“First thing in the armory are your pistols. Don't worry if you've never used one. You'll get plenty training. The pistols have silver bullets in them. 10 mm. To the left you'll find stakes. Make sure to grab two. They are all different weights so feel them out. Get one that is comfortable for you.”


His name is Count Cicero. Cicero was in charge of weapons in the King's Guard. He looked like he never left this basement room. The room looked like something straight of Dracula movie. It was dark and full with all kinds of killing weapons. Cicero is a overweight man with a huge mustache and a gut that would put any man to shame. It was nice to see a normal looking vampire for once though. Not the same regular extremely beautiful ones that I was used to. This guy actually looked more human than vampire. He wears King's Guards things.

“Everyone make sure you listen to Cicero,” Justice tells us, “Grab two and go. Let's move Team.”

Justice is met by eye rolls and annoyed sighs. The fact that he is repeating what Cicero said is clear that he just wants to show his dominance over the group. It wasn't working. Everyone...including me was looking at this kid as just another pretty boy who hasn't lived long enough to be telling anyone else what to do.

Even Cicero just seems to move on, “Here you'll find your leathers. This is going to the be the official uniform of the Elite Unit. They are flexible...and light weight.”


“And sexy,” Camilla adds, “Armando why don't you be the first to try them on.”

She winks at Armando. My father is with us. He's in the back away from everyone else. Truth is he the one here who probably has the most experience. Nero did what I said and put my father back on the team with us. I was assuming he would make my father the captain but he didn't. Justice was the captain. As handsome as Justice was I had to admit that I'd felt safer with Armando leading us...even though he did try to kill me or what not.

Armando ignores Camilla. She isn't the first girl to try to get his attention. Geneva literally stalked my father until he gave her the time of day. He is hardly paying attention to Cicero either. He's silently leaning up against the wall, literally too cool for school.

Justice wastes no time, “Armando grab your leather and move on.”

Armando ignores him.

Justice literally grabs one of the leather suits and throws it at my father. It hits my father in the chest and falls to the ground.

Justice walks over to Armando and gets in his face, “Pick it up soldier....”

We are all looking at this and I have to admit Justice has some balls. Walking up to my father and giving him an order like that was something that definitely wouldn't have happened back in my day. By the look on everyone's faces I can tell this is something that they still don't really expect. Lucca, Camilla, and Coco even takes a step back probably expecting Armando to drag young Justice. Honestly my heart sinks. Justice's face was way too cute to get the beating that Armando was about to give him.

Armando just stares at Justice...blankly with a cold demeanor.

“Justice maybe you should just leave him be...” Aiden interrupts in a soft tone.

Out of all of them Aiden was the closest to my father. My father had damn near raised Aiden. Aiden knew my father and he knew what my father was capable of.

“No. My father put me in charge of this squad,” Justice states at that moment and he looks over at him, “Put the leathers on Armando. That's an order.”

I can't take it anymore. I walk forward. I grab the leathers off the floor. I push them into Armando's chest.

The others seem surprised that Armando reacts by taking the leathers from me instead of Justice. Justice gives Armando a hard look but at long last we are able to move on.

Cicero brings us upstairs at that moment away from the dungeon torture chamber and into civilization. He shows us training rooms that are specifically given to the Elite team. He's long winded going over every single safety measure. As the others pay attention to what Cicero is saying I can't help but to lag behind with Armando.

“You not going to say anything to me?” I ask him.

Armando doesn't respond. He just looks forward, walking slow and keeping a mellow toned face. I can't read him. He's completely shut down.

I get annoyed at that moment, “I should be mad at you. You tried to kill me. The least you can do is give me an explanation.”

He doesn't give me an explanation.

Armando just turns to me, “Why'd you ask Nero to release me out of jail?”

“Because you're my father.”

Armando doesn't seem to like that, “I tried to kill you.”

“You were trying to protect Eden,” I whisper to Armando, “I understand. And you know what Father. If you really want to protect Eden you should probably try again.”

Armando grabs me. He holds me by the arm. His grip is so strong that I can feel his fingers digging into me. I try to pull away but I don't get far. Armando pushes me hard into the wall at that moment. He is still the Armando that I knew from 100 years ago. My father was strong, resilient and well trained. He put every other vampire in this squad...hell probably every other vampire in Eden to shame.

“This isn't a game Santos,” Armando tells me.

“It's not? So why did you play me?”

I have to admit I'm amused by how angry I'm able to make Armando. I want him to be here. I want him to be in my face constantly. I want him to be a reminder of the son that he tried to fucking kill to save this wretched ass fucking city. If he loved this city so much he'd be right by my side when I brought it down slowly. I'd take my time.

“Is there a problem back there?” Justice runs over to us, “Armando take your fucking hands off of him. That's an order.”

Armando glares at me. He ignores Justice.

His eyes are digging into me, “What are you planning?”

“Take your hands off him SOLDIER. That's an order!” Justice barks in Armando's ear so loud that Armando's eyes finally cut to him in the most threatening way.

I had to admit I enjoyed this. Justice didn't only have some balls but he was getting under Armando's skin. To see a young guy with no experience like Justice telling Eden's greatest fighter what to do was hilarious. This was honestly making my entire day.

“You better listen to your Captain,” I tell Armando, “Didn't you hear. That's an order.”

Armando lets go of me. He lets out this painful angry growl-like sound. I know I'm picking at the bear right now but I don't give a shit. I planned on making him pay in my own way. He'd betrayed me. He was the only person who hadn't abandoned me when I had woken up out of a 100 year slumber and now even he had. I had no one. Nero was married to Aiden. Lucca and Camilla were kissing Aiden's ass. And now even my father felt like I was a threat to the city and he wanted to destroy me.

“This area are your headquarters. This is where you'll report weekday from 9-5. You'll train on your downtime and patrol the streets looking for the any Thirst threats.”

“Is that what we call them. Thirst Threats?” Coco asks Cicero.

“Yes. I'm sure you all know what a thirst looks like. I'm sure you won't be able to miss it. Your desks have all been assigned to you and there are lockers in the back that you can change out of normal clothes into your Elite leathers. Does anyone have any questions?”

People ask questions while I look around the room. It looks like a police station. There is a huge window overlooking the city. We are on the 2^nd floor of a building not too far from the Nero's palace. The area looks familiar to me from back in the day. We are in the center of the city. Nothing has really changed as I look out the window at Eden. The red sky is still in the sky. The building we are in is an old building. It looks antique and it smells like it's from a different time. The desks are old fashioned desks that look like they came out of some Dick Tracy movies. I find mine and realize that I'm right next to Aiden and Justice. Great.

We get in the back to the locker rooms. The girls have a separate one than we do. We're all changing into our leathers and I have to admit. Camilla was right. These leathers are sexy. When I wear mine it sticks to my skin showing damn near everything. It's all black and there is stitching up the sides. I'm able to move well in it.

My eyes turn to the locker to the left of me.

Justice.

I watch him get dressed and my mouth is fucking watering. Justice has gotten completely naked. His body is so toned that as he tries to pull the leathers above his legs they tense and his defined leg muscles are exaggerated even in these dim lights. He pulls the leathers up and up over his tight ass and his solid abdomen.

That's when I notice him staring at me. He smiles slyly and I struggle to look away.

Luckily Aiden is making a stink back there, “Cicero. Cicero what am I supposed to do with my ring?”

“King Aiden, the locker is very secure,” Cicero states.

Aiden looks at him hard. Hearing them refer to Aiden as King Aiden blew my mind. Justice was acting like he was the the authority here but we all knew Aiden was the real authority. Aiden seemed to know it too and he was showing that right now by the way he was talking to Cicero.

“Do you know what this is?” Aiden asks Cicero.

Aiden shows Cicero his ring.

“Sir. That is your engagement ring.”

“It's more than that. It's one of the Lucky Ones. These are ancient relics passed down for centuries. I am not going to put it in a locker,” Aiden responds.

“Sir I was instructed not to give anyone special treatment on the Elite team.

Aiden's eyes glare at Cicero. He is speechless. To be honest I'm surprised Aiden has become so...pompous. I swear if he had pearls on right now Aiden would clutch them. What Cicero is saying doesn't even seem that unreasonable. Aiden wasn't the only royal here. Justice was a royal too and he wasn't asking for any special treatment for his stuff. Aiden was different. He's always been that mysterious guy who stuck to the shadows. I wonder if he changed or if this was the Aiden that was always there but he just never showed me that side of him.

“This is King Aiden now,” Lucca stands up for Aiden, “Are you going to be a dickhead to a King? You want to lose your job and end up working in some soup kitchen for rest of your life serving blood to the homeless?”

“Sir...no but I was instructed.”

Lucca pushes Cicero to the ground.

“Listen good-----you fat, ugly, old, fucking piece of pig shit Find some place for King Aiden's stuff NOW. Or I'll make sure you can't feed those little piglets you call children. They'll turn into Thirsts and then we'll hunt them. You understand?” Lucca threatens Cicero.

I get up at that moment.

Justice shakes his head and whispers a soft, “Stay out of it.”

I'm annoyed that Justice is telling me to stay out of it. He can stand up to Armando who was actually the scary one but he didn't want to get in Aiden's way. Had Aiden become...that king?

Cicero folds at that moment like I assume he would, “I'm sorry King Aiden. I do have a safe. It is silver and reinforced. You can keep the ring in there.”

Aiden raises an eyebrow, “You better not lose it.”

I look at the ring that Aiden gives to Cicero to put away. It is one of 3 lucky ones. Justice had one, which he wasn't wearing right now and King Nero had one. They were the most important things in Eden. They weren't just ancient relics. They had power. They kept Eden safe from darkness. The fact that Aiden was protecting it made sense. Justice hadn't even brought his Lucky one with him today. They were guarding them with their lives.

I swallow my pride and don't confront Aiden about how he's treating Cicero. Justice was right. I should stay out of it. I should pick my battles.

And I just found out what my battle was.

The Lucky ones.

I had to get them. I knew these Lucky Ones were the key to the destruction of Eden...for good.

“You should relax. Arms should be fully extended when possible, but not necessarily locked out. Shoulders should be relaxed, not up around your ears.”

We've begun our training...shooting guns with silver bullets at targets in a shooting range down the hall from the headquarters. Coco walks up to me at that moment. I'm actually surprised she does. I've missed every fucking shot that I've attempted. The others are beginning to notice. Camilla, Lucca and Aiden are making it clear that they are amused by my attempts at firing this gun.

“Fuck this shit,” I say.

I slam the gun on the table. The others are pretty good, except Armando and it's only because he isn't participating. He's standing on the side of the room with his arms crossed. Justice doesn't bother him surprisingly and I assume it's because we all know that Armando doesn't really need any gun practice.

On the other hand...I was different. I'd never fired a gun in my life. By the time I slam my gun in frustration I realize the assholes are laughing at me. They aren't even attempting to hide it.

“Don't worry,” Camilla tells me as they walk past, “Your skills aren't totally useless, Santos. I mean, You can be used as an example of what not to do.”

There is laughter from Aiden and Lucca as they walk past. Aiden gives me a stare. I'm a little shocked by it. He could have said something directly rude to me but instead he wants to use his little henchmen to do it.

“Don't listen to them,” Coco responds at that moment, “They're nervous. You killed one of those things without silver bullets. You don't need them.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” I ask Coco.

“Because you are me 100 years ago. It's the same thing that happened to me. Remember? Lucca and Camilla were your best friends right? Back when Nero loved you. Well they used to be mine too back when I was dating Nero. Lucca and Camilla follow the power. That's all there is. When you are with Nero you are everything. That's how it is. That's how it's always been. Things don't change.”

“It's not Lucca and Camilla I'm disappointed in. Aiden was never like...that...”

Coco sits next to me. I'm still surprised she's being nice to me. Coco and I never got along. She was a bitch back in the day.

“Power changes you. He's the sweetheart of Eden. Everyone adores him. Sooner or later shit like that gets to your head.”

“It never got to mine.”

“No disrespect but you're not Aiden and you never have been,” Coco tells me.

I sigh, “Thanks, you're really helping me out with this talk.”

Coco just throws her hair back, “Listen. I'm being honest. If you want people to kiss your ass try to get back with Nero. I'm sure Lucca and Camilla will tell you every lie you want to hear. Until then I'll tell you the truth. People don't trust you. People don't like you. No one does.”

I have a feeling Coco isn't just talking about the people I know. I think she is talking about people in Eden all together. Back in the day there was a lot of news about me. I was this guy who was dating Nero with the rarest AB blood type. I was a mystery to people. Then they found out why I had AB blood. They found out I was Lilith's son. I was buried alive and I was forgotten. I was old vampire news.

Now Coco was letting me know that even now that I was back it didn't matter. People didn't want me around.

I shrug accepting it, “Nero wants me here. I guess that's all that matters.”

Coco shakes her head, “I don't get you.”

“What don't you get?”

“Nero is MARRIED to Aiden. Even if he wants you around, does it matter? He's married to someone else. I don't know if you know this but there is a petition going around Eden. It's already got 1500 signatures. The vampires want you back under ground.”

My heart skips a beat.

“They want to put me back under ground?”

She nods, “The petition is going in front of Nero tomorrow morning. Aiden is presenting it to him.”

“Nero wouldn't do it.”

“That's not the point. Why are you here? Why not leave Eden?”

“Lilith has the city barricaded,” I tell her.

“She's your mother. She wouldn't hurt you. Leave here. Go live with the humans. You can hunt them. You'll never have to worry about blood. Why are you here? The vampires here don't want you here. You're risking your life to protect them.”

I roll my eyes, “I'm hardly risking my life.”

“Have you seen a thirst?”

“I killed one, remember? Bare handed.”

Coco gets quiet. There is laughter at that moment. She is actually laughing at me. I look at her a little confused as she does it. Coco is looking at me like I'm sort of joke and to be honest maybe I'm starting to feel that way.

That's when she rolls her eyes, “You have no idea do you?”

“No idea about what?”

“You'll learn,” Coco laughs, “You're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.”

I'm not sure what Coco means by that but she turns and walks away. There is a haunting feeling that she leaves behind with her warning.

What was she warning me about?

The next day goes as badly as the first. I'm not getting any better with guns and I give up. I spend the day in the gym which is two doors down from the main headquarters working out. Aiden was slim but his body was tight. Lucca and Justice knew their body were damn near perfect and seemed to walk around with the top part of their leather bodysuit hanging down revealing his whole abdomen. Armando was a lot more conservative but we all knew what he was probably packing underneath his leathers.

I felt like the odd man out and so I took to working out every chance I got. Even if I couldn't shoot as good as them I definitely wanted to at least have a body as nice as theirs.

By lunch time it's more of the same. I'm the odd man out.

Lucca, Camilla, Coco, Aiden and Justice are sitting at a table in the break room together. Armando is off to the side cleaning his pistol for the 15^th time and not being social at all. The thing is even he gets an invite from Camilla who seems to realize that Geneva isn't around and definitely attempting to slide her way in. I figured Camilla and Lucca had something going on for the longest but the more I look at it the more I realize they can't have a serious relationship. Lucca flirts with every aid that walks in the room and shows off his body like a trophy.

“You hungry?”

I've been sitting at a table alone when I notice Justice walk up to the table with me. He sits down and brings a can of blood with him. He pushes the can of blood over to me.

“You lost?” I ask him.

“Just noticed you aren't drinking your blood. You don't want to turn into a Thirst,” Justice explains.

“I spent 100 years underground. If I was going to turn into a thirst I would have done it already,” I explain to Justice.

“Oh yeah. You're special. I keep forgetting,” Justice explains, “Well did you think that maybe I just came over here trying to be nice. Maybe I'm trying to get to know you.”

Justice is handsome as fuck. I have to admit it. He knows it too. He has the same cockiness that Lucca has about his looks. It's very different from Nero to be honest. Nero always seemed a lot more humble. Justice on the other hand knew that he looked good and he wasn't afraid to show it. It was different and I wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“I bit you remember?” I ask Justice.

“Maybe I liked it.”

“Let me get this straight. You are wearing your bodysuit halfway up, you oiled up your chest to the point that you look like just left a sauna and you bring me blood. What exactly are you trying to do?”

“You like it,” Justice responds.

“Oh I do?”

He's young and a little inexperienced. I have to laugh at this. He looks like Nero but honestly he is completely different. I can't help but to be entertained by how HARD Justice is trying right now. He's doing all the cliché things. He's licking his lips and all that. He's leaning across the table and squinting his eyes like he has some dust in them. He's trying to be SO fucking sexy.

“I saw you looking at my ass when I was changing yesterday,” Justice pouts his lip in his cocky little way.

“No I wasn't.”

“Yes you was,” Justice responds, “I think you like me. I think you're scared but I'll be patient.”

I break out into laughter.

“Did this work on Aiden?” I ask.

“This isn't about Aiden. It's about me and you,” Justice says.

He licks his lips again. I'm embarrassed for him but amused at the same time. Justice literally probably saw this in some movie or something and he was really trying to pull this on me. He was trying to kick game and I was amused. The awkward thing is the guy did look good already. He didn't need to be half naked and oily to be attractive.

“Well if it's not about Aiden why is he staring over here so hard?”

Justice looks back. Sure enough he sees that Aiden is staring at us talking from the other table. His face looks curious but it's clear he's staring. He doesn't even try to look away when Justice catches him staring. Aiden wants us to know that he's wondering what we are talking about.

“He broke it off with me. I guess he's scared after you walked in on us,” Justice explains.

“So that's what this is about?” I ask, “You trying to make him jealous.”

“Hell naw. Aiden pursued me. Not the other way around. He's with my father. That's just...complicated anyway. It's probably for the best.”

The way Justice says it makes me think that maybe he doesn't give a shit about Aiden. He seems very humbug about it all. It makes me wonder what their relationship entailed of. Was it just sex or was it something else?

“So you just enjoy pursing guys who your father has feelings for?” I ask.

“You really think I have some ulterior motive huh?” Justice asks me shaking his head and squinting even harder at me.

“I don't trust a lot of people. The two men who were in love with me ended up marrying one another. My father tried to kill me. My best friends hate me. I'm not exactly the most trusting person.”

Justice shrugs, “I haven't done anything to you. So why do I get the stink eye?”

“Not yet.”

Justice looks at me, “Listen. Maybe I'm coming on strong. Maybe I'm a little corny. Hell maybe it is the fact that you're so interesting. People don't like you and yet my father is protecting you. All that kind of stuff just makes me wonder. All that stuff is a part of it. But it's a lot more than that. I'm intrigued by you man. I want to get to know the mystery behind the AB. I just want to get to know you. That's all there is. No ulterior motives. We don't have to fall in love. But it looks like you can use a friend.”

He gets up from the table.

“Pick a date.”

Justice is about to walk away when he hears that. He stops in his tracks, “What?”

“Pick a date. You're going to take me out in Eden. No oily chests. No squinting. No corny pick up lines. You pick a date and I'll be there.”

“Tonight. 9 pm. I'll come to your room and take you out.”

I nod.

“Fine.”

Justice walks away at that moment with a smile across his face. It wouldn't hurt to go out with him. It wouldn't hurt me at least. However when I turn around my eyes catch a look on Aiden. It would actually hurt Aiden.

I'm getting dressed up that night in my room. I don't have many things to wear except the all black clothes provided to me. Luckily there is a black blazer in the closer that is a little too big for me but it seems to work fine. I was going to have to go shopping some time soon especially when I started getting paid for this Elite Guard position. I had to admit that a night out on the town was definitely well welcomed.

I needed to go out.

I needed to see the town.

Suddenly there is a knock on the door. I'm not expecting. Justice is early. He's an hour early actually. I walk over the door to open it. It's not Justice.

“Nero.”

Nero's cologne hits me as soon as I walk into the room. He has on a white tailored suit. There are no guards with him. He smiles at me as he opens it and I realize that he has a flower in his hand. It's a white rose that matches his outfit. Nero looks so grown and sexy. My heart is racing when I see him. I hate the feeling that he gives me every single time that I see him.

“I got this and thought about you,” he states.

He hands me the rose. I look at it for a second. I place it on the stand at the door, “Thanks. Was that all?”

Nero walks into my room rudely. I guess the King doesn't have to ask. I'm surprised that he doesn't have his guards with him.

“You going somewhere?”

“I don't need to answer that do I? Or are you giving me an order, King Nero?” I ask.

“You don't have to call me that.”

“I insist,” I respond crossing my arms at that moment, “Is there anything that you needed from me King Nero?”

Nero sighs a little bit. I'm being a dick but I want to be. At the end of the day he betrayed me as well. He married Aiden. He promised to wait for me and he didn't.

“i'm wondering why people are telling me that Justice is under the illusion that he's taking you out on a date,” Nero explains.

Justice was such a child. He couldn't just shut the hell out and take me out. He had to go around and brag about it. I'm not surprised this is getting back to Nero. I actually was trying to piss Aiden off with going out with Justice...not Nero.

“That's my business.”

Nero looks at me hard.

“That suit is too big for you. There is a tailor outside the front door. He has a selection of outfits that you can choose from. I'm going to leave and let him in. Choose anything you want. I'll pay for it all.”

“Why?”

Nero shrugs, “You'll need to look nice. You're going out with royalty.”

“Wait so helping me go out with Justice?”

Nero cuts his eyes at that moment.

“Don't be ridiculous,” Nero responds, “You're going out with me.”


=========================================================================

The restaurant is fancy as fuck. There are guards everywhere as I walk in. King's guards. The restaurant has been emptied. No one is there. The guards lead me to a balcony that overlooks the city. The beautiful twilight city is gleaming. The city of vampires has never looked so beautiful then from this balcony. As I walk I notice Nero. He has his white suit on. He gives orders to his guards to leave us alone.

“You look handsome. I figured you'd find something that suited you,” Nero explains.

There was a time I would have died for this. There was a time that Nero buying out a restaurant and giving me fancy clothes to meet him would have been everything I ever wanted. Now here I was in this suit and looking at this rich King and I just feel the betrayal of him leaving me for Aiden.

“I didn't need that many clothes,” I explain.

Nero has sent me racks and racks of clothes. I couldn't even fit it all in the room. The tailor literally told me that the apartment next door would be rented out for me so that I could use it as a closet for all the clothes that I couldn't fit in my main apartment. Excessive wasn't just the word.

“Maybe not,” Nero explains, “But it looks nice on you.”

“You can't buy me.”

Just at that moment the waiter walks over at that moment, “Good afternoon sir. Tonight I'd like to let you know our specials. We have some rare blood from Alaska. We also have the seared steak served extra rare.”

“Can we have a minute?” Nero asks the waiter.

The waiter bows and walks away back into the restaurant. A warm breeze tickles my neck. Nero looks at me from across the table. Fuck he's so handsome. His silver eyes seem to look right through me.

“There is a blood shortage but you are able to get rare blood from Alaska?” I ask.

Nero sighs, “You going to give me a hard time. I just wanted to make this special.”

“Did you bring Aiden to this restaurant before you married him?” I ask.

“SANTOS!”

“What?”

Nero stops talking for a minute. He takes a deep breath. This is hard for him but this is even harder for me. This was the love of my life. I was supposed to marry him. I was supposed to be the one spending the rest of my life with him. Instead he was married to someone else. Instead of me Nero was sleeping in a bed with someone else every fucking night. How was I supposed to react?

I hadn't even begun to be petty with Nero.

“I want to give you everything you want, need and deserve,” Nero explains, “Just tell me...tell me what I can give you.”

“I don't give a fuck about rare blood or fancy suits,” I tell Nero, “The only thing I wanted was you.”

“I want you too,” Nero responds shaking his head, “I have a kingdom that is being threatened and the only thing I can think about is you. All fucking day. My people are turning into fucking monsters and as King I should make it right. But you know what I want to do. I want to make things right with you. That's ALL I fucking think about.”

“You say that like it's a bad thing?”

“It IS a bad thing. This is my city.”

Fuck this city.

That's what I thought.

Fuck Eden. Eden stole the love of my life away from me.

Fuck Eden.

I sigh deeply at that moment, “Then let me go.”

“What?”

Nero looks hurt. Just at that moment the waiter comes back outside. He bows and smiles at the king, “Are you ready to order? Perhaps a water.”

“FUCK OFF!” Nero screams at the waiter slamming his hand on the table.

The waiter turns and scanters all relatively quickly. Nero looks emotional right now. I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's anger or sadness or regret or something entirely different. Nero is definitely not the cool collected king that he was portraying to everyone else nowadays. He was the man who was in love with me.

“You shouldn't speak to people like that. That's not the type of man you are,” I tell Nero.

“I'm sorry---just this shit hurts. I thought you just told me to let you go...”

“I did.”

Nero is breathing deeply. He is breathing from his gut. He looks like he is about to spit flames right now. Maybe I've gone too far in being petty. Maybe I went over the fucking line.

Nero is slow to speak and his voice is deep as fuck, “Let me make one thing clear. 100 years ago I lost the love of my life. I lost my soulmate. And I admit---I fucked up. I got lonely. My city needed to fill a void and honestly so did I. I gave up. And I made a decision to move on with my life. But let's also make one thing clear. I will never let you go.”

“You already did,” I explain, “You love Aiden.”

“It's not the same,” Nero responds.

“Listen I'm not your mistress. I'm not some Monica Lewinsky type of guy,” I respond, “And I want to make it clear that I'll never be that.”

“I'm not asking you to. I'm saying just be patient with me,” Nero states, “You going on a fucking date with my son...that shit isn't funny to me. How the fuck do you expect me to react to that?”

“I'm single.”

“Fuck that,” Nero responds, “You're playing games with me Santos.”

“You're married to someone else and I'm the one playing you.”


The waiter comes out for the third time, “Sir. I was wondering if you are ready to order now...”

Nero is biting his tongue. The waiter definitely didn't know what he was walking in on. This was 100 years of emotion finally spewing out. I kind of felt bad for him but I also felt good that Nero didn't bark on him like he did before.

I look at the waiter and shake my head, “Just bring us the steaks.”

Nero is silent. He's looking out of the balcony. His head is turned. I wonder if he's about to cry again but when he looks back at me his eyes are dry. That doesn't mean there isn't any emotion. Just looking at Nero makes me want to cry.

“I love you,” Nero states.

“And you love Aiden. And your city loves Aiden. Your people love Aiden. They feel protected with Aiden and right now they need to feel protected. Remember. My mother is threatening your city. She is causing a blood shortage. So I understand why they hate me. A petition is going around to bury me underground again.”

“How do you know about that?” he asks me.

“Eden is a small city.”

“I love Eden. But I'm telling you that I love you. Do you still love me?”

“How can you ask me that?”

“Because our love is real. If I am ever going to go against what the people want and divorce Aiden I'll face a crazy backlash. You know that. All I'm saying is I need more time to figure shit out. You're not helping me. If you still love me, if you ever really had any love for me at all then you wouldn't be going on a fucking date with my son. WHO the fuck does that?”

That's what this was about. He brought me all the way out here to chew me out about going out with Justice. Truth is he was yet to give me any clearance on where things were with Aiden.

“Aiden is so perfect huh?”

“I didn't say that.”

“Sure. You asked me 'who does that'? If someone loves you why would they do something like that.”

Nero sighs at that moment, “It's foul. I understand you're hurt but you're trying to hurt me. Going out with my son is the worst thing you can do.”

Fuck it. It was time that Nero realized exactly the kind of man he betrayed me for.

Fuck Eden.

Fuck Aiden.

I cross my arms and get up from the table, “If I'm so foul then why is your husband fucking your son when you're not around?”

Fuck Nero.

To read the next chapter in advance go to www.crushedcrown.com