I slide onto the back seat first and Cole follows. I’m now sandwiched between the two as Cole gives Devon a forced smile and Devon realizes why. Okay, so it could be worse.
Devon waits expectantly, knowing something is coming, but Cole just huffs at him and looks away. With his face softening just a tiny bit, Devon whispers to him, “I need her too. I’m sorry that it hurts you, but it isn’t about you.”
Cole whips his head around to face him again, but at Devon’s expression, he relaxes as well and sighs. “I know,” he says, and everyone unwinds slightly. “It’s not that. I know what it’s about and I’m cool with it. I’m pissed off with myself for not thinking about her feelings last night.”
“Oh,” Devon says, his eyes catching mine, giving me a loving look.
Fortunately, we are now outside CK’s apartment building and Nico lets us out. We scramble to get out in the fresh air. Cole takes my hand, much more at ease. The doorman lets us in, and I punch in the code for the Penthouse elevator. There is silence the whole ride up to the top floor. I turn to Devon to break it. “Do you even know why we are here?” I ask him.
He shrugs and says, “Something to do with the plan, I guess. I don’t know, Constantine just texted me to be here.”
Huh, curious. He went straight to Devon instead of going through me.
“Yeah, something like that. He’s got a death wish,” I mumble. Devon looks back at me alarmed. The doors ping open and we step off. CK’s apartment is fabulous. It is exactly how you would picture it. All lavish dark wood, reds and blacks, seem to be a popular theme with us, along with heavy ornate furniture, plush carpets and millions of Euros worth of antiquities.
“Wow,” Cole says. “This place is nice.”
“You should see Castello Ponte,” I remark, using the shortened version of the castle name.
“Castello? He has a castle?” Cole asks in awe.
“Yes, in Tuscany. I have mentioned it a few times,” I remind him.
“He still has that?”
“Yes, he would never give it up.”
“Give what up?” CK asks as he makes an appearance on the upstairs balcony.
“Your castle,” I say, raising my eyes to him. I nearly keel over. He is wearing a tight black vest, loose-fitting sweats and that is it.
He notices my reaction to his very casual attire as he smiles down at me and beckons us up the stairs. He leans over to kiss me, and I can’t resist the urge to run my hands over his well-defined muscles. I lean into his deep, essence-bending kiss, his tongue pushing forcefully against mine. He pulls away just as I’m getting into it. He nods to the two boys, who return it. He then clears his throat and says, “Very well, we have business to attend to. Aefre, change your clothes, my sweet, we can hardly do this with you looking like that.” He gestures to me and I look down insulted. However, I suppose it isn’t the most practical get up for sparring with your ancient sire.
“I don’t have a change of clothes with me,” I say.
“Magick some up, my dear. I’m sure you can if you put your mind to it,” he says as he turns and leads us into the gym on the far side of the corridor.
“Magick some up? What the fuck am I?” I mutter.
“The Power of One,” he snaps back, and I shut my mouth.
Okay, I can do this. I have only ever moved something over a short distance, except for the hair clips in the cave and the ring. Clothes are something else though. I think of my own training clothes back in L.A. and call them to me. I’m quite impressed with myself when they appear at my feet and grin broadly at my achievement.
“There, you see?” CK says with pride
.
I slip my shoes off and pull my sweats on underneath my dress. Pulling the dress over my head, I slip my training top on over my head and pull it down, pulling my hair back and summoning a hair band to tie it up in a high ponytail, out of my way. I clap my hands together then. “Right, let’s do this,” I say as they all stare at me. “What?” I snap, getting a bit sick of being stared at all the time.
CK shifts slightly and coughs quietly. “Not that the three of us mind, my sweet, but I’m sure that Nico is not interested in seeing your tits, no matter how lovely they may be,” he comments dryly.
Oh. I blush furiously. I didn’t even realize what I had done as I feel so comfortable around these men, I just sort of did what I would normally do, forgetting of course, about Nico.
“Sorry, Nico,” I say abashed, but he just shrugs uncomfortably. Well, I suppose it's not like he hasn’t seen them before.
CK beckons me over to him in the middle of the room. I feel tiny next to him now in my bare feet. I grin up at him from my five feet, three inches and say, “Now I remember this feeling and I still hate it.”
He chuckles.