Page 19 of High Stakes and Soulmates (Fanged Mistakes #3)

CYRUS

Present

“So I’m hoping the rest of the story goes that you got him away from the evil man who is clearly a vampire, you escaped your military nonsense, and you got a nice little house where you both grew old together.”

Ezio gives me a smile and I try not to notice how sad it looks. “Sounds lovely.”

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“It’s okay.” Ezio leans back in his chair. “It’s been two hundred years; plenty of time to get over it.”

“ Is this something you can get over?” I ask, uncertain that it is. “I mean, of course time helps, but… can you get over it?”

“I don’t know,” Ezio admits. “He was only in my life for a little over a year… a year out of two hundred and twenty-six… but he sure made a fucking impact. I do okay… though sometimes I just… can’t help but wonder what could have been.”

I want to know what happened, but it seems like the story stops here. I feel like it’s not my right to ask, but I’m also unsure if he’ll think I don’t care. “I’m so sorry you lost him.”

“Thanks. He was a very special person and… I often realize that if I’d never run into him that day, he wouldn’t have died. Hell. Maybe the vampire would have turned him and he’d still be alive to this day. But I’m the fucking reason he’s dead.”

“I don’t believe that,” I say. “You didn’t kill him.

You can’t control what others do. And if this vampire chose to kill him over you, who’s to say he wouldn’t have killed him over something else?

You think he’d have chosen to just be miserable his entire life?

You think he wouldn’t have sought out companionship at some point and this all would have happened anyway?

He just wouldn’t have been as happy with someone else. ”

“I don’t know… I was good. I didn’t even convince him to run with me. This man… this monster, he just… he couldn’t stand the fact that Arturo could be happy.”

“Is… he the one who turned you?”

“He is. But not right away. He hunted me… he wanted to fuck with me, make sure I never felt like I was safe.”

“Is he still alive?”

“No. He finally died about fifty years after Arturo. I felt free for the first time in my life. But nothing could bring Arturo back. Anyway… that’s how I know your family.

I really didn’t watch them too closely. I just…

checked in on them every once in a while.

At first, it started as fear that Louis would go after them.

And then it changed to curiosity. I’ve spoken to a few throughout the years, but you’re the first one I’ve really interacted with. ”

“Because of the attack on my family?”

“In part. I… wanted to keep you safe, and I thought that Casimir’s presence would do that. If you lived in a city that he controlled, you’d be safer than outside of it.”

“I guess that’s true. Things haven’t been the safest but none of the attacks, besides Ivo sending the wolves after me, have been targeted at me.

Even that was just to fuck with the others.

” I trail off as I watch Ezio run his finger around the edge of the table.

I find that I don’t know what to say or do.

“Uh… do we want to go to Casimir’s? Julian is trying to teach Yorick how to draw.

Maybe he’ll do a painting of you like you’ve been dying for Julian to do. ”

Ezio grins at the thought. “I mean… I’m up for any opportunity to lie naked on Casimir and Julian’s couch,” he says. “Even more fun if I have you and Yorick to watch in addition to those who watched last time.”

“I still can’t believe you did that.”

“When you get to be my age, you have to get your kicks somehow. Mine was making my best friend paint me naked while his partner watched.”

“And you admit it out loud yet still don’t see anything wrong with it?” I ask.

“Hmm… nope. Not at all.”

“Of course not.”

We head out in my car, even though we could have driven separately.

When we reach Casimir’s, we walk inside where Gustov greets us with an abundance of energy and the group looks over at us. I’m quite confused by what I’m seeing as Casimir holds Yorick in a sleeper hold and Julian just sits back snacking on popcorn like there’s nothing wrong with this situation.

“Did we walk in on something we shouldn’t have?” I ask.

Julian shakes his head, apparently not seeing any issue with this at all. “Oh no. Come, sit, sit. I see you found Ezio.”

“Walk toward the light… or away from the light. Yes. That one. Away from it,” Casimir urges.

Yorick, with nothing better to do, tries to pet Casimir’s hand. I can tell it’s making Casimir more confused by the moment.

“Why do you want to kill me? I have a secret, and I can’t tell you my secret if I’m dead,” Yorick declares.

“Ooh, Casimir, I want to hear his secret,” Julian says as he throws a piece of popcorn at Casimir. It bounces off his face and into Gustov’s mouth.

“I shall loosen my hold slightly. If your secret is not up to my standards, I will remove your soul from your body.”

“A bit harsh, but ah well. I know my secret is the best. I was at your hotel today and there were all of these cute puppers frolicking around and so I asked one of the handlers, and she said there’s a fun dog show being held in the conference center connected to the hotel tomorrow!

She said everyone is welcome and if I have a dog I should definitely join!

We should go! She said you can sign up the day of, so I thought Casimir could take his floof and I could take my puppers! ”

“And turn into little crispy bats?” Julian asks in concern.

Casimir drops Yorick’s body, evidently overcome with excitement at this idea. “Gustov. Come, boy.”

The poodle gallops over to him, misjudges when to stop, and crashes into his legs. Casimir scoops him up. “Let us go prove to the world that Gustov is the best dog that has ever existed since mankind brought him into existence.”

“Casimir, the show will be during the day! You will fry up over the chance of showing off Gustov?” Julian asks in disbelief.

“If we get there tonight, we’ll be safe. There are no windows in the service hall between the hotel and the conference center. Let us go.”

“I mean…” Julian looks over at the two of us. “Only if everyone will go and be tortured with us.”

“Let me check my schedule. I have… ooh, man… I’m like… super busy doing… things,” Ezio says. “ But for you, we will go.” He hurries over to Casimir’s closet of clothes for Gustov and pulls out the rhinestone collar and leash. “Come, boy. Come, come.”

Julian raises an eyebrow. “Ohhhhh, no. Hell no. I am not going as a fucking dog.”

“Julian said, ‘I can’t believe I’m going as a dog,’” Casimir tells us as he proudly walks his poodle into the hotel while Ezio beams at Julian who is on a leash in wolf form.

I’m fully confident this was only agreed to because Ezio looked so sad when Julian said no, Julian shifted right then and there even though I’m pretty sure he could have stayed human until the actual show or at least left the room to get naked. Julian is obviously far too kind.

We’re shown to a huge suite where Julian shifts back, but Ezio doesn’t seem interested in releasing the leash connected to him. So now we’re just four guys hovering around a fifth guy who is butt-ass naked and on a leash.

“Did you see all of those lesser dogs as we walked in?” Casimir asks. “Gustov is going to crush the competition.”

“You are far too excited about this,” Julian says. “Should we find something to cover the windows? Why’d we get a room with so many windows?”

“We have a few rooms that are vampire safe,” Casimir explains before tapping the edge of the glass that shows where the coating is.

“Hopefully your staff never mixes up rooms. Ha ha…” Yorick says.

Casimir gets a far-off look in his eyes before going, “Yes, Gustov. Did you see that measly competition?”

Julian, still on a leash, cocks his head. “Excuse me… can we go back to that part where a vampire must have fried up?”

Casimir waves it off like a possible death is no big deal at all. “He didn’t fry up. He was fine. He got a little bit crispy, but we refunded him for the room, so it was all good.”

“A refund ? You nearly murder a man and all he gets is a refund?” I ask.

Casimir, oddly, looks proud of this. “One look at my face and he said that the ‘refund was plenty.’ Now we make them sign a paper that states that it’s their job to double-check that they’re in the right room, and if they’re not, there will be no refunds.

And if they fry up in the room, there will be cleaning costs tacked on. ”

“You…” I look at Julian—from the shoulders up because I sure as fuck don’t want to look at what’s going on below. “You hear what’s he’s saying, and you still pick him, yeah?”

Julian just laughs uneasily. “He’s only kidding. He’s a kidder.”

We all give him an “Is he?” look just as someone knocks on the door.

“Come in! I left the door open!” Casimir announces.

“Come in?” Julian hisses, looking around in a panic for his clothes.

“It’s fine, it’s just the delivery lady.

She’s seen you naked before,” he assures Julian as he takes off for his bag.

The only issue with this is that Ezio is still holding on to the end of his leash, which results in Julian getting snapped back and slightly strangled as the delivery lady stands in the doorway holding a bag of stuff.

Her eyes narrow and her head cocks while Julian flails and grabs for his neck.

“Is it always a circle? And always the same one…” she mutters to herself.

“Ezio, release the fucking leash!” Julian cries.

“I’m sorry! I forgot I was holding it!” he says, hurriedly dropping it.

“I left the tip,” Casimir tells the woman as Julian chooses to use Ezio’s body as a shield.

I eye him while wondering why he’d pick Ezio out of all of us.

Not… that I wanted him to pick me… I mean…

what the hell does that even mean? Why would I care if he chose Ezio’s body to lie flush against with his whole naked… self…