Chapter Twenty-Two
It had been a week since she’d last seen Nic, and life was slowly settling back to normal, but nothing was like it had been. Her life was like a shoe that no longer fit properly and it rubbed each time she walked.
She set her cup of coffee down on the kitchen table and stared out the window into their small backyard.
Abigail had bounced back after her ordeal and was healing, but Constance had noticed the occasional shadow in her sister’s eyes when she thought no one was watching. They needed to talk about the future and soon.
Mrs. Karsh had accepted the explanation that Abigail had been abducted over an artifact but that the threat was now over. She hadn’t asked any further questions, nor did she ask why Constance hadn’t gone to the police. For that, Constance was grateful.
The hardest part of the week had been going to Mario’s funeral. It had been an even bigger shock to discover he’d left everything he’d owned to her and Abigail.
Abigail strolled into the kitchen and stopped by the refrigerator long enough to get a bottle of water before joining Constance at the table. “What are we going to do about Mario’s estate?”
“We’ll sell.” Constance didn’t want a storefront. “Unless you want it?” She had to stop assuming things about her sister and start asking more.
She shook her head. “No. That’s the last thing I want.”
“What do you want?” she asked her younger sister. “Honestly.”
“Honestly?” Abigail set the bottle on the table and moved it back and forth between her fingers. She glanced at Constance and then released a pent-up breath. “I want to go to Europe.”
Okay, she hadn’t seen that one coming. “Why?” She needed to understand what was going on inside her sister’s mind.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love my life here, but I want to do more. I want to travel Europe. I want to blog about my travels, maybe sell some pictures.” She shot Constance a smile. “I want to scour their markets for vintage fabric.”
She smiled. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“You don’t think I’m crazy.”
Constance smiled, the first one in days. “No. But so what if it is crazy? You’re young. You’re supposed to be doing crazy stuff.”
“But if I go, you’ll be alone.”
“Stop right there.” She was putting an end to this before it started. “I’m a grown woman, Abigail. I’ll be fine.” There was a lot to handle. The thought of doing it alone was daunting, but she could manage it.
“I’ll stay and help you with everything,” Abigail promised.
“No.” Her sister needed to go, to take the first steps toward healing. “You’re going to book your ticket, and you’re going to go to Europe.”
“I need to figure out the money first.” That was Abigail, ever the realist. “It could be months before the store sells.”
On this, she could put her sister’s mind at ease. “Mario had money, too.” She laughed when Abigail’s jaw dropped.
“But he was always so cheap, not spending a dime. I always figured he was barely getting by.”
“I guess he had money because he lived so frugally. I wish he’d spent more of it on himself.” But there was no going back, only forward.
“And it’s enough for me to go to Europe for a few weeks?” The hopefulness in Abigail’s voice made Constance’s heart ache.
“Yeah, baby. But make it for a few months instead. Maybe a year.”
“What?” Her sister looked stunned.
Constance was still in shock herself. “The lawyer said Mario has a million in the bank and more in stocks and bonds. It will take a while to figure out the legal stuff and taxes, but in the meantime, I’m transferring half of our savings into your account so you can go right away. Once all the legal details are taken care of, you’ll have half of Mario’s estate.”
“I can’t believe this. It’s a dream come true.”
After the nightmare they’d been through, Constance was glad to see a smile on her sister’s face. Being away would be good for her, maybe clear some of the shadows from her eyes.
“You’ll stay only at reputable hotels. And you’ll be careful.”
Abigail nodded. “Yes, Mom.” There was a teasing edge to her voice but also a deeper emotion. Constance might be her sister, but she had practically raised Abigail on her own.
“Go on.” She shooed her away. “Go and start deciding when and where you’re going.”
Her sister bound out of her chair, leaned down, and hugged her. “You’re the best.”
“I know,” she teased, making Abigail laugh. Constance held on for a brief moment and then forced herself to let go. If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up smothering Abigail. She didn’t want her sister out of her sight, but knew she had to let her find her own path in life.
“I’m going to go out and think about this. Maybe stop for lunch and start making plans. Want to come?” Abigail had been going out more than she ever had in her life. It was as though she was no longer comfortable in their home. And why would she be? She’d been taken from here.
“No, you go on. And, Abigail, we’ll talk more about what we want to do with the house.”
Her sister chewed on her bottom lip and her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them back. “Okay.”
That Abigail didn’t protest told her all she needed to know. It was time for them to sell the house and move on. Her sister would always have a home with her, but just not this one.
“I’m heading out,” Abigail told her.
“Do you want the van?”
“No. I’m fine. I’ll take my bike.” The front doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” she called out.
But Constance was already out of her chair and hurrying toward the door. She doubted a kidnapper would be so polite as to ring the bell, but she was on edge. Oscar hadn’t made any contact with her. Since no one had come to their home, she had to assume he’d carried out his part of the bargain and they were safe from the Knights of the Dragon.
Still, she didn’t want to take any chances.
She reached the door just as Abigail opened it. Her sister took a step back. Constance charged forward and stepped in front of her.
Shock stopped her in the tracks.
Standing on her doorstep, looking as big and gorgeous as ever, was Nicodemus Wilde. She’d never expected to see him again. Why was he here now? Especially when she hadn’t had time to get him out of her system yet.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
…
Not exactly the welcome he’d been hoping for, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Constance could have screamed at him to go away and threatened to call the cops.
He drank in the sight of her. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans that clung to her hips. The short-sleeved top she wore hugged her breasts and stopped just above the waistband of her pants, exposing a small swath of velvety soft skin. He wanted to stroke it.
Her hair always made him smile. It was vibrant like her. Golden on the top and fiery red at the tips. Her lips were pursed. He wanted to kiss them, maybe nibble on the wider bottom one.
But it was her eyes that reached inside him and squeezed his soul. They were still the blue of a beautiful summer sky. He’d seen them filled with fear, happiness, anger, and arousal. And he’d seen them blank, which was much worse than any fear or anger could ever be.
“Umm, do you want me to go or stay?”
Nic gave his attention to the young woman peeking out from behind Constance. He’d seen Abigail at the warehouse the night her sister had rescued her, but this was the first time he’d gotten a really good look at her. He instantly saw the resemblance between the two of them. Her sister was shorter, her hair totally blond and longer, but their eyes were identical.
“It’s nice to meet you, Abigail.” He thrust out his hand. “Nicodemus Wilde.”
“Yeah.” She took his hand and gave it a brief shake. “Nice to meet you.”
She sounded uncertain. Of course, the last time she’d glimpsed him, he’d been a very angry dragon.
“You can go on,” Constance assured her. “Everything is fine.”
Abigail shot him a warning look that reminded him of her sister. These two were very protective of each other.
“If you’re sure?” Abigail hesitated and bit her bottom lip.
Nic studied Abigail. She was uncomfortable around him. Not surprising given everything she’d been through. Constance gave her sister a hug. “You go on and start making plans. We’ll talk more about everything later this evening.” The two women clung to each other for a long moment, and then Abigail slid out the door, but not before she gave him another warning glance. Nic found himself liking the younger woman.
They both watched her retrieve a bike from the side of the house. Nic frowned. “Why isn’t she driving?” Before Constance could answer him, he called out to Abigail. “You can take my car if you like.” That it was his beloved Charger made his balls clench, but he didn’t rescind his offer.
Abigail waved. “I prefer to ride my bike, but thanks.” She began to pedal and disappeared down the street, leaving them alone.
He stepped farther into the house, and Constance closed the front door.
Something inside him loosened and relaxed. She was safe, and he was with her. It had been the longest week of his life. And he’d gotten more advice than he’d ever wanted from his siblings and their women.
His brothers had advised him to come to her bearing gifts. The women had urged him to go immediately and lay his heart on the line.
He’d needed time to get his head on straight first. He needed to come to grips with his past and what he wanted his future to be.
Constance turned and marched into the living room, sitting in a chair instead of on the sofa. He followed her and took a seat. He noticed she relaxed a bit when he didn’t crowd her.
“Abigail is going somewhere?” He figured her sister was the best way to get Constance to talk with him. And he found he was truly interested.
“She’s planning a trip to Europe.”
Now that was a shock. “Europe?”
Constance nodded. “Mario left his estate to us.”
Nic winced. While Mario’s death wasn’t his fault, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat responsible. The old man had tried to play games with the wrong buyer. The Knights played to win, and they didn’t care what they had to do in order to bring about that outcome.
She glanced around the room, studying it intently. “I’m going to sell the house,” she announced.
His stomach dropped. She was moving? Away from Las Vegas?
“Where will you go?” He kept his tone casual, like his entire life wasn’t wrapped up in her reply.
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. It will be months before I have to decide. I have to dispose of Mario’s shop and all the things he collected. And it will take time to settle his estate. In the meantime, I’ll start selling off everything Abigail and I no longer want. I figure in about three or four months, I’ll be ready to put the house on the market.”
Okay, he had time. He could work with this.
She leaned forward, placing her forearms on her thighs and linking her hands together. “Why are you here, Nic? You made it pretty clear when I left your place that we were done.”
He winced at her bluntness but couldn’t blame her. He’d been a bastard. “I was confused. Upset.” That was an understatement.
She nodded. “I get that, but we were only temporary.”
She sat back, leaned her head against the cushion, and gave a tired sigh. There were circles under her eyes. He could tell she hadn’t been sleeping well.
“Circumstances threw us together. You’re”—she waved her hand in front of her—“you. You’re immortal, or at least very long lived.”
She looked sad. His heart clenched, and his dragon roared inside him, not at all happy with how things were progressing.
She looked him straight in the eyes in that direct way she had. “I really don’t know much about you. We didn’t have that kind of relationship.”
Ouch. Talk about stabbing a guy in the heart, but he had only himself to blame. “I’m used to keeping secrets.”
“That’s understandable. After encountering the Knights, I appreciate why you have them. But I can’t be in a relationship like that.”
“But you already know my secrets,” he pointed out.
“I know you buy antiques and collectibles, otherwise Mario wouldn’t have contacted you.” She ticked off her observation on one finger. “You have enemies.” Another finger. “You’re a shape-shifting drakon.” Tick. “You’ve lived a very long time.” She held up four fingers. “Not much when it comes down to it.”
He was losing her. He could sense it. Every insecurity he’d ever had came roaring back. Maybe she couldn’t love him. Maybe he’d done too good a job pushing her away.
“And you don’t know much about me,” she continued.
He wanted to touch her, so he clasped his hands together to keep from reaching out. She looked so alone. He understood loneliness.
“I know you’re loyal and brave and loving. I know you have a special knack for finding interesting items and treasures when other collectors or buyers might pass them over. I know you’re kind and passionate. And courageous. And bold. And sexy.”
Her cheeks turned an entrancing shade of pink. “All that?”
“And more.” Unable to stay away from her any longer, he shoved the coffee table out of the way and went to his knees in front of her. He took her hands in his. They were chilly, and he blew on them to warm them.
“Nic.”
He shook his head. “Listen to me, please.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip and nodded. His jeans got incredibly tight. He wanted to trace her bottom lip with his tongue.
“Those statues scrambled my brains a little while I was trapped. That pushed me more toward my more primal nature. It made me paranoid, too.” It was no excuse for how he’d treated her, but it was a part of it.
“I’m sorry about that. Sorry I betrayed you.”
He brought her hands to his mouth and kissed them. “You did what you had to do to protect your sister. I was little more than a stranger to you.” When she would have objected, he leaned in and kissed her. It was a brief but powerful caress. It also seemed to rob her of speech.
“In the aftermath, destroying the Knights, and then having to fight Dent and more of his men.” He shrugged. “It was a lot.”
“But not as difficult as finding out about your mother.” She was almost hesitant when she spoke, as if afraid her words might somehow hurt him. That she cared about such a thing gave him hope he hadn’t destroyed her feelings for him.
“I can add astute to the list of things I know about you.” He sat back on his heels but didn’t release her hands. “That event shaped my entire life, shaped who I am. To find out what I thought was the truth was really a misunderstanding shook me to the core.”
“I get it.”
He captured her gaze with his. “No, I don’t think you can. I lived four thousand years thinking my mother didn’t love me, that she’d betrayed me by choosing her village over her son. But that wasn’t the truth at all. She loved me enough to try to protect me. She started the Dragon Guard.”
“So they’re legit? I’ve been worried about that.”
“From what Tarrant’s been able to find out, Oscar is telling the truth. The Dragon Guard is real. He shipped me a box of books and artifacts, including the remaining dragon statue.”
“That’s a good thing, right? You’re safe from the Knights of the Dragon.”
“For now. And so are you and Abigail.” That was most important to him.
It was time for the moment of truth. Either she’d give him a second chance, or she’d kick him out, and he’d spend the rest of his eternity alone.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dazzling platinum chain set with the most perfect rubies known to man. He’d taken them to a jeweler he knew and paid a fortune to have the necklace made in under a week. There were so many rubies that he was also having a bracelet made for her.
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “What is that?”
He held it out to her, but she didn’t take it. “It a necklace of drakon tears, and it belongs to you.”