The Coming Storm (12 page)

“Orlando is an EMT and from what I hear one with lots of accommodations and extra certifications. Phoenix—the same, but for teaching, and again, if people are going to need to be taught new things and crossed trained, good teachers are always needed. Plus any little ones will need schooling and will no longer have the same opportunities if we’re secluded.”

“You’ve been doing your homework on us,” Orlando said evenly, not making it a question but the
why
was kind of implied. Plus I saw a sliver of fear floating in his eyes.

“I did not. But it was wise of Director Fabian as a leader to know the people we were getting into bed with and not only trusting but becoming allies with like this.” Then he chuckled and glanced at me. “I meant in the business and alliance sense.”

“I got that.” Then I had a thought. “You said he wanted us to stay as the leader in him. What about the rest of him? Why did you make that distinction?”

“I’m saying when he’s thinking with his business brain and what’s best for the coven.”

“And when he’s thinking with his personal one and what’s best for
him
?” I stared at him in earnest, letting him know I wasn’t going to let this one go.

“He wants you, Chicago. He might not forgo bedding others and become a one dog-shifter man so don’t expect that of him but he wants you badly enough he might try. But definitely enough that he’d accept your family into the fold of the coven even if they were completely useless if it got him constant access to you. I’ve never seen him so taken with someone. You touched him deep inside somehow. I don’t know.”

“I do. Chicago’s got a heart of gold and being around him is like experiencing pure goodness,” Boston chuckled. “All my brothers are moral, good men. But Chicago won’t stand for or be around anything else, even if it means taking the harder path, constant flack, and people attacking him at times. He won’t ever give up when he sees someone being wronged or he’s bullied. Not because they’re bullying him, mind you.

“Because if he doesn’t do everything to end it now, they could go after someone else later and he sees that as his fault then too for not having stopped it. Even if letting it go is the easier path and building a thicker skin against it is what people tell him to do. He won’t do that because if his skin is thick against the bad, he could miss the good and what’s the point of living life if you live it numb?

“And when your director is used to only games and deals and backroom underhandedness for centuries, Chicago had to be the shock of a lifetime to him.”

“That’s fairly accurate. I think Chicago just turned his world upside down.”

“I don’t know if I should apologize or expect a fruit basket,” I muttered completely confused at the conversation.

“Baby bro, you got two armor-plated Hummers, enough weapons to take out a unit of the National Guard, food for a week, money for a year, and he wouldn’t take the check Milwaukee tried to give him, two talented vampire escorts to help keep you safe, and a clinic worth of medical supplies in the back in case you get a boo-boo. I’d say he skipped fruit basket and went straight to doing everything in his power so you stay alive because he wants you to return to him because you matter that much.”

Now my cheeks really heated up. That was one hell of a way to try and court someone… Especially with the man who wanted me naked and to fuck me as soon as possible sitting next to me. What had happened to my calm, boring, geeky life from just a few days ago?

7

“I thought I was going to die if we didn’t stop soon,” Aurelo moaned as he thrust up into me faster. We were taking a shower in one of the motel rooms we’d gotten, stopping to crash for a few hours after driving for eighteen straight. We had decided to get off the road during the daylight hours and since we hadn’t left the coven until after three in the afternoon, driving through the night, we pulled into the motel when most were people were arriving at work.

Meaning there would be the most feds and police looking for us. That was the theory we were currently working with at least.

“It’s been too long since I felt you. I needed you,” he gushed as he buried his face in my neck. “Smelling you there next to me, having you nap on me, and not being able to touch you for fear of your brothers trying to strangle me has been torture.”

“I can ride in the other Hummer.” I bit back a smile and fisted his thick curls tighter when he growled.

“Bite your tongue. Then I would worry you weren’t by me. Julus might try to steal you from me or offer you something better.”

“Nothing better than this,” I assured him as I dug my heels into his ass. “Aurelo Giusti, I promise that Julus is not my type. I’m more all about very tall, broad shouldered, muscular—how much do you weight?”

“What? Oh, um, like three hundred last time I checked which was a while ago.”

“That will do.” I pulled on his hair until he moved his head and was looking into my eyes. “Go deeper please.”

“A request I would gladly oblige.” He moved one of my legs over his arm so I was on a slight angle and pushed further in me, moaning deeply.

“I’m only into
very
tall vampires, like six-eight,” I gasped as my eyelashes fluttered at the sensations I was feeling. “Who are massive in the shoulders, muscular, weighing around three hundred pounds, with shoulder length, thick, curly, black hair and like it to be tugged on when fucking me. And they
must
have light green eyes that are almost reflective and catch the light in a sexy way that makes me always think he’s turned on just by looking at me.”

“I catch just a glance of you and the ramifications are my thoughts turn to how to get you in my arms,” he acknowledged with a growl.

“So, no Julus in my future if he begged me naked on his knees while promising infinite blow jobs. Now bite me because I’m going to come.”

He moaned and sank his fangs in me so fast my orgasm sideswiped me. I screamed as my body overloaded, the tingling racing from every nerve ending as my cock unloaded over both of us. That was when he drank. They’d figured out that I liked the biting and when I was close it could set me off in a tidal wave climax.

And yet somehow I was shocked when he did it. I also didn’t have much blood in my brain when it happened so I figured I got a pass.

Aurelo grunted and filled me with his release, the wet heat coating me as my muscles quivered, massaging his fat cock. It was perfect, as was the fit of us. If I had any hope for the future in general, I could see myself getting very attached to him and starting to get all starry-eyed as I talked of love and forever.

But this was reality and governments around the world were planning on wiping out every paranormal they could get their hands on. So there really was no point in even trying for
as long as we both shall live
when in all likelihood it wouldn’t be all that fucking long.

Aurelo could have me until he didn’t. Simple as that.

“I’m fine with sharing you. I like doing it actually, just not Julus,” Aurelo explained as he turned me into the water more and rinsed the shampoo out of my hair. I giggled. I had forgotten it was still there. I had only gotten that far in cleaning up when he had jumped me. “That’s funny to you?”

“No, no,” I assured him and quickly told him my thoughts.

“Oh, well, I couldn’t help myself. You’re just too—”

The door barged open to the bathroom and Aurelo pushed me behind him to protect me which of course had the opposite effect in the slippery shower. I went down like a log and cracked my head on the faucet. Crying out in pain, I felt thick liquid against my scalp almost instantly. I pressed my hand against the spot and sure enough it was all sticky.

“Fuck!” He reached for me as he tore off the curtain to see who it was. “Seattle? What the fuck, man?”

“We gotta go,” Seattle answered, keeping his eyes averted. Oh he thought it was a pleasurable scream not a
I just fucking sliced my head open
. Nice. “Phoenix screwed up and we’re blown here.”

I moaned in pain as I grabbed my head. “Bleeding, so hang on and go slower.”

“What?” he gasped and spun towards me. “How the fuck did that happen?”

“Someone barging in on us in the shower and startling us!”Aurelo bellowed.

“No yelling,” I hissed as the lights suddenly got too bright, holding my hand up to block them. “Just give me a minute and I’ll heal. Seattle, can you pull out some clothes for me and pack the rest, please? We’ll be right there.”

“Yeah, sure, bro.”

“Wait, screwed up how?” Aurelo asked. “Is it something I can hypnotize away?”

“If you’re good at it,” Seattle hedged. Already, the pain was receding and the dizziness was almost gone. Aurelo helped me stand, and he finished washing me up lightening quick.

“The gash is already closed. You’re going to live.”

“Good to know,” I snickered. He guided me to step out, and Seattle was waiting there with a towel for me. I wrapped it around my waist and leaned against the wall, taking just a moment longer to get my land legs while my head healed. “Okay, so what happened?”

“Phoenix paid for the rooms with the cash, but signed the slip with his real name and showed his new fake ID.”

“So? Most people can’t tell what anyone’s signatures ever say.” Aurelo shrugged as he stepped out of the shower and took another towel.

“Not our brother who teaches handwriting to kids,” I explained. “It’s annoyingly perfect.” I glanced at Seattle. “So what? The guy called the police or what? Wouldn’t he just have said something then? Are we worrying over nothing? This isn’t exactly the Marriott, Seattle.” I gestured around to the poorly maintained bathroom and raunchy room. “I would think they’re used to not asking too many questions about their guests.”

“Probably not but there are BOLOs out already with pictures of a few of us to report any suspicious activity from anyone resembling us. Orlando was going to get more towels and heard the clerk at the desk call in. Julus has a police scanner app on his phone and caught what was said and the locals are busy at something else and not happy about this being a fed thing but they will come, or worse the feds, soon.”

“So they don’t know any of your names. Okay, I can help. We need to hurry though,” Aurelo rattled. He offered me an arm and I shook my head.

“I’m good now. Let’s do this.” Then I pointed a finger at my brother. “No more barging in the bathroom like that. Knock. I know, desperate times and all that crap but you ended up slowing us down.”

“Fair enough.” He gave me a nod and pretended like he was going to nip the finger… Then I gave him a different one before getting dressed.

Hey, he started it.

A few minutes later, we were packed, out the door, and standing in front of the main office as Aurelo strolled in as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Can I help you?” A thick Southern twang asked, not seeming like he really wanted to at all.

“Yes, I had a question about the room service here,” Aurelo asked sweetly.

“Are you daft? There ain’t no room service here, man.”

“Of course not. I just needed you to look at me so I could do this.” Aurelo’s tone got deep, hypnotic, which was the point of course. And I couldn’t help but peek around the corner and sneak a glance in the open door. It was fall after all and we were in Texas now so it was still hot as could be so it wasn’t closed.

Aurelo’s eyes were strangely locked on the human’s as if they were staring into each other’s brains or something. It was cool and creepy at the same time.

“Have you witnessed a vampire do this before?” I asked Seattle at a low volume, not wanting to risk Aurelo’s concentration.

“Yeah, I’ve seen the show,” he drawled as he shivered without seeming to mean to. He realized it and looked away, rubbing his arms to get rid of the goose bumps.

“They can’t do it to us, right?” I wasn’t sure why he was so freaked out.

His gaze snapped to mine and he narrowed his eyes at me. “Doesn’t make it any less wrong, Chicago. He’s manipulating that man’s mind. He’s changing what really happened and taking away something that’s not his right to mess with. I would have thought of all people you would have understood that and been upset by this.”

I mulled that over as I focused on what Aurelo was doing. He touched the man’s temple with a couple of fingertips. “You were mistaken about the man you thought you saw. He was not blond but had more orangeish hair. And you need to print another signature card because the one he signed got lost, right?”

“Let me get that for you,” the man agreed, sounding a little like a robot. He turned to the computer, clicked a few buttons and one slid out of the printer right by Aurelo. He grabbed it and handed it to the clerk.

“When the police come they will still ask you what the man who signed this said about why he was here and his trip. You will tell anyone who asks that he was picking up some friends for a trip up North to drop off a gift to their parents.”

“That’s awful nice of them.”

“Yes, it is. Thank you for being so easy to handle. Have a nice day.” He stopped and the man snapped out of it so I ducked back to being hidden from sight. We already had the Hummers parked a block away out of view of the
one
camera the place had. We’d gone for high class after all.