Niccolo (Blood Brothers) (7 page)

“Your pussy is so damn tight and wet,” he said, looking down at her with lust-filled amber eyes. She reached up to run her fingers over the well-defined muscles in his chest, reveling in the feel of his skin beneath her fingertips.

She wanted more, needed to be closer to him. “Kiss me.” Sasha pulled him down.

The heat of his breath mingling with hers only served to inflame her more. He kissed her with a savagery that threatened to take her to the edge of insanity. She bucked her hips against him, meeting him thrust for delectable thrust. Sasha was on fire for this man.

She ripped her mouth away from his to scream out his name. “Oh, Niccolo!”

He increased his pace, plunging deeper and deeper into her with each thrust. She knew she would be sore afterward, but she didn’t care. She needed this more than she needed air. Suddenly she felt an explosion in her so powerful and pleasurable that her body shook uncontrollably as she reached her peak.

Niccolo gripped her thighs again as he reared back onto his knees. With one last powerful thrust, he cried out. “Sasha, what have you done to me?”

He
shuddered as he released his seed inside of her
. Sasha squeezed her pussy muscles around his cock, milking it of every drop of his
cum
. Niccolo collapsed on top of her and she wrapped her arms around him. This was the moment she had been waiting for all her life.

She stroked a damp lock of his black hair
as his heart beat against hers. “Mmm, that was everything I dreamed it would be.” She smiled in content
.

He stiffened. “This was a mis
take.” Niccolo abruptly pushed
off of her
and rolled to the edge of the bed
. The look of disgust on his face made her heart plummet.

“
A mistake? You enjoyed it as much as I did.”

He
slid off the
bed and
grabbed his discarded clothing
. “
That isn’t the point.
What we did was wrong.”

She sat up, silently praying for him to take back the words he’d just uttered.
“How can it be wrong when this is meant to be?”

“
I think not.
What was meant to be was Petra and me.
Just because she’s gone doesn’t mean I’m looking to fill a vacancy. And even if I were, you’d be the last person I’d choose.
I must have been out of my mind. What have you done to me, dammit?”

Sasha gripped the sheets tightly around her body. His words flayed her like
a
whip
,
causing
a great deal of pain. Despite this, she had to make him see what they’d shared was special. “I’ve done nothing to you. You’re simply too stubborn to admit you feel something for me too
. We both wanted this.” She climbed out of bed
as tears she didn’t bother to wipe away slid down her face.

Niccolo
turned away from her as he dressed.
She
released the sheet, slipped off the bed and walked to him
, naked and unashamed. When she touched him, he flinched. “Don’t touch me. I don’t know what you thought you’d accomplish with this seduction game of yours, but I want you to get out of my sight.”

In that moment her world was caving in on her and Sasha didn’t know how to stop it
. “You can’t mean this. What we shared was special.”

He looked at her then with glowing eyes. “Get out of here now! The sooner I’m away from you and your family the better.”

“But I love you,” she whispered.
Her plea was pathetic
,
but she had no shame where Niccolo was involved.

“
That’s unfortunate because I don’t love you.” She stepped back
at the harshness
of his tone.
“Don’t ever speak of love to me
again
. I could never love you.
You are not half the woman your sister was.
Now leave me.”

If he would have ripped her
heart
out and stamped on it several times, it would have hurt less
. She picked up her clothes
and hurried to the door
.
Before she left, she faced him one last time.
“One of the reasons I love you is because I sensed your beautiful soul. Now I know I was wrong. You have no soul.” She ran out of the room.

“Sasha, wake up.”

She jolted awake to find herself back on the plane. It took her several moments to gather her thoughts. Niccolo looked at her with a brooding expression.

Damn. She had been dreaming. It was the same dream she had every night since their one and only time together. “Are we here?” she asked, still drowsy.

“The plane will land in a few minutes. Someone will be waiting for us at the gate.”

She nodded as she glanced away. Sasha wondered how she would make it through this ordeal, because despite all that had happened and the time that had passed, she still loved him.

Chapter Six

When their flight landed at Munich Airport, Niccolo could not remember ever feeling more relieved in his life. The plane ride had been excruciating with Sasha sitting so close to him. They had barely spoken throughout the long, arduous trip, and that was just fine with him. Unfortunately, when she had dozed off, her head had fallen onto his shoulder.

His first instinct had been to push her away, but the scent of her shampoo had wafted to his nostrils—honeysuckle and jasmine. With her dark lashes resting against her pale skin, she had looked so pretty and angelic in her sleep that Niccolo had been tempted to kiss her. He had to know if she tasted as good as he remembered or if he had built up their one time together to be more than it actually had been.

His dick had been hard for the majority of the trip. Damn the witch! It was obvious to him that she still held some kind of thrall over him. Why else would his thoughts be consumed of nothing else but her being naked beneath him when his main concern should be the whereabouts of his son? The discomfort of his arousal for the duration of the trip had put in a decidedly foul mood, and it was all Sasha’s fault.

As soon as the passengers were cleared to leave, he gripped her forearm none too gently. “Let’s go. A car should be waiting for us,” he said gruffly.

As she stood, she snatched her arm away. “I can manage without you manhandling me.”

Niccolo shot her a glare as he waited impatiently for the other passengers to go by. It was a pain in the ass to fly commercial, but it was more inconspicuous and threw off any enemies who might be on their tail. When the aisle was clear, he grabbed Sasha’s hand and pulled her along with him. He strode through the airport with purposeful strides.

“Slow down. I can barely keep up with you,” she said from behind him.

He sighed and slowed down to accommodate her shorter legs.

“Sasha!” a voice called from behind them.

What now?

Niccolo turned to see who had called out to her. His eyes narrowed when he saw the look of pleasure that crossed Sasha’s face.

“Yuri!” Snatching her hand from his grasp, Sasha ran to the tall blond man. Niccolo knew right away that the man was not human or a vampire. The stranger lifted her into his arms and swung her around as though they were a couple of children. A sudden burst of anger rushed through him. He realized that he had no right to feel this way, but who the hell did this man think he was to hold her like that?

He was tall, yet still a couple of inches shorter than Niccolo. He had no clue who this Yuri character was in relation to Sasha, but he didn’t appreciate the way the other man looked at her.

“Sasha, you look more beautiful every time I see you. What are you doing here in Munich?” Yuri smoothed her hair back in an intimate gesture, and Niccolo wanted to break his goddamn fingers.

“I—”

Niccolo approached them before Sasha could answer. “She’s with me, and we’re looking for
our
son, so, as touching as this little reunion is, we really must go.” He gripped Sasha’s arm, his gaze never leaving Yuri’s face. There was something about him Niccolo didn’t like, but he didn’t have time to analyze it.

“Nikita is missing?” Yuri ignored Niccolo and looked down at Sasha. Nikita? Who was this interloper and how close was he to Jagger that he called him Nikita?

“Yes, my son is missing and I’m frightened that something has happened to him.”

“He’s no longer a boy, but a man. He’s most likely okay,” Yuri suggested.

“A mother knows.”

“
Moy angelochek.
You worry too much.” Yuri brushed Sasha’s cheek with the back of his hand and Niccolo’s blood began to boil.

“Sasha, let’s go,” he repeated between clenched teeth, trying to rein in his temper.

Yuri finally turned his dark gaze to Niccolo, a hint of challenge in his eyes. “So you are Nikita’s father.” It was a statement not a question.

“And you are?” Niccolo raised a brow.

“Yuri Khrushchev. I’m a friend of the Romanovs and a
very close personal friend
of Sasha’s.”

Niccolo didn’t miss the fact that Yuri had emphasized the words “very close” and “personal friend.” The asshole obviously didn’t know he was two seconds away from getting his heart ripped out. “Good for you. Sasha, we need to go. Now!” he growled.

She looked back and forth at both men with uncertainty on her face. “Yuri, Niccolo is right. We must go. I’m sorry we couldn’t have met under better circumstances.”

She turned to go, but Yuri grabbed her shoulder. “
Ya pomogu
o tebe.
” Yuri spoke to Sasha in Russian as though Niccolo were some dolt who wouldn’t understand.

This time he would not excuse the man’s rudeness. “We don’t need your help, thank you very much. I suggest you release her or you will feel my fist in your face.”

“Do not make threats, vampire. You’ll find that I am not one to be trifled with.”

“Oh? I—”

“Stop it! Both of you are behaving like a couple of ridiculous children. Jagger is missing and he is what’s important here. Niccolo, Yuri is my friend and he wants to help us look for our son. What is the harm of one more person searching for him? Yuri has many skills which could prove very helpful.” She faced the other man and looked at him pleadingly. “Yuri, I would appreciate your help, but Niccolo isn’t used to your sense of humor. He doesn’t understand that you were only joking.”

Niccolo knew damn well Yuri had meant what he had said.

“I’m sorry, Sasha. I didn’t mean to upset you, but you must allow me to aide in your search.” Yuri smiled at her.

“Of course,” she readily agreed, “but why are you at the airport? I wouldn’t want you to derail your plans.”

Yuri smiled. “I was going to take a pleasure trip. I can go anytime. It’s not as important as searching for Nikita.”

“Well, if you’re sure. I’d love your help.”

“No.” Niccolo contradicted.

“He’s my son, too, Niccolo, and I say Yuri comes with us.”

He was seething. The little control he was holding onto was quickly slipping away.

“Yes, Grimaldi, don’t be petty. Besides, I’ve been more of a father to Nikita than you have.”

Niccolo’s slammed his fist into Yuri’s face.

Yuri went reeling back as an onlooker screamed.

“How could you?” Sasha looked at Niccolo as if were the one in the wrong.

Yuri slowly made it to his feet. “You will pay for this, vampire.”

Niccolo noticed that the palms of Yuri’s hands were glowing. A warlock. He should have known.

“I do hope you two aren’t about to fight because I’ll be very pissed that I wasn’t invited.” Romeo spoke from behind them. “Now, may I suggest that we all get the hell out of here and settle this away from prying eyes?”

There were too many people watching them and he knew any minute that airport security would be on their tail. Niccolo took Sasha’s arm and they left the terminal.

A limo was waiting for them when they got outside. As they were about to get into the vehicle, Niccolo turned to Sasha’s friend. “You’re not coming with us.”

“You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do. Besides, Sasha wants me with her, don’t you?” Yuri asked her.

She nodded. “Yes. Please. The more people we have looking for him, the sooner we will find him. Your skills will come in handy.”

Yuri shot Niccolo a smug look of triumph.

Niccolo clenched his fists.

Easy, Nico, he’s trying to provoke you. Don’t let
him get to you,
Romeo’s voice entered his mind.

Since when have you ever backed down from a fight?
Niccolo shot back.

I would kick his scrawny ass myself if there was time, but Dante needs to see us right away. Things don’t look good, Nico. There’s been another slaughter today
—
just like the first.

Niccolo’s heart seized up. What had his son become involved in? He let out a mental sigh.
You are right, but if that bastard makes one more offhand
comment, I will shove my fist down his thrown and pull out his fucking spine.

If that bastard says anything to upset you, I won’t stop you.
Romeo winked at him and they all got into the limo.

<><><>

Yuri held Sasha’s hand as they rode to the house where Dante and his Underground agents were gathered. She couldn’t believe the scene Niccolo had made. He almost acted as if he was jealous, but it couldn’t be because of her. It had to be because Yuri had been in Jagger’s life when Niccolo hadn’t been. Yuri’s comment had been uncalled for, too, and she intended to bring it up to him in private.

She could feel Niccolo’s gaze on her and she tried not to meet the intensity of his amber stare The way he stared at her if it was almost as if he was looking right into her soul. If he read her mind now, he would know the truth of her feelings for him, and that was the last thing she wanted. She took comfort in the fact that the likelihood of him penetrating her thoughts was slim; most immortals could shield their thoughts, so Niccolo probably believed he couldn’t read her mind.

She peeked at Niccolo through her lashes. She was still in awe over this gorgeous man but she hoped it didn’t show. Much. Over the years, she had tried to stop loving him, but everyone she had dated since him had lacked something. She’d come close to being intimate with a few men, but something always stopped her at the last minute. Sasha was sure it was the memory of Niccolo.

I’m a fool.

She wished she could hate him for the way he had callously discarded her after they’d made love. Niccolo Grimaldi wasn’t an easy man to forget, especially when their son was the spitting image of him. She doubted she’d ever stop loving him. And yet, he was incapable of returning that love until the enchantment spell was broken. At least that’s why she told herself. Even without the spell, there was a slim chance that he might not love her then, either.

She stole one more glance at him and her heart skipped a beat. He and his brother were silent, but she could tell they were communicating telepathically.

“What’s on your mind,
milaya moy
a
?
” Yuri leaned over to whisper in her ear.

She focused her attention on Yuri, whose presence she had almost forgotten. He was an old friend of her family and had provided her with a lot of emotional support through the years, taking her out when she needed a pick-me-up, and making her feel good about herself when she was sad. Although Yuri was like another uncle to Jagger and one of her best friends, he made no secret of his desire to be more than friends with her. Sasha, however, didn’t want to ruin their friendship. She appreciated the fact that he seemed to accept that.

She sighed. “I’m thinking about my son. I’m worried.”

“He’ll be okay.”

“How can you be so sure?” She wanted more than anything to believe him.

“I just know.
Pover’te mne
.
”

She didn’t respond. Despite his words, how could she trust him in this when her gut told her Jagger was in trouble? It was very inconvenient to not be able to use her powers when they were needed the most.
Damn you, Papa!

Yuri grasped her chin and turned her head so that their gazes locked. “I wish I could take that sad look from your eyes.”

“Thank you, Yuri, but the only thing that will make me feel better is seeing Jagger and making sure he’s okay.”

“I understand, but until then I have a shoulder for you to lean on.”

He put his arm around her and she rested her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the comfort he offered. If only he were Niccolo.

It was crazy for her to hold on to the hope he’d ever see her in that light when he’d made it quite plain he never would. But she had to keep telling herself it was because of the spell. She hoped he’d soon see things for the way they are, because each time he glared at her or spoke to her as if her feelings didn’t matter, a little bit of her died inside.

The occupants of the limo were silent as it tore down the road, taking them to their destination. Finally, she felt the car come to a halt, and she lifted her head. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into an angry pair of amber eyes. What was he so upset about now?

“If you are finished cuddling with your boyfriend, perhaps you’d like to get out of the car so we can find out where our son might be.” Niccolo said the words with such hostility she was rendered speechless.

Actually, she was getting tired of this shit. He hadn’t said a word to her during the entire trip, and now he was acting this way? She didn’t bother to respond.

Everyone got out of the limo while she took in the grand house. She turned to Romeo, not even bothering to look at the dark-haired vampire who was still glaring at her. “Where are we?”

“This is my friend Wolf’s home. Everyone else is already inside. Knowing Dante, he’s probably wondering what the hell is taking us so long.” Romeo headed for the door.

“Come on, Sasha.” Yuri held out his hand. She was about to take it when Niccolo grabbed her arm.

“Sasha and I need to talk. Why don’t you go inside, Khrushchev?”

Yuri seemed as if he wanted to protest but Sasha shook her head to tell him to stand down. He smiled at her. “Give me a shout if you need me,” he said instead and bent down to kiss her cheek. He shot Niccolo an insolent glare before following Romeo inside the house.

Sasha knew whatever Niccolo wanted to say, she wasn’t going to like it, so she tried to put him off. “We should go in, too. The others are waiting for us.”

“Who is Khrushchev to you?” he demanded.

He had to be kidding. She didn’t have time for this shit. Sasha attempted to walk past him but he caught her wrist. “Let me go. I’m tired of you grabbing me like you have that right.”

“Who the fuck is he to you?” His incisors descended in his anger and his eyes glowed.

If she weren’t so angry herself she’d be frightened, but she was tired of him treating her like dirt one second and then pretending like he actually cared the next. “None of your damn business! How dare you demand answers from me like it is your place?”

“You are the mother of my son and if this man has been in Jagger’s life, I want to know. Are you lovers?”

She was tempted to slap him but knew it would further incite him. “You may be entitled to know about the goings-on in Jagger’s life, but not in mine. You forfeited that right years ago. Now, I’m going inside.” She attempted to maneuver around him when he suddenly hauled her up against him and his mouth swooped down on hers.

Sasha was too surprised to protest or respond as he kissed her with an angry hunger. His sharp incisors grazed her lips but she kept them firmly closed.

“Open your mouth, dammit,” he muttered against her mouth.

When she didn’t comply, he tugged her hair roughly, making her cry out. Niccolo’s tongue darted forward and damned if she didn’t feel a warmth in the pit of her stomach. That all-too-familiar tingling sensation began to spiral through her body.

Just as quickly as he’d grabbed her, Niccolo pushed her away. “
Strega!
Release me! Years ago you accused your sister of casting a spell, but it was you, wasn’t it?” He shook her.

“I didn’t! I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“Liar! You did. Why else does my cock grow hard at the mere thought of you? Why do I lay awake at night wanting you? Why do I want you so much even though our son is missing? Release me instantly, witch!”

“I can’t release you because I never put a spell on you, Niccolo. I respected you too much to do something like that to you. Besides, I can’t put a spell on anyone even if I could.”

His eyes narrowed. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“My father has bound my powers. I haven’t been able to use my abilities since the night of Petra’s death.”

Niccolo seemed so stunned by her admission he released her. Sasha used that opportunity to make it past him and into the house. Now her humiliation was complete.