“No.” I shook my head forcefully. “I won’t let it happen. They said if we did it this way it would protect him.”
“You do realize…” He lifted his head and brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “I will save you before I save him.”
“Don’t.” My lips trembled. “I’m not worth it.”
“Let me decide your worth Monroe.” He took a protective stance in front of me. “And in the end, once this is over, I want you to remember, I was the one that was willing to forgive and forget whereas the one you claim to love—the one you want to save—is going to be dead in a month—for choosing blood.”
Cursing, Sergio backed away and stalked out of the kitchen leaving me alone with my thoughts. No longer thirsty, I placed the glass on the counter and tried to get off the countertop. Yeah, that wasn’t working very well. My leg wouldn’t let me maneuver.
After five minutes of trying not to kill myself. I slumped against my knees and waited for footsteps to come down the hall.
Wonder of all wonders, it wasn’t Tex that had come searching for me but Nixon.
“You weren’t in bed,” he snapped, his cold eyes fierce.
“Right.” I sighed. “I was trapped on the countertop.”
“Mind telling me how you got there?”
“I flew?”
Nixon grinned. “Smart ass.”
“Love you too, brother.”
His smile fell; he took a few tentative steps towards me. “Tell me you know it’s bad.”
I nodded.
“Tell me you know there will be death.”
I nodded again.
He cursed and wiped his face with his hands. “Tell me in the end—” His voice shook. “Tell me you’ll do what I say.”
“I can’t.” With trembling hands, I wiped away the tears already running down my face. “I still love him.”
“I know.” Nixon picked me up into his arms and carried me down the hall. “That’s the damn problem.”
I sighed against Nixon’s chest. His tattooed arms were hanging onto me so tight you would have thought I was the most precious thing in the world to him. Then again, we were all we had. Everyone else… dead.
“Mo.” Nixon’s voice cracked as he placed me on the bed and then sat down on the mattress, his weight causing it to creak. “The Commission, we weren’t born yet…”
“The first one.” I laid my head on his shoulder. “Did lots of people die?”
“Well.” Nixon chuckled. “It wasn’t exactly a fiesta.”
“Bite your tongue,” I scolded. “Sicilians do not have fiestas, we have parties, blood baths, you know, the cool kind.”
“Right.” He sucked in his lip ring and leaned against his legs. His right foot tapping against the floor, made him appear nervous which, if you knew my brother, was totally out of character.
“Are you okay?”
“That would be a giant-ass no.” Nixon’s laugh was hollow. “I think she may be pregnant.”
“Who?”
His foot stopped tapping. “Who else, genius? Trace.”
“Oh.” Well that was a bit of a shock. “Why do you think that?”
“Because I know her, know her body.” And there went that foot tapping again. “And it suddenly all makes sense, you know?”
“What does?”
“Blood.” Nixon whispered hoarsely. “It makes so much damn sense, Mo. I would do anything—anything for blood.”
“Like a vampire?” I joked, punching him in the arm.
“Like a vampire,” he echoed, his voice losing its edge. “Mo.” He grabbed my hands. “I will always protect you, I’ll always protect what’s mine, but the choice Tex is going to have to make.” He squeezed lightly. “I guess I just need you to understand the pull that blood has on someone’s loyalty.” His eyes filled with sadness. “Regardless of how he feels for you—you aren’t—”
“—blood,” I whispered. “So you’re saying.”
“I’m saying in the end remember who you are.” Nixon shrugged. “Remember who he is.”
“I’m tired.” I faked a yawn.
“Right.”
“Oh, and Nixon.” I gripped his hand together. “Tell Trace I’m happy for her.”
Nixon’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting.”
“What?”
“I would have thought you would have noticed by now… what with experiencing the same things… similar symptoms and such.” He crossed his arms.
“Yeah, well.” I shrugged. “Every pregnancy is different.”
“Just like life,” Nixon added. “Sleep tight Mo.”
I nodded, emotions clogging my throat.
Two hours later, a heavy weight descended on my bed and large arms cocooned around my body.
“Tex?” I whispered.
“Yeah?”
“Enemies or lovers right now?”
He sighed and kissed my head. “Both, we’ll always be both.”
And I had my answer.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Sometimes all you want to do is pull the covers over your head and pray the truth out of existence.
Tex
THE NEXT MORNING came too soon. Sunlight flickered through the dark curtains, landing on my face. My body ached, my bones felt brittle, and I’d lost all feeling in my left arm.