Per Sempre Medici, page 44
Giselle looked past Kate, looking for the handsome man that had been with her, and glad now she hadn’t been invited to join them. Giselle was still not sure she wanted to get involved. "Stay away from me."
Kate got closer, knowing if Giselle made eye contact, she could hold her in her gaze, and keep her from running. "Please. Don't run."
Giselle was annoyed, but also a little frightened. “Why should I help you?" She looked at the disheveled woman standing before her, staring into her amber eyes. She felt a calmness come over her as she stood transfixed.
***
Shade moved faster than mortal eyes could see and got behind Giselle, staying out of her line of vision and waiting to see if Kate could detain her. He could overhear their conversation, and he was impressed. Damn, he loved that woman. He’d never allowed her to work the streets, as his warriors, but she was holding her own. He saw the moment she locked eyes with Giselle, immobilizing her, and he moved in quickly behind her. He spun her around, locking the startled girl in his gaze, gripping her firmly. He spoke in a soft voice and watched as she relaxed her shoulders. There were a lot of people around, so he pulled her close, and ran his hand through her hair. “I mean you no harm. Relax, you are safe with me."
He felt her heart rate slow, and reached up, laying his hand across her forehead, as he pulled her to his chest. He quickly wiped her memory clean. She wouldn’t remember them, or the events that unfolded in the alley. Dropping his hand, he kept his eyes locked with hers. "Go home, Giselle. Turn around and walk home." He released her and reached for Kate’s hand as the two of them disappeared into the crowd.
Giselle stood stunned for only a few seconds and then blinked her eyes, feeling a moment of confusion. She looked about at the people walking out of the bar, then wandered off in the direction of her nearby apartment,
Shade looked over his shoulder to see the girl slowly move through the crowd, looking a bit disoriented. "Well, Giselle won’t be making any more money tonight."
Kate looked back to see Giselle walking away from the bar, presumably on her way home. She almost felt sorry for her. She couldn’t help but notice how quickly and skillfully Shade had been able to manipulate her. "We should go home now. I think we've caused enough trouble for one night."
He looked her up and down. "Si, mi amore, you look a bit worse for wear this evening." Taking her hand, they teleported back to their house.
On the journey home, she wondered how many times he’d fed from mortal women and erased their memories. After all these years, she still felt the pang of jealousy over women he’d known centuries before she was even born.
69
Shade stood on the balcony, taking in the Paris air. He was in a good mood, relaxed and rested. He scanned the beautiful skyline and knew it was time for them to go back to Bel Rosso. It had been a glorious week alone with her and he felt regret over needing to get back to the business of being a warrior. He knew Kate was ready too, he could feel it, Bel Rosso would always be home to them both. He heard the soft tread of her bare feet coming up behind him and smiled, knowing she could feel his hesitation to leave Paris. Her hands slid around his waist, her head lying on his back. "We have to go back home, mi amore."
As her head lay against his strong back, she could hear the deep rumble of his voice in his chest when he spoke. Squeezing him, she closed her eyes. It had been so good to escape the tension that had swirled around them with the Borgia. They were able to push it all aside for a few days and pretend everything was fine. He didn’t speak about it, but she knew there was the increased activity in the camp and heard the hesitation in Lorenzo's voice whenever she spoke to him. Other than the Battle for Bel Rosso, Kate had never seen a large battle. If they went to battle with the Borgia, it wouldn’t be for a few acres of land, it would be for all northern Italy, and she had no illusions it would result in a massive loss of life for both sides. She felt a tightening in her throat. She had lived in their culture long enough to know there would be two primary targets on both sides of the battle. The Medici would be working hard to take down Rodrigo and Soren, and the Borgia would be working equally hard to take down Shade and Lorenzo. She swallowed hard, unable to bear the thought of losing either. Staying in Paris and pretending wouldn’t make the problem go away. It was time to go back home and face whatever lay ahead. "Yes, it’s time."
He felt his heart constrict with her thoughts. Her worry was valid. He’d always made it clear to her, he’d protect her with his life, and that hadn’t changed. He spun around slowly and looked down into her face. "We have survived this long, mi amore. We are stronger now, our warriors greater in number, and our bloodline secured through our children and grandchildren. We will fight and win, and our bond can never be broken. We will move forward as always." He cupped her face in his hands. "I confess, I brought us here to escape the chaos in the camp and all the worry over the Borgia. I have no regrets, we both needed this, but it is time to return to reality.” He kissed her forehead and pulled her tight into his chest. "Nothing will touch you, bel.”
She melted into him, enveloped in his arms. She had no fear for herself. He’d always protected her. She’d seen him in battle, and like every Medici warrior, he knew only one code of ethics: no surrender, no retreat. It wasn’t her life she feared losing, it was his, and Lorenzo’s, and every warrior who bore the Medici crest on his or her leathers. "You always protect me, lover. Come, we have much to do if we’re returning home."
She glanced out at the Paris skyline, the lights of the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the distance, and she felt a cold foreboding chill down her spine. She blinked back a tear and rejected the idea this could be the last time she stood here with him. She shook the thought from her head, then turned and walked back into their bedroom to start gathering up the few items she wanted to take back to Bel Rosso with them, including the canvas they’d bought at the artists’ colony. In her head, she reminded herself he’d promised her an eternity, and she planned on holding him to that promise. "Do you want to let Luca know?"
"Si, mi amore, I am going down to speak with him now." He chuckled as he watched her pick up the painting they’d bought at the artists’ colony. "It just struck me, every time I saw Shannon on this trip, she was carrying enough shopping bags to open her own damn boutique. Would you mind if we teleport back and let Luca and Shannon take the jet back with the belongings? Can you manage without your Luca for a day?"
She smiled back at him. "As long as I have you."
He cocked his head to the side, his curls falling into his eyes as he grinned. "Have you not figured out by now you are stuck with me, my walking sin?" He turned, shaking his head, still chuckling, and made his way to the second floor where Luca and Shannon had their private suite. The door was open, and soft music floated from the room. He stuck his head in and found them curled up together on a large sofa. He cleared his throat and Luca's head popped up. "Sorry to interrupt, but want to walk outside and have a smoke with me? We need to discuss heading back."
Luca planted a quick kiss on Shannon's cheek before jumping to his feet. "Right behind you."
As he headed in Shade's direction, he looked back over his shoulder and gave Shannon a wink. She lifted her blouse and flashed him her bare breasts and he had to stifle a laugh as he followed his master out the door.
As they strolled outside, Shade lit up and pitched the lighter to Luca. "I fucking don’t want to go back. This has been a relaxing week with no interruptions, and I feel incredible. But it is time." He paced back and forth in the enclosed courtyard behind their house. "You and Shannon ready to head back?"
Luca lit his own cigarette as he watched his master pace the courtyard. He chuckled to himself. "Master, with all due respect, my schedule is your schedule. Shannon and I have enjoyed the break as well, but we both knew it was only a matter of time before we’d need to return."
"Respect noted. I think I need to change our plans. How much damn loot is Shannon bringing back? You two will never be able to teleport all that back to the States. Thinking maybe call Dante, bring in the jet, you two fly back. I fucking hate flying."
Luca inhaled deeply on the cigarette before exhaling. He nodded his head, "Yeah, no way I can carry all that shit." They both laughed. "We'll fly back, no problem."
"Done deal. We are going to head out tonight. I am damn sure, when we hit Bel Rosso soil, I will have enough work to catch up on to last me a month." He sighed. "Back to reality, warrior." He snuffed out his smoke and went back inside. It was time to head home.
***
Kate had the few belongings she planned to take back to Virginia in a tote bag when he returned to their bedroom. Looking up as he entered, she slung the bag over her shoulder. "I'm ready, lover."
For a moment, he stood staring at her, the balcony door open, the breeze catching her hair. The lights from the streets kept her in silhouette, and the noises of the city played softly like a melody. Their eyes met and deep inside, he was grateful for every single moment they’d had here this week. He burned this image of her into his head to keep him strong and alive on that battlefield. A lump built in his throat, and he swallowed it down. "I love you, Kate. I lead and you follow, si? Home sweet home it is, my queen." He reached out and took her hand, and they walked to the balcony, teleporting out fast.
Kate looked back over the city she loved and watched as the Paris house grew small in the distance. Within seconds, they were far from the lights of the city, and she pulled closer to him, as the breeze flowed through her hair, and they soared above the earth, heading to the home they’d built together. She felt the tight grip of his hand on hers. She could teleport freely on her own. She didn’t need his assistance, but she loved he still took care of her. She could smell the air and knew they were over the ocean as he sped up, heading back for the States. She could see the lights of the coastline ahead as they approached, and within minutes, they were back over Virginia and circling Bel Rosso. Even in the dark, it was easy to see the layout of their land; the vineyards, the fields of lavender and sunflowers, the open pastures fenced in for the horses, and the stables. From the sky, the camp was visible and well lit. The warriors on the training field. They approached the house, surrounded by the lavish gardens, the pool lit from beneath and looking like a cool blue crystal, gleaming in the dark, the lights from the windows glowed a golden yellow. She smiled to herself. Home was always a welcome sight. He landed them gently inside their bedroom, and Theresa responded almost immediately. "My lady, welcome home. How can I help you?"
Kate looked at Shade and saw his thoughts were already shifting to the issues at hand. "Are you going to the camp?"
"Si, mi amore. Just going to change into my leathers and boots."
He headed for the wardrobe and began rifling through his clothes. "And don’t give me that look, I know Christoph has things under control, but it never fails... Where in hell are my lightweight tees?"
Kate and Theresa exchanged a glance, and Kate shook her head as she answered, "Second drawer." Turning back to Theresa, she dismissed her. “I'm fine, Theresa, I only have this tote. I'll take a shower and be downstairs later. Luca and Shannon will arrive by morning, they’re flying back."
Theresa nodded and closed the door behind her as she left. Kate tossed the tote bag on the bed and climbed on the mattress to sit down, watching him change into the leathers. “Give Christoph my love. I’ll see him when he comes home in the morning. I know you’ll have a lot to catch up on."
Finding his tees, perfectly folded and stacked in a tidy pile in the drawer, he grabbed one from the top and proceeded to strip and redress. He could feel her eyes on him, and he loved when she did that. "I will tell him to stop and see his bebe before he heads to his suite."
As he finished lacing and buckling his boots, he stood up. “I will have a warrior sent over for protection until Luca gets home. Any requests?" He wiggled his eyebrows and winked, remembering her words spoken to him in that alley in Paris.
She stretched out on the bed. "Oh, I have a long list of requests, warrior, but I fear they’ll have to wait."
He grinned at her response and flopped down on the bed beside her, tickling her until she giggled and squealed for mercy. "Feisty vixen, always tempting me from my work and warriors."
Slapping her ass, he kissed her slow and long. "Just remember what warrior will be returning to you at sunrise. Damn, you make it hard to go to work!" He rolled off the bed in one smooth motion and headed to the door. "I will see you later, mi amore. Be ready for your warrior when he returns."
He knew her eyes were glued to his ass in the tight leathers that clung to him like a second skin. He walked out and headed to camp, taking his time soaking in home.
The sound of the warriors in camp assaulted him like a glorious welcome home. There was something about that sound he’d always loved. This was his camp and his warriors, and he’d built it from the ground up. He walked through the gates and strolled slowly, observing the groups at work as he made his way to the office. His eyes scanned the field for his grandson, but he didn’t see him.
Skelk threw his hand up in welcome, and Shade detoured in his direction. They fist-bumped and Shade smiled. "Looks good out here, Skelk. We just got back from Paris. Looking for Christoph. Where the fuck is he?"
Skelk nodded his head toward the barracks. "Inside. Welcome home."
Shade made his way to the barracks. Walking inside, the barracks seemed vacant as everyone was on the field. He made his way into the office and found Aislynn speaking to Christoph about the feeder compound. Since Fiamma's death, Aislynn had been the lieutenant responsible for the female warriors, as well as overseeing management of the feeders, and she reported regularly to the SIC on both the feeders and the warriors’ schedules.
Aislynn stopped speaking abruptly when she realized her master had entered the office. She bowed her head. "Master." She knew he was here to see Christoph. She picked up her weapon from his desk and told him she’d finish her report later and excused herself.
Christoph stood up from the desk and made his way around to his grandfather, giving him a hug and pounding his fist on his back. "Good to have you home. How was Paris?"
Shade accepted the hug with pride. Christoph, like Lorenzo, was the spitting image of him. "Let me just say, your papa bear and queen bee are glad to be home and well-rested.”
Sitting down in a chair opposite the desk, he watched his grandson do the same. "First things first, send over a warrior to stay inside the house with Bebe. Luca and Shannon took the jet back and won’t be here until tomorrow. So, let me have it, what happened while I was gone?"
Christoph sent a telepathic message to Skelk to get his ass over to the main house and guard their queen until Luca returned. Skelk was a warrior of immense power, but he was always tongue-tied around their queen. He heard Skelk's mumbled response in his head. Christoph propped both feet on the desk, crossing his legs at the ankle. He pulled open the desk drawer, removing the pack of cigarettes. Lighting up, he tossed the pack to his grandfather. "It's been quiet here. We’ve taken in the new warriors from Europe, and it's getting a little crowded, but otherwise uneventful. I was thinking we should send some of the warriors out Raven's way, just to ease the crowding and give some of the older warriors a different experience. His camp has capacity."
Shade watched his grandson and chuckled to himself. Yeah, he was just like him. He caught the pack of smokes and listened to the suggestion about sending warriors out to California. "Good idea. Call Raven, let him know we need to relocate some warriors.” Throwing his legs up on the desk, he crossed them at the ankle and inhaled deep on his smoke. "Let me know who you want to send. How is the Dead House going?"
Christoph saw his grandfather throw his own booted feet onto the desk, and he smiled to himself, realizing where he’d picked up the habit. "Theo's good. He said everything is quiet in D.C. Come to think of it, Theo has been pretty quiet himself lately. No problems though, he would have said something."
Shade furrowed his brow. "Not like him. You try to talk to him? See if something is bothering him? He has a son now, I hope nothing is wrong."
Christoph exhaled the smoke. “He hasn't said anything. Everyone knows he has the half-breed, but I haven't heard him say much. You know, it's not an issue with any of his brothers, but still, he's a warrior without a mate, and he has a son. Not likely he will bring it up."
Shade dropped his feet to the floor, standing up. "Theo took responsibility, which is what the hell I expect all my warriors to do. He set a good example. I am going to go to the Dead House and see what’s going on. I’ll check on him while I am there. Anything else need immediate attention, like your damn love life and getting mated? Because you know your grandmother is wondering when the next generation of Medici is going to start rolling in."
Christoph laughed, between his mother and his grandmother, it was the only question they ever wanted an answer to. "You know, it would help if I could get out of this fucking camp every once in a while. I'm working on it, okay? But just between you and me, there’s someone I have my eye on."
Shade stopped in his tracks. "Damn. Holding out on my ass, I see. So, are you just eyeing her up, or does she even fucking know you’re interested? Which coven is she from? Royal bloodline?” Shade grinned, about fucking damn time the boy got serious about finding a mate!
Christoph wondered if he’d made a mistake by talking. "She doesn't know how I feel. I've kept my feelings to myself. She's not royal blood, and I know that's what you want. But you also told me to follow my heart. So, which is it? This royal blood shit going to be a big deal, or what?"
