He smiled when he saw her pause, but she didn’t get angry.
“You always smell the same to me,” she said.
He cocked his head. “How? What do I smell like to you?”
She didn’t look at him but turned on the burner to heat a pan on the stove. “Kind of like smoke. Wood smoke and whiskey.”
“I remember you wrote that in the journal. About the smoke.”
She looked up at him. “Did you read that? All of it?”
“Of course.”
“Even the parts when I cussed at you? I wasn’t very nice.”
He shrugged. “Did you read my journals? Most of them are far harsher than yours.”
“I haven’t read all of them yet,” she said as she put the ground beef on to cook. “You live in a rough world, you know?”
He folded his hands under his chin and put down the book he was pretending to read. “I don’t want you to have any illusions, Beatrice. My world, and the world your father lives in, can be very brutal.”
“I’m getting that impression.”
“Good.”
She glared at him. “Don’t use the professor-voice with me, Gio. I’m not a kid anymore.”
He allowed his eyes to run over her slim cut black jeans and the tight black t-shirt that hugged her breasts. It was her normal uniform on her days off and suited her to the ground. “No, you most certainly are not,” he muttered. “I don’t want to lie about anything to you, Beatrice. It doesn’t do either of us any favors in the long run.”
“The long run, huh?”
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
She paused to look at him, and he didn’t flinch from her steady gaze.
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
Giovanni was annoyed by her dismissal, but he forced himself to remain calm. “Speaking of immortal matters, there is a certain vampire in town that you should meet.”
The meat sizzled in the pan as she added the onions and chiles. “Who?”
“You asked who ran Los Angeles, but the answer is somewhat complicated. As a matter of fact, the reason I never worried much about you living here—”
“Hiring someone to move next door to me isn’t worrying much?”
“—is because of who controls the city.” He ignored her question and continued. “Tell me about your grandmother’s family.”
“What?” she frowned. “The Alvarezes? Why? They’re from Mexico. Guadalajara. I’ve never even been there, but I hear it’s pretty. I think Grandma has one cousin she keeps in contact with.”
“Your grandmother is descended from a very old and very wealthy Spanish family that was once large land owners in Alta California.”
“Okay,” she said slowly as she alternated between stirring the meat for the tacos and chopping tomatoes.
“He won’t eat those,” he said, looking at the cutting board.
She snorted. “He will if he wants me to feed him.”
Giovanni grinned and continued talking. “Don Ernesto Alvarez was a very wealthy man, and he had a very large family. A tradition he continued even after he was turned into a vampire in the late 1700s.”
She had looked up as soon as he said the name ‘Alvarez.’
“Gio, are you telling me I’m related to another vampire?”
He smiled. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, probably ten percent of California and Northern Mexico is related to him in some way. It was a very large family.”
She shook her head and continued preparing dinner. “So what? This Don Ernesto is my great-great-a whole bunch of times-great-grandfather?”
“Yes, he is. And you’re a direct descendant, which is rare and brings out his sentimental side.”
“And he runs the city of Los Angeles?”
“And most of the surrounding areas, yes. Most of the area between here and the Mexican border is under his and his clan’s control.”
“Is he an earth vampire? You told me once they tend to stay in clans.”
“Ah, but they don’t like politics much, and where there are cities and large populations, there are usually politics. No, most larger cities are controlled by water vampires. London, Athens, Rome, Beijing, Buenos Aires. Water vamps tend to be quite tricky. Very smart and they like manipulation.”
“The perfect politician,” she said.
“Exactly.”
“What about Houston? Was there a lot of that there?”
He chuckled. “Houston is a bit of an anomaly, to be honest. That’s one of the reasons I like it. Because of the proximity of New Orleans, it has an extremely low vampire population. It’s an easy place to lie low, if that’s what you’re looking for.”
She gave him a rueful smile. “Kind of spoiled the lying low thing for you, didn’t I?”
He winked. “You were worth every singed hair, tesoro.”
“It’s growing back,” she said quietly, reaching over to run her fingers through his short locks. He leaned into her hand and she let it rest on his cheek briefly. Their eyes met again, and he saw hers soften.
“So,” she said after a few quiet moments of contact, “this Don Ernesto knows about me? Does he know about my dad?”
He nodded and she continued fixing dinner. “He knows the basics, but not the specifics. I met with him the night I left the sonnets at your home. He was pleased to learn of the connection and more than happy to offer additional protection. An umbrella, of sorts.”
She shrugged. “What’s the big deal? You said he was related to a bunch of humans.”
“But not any under my aegis, tesoro. He did me a favor by helping me protect you. And now I am in his debt.”
She looked worried. “Is that a bad thing?”
“No,” he shook his head. “He’s a very decent sort, and if you’re going to be related to a vampire, it’s good that it’s him. He’s very protective of his people. Very old-fashioned. And he’s pleased to have the connection to me, as well.”
She smirked a little. “You really are kind of a bad-ass, aren’t you? I read your journals. You and Tenzin made quite the reputation for yourselves for a couple hundred years.”
Giovanni shrugged. “I did what I needed to survive and build a reputation that no one would question. The more you are feared, the more you are respected and left alone. It’s the way of the world.”
“The vampire world, anyway.”
“It’s the way of any world, Beatrice,” he said grimly. “Don’t let the politicians fool you.”
Giovanni watched her grate the cheese for the tacos. He could hear Ben outside, still bouncing the basketball by the garage.
“So why did I need all the super-secret vampire info? Besides being well-informed.”
“Don Ernesto has the vampire who attacked Mano in his custody. I will be interrogating him tomorrow evening, and he’s asked that you accompany me so he can meet you. You will not go the interrogation.”
He could see the blood drain from her face. “What does he want from me?”
“I suspect Ernesto only wants to know you. As I said, he’s very fond of his family and has been wanting to meet you for some time. It’s only been out of courtesy to me that he has maintained his distance. He knew I wanted you left alone.”
“And the guy who attacked Mano?” she asked quietly.
“He was apprehended after I spoke to Ernesto’s enforcer, Baojia. The vampire is Greek, unknown, and not particularly valuable. He hadn’t caused any trouble in the area but was spotted near the port the night Mano was attacked. They picked him up the next night.”
Her mouth fell open. “So they’ve had him for two and a half weeks? What are they doing to him?”
“Do you care?” He cocked a curious eyebrow at her.
She hesitated, frowning a little. “Not really, I’m just curious.”
Giovanni smirked. “They have him in a very ingenious little place called a dry room. Quite torturous for water vampires. Saps them of their power. It’s a bit like a giant dehumidifying chamber.”
r />
“I don’t want to picture that after two and a half weeks.”
He shook his head. “It won’t be pretty, but he should be miserable enough to give up any information about Lorenzo if he has it.”
“Do you have any doubt about it being Lorenzo?”
He paused. “No.”
Beatrice nodded. “So that must mean he still hasn’t found my dad, right?”
“If you are still a target for him, then probably not. You did steal most of his money, though. That had to be irritating.”
“And lucrative,” she muttered. His only response was a snort. “And then what? After you interrogate this guy, what then?”
Giovanni watched her carefully. “I will kill him.”
Her dark eyes seemed to lighten, her mouth a thin line. “Good.”
“So, will you meet with Don Ernesto Alvarez tomorrow after work?”
“Sure. I’ll come here and we can take your car. What about Ben?”
“The fewer people who know about Ben, the better. I’ll see if Kirby and Dez can watch him. He seems to be fond of blondes.”
Beatrice shook her head. “That kid is fond of females. Doesn’t seem to matter what kind.”
“He’ll learn to be choosy in time. It only took me five hundred years to find the one I really want.”
She blushed and tried to hide her smile. Giovanni was trying to keep the innuendo to a minimum, but he wasn’t a saint. He knew she was grieving her relationship with Mano and blamed herself for the human’s pain, but he also knew she would eventually see the wisdom of not dwelling in the past.
He’d had enough of the past; he wanted her future.
“Okay, I’ll call Dez in the morning and then head over here after work. I’m sure she’ll be happy to help. Then we can go over and talk to this Ernesto.”
“He’ll expect you to treat him like family, just so you know. He already knows all about you and considers you a granddaughter. He’s quite proud of you.”
Beatrice made a face and Giovanni chuckled. “I’m not going to lie,” she said, laughing along. “That’s kind of weird.”
“And he’ll probably try to persuade you to let him sire you.”
She fumbled the knife. “What?”
Giovanni smiled. “He won’t force the issue, far from it, he fears me too much, but he can be very persuasive. He loves having a large family and he particularly likes having human descendants in it. It’s a peculiarity of his, but not an obsessive one.”
Beatrice took a deep breath. “Okay, as long as he’s not going to try to force me or anything.”
“No, I’ll be in his home with you. No one would dare.”
“It’s a date then.”
He propped his elbows on the counter and watched her warm the tortillas, one by one, in the flame from the stove. “Maybe we should try the theater next time. Might be less stressful.”
Beatrice looked over at him, glanced at his hands and held up another tortilla with a pair of tongs. “Little help here?”
He grinned, snapped his fingers, and let the warm flames fill his hands as he helped her finish preparing the meal.
“Ben wants to know if I can take him to that movie with the blue aliens.”
“That movie looks horrible.”
She shrugged and folded the tortillas in a clean dishtowel to keep them warm. “He’s twelve.”
“Remind me to make him read some Jules Verne.”
She grinned and nodded toward the door. “You’re such a snob. Can you call him in to set the table?”
Giovanni turned his head toward the door and yelled, “Benjamin! Come inside and set the table!”
She gave him a disgusted look.
“What? He heard me.”
Beatrice rolled her eyes. “Boys. Five hundred or twelve. Mortal or immortal. Still kind of the same…”
He grinned, pleased beyond measure to have her in his kitchen, in his home, in his life. Giovanni couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to have her living with him, working with him, and helping him raise Ben.
Loving him.
His feelings must have spilled out of his eyes as he watched her take the food to the table, because she glanced over at him and quickly looked away. He stood, walked into the kitchen, and took the plate of food from her.
He leaned down and brushed a kiss over her cheek before he whispered in her ear, “Grazie, tesoro. For dinner. For being here.”
She swallowed and opened her mouth as if she was about to speak, but just then, Ben barreled into the kitchen.
“Awesome, tacos—” And then. “— Ew, are those tomatoes?”
Chapter Eight
Long Beach, California
December 2009
The lights of the three-tiered yacht glowed in the harbor as Giovanni and Beatrice were ferried out in the small white boat. Don Ernesto Alvarez had spent his mortal and immortal life in the accumulation of wealth, power, and influence and had no qualms about enjoying and sharing that wealth with those he favored.
“So, the water vampire lives on a yacht, huh?” she leaned toward Giovanni and whispered.
“No need to be intimidated, tesoro, but do be careful.”
“See, those two statements seem like they contradict each other to me, Gio.”
He chuckled and slipped an arm around her, warming her when she shivered. She relaxed into his side and allowed herself to enjoy the simple comfort of his touch.
He’d been careful with her the past weeks, respecting the fact that she still grieved the loss of her relationship with Mano. No matter his own feelings, he had respected hers and was showing an extraordinary amount of patience.
And that, more than anything, softened the brittle wall she’d put up to protect herself.
It would have been as easy as breathing to fall into his arms. She knew he loved her and wanted her, but Beatrice also knew she was past the point in her life where she would jump head first into a situation she knew little about. She had been cautious six years ago; she was even more wary now.
Giovanni claimed he wanted her. Not just for this life, but for eternity. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the idea; what he was asking wasn’t a decision she could make lightly.
“Señorita De Novo, Señor Vecchio, welcome aboard,” the dark haired steward called down in greeting when they came alongside the anchored cruiser. They climbed up the large angled ladder that dipped toward the water, and she felt Giovanni’s hand on the small of her back as she climbed. She was slightly unsteady on her feet, but she felt him behind her, steadying her legs as she climbed.
“I feel like I’m underdressed,” she muttered, eyeing the formally dressed steward.
He chuckled and pinched her leg. “I told you to wear your boots.”
“Haha. All the same, with this ladder I’m sure glad I didn’t wear a skirt.”
“I’m not,” she heard him grumble.
“Oh really? Want me to share the view with all the boys in the boat below?”
She looked down to see one of the crewmen on the small boat wink at her. Beatrice snickered and Giovanni glanced over his shoulder to see the man quickly busy himself coiling rope.
“Fair point, tesoro. Skirts for my eyes only, if you please.”
Beatrice rolled her eyes and continued climbing. Normally, she would consider his possessive behavior annoying, but in the unknown situation she was putting herself into, it was more comforting than anything else.
“Tesoro mio,” Giovanni called from below, “can we hurry up a bit?”
“Why? You getting grey down there, professor?”
She squeaked when she felt him grab her by the waist and pull her into an embrace as he scooted up next to her. She clung to his neck and he shimmied up the ladder to the teak deck above. He held onto her a bit longer than necessary and bent down to murmur in her ear.
“It was getting hard to resist the temptation to sink my teeth in your thigh when I was staring at it for so long.”
<
br /> Her breath caught, her temperature shot up, and her heart raced at the rough sound of his voice. She made an effort to calm down so she didn’t meet her great-great-however many great-grandfather completely turned on by her…whatever Giovanni was.
Beatrice saw two scantily clad women strolling along the deck; both of them shot Giovanni a look as they passed. He was dressed in surprisingly casual clothes that evening, though his dark jeans and black button-down shirt did nothing to detract from his good looks. The women swayed their hips as they walked past, but he didn’t even glance at them. Instead, he held his hand out, searching for her own.
Whatever Giovanni was, she was beginning to realize he was most certainly hers.
She flushed when she realized she was more than a little possessive herself. The steward, who had been chatting with Giovanni in soft Italian, escorted them from the boat landing and up the stairs toward the decks above.
“Wow, how big is this thing?” she asked.
“The Esmeralda is over four hundred feet long, Señorita De Novo. It has forty cabins, twenty of which are interior and secured for our immortal guests.”
“Does Don Ernesto live here full time?”
The man smiled enigmatically, and she sensed she wouldn’t be getting a straight answer. “He stays here when it suits him.”
“Okay then,” she murmured as Giovanni slipped an arm around her waist. They left the stairwell and walked across a broad deck leading to what sounded like a party. In the distance, the lights of the Long Beach Pike glistened and she could see the giant Ferris wheel turn as families enjoyed Friday night at the pier.
There was a sudden gust of wind, and she pulled her leather riding jacket close to her body, tucking herself under Giovanni’s shoulder. She felt the heat begin to radiate off him when he sensed her shiver.
“If you’ll continue this way, Don Ernesto and his family will meet you on the veranda.”
“Thank you for your help, Enzo,” Giovanni said.
“Yeah, thanks.” She followed Giovanni, taking tentative steps toward the sound of glasses clinking and quiet murmuring voices that drifted in the breeze. She was ambushed by a sudden memory of the wild parties Lorenzo had thrown on the island, and she tensed when she remembered the drained human guests who had been casually flung into the sea when the vampires were done with them. She froze and her heart began to race. Giovanni pulled her closer and whispered in her ear.