Page 75 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

“Punishment wouldn’t happen to carry a sword and think you’re a dick?” Despite my worries over Thea, I’d noticed the tension between my brother and Aurelia.

“Punishment does indeed,” he said grimly, passing me a glass before taking the seat opposite mine.

I resisted the urge to tell my brother that he looked like shit. I’d seen him at the end of a two-year dig looking more pulled together. He had the wild look of a man driven half-insane by lust, and I wondered how long he would hold out before he gave in to his attraction to Aurelia.

Or what had kept him from already surrendering to it.

I held my glass up. “To the women who drive us crazy. May we at least please them in bed as much as we piss them off the rest of the time.”

He nodded in agreement before shaking his head. “I’ll have to find another way to please Aurelia.”

“Why?” I asked, my mind still mostly focused on Jacqueline’s advice.

“Seriously?” Lysander said flatly. “She’s Le Vergine, remember?”

“Fuck.” I shot him a sympathetic look. I had forgotten about that, in fact. “That complicates things.”

“Yep.” He sighed heavily and downed his drink in one gulp. “And even if she hadn’t taken a vow or she was willing to break it...”

“You’d be tethered. That is shit luck.” I understood exactly how fucked he was. I’d been in the same position when I met Thea.

“It worked out for you,” he said, almost like he was giving himself a pep talk.

“Because we died,” I reminded him.

Lysander glowered over his empty glass at me. “Thanks. That makes me feel so much better.”

I shrugged and took a small sip of my drink. The liquor burned down my throat. Another distraction I desperately needed, but how much would I have to drink before I could ignore the pit in my stomach? “Why don’t you just leave? There are other women.”

“Are there?” he asked in a hollow voice. Our eyes met, and I recognized the haunted look I found there. I’d worn the same expression many times while I battled my feelings for Thea.

Now we both felt like shit, and there was nothing we could do about it while sitting around.

“We have to get the fuck out of here.” I stood and tipped my head toward the door.

“You have anything in mind?” he asked. “Or just general mayhem?”

This was why our mother hesitated to get her sons together too often. We had a penchant for causing trouble. It was also why I loved to see my brothers.

“Let’s see. Someone killed Ginerva, according to our mother. We know the Mordicum is holed up like rats somewhere in the city. And the man who kidnapped my mate is out there, too. I think we can find something to do.” I cracked my neck, giving in to the part of me that wanted to fight, wanted to fuck things up. The bitter taste of Scotch lingered on my tongue, but all I wanted was blood. To smell it. To feel it in my hands. I wanted to be the scourge I once was, and I wanted everyone in the city to fear me. Maybe it was that divine curse of mine calling for death. Plus, fighting sounded a lot more fun than sitting around and waiting for her to come back. “You in?”

Lysander rose to his feet, rubbing his balled fist with his other hand. “I’m always up for taking out the trash.”

“Let’s go.”

My best friend was right. I could find other ways to protect Thea, and I would start by cleaning up Venice one enemy at a time.

* * *

Back in the day, I never had to go far to find a nest of vampires in Venice. Some things didn’t change, especially in Cannaregio. Shops gave way to stately palazzos and apartments in various states of disrepair. Painted shutters peeled under the saltwater winds, and light glowed from the family-owned ristorantes filled with locals. There wasn’t much nightlife. No hotels or clubs. So the northernmost district saw the least foot traffic visitors. But if a traveler happened upon Sangue e Denti, a bar catering to the supernatural creatures that prowled the city, its grimy exterior and the solid metal door did the work of warding them off. But the vampires, werewolves, and familiars that called the city home knew behind the door lay access to every vice Venice had to offer.

And Venice offered plenty of sin.

“What is our plan exactly?” Lysander asked as we approached the building.

A place like this was where scum like the Mordicum hung out. They had been lying low for a while, but I doubted that would last. “Find one of our terrorist friends. With Thea’s coronation coming up, I need to find out if they were planning something.”

“Just a thought, but couldn’t we ask Camila? I thought she was with them.”

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