Page 8 of Kiss of Blood and Sin

Chapter Six

Dimitri

I ditched New Orleans and headed to Salem, hoping to put some distance between me and the vampire politics that were driving me… well, batty, no pun intended. Apparently, breaking Dracula’s rules and teaming up with my dad’s little outlaw gang to keep Valentin out of trouble didn’t exactly scream reformed vampire. People still saw me as the bad seed, the troublemaker.

Maybe they were right.

But Salem, with its white picket fences and picture-perfect respectability, was starting to make me feel like I was trapped in a 1950s sitcom. I thought I could escape my past and start fresh, but it turned out that no matter where I went, my reputation always found a way to catch up with me. So much for turning over a new leaf.

“Come on, Dimitri. Louise’s party will be fun,” my sister-in-law, Rose, coaxed. She plopped down on the leather couch next to me, her blonde hair falling in cascades around her face.

I smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Fun? I have a different definition of fun, Rose. Mine involves a sexy little thing and a bottle of bourbon. A witch’s fortieth birthday doesn’t sound exciting. Plus, if I go, I’ll have to be on my best behavior, and we both know that’s not my strong suit.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible.”

“And that’s why you like me,” I said, flashing her a devilish grin.

Rose shook her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “You’re impossible.”

“Impossibly charming, you mean,” I retorted, my grin widening.

Rose’s familiar, her black cat Bellona, sat on the coffee table, staring at me with her big yellow eyes. I could almost feel the cat’s disapproval washing over me, but I didn’t care what a cat thought.

“Now be nice, Dimitri.”

I leaned my head back on the couch and sighed. “But nice is so boring.”

There was a rapid knock on the door and Rose answered it. She flashed me a fierce look as if to say behave. “Louise! Augustus! Come on in.”

“Speak of the devil,” I murmured as Louise burst into the apartment with her husband following her.

Louise spun, her dark hair flying around her. Excitementflared in her eyes. “Guess what? Gianna’s coming to the party. Her brother is actually letting her leave New Orleans.”

Rose smiled, but I could see the wariness in her green eyes. “That’s…great. I know you were worried she wouldn’t come.”

My heart stilled at the name. “Wait, you’re not talking about Gianna Santi, are you? The vampire king’s little sister?”

Louise sat down on the opposite couch, her posture defensive. “Yes. She’s one of my best friends. And before you start, she’s nothing like her brother.”

I scowled, unable to resist stirring the pot. “She’s a spoiled vampire mafia princess.”

“Dimitri…” Rose warned, her tone sharp.

I shrugged, ignoring the murderous glare Louise shot my way. Her husband, Augustus, looked like he was ready to go to war to defend his wife. How noble.

“Why don’t you go see if your brother needs help with the grill?” Rose suggested, her smile a little tight.

I laughed, holding up my hands in mock surrender. “All right, all right, I can take a hint. I’ll go before I accidentally start World War III.”

I slid open the glass door and stepped outside. Valentin glanced up at me, a grin spreading across his face. “Dude!” His long dark hair was pulled up in a man bun, and he looked happier than I’d seen him in a while. Good for him.

“Louise and her knight in shining armor are here,” I said, grabbing a beer from the cooler.

Valentin cocked an eyebrow at my tone. “What’s wrong?”

“They had some news. Apparently, Gianna Santi is gracing us with her presence at Louise’s little shindig.”

“How’s Rose taking it? She’s fiercely loyal to Costin and King Nico, and Angelo Santi and his family have broken practically every rule in Dracula’s book.”

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