“Oh, please. Calm down.”
Zina’s head snapped toward the voice.
Luca stepped out of the darkness as casually as a man entering his own living room.
Which, considering the night she’d had, was almost insulting
He looked completely out of place in the ruined study.
Blood stained the floor.
Half the door hung from its hinges, one window was shattered, and Damien stood in the middle of it all looking like he was deciding which body to bury first.
Luca was eating an apple.
Zina stared at him.
“You.”
He grinned.
“Me.”
“You just disappear whenever you feel like it.”
“I prefer to call it making an entrance.”
“You scared the hell out of me last time.”
“And yet, here you are.”
She rolled her eyes.
Luca chuckled and wandered farther into the room.
“Honestly, if you’re finished narrating the apocalypse, Damien, let the poor girl sleep. She needs her beauty rest.”
Damien’s eyes narrowed.
“You have a remarkable talent for appearing at the worst possible moment.”
“No.” Luca took another bite of his apple.
“I have a remarkable talent for knowing when things are about to become interesting.”
His gaze swept across the destroyed study.
“I must say, you’ve really outdone yourself.”
Damien ignored him.
“Why are you back?”
Luca sighed dramatically.
“Nice to see you too.”
“I asked you a question.”
“And I heard it.”
“Then answer it.”
Luca looked at him for a moment.
“Must everything with you sound like a war council?”
“Yes.”
“That explains why you’re so exhausting.”
Zina folded her arms.
“I’d also like to know.”
Luca turned toward her, and his expression softened.
“Ah. There she is.”
Zina frowned.
“There who is?”
He smiled and spoke a single word.
“_Piccola colomba._”
The language was unfamiliar, but something about the words made Zina pause.
She looked at Damien.
“What did he just call me?”
Damien’s brow furrowed.
“I don’t know.”
Zina blinked.
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
She stared at him.
“You’re a two-hundred-and-twelve-year-old vampire.”
“And apparently still capable of learning new things.”
Luca looked entirely too pleased with himself.
“Don’t strain yourselves.
You’ll understand when the time comes.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
Zina sighed.
“Fine. What does it mean?”
Luca took another bite of his apple.
“Little dove.”
Zina stared at him.
“Then why couldn’t you just say that?”
“Where would be the fun in that?”
She shook her head.
“You’re annoying.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
Luca pointed the apple at her.
“Now, little dove, you need sleep.”
“I need answers.”
“You need both.”
“I’ve been getting answers all night, and somehow I’m more confused than when I started.”
“That,” Luca said, glancing at Damien, “is because this man explains things like he’s being paid by the word.”
Damien remained perfectly composed.
“I’ve explained more to her tonight than I have to most people in two centuries.”
“Exactly.”
Luca nodded solemnly.
“Terrible habit.”
A reluctant smile tugged at Zina’s lips before she could stop it.
Then reality returned.
Her father was dead.
Her mother was a mystery.
Something inside her blood had awakened.
Creatures had attacked her home.
And apparently, she was supposed to marry a vampire.
The smile disappeared.
She looked at Luca.
“Do you know something about my mother?”
For the briefest moment, something flickered across his face.
Gone almost instantly.
“I know many things.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re exhausted.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.”
The firmness in his voice caught her off guard.
Luca’s expression softened.
“You’ve had enough for one day.”
He tossed the apple from one hand to the other.
“He who runs today lives to fight another day.”
Zina stared at him.
“That’s your way of telling me to go to bed?”
“Precisely.”
She sighed.
“You’re impossible.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I know.”
He smiled.
“Still taking it.”
Damien shook his head.
“You haven’t changed.”
Luca looked at him.
“Neither have you.”
Something passed between them.
Not friendship exactly.
Not hostility either.
Something older.
Something built over years Zina knew nothing about.
Before she could ask, Luca turned back to her.
“Besides, you have enough waiting for you in the morning.”
Zina groaned.
“My brothers.”
“Your brothers.”
Luca nodded.
“Three men who already look like they’re deciding which part of you to devour first.”
“They hate me.”
“They’re not exactly hiding it.”
Zina rubbed her forehead.
“And then there’s the wedding.”
Luca’s face brightened.
“Oh, yes.”
He looked at Damien.
“You’re getting married.”
Damien’s lips curved slightly.
“Apparently.”
Zina pointed at both men.
“Don’t.”
Luca raised his hands.
“I haven’t said anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I was going to congratulate you.”
“Don’t.”
“Fine.”
He lowered his hands.
“No congratulations.”
Damien stepped forward.
“Enough. Why are you here?”
Luca met his gaze.
“I’ve been enchanted by this little firecracker.”
Zina blinked.
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re interesting.”
“That’s it?”
“For now.”
Damien studied him.
“Luca.”
“Damien.”
“You don’t show up anywhere without a reason.”
“People change.”
“You don’t.”
Luca smiled.
“That was almost sentimental.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Still appreciated.”
Zina looked between them.
“Can someone please explain why you two talk like you’ve been arguing for a hundred years?”
“We haven’t been arguing for a hundred years,” Luca said.
Damien glanced at him.
“Not continuously.”
Luca grinned.
“See? Progress.”
Zina laughed.
Damien looked at her.
“You encourage him.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You laughed.”
“I can’t control that.”
Luca pointed at her triumphantly.
“Exactly.
She likes me.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
He turned back to Damien.
“I’m staying.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Zina stared between them.
“Are you two always like this?”
“Yes,” they answered together.
Luca spread his arms.
“See? Practically family.”
Damien gave him a warning look.
Luca ignored it.
He turned toward Zina.
“Come on. Let’s solve some mysteries together.”
Zina raised an eyebrow.
“You actually want to help?”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“I told you. I’m bored.”
He gestured toward the ruined study.
“An ancient mystery, strange blood, creatures coming out of hiding, a wedding, three angry brothers and you.”
He smiled.
“That’s more entertainment than I’ve had in years.”
Zina studied him.
There was something about the way he said it that made her suspicious.
Still, she found herself smiling.
“Fine.”
Damien’s voice hardened.
“Zina.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“You don’t know him.”
“I know enough.”
Luca’s grin returned.
“Oh, I like her.”
Damien didn’t.
“You’re not getting involved in this.”
For the first time that night, Luca’s amusement disappeared
He looked directly at Damien.
“I already am.”
The room seemed to hold its breath.
Then Luca blinked, and the easy smile returned as if nothing had happened.
He turned to zina.
“Now go.”
“Go where?”
“To bed.”
“I don’t take orders from you.”
“You will.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m charming.”
“You’re annoying.”
“Close enough.”
Zina laughed under her breath.
Luca pointed toward the hallway.
“Go get your beauty sleep, little dove.”
She took a few steps before stopping.
“You’re staying?”
“For a while.”
“Why?”
Luca smiled.
“I told you. We have a mystery to solve.”
Zina narrowed her eyes.
“I’m watching you.”
“I’d be disappointed if you weren’t.”
She disappeared down the hallway.
Luca waited until the sound of her footsteps faded.
Only then did his smile disappear.
Damien was watching him.
“You’re hiding something.”
Luca glanced at him.
“So are you.”
“This isn’t a game.”
“I know.”
“Then stop treating it like one.”
Luca leaned against the edge of the desk.
“You’ve always been terribly serious.”
“And you’ve always been terrible at answering questions.”
“Perhaps that’s why we’ve lasted this long.”
Damien’s gaze sharpened.
“What do you know?”
Luca was quiet for a moment.
Then he smiled.
“Enough to know that tonight is only the beginning.”
Damien didn’t move.
“That’s not reassuring.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be.”
Luca pushed away from the desk and headed toward the hallway.
Damien watched him.
“And if I don’t want your help?”
Luca glanced over his shoulder.
“That’s the beautiful thing about me.”
A slow grin spread across his face.
“You don’t get a choice.”
Then he disappeared down the hallway.
Damien remained where he was.
For once, he had no clever response.
Luca had always been unpredictable.
But tonight, something about his return felt different.
And Damien had lived long enough to know one thing about men like Luca.
They never stepped into a storm without knowing exactly where they intended to stand.