with me in L.A. That’s my home base, though I have other homes you may like better. As you know, things still are not quite safe for anyone associated with Dante and the rest of us, but my enemies are aware of you and Jagger, so there isn’t much we can do about that now. Dante suggested that you and Jagger temporarily stay with my brother GianMarco and his wife Maggie. We have Underground agents who don’t live far from there who watch their house. Marco is also quite fierce and not one to be trifled with. He’ll keep the two of you safe.”

“Why can’t we live with you?”

“You would be with me.”

“Not if we’re living with your brother!”

“It’s only temporary, just until we figure a few things out.”

“Like what?”

“Like finding out what your father’s involvement is in this whole debacle.”

“My father? What do you mean? What does he have to do with any of this?” Her father was many things and very secretive at times, but she didn’t think even he would be so low as to harm his own grandson. How was it possible that he was involved?

“I can understand why you’d be confused. Things remain unclear, but over the course of the past few days, Jagger learned vital information. All I can say, Sasha, is that something big is going on. It is bigger than any of us could have imagined.”

“How so?”

“It was one thing when we believed there was a rogue named
Il Diavolo
, who has aligned a number of minions for purposes unknown. We initially believed that he was simply killing other vampires for the power he could absorb. We then learned this particular rogue has a vendetta against our Grimaldi clan. Now we know that the vendetta is just a small part of his mission, and possibly
Il Diavolo
isn’t the rogue we’re looking for.”

“Then what is it all about?” Sasha still had difficulty following him.

“I think I know why your father wanted Petra and me to be together. I want to confront him and see his reactions.”

“Why? Tell me.”

“I can’t until I know for sure.”

“I have a right to know.”

Niccolo didn’t look like he wanted to tell her anything more, but he must have read the determined expression on her face. He sighed. “There’s been a movement taking place that involves all immortals. It’s ...”

“What?”

“It’s a movement to take out all humans.”

“What? So you mean all those people? Did Jagger—”

“No. They tried to get him to participate, but he fought it. They finally turned on him because of it. Thank God he instinctively called out to me or he might be dead.”

“Thank goodness for that. But why would they have taken him in the first place?”

“The head rogue was toying with him for his own purposes. He even pretended he was Jagger’s father. There had to be magic involved—black magic.”

“This is all very complicated. How do you think they would try to pull it off? There’s only a few million immortals, there’s billions of humans.”

“There may not be as many immortals as there are humans, but think about it: a handful of determined immortals could take out a stadium full of people if they wanted to. Imagine what several thousand can do. This rogue has been slowly recruiting and building up his army over many years. Not even Dante knows how many are involved, but we’ve learned that the Council is a part of it. Your friend Yuri was also involved in this movement, as well as your father.”

“Are you certain? Yuri, perhaps ... but my father? It’s madness.”

“You don’t have to tell me that..” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Do you know what else is madness?”

“No. What?”

“Despite everything going on, I can’t stop thinking about fucking you.”

Her breath caught in her throat. She wanted it, too, but she wouldn’t let him divert her. “You will not make me forget that you plan on leaving me behind again. If anyone should confront my father, it should be me. I’m going with you and you’re not going to argue with me about it.”

“I insist you go to my brother’s. You and Jagger will be safe there.”

“No. Haven’t you learned from the past few days that despite your good intentions, we’ll never be completely safe? Send Jagger to your brother but not me. I have to go. Don’t you see? I need answers, too. You’ve had little interaction with my father, but I have had to deal with him most of my life. No, I’ll go with you and if you refuse me, I’ll find my own way there.”

Niccolo sighed as though realizing he was fighting a losing battle.

“Fine, but I want you close to me at all times.”

“Thank you!” She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his throat.

“Are you two going to stay in the hallway necking or are you going to join the rest of us?” Romeo stood at the end of the hall, looking at them with a smirk on his handsome face. In her opinion, he was very good-looking, but he was no Niccolo.

She had met both brothers around the same time and always wondered what would have happened if she had fallen for Romeo instead. He probably would have driven her crazy with his fast lifestyle, but she sensed there was a heart of gold under Romeo’s rough-and-tumble exterior. It would take a special woman to tame his wild heart. Sasha was pleased because she knew she had the right brother.

Niccolo growled at his brother. “Can’t a man get a little privacy with his woman?”

“Sheesh, not you, too!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I guess this settling-down shit is contagious: first Marco, and now you. You two stay away from me. I don’t want it rubbing off.” Romeo made the sign of the cross before walking off.

Sasha giggled. “Your poor brother. When he finally finds his mate, he’s going to fall hard.”

“Yes, I think so, too. Come on, let’s join the others.” Niccolo held his hand out to her. She slipped her hand into his.

She loved this man so much.

<><><>

Jagger was happy. It almost seemed as though the past few days had been only a bad dream. After cleaning up and resting, everyone decided to have one last meal together before they split up. He sat at the table between his parents. He couldn’t stop looking over to his father. He had to keep pinching himself to assure he wasn’t in a dream. His real father was actually here with him! In addition, two of his uncles sat across from them. They were also fascinating to watch, reminding him of his maternal uncles in their way.

They may have only had a few hours together but there was no doubt in Jagger’s mind that his father truly loved him. The connection he felt with the much older man was strong, as it should be. He could feel the love in the way his father looked at him and in his tone. Every now and then his father would take his hand and squeeze it. For the first time in Jagger’s life, he felt like he was whole. Jagger knew his mother wanted him to be a great warlock and realize his full potential, but among his father and paternal uncles, he felt like he was with his own kind. He was ready to embrace his vampire side.

It was unfortunate his first blood had been given under such stressful circumstances, but he’d discovered that he liked blood and wanted more. The way his father and uncles had taken out those rogues so brutally had awakened a part of him he hadn’t known existed. It was violent, deadly, and hungry, and it wanted to be unleashed.

Jagger knew he could never completely let go of his warlock training because it was also a part of him, but now he knew which side he wanted to embrace the most. He glanced over at his Uncle Dante, head of the Underground, forceful and self-assured. Jagger admired his take-charge attitude. He had to remember to approach him later about offering his services to the Underground.

He turned to face his Uncle Romeo, whose fearlessness had taken Jagger’s breath away. He knew there was another uncle he had yet to meet, but judging by his father and uncles Dante and Romeo, Jagger was sure he’d admire him just as much.

His mother leaned her head against his shoulder and he kissed her cheek. He regretted having worried her so much, but things had worked out for the best. His father took his hand again, but this time held on to it. Sitting here between his mother and father, he felt as though he had finally come home.