Page 26 of Depths of Desire (The Emerald Dagger Mafia #3)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I open my eyes and am immediately filled with regret.

What have I done? Nico is a vampire… a creature I never thought I’d fall for.

But that was based on my revulsion over Malrick.

Still, how the hell has this become my life?

When did this become normal—so normal that I actually had sex with him?

I rub my face with both hands, mortified.

It was damn good sex. I mean, amazing. Magical. But still…

How could I have let myself do this—with everything going on? And yet... it just felt so good to be held. As much as I hate it, I felt safe for the first time, maybe in my entire life. Nico makes me feel... cared for. I scrub my eyes again, determined not to cry.

My mother betrayed me so she could stay beautiful. My father sold me out so he could climb higher. If there’s a God, he knew exactly what he was doing when he didn’t let them have kids. And if that damn witch hadn’t interfered?—

I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.

And wouldn’t it have been nice if my so-called best friends had told me they were married to vampires? I’d have thought that was a detail worth sharing.

I sit up and prop my back against the headboard, pulling the sheets up to my chin. I need to get out of this bed. I need to get dressed, take a shower, reset. But how the hell do I do that?

A soft knock, then Carson enters with a tray balanced in his hands. The smell of coffee hits me like salvation.

“I thought you could probably use some coffee, Miss.”

“Carson, you are a godsend.” My voice is scratchy, but grateful. “What time is it?”

He offers me a small smile. “Just after 5:00 p.m., Miss.”

Oh my God, I’ve become one of them already. Sleeping all day and only coming out at night. But Nico goes out during the day. I frown. Malrick doesn’t, though. He only ever came at night. I clear my throat. “Carson, can you bring me a phone?”

“Of course, Miss,” he says, setting down the tray before turning and exiting the room.

By the time I’ve taken my first gulp of life-affirming caffeine, he’s back with a cell phone in hand.

“Thank you, Carson.” He nods and slips quietly from the room.

I am kind of surprised that he gave me another cell phone.

I thought he might say no since Nico confiscated the one Carson had given me before.

Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, I punch in Pippa’s number from memory, my hands trembling just slightly.

She answers with a cautious, guarded tone. “Hello?”

“It’s me.”

“Of course,” she says immediately—and I know she can’t talk freely.

“I just wanted to see if you’ve heard from… Royce Dunbar.”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I have.”

“And what did he say?” I ask as anxiety crawls up my windpipe.

“Ah…it’s difficult to say.”

Shit. I have to ask yes and no questions. “Did he say yes? Did he say I could use his yacht?”

“Yes.” Her voice softens.

Relief crashes through me so fast it steals my breath. Hope blooms in my chest. Now I just need to figure out how.

“You have to find a way to tell me where it is.” I don’t know why I’m whispering but I am. “I know you can’t say a word, but?—”

Pippa’s voice sounds formal. “Um, yes. It is nice this time of year.”

A pause. Then I understand. Nice. The city.

“So… it’s in Nice?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, God. Pippa. This is everything. What’s the name—” I stop myself. “Shit. You can’t answer that. Can you text me the name of the yacht and the slip number to this phone?”

“Yes. I will do that.”

“Excellent. Thank you so much, Pippa.”

“Not a problem. Must run. Chat soon.” She ends the call abruptly, but I don’t care.

Hope. This is real hope. I can get out of here. Maybe… just maybe, I can get my life back.

I climb out of bed, grab my coffee, and head to the shower.

The hot spray revives me, loosens the weight in my chest. I try to think through the logistics, but the way I’m using the washrag between my legs is a bona fide distraction.

Disgusted, I toss the cloth onto the stone bench lining one wall of the shower and force myself to stand under the spray and concentrate.

How am I going to get out of this house?

That’s going to be the biggest challenge.

Nico will be watching my every move—and now there’s extra security.

I clench my fists, frustration rising like a tide.

There must be a way. I will not live like this.

I am not a prisoner. Tears burn in the back of my throat, but I refuse to let them fall.

My parents don’t deserve my grief. They don’t deserve a single tear.

And honestly? I don’t even know if my father is still alive. How did everything go so wrong? Was the desire for power, for beauty, for money really worth it to them? Was I worth so little that they were willing to hand me over like a bargaining chip just to get ahead? It’s mind-boggling.

Someday, I’d like to find that witch. The one who helped my mother get pregnant.

And when I do? Oh, I’d like to have a conversation with her.

Like what was she thinking to curse me the way she did with the deal she’d made with my mother?

Can I break the curse? And why could I literally float while having sex with a vampire?

Was it just a by-product of the hex? Not that it was a bad thing.

I shook the thought away and quickly replaced it with idly planning the witch’s death.

How do you kill a witch anyway? Is it a stake through the heart? That’s what kills vampires, or does it? I have no idea what’s real and what’s just some movie schtick. Garlic? Fire? Daylight? What do witches fear? I have no idea.

Oh my God… Why am I even having these thoughts? Why do I have to think like this? What am I supposed to do? A wave of despair crashes into me. I brace myself against the shower wall, my palms flat against the tile. You can do this, I tell myself. You just have to figure a way out of here.

Briefly, I consider asking Carson for help—but he’s far too loyal to Nico.

That much is clear. So, who isn’t loyal to Nico?

Wait... he said there were issues with some of his security when those Blood Orcs showed up.

Maybe some of them aren’t so loyal. Maybe—just maybe—I could find one of them to help me.

Of course, I’d be trusting a stranger. And if they aren’t loyal to Nico, God knows they wouldn’t be loyal to me. I’d have to pay them. And if they’re for sale, then someone else could always pay them more.

Maybe I could get Pippa to help. If she came here herself—in her car—maybe she could smuggle me out in the trunk.

Would that even work? The water was running cool by the time I’d considered other possibility, before deciding Pippa might be the only shot I’ve got.

The problem is, she’d get in trouble with Luca.

And with Nico. But still…it’s worth a shot.

Now shivering, I rinse off, shut off the water, and step out, and grab a towel.

I dry myself quickly, then run the towel through my damp hair.

As I glance around the bathroom, something hits me.

There’s no clothing. I wrap the towel tighter around my torso and head back into the original bedroom I’d been sleeping in.

I open the closet. Empty. I open the drawers. Also empty.

“What the hell?” I mutter, spinning around—and freeze.

Nico is leaning against the door jamb, watching me with hooded eyes.

“What happened to the clothes that were in here?” I ask.

He shrugs, looking far too amused. “Since you seem so eager to escape, it seemed prudent to limit your access to clothing.”

“Seriously, Nico? That’s fucked up.”

Another small shrug. A wicked smile. “It works for me. I like you naked.”

Heat flushes from my neck to my cheeks. My whole body warms beneath his gaze, and I hate that he has this effect on me.

That he can reduce me to this fluttering, breathless idiot.

He’s not a man. He’s a vampire. I repeat it in my head like a mantra, trying to kill whatever this thing is that flares between us.

But it’s no use. His eyes lock on mine, and I’m drowning.

“I need to be able to get dressed, Nico. Seriously,” I say.

His gaze sweeps over my entire body, slow and deliberate, like a gentle caress. He returns his eyes to mine. “As I said… I prefer you naked.”

I let out a dramatic sigh. “Well, I’m sure Carson wouldn’t agree.”

That makes him laugh. “Fine. There are clothes for you in my room.”

I move toward the door, but he doesn’t budge.

“Are you going to get out of the way?”

“I don’t know, vita mia . You’ll have to get by me.”

He’s not a man. He’s a vampire . I chant the mantra in my head again, hoping to dispel the flutter in my chest caused by his endearment. But it does nothing. As I try to step around him, he wraps one arm around me and swoops in, claiming my mouth with a kiss.

It’s fierce. Hot. All-consuming.

My hands betray me, sliding up his chest and curling around his neck like they have a will of their own. I melt into him, the towel slipping lower on my body as I surrender to the heat that pulses between us. What is it about this creature that makes me feel this way?

The sound of a polite cough breaks through the haze.

Nico lifts his head but doesn’t release me. “What is it, Carson?”

“There’s a phone call for you, sir.”

Nico sighs and rests his forehead against mine, then drops a soft kiss on the bridge of my nose. “I must deal with this. But I look forward to picking up right back here.” He nudges his hips against mine.

With one last wicked grin, he releases me and strides down the hallway, following in Carson’s wake.

I sag against the door jamb, my knees shaky.

If this doesn’t prove to me that I must get away, nothing will.

If I don’t, I won’t be able to leave. I understand what happened to Mia and Pippa now.

It’s like a drug. Being with them—these vampires—is addictive.

And the worst part? The sex only made me feel more connected to Nico.

I hurry down the hallway and find the clothing he mentioned laid out neatly on the bed.

The moment I see it, resentment spikes. Of course he picked it out.

But damn it, the jeans fit perfectly. The white tank top and sand-colored boatneck sweater are soft and effortlessly stylish.

I glance at myself in the mirror. I look good.

Nico has exquisite taste—even when he’s being a controlling asshole.

I grab the phone I left beside the bed and check the screen. My heart leaps. It has the name of the marina. The name of the yacht. And the slip number where I can find it. I text Pippa back immediately. Is there any chance you can come visit me? I need help. I wait, breath held tight in my lungs.

I’ll see what I can do, she replies.

I want to do a dance of joy. If Pippa can help me get out, then I’ll be fine.

I know I will. I’m not sure if I believe it, but I don’t have a choice.

There’s no way in hell I’m marrying Malrick.

Besides, with my parents’ betrayal, it’s not like there is anything left for me here.

My friends are both married to la famiglia .

They’ve chosen that life. I don’t want that.

Not at all. I want out. I want to walk down any street in the world and not be terrified that some gangster is going to come at me because of something my family did.

I want the freedom to make my own choices, my own mistakes.

That’s what escaping means. Being on my own.

As terrifying as that is, it’s also exhilarating.

I want a chance to find out who I am and what I want without the influence of my family or la famiglia .

I brush out my hair and then stare at myself in the mirror. This is it, my chance to build a whole new life. No matter what happens, it will be worth it, I promise myself. It will. I just have to find a way to make it happen.

I only wish I knew why that thought makes me queasy.