Page 20

I sat behind my glazed marble desk and waited for Natasha to escort my traitorous brother to see me. We had some good times so many years ago. Now he was just a nuisance I pitied and didn’t want to be around.

Harlen scrolled in with a huge grin on his face. His long dark hair was loose and falling on his shoulders. His baggy clothing was far from any fashion I could comprehend. He looked like a scruffy bum. His look was akin to a man that hadn’t betrayed me and slept with my wife— correction, my ex-wife. I stood as he eyed my office furniture and decor. The degenerate sat down in one of the plush chairs in front of my desk, even though I didn’t offer him a seat.

I lowered myself back into my chair and tried to remain calm. I waited for some falsehoods to hail from his lips because I knew they would come soon enough.

“Brother.” He called out to me without giving me any direct eye contact.

“What do you want?” I barked.

“I wanted to see you.”

“Harlen, cut the bullshit. What are you doing here? I told you to skip town and leave me the hell alone.”

“I know. I know. That was my initial plan. I was going to leave you alone.”

“Again, why are you here? Don’t you love frolicking around in foreign lands?”

“I do, but I saw Teresa snooping around and I just couldn’t leave town without telling you she was here.”

“Stupid excuse. I don’t need you to warn me about her.”

“I know, but you know how she is. You know what she did to that pilates instructor.”

He didn’t have to remind me. I knew exactly what she’d done. Teresa was one of the reasons I left L.A. so abruptly. I went on two dates with a nice Armenian woman who taught pilates in the Hollywood Hills, and Teresa murdered the woman. I could barely live with the idea that I was the reason that innocent woman died.

This was a woman named Artemis that I had no feelings for. Teresa was unhinged. I wanted to get as far away from her brand of crazy. Killing an unassuming, harmless woman for dating me was above and beyond anything I could ever forgive.

Teresa had no morals. She had sex with my maker and my brother. Then she killed a human woman. Being a vampire gave Teresa strength and an ego that I wasn’t prepared to deal with. I wished I’d never made her into a vamp. She didn’t deserve the power that came with a gift of immortality.

I gazed at Harlen. “You didn’t have to come here to remind me of the past.”

“It looks like you need my help getting rid of her.”

“I don’t need your help with anything.”

“I believe Teresa is up to something.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on my desk.

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

“I’m very sorry, brother. I would do absolutely anything for you to forgive me. Sharing is no longer caring. I promise I’ve changed.”

I never wanted to share my wife with this idiot.

“Changed into what, exactly?” I shouted and reined myself back into calmness.

“I don’t know. I just can’t leave things the way they are. Now that I’ve found you, I want to make things right.”

“Leaving me alone would make things perfectly alright.”

“But I miss you. I miss us.”

“Bullshit!” I spewed.

“No really. I don’t want to be alone in this life. I want to be with you. Just like when we were younger. I beg you to give me another chance. Give me a chance to be a part of what you have here.”

“Look, I’m very busy right now. I have my own things going on and I don’t have time for you.”

“I promise I will stay out of your way.”