Chapter Eleven

Thursday – Washington, D.C.

Donnie

When I can finally catch a flight headed for Poland, it is two in the morning. I was able to get the flight information for the private jet they took and know they have a layover in Amsterdam. I’m only about four hours behind them on leaving the country, but I have a twenty-four-hour layover in Munich that will give them a considerable head start. I’m also unsure where to look for them once I land in Warsaw.

I lean my head back on the seat of the airplane and close my eyes as we take off. “I’m coming, Summer. Don’t give up hope, baby,” I say under my breath as I twist the ring on my finger. In addition to my investigative skills that I hope will lead me right to them, I have one huge advantage over these bastards. I can move around and work in the daylight. They’ll be stuck moving only after dark. I hope it is enough.

I watched Leo buy a plane ticket while I questioned the woman at the ticket counter, and it left me wondering why he would be leaving and where he was going. There is more going on here that I can’t put my finger on. The feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me I trusted the wrong person, and Leo is somehow involved. I tried to call him to see if I could get any more information from him while I waited for my flight, but it went straight to voicemail.

Finally, after being in the air for two hours, I decide to get some sleep. I'll be no good tomorrow if I don’t relax a little, and I’m going to have to spend my time in Munich doing as much research on the Nowak brothers as I can. If they live in Warsaw and have been for any time, they will have IDs and an address. I shake my head at my own stupidity now, angry with myself for letting someone into our lives who could hurt my family like this.

***

Warsaw, Poland

Summer

By the time we land, it is daylight out, and the brothers have all pulled down the shades on the plane. I contemplate pulling one open and watching them all burst into flames so I can escape. Instead, I decide they’re right. I need them to help me now. Even if it wasn’t for the sake of my baby, I’m in a foreign country, I have no money, and no way to contact anyone back home. I’m pretty sure if the pilot comes out here and sees four piles of ashes, and I try to explain to him that they are vampires. I will end up in some Polish psych-ward where they will lock me away forever.

The plane lands, and we are taxied into a massive hanger. When the door finally opens, and we step off the plane, there is not a single ray of sunlight. I don’t think the brothers have made it this many centuries to make a mistake now. No doubt they have it down to a science. A limo SUV with blacked-out windows waits for us, and once we are all inside, I finally decide to speak up again.

“So, you’re like loaded, aren’t you? I mean, there is no way you’re not. The private jet, the hanger, the employees who don’t ask any questions. That all screams money.” I look between them, but no one answers. Each of them just shrugs.

“All right, fellas, where’s home?” I ask after the limo starts to pull forward.

“We have a house just outside of Warsaw. We are fully self-sufficient. You won’t need to go out for anything, everything is set up, and we have a doctor who is scheduled to come by in a couple of days and check in on you,” Tommie tells me. Turning to him, I raise an eyebrow.

“How long have you known about me and had this planned?” My nerves are making my voice shake. I clear my throat, hoping to hide it.

“You’re twenty weeks along?” Aaran asks, pointing at my pregnant belly, and I just nod. He nods back. “We’ve known since February, so since you were eight weeks, I guess.”

“That fucking son of a bitch, he was planning this from the moment he found out I was pregnant.” Huffing, I let it go. There is nothing I can do about it now or from here.

The drive to the house is long, and I doze in the limo.

***

Leo is standing over top of Donnie’s body, he has a stake sticking out of his chest, and I watch as he turns to ashes right before my eyes. Leo turns to look at me, and his glowing silver eyes shock me. The look on his face makes me sick. I vomit onto the ground, my stomach heaving long after nothing is left.

***

I wake up with tears streaming down my face. Balint sits next to me and reaches up to wipe them away, but I stop him, turning away. Hiding my face from him, I don’t need his pity, and I don’t want to show him my tears. I’m already ashamed that I let him touch me when we were on the plane. I won't let him do it again. Even if Donnie is dead, I refuse to turn to this man so soon. I won't let the memory of the man I love fade that quickly.

We pull to a stop in a garage and we all file out into a massive house. I’m taken aback by how beautiful it is, and I walk around amazed at the art and artifacts they have collected over their lifetimes. “The kitchen is this way, darling. If you want to grab a bite.” Balint leads me into a gourmet kitchen that I imagine rivals those of some of the fanciest restaurants in the world.

“I really think I’d like to take a shower first,” I tell him, shifting my feet and rubbing the back of my neck. The quick clean-up I did on the plane doesn’t feel like enough now. I need to clean away the past twenty-four hours, eat and get some real sleep. My entire body is sore. I’m exhausted and starving again.

“Absolutely, I’ll show you to your room, and then I can make you dinner while you shower if you’d like?” He is trying to be friendly and win me over. I get that. But I don’t need to be reminded that this man and his brothers kidnapped me to bring me here against my will. Even if my resolve is weakening by the moment.

“Yeah, that would be nice. Thanks, Balint,” I tell him as he leads me to a bedroom that is four times the size of mine at home. I sigh at the thought of home and Gus. The room is decorated with a soft peaches and cream color scheme. Candles cover almost every available surface. A small bookshelf sits in the corner filled with all the classics. I spot a shelf filled with my favorites, and I can’t wait to get my hands on them. I hesitate a moment when I realize that these are probably first editions, bought at the time of release and owned by the same man all of this time. I run my fingers over “Wuthering Heights” and close my eyes, imagining Tommie sitting and reading it. I don’t know why, but I believe that these are his.

I turn to the four-poster bed draped with gauzy curtains and filled with oversized pillows. I want to curl up after a shower with a full belly and get some good sleep as soon as possible.

“Summer?” I hear a voice from the doorway and turn to see Jakub standing there. “Balint said to let you know dinner will be ready in an hour, but no rush. Did you need anything?”

I smile at him standing there. He seems so relaxed now that we are in their home. I imagine they must feel much more comfortable. Safe and happy to be here. “Thanks, Jakub. I’m going to shower, and then I’ll be right out.”

When I reach the bathroom, the white marble floors and counter tops are gleaming, candles fill this room too, and the bathtub is the size of a small swimming pool. I imagine what it would be like to sink into it now and light the room full of candles to relax, letting the water soothe away my aches and pains. Dismissing the idea, I opt for a shower. The time it would take to fill the giant bathtub would leave me with barely any time to enjoy it before dinner is ready.

While I shower, I think about the day and my conversation on the plane with the brothers. I can’t possibly be considering staying here with them willingly.

The scalding water rushes over my body as I scrub the dust from my hair. I wince at a small cut on my scalp from the explosion at the warehouse. Grabbing the loofah I lather it up and take my time cleaning away all signs of the blast. Mindful of my scrapes and bruises. It seems like it was a lifetime ago, even though it has probably been less than a day. When I get out of the shower, I wrap myself in one of the softest towels I have ever felt and find my way to a dresser in my room, filled with clothes. Finding a comfortable pair of plaid pajama pants and a t-shirt. I quickly dress and make my way into the hall. Picking my way back to the kitchen, I hear the brothers talking and freeze halfway there, creeping up to the doorway. I listen.

“I’m not agreeing to that,” Tommie says roughly. “I refuse to take turns. That doesn’t even make sense.”

“He is right. We’ve shared women before. I don’t see why it would be any different now,” Aaran says, backing up Tommie. It seems like the four are often divided into two groups, Jakub and Balint versus Tommie and Aaran.

“I’m the eldest,” Balint says firmly.

“Aye, and Jakub is the youngest. Age hasn’t got white to do with it. Tommie is right. We have shared women before. We share her. We won’t know who the father of any of them are. It’s best this way.” Aaran’s words stir something inside me.

“They’re right,” Jakub says softly.

“You too?” Balint asks him, and I imagine him turning to Jakub in the kitchen. I can picture the look on his stern face.

It is quiet for a few moments as I stand in the hall, thinking back to my dream on the plane and the idea of having them share me. All touching me at once, using me, owning me, breeding me. I squeeze my thighs together against the throbbing in my pussy at the memory of it.

“Summer?” I hear Tommie call me, and a blush spreads across my cheeks, warm and tingling. The sensation spreads through my body, still lost in the memory of being with them. I peek my head around the corner, and four pairs of silver eyes are trained on me. I wave sheepishly at them.

“Dinner smells amazing,” I tell Balint as I step into the kitchen, hoping that the red color of my cheeks has started to fade, and they don’t realize I was listening as they discussed sharing me. No one speaks as they shift around me in the kitchen. Before I realize what is happening, I’m standing in the middle of the room encircled by them. I’m not sure if this was intentional or subconscious on their part. I spin for a moment, looking each one in the eye as I do, Aaran winks at me, and I feel the blush creeping over my skin again, remembering his previous words about their plans.

I chuckle nervously. “This kitchen is amazing, and I’m starved. Who’s ready to eat?” I freeze at my own words and the implication, realizing that I don’t know if these vampires eat food like Donnie does. I doubt it. He only ever seems to eat to please me, not because he enjoys it. What these four eat, well, I’d really rather not think about it. I swallow hard as I push away the thought and fidget with a spoon on the counter, my eyes downcast, examining the woodgrain in the tiles on the floor.

“Dinner is served, boys,” Tommie says, and I jerk my head up, meeting his eyes as he is pulling a large lasagna out of the oven, and I exhale a sigh of relief. I’m unsure what has me so on edge with them now. You would have thought that the cramped space of the jet would have made me feel more trapped than being with them here. Maybe it’s because this is their home, and they seem so relaxed and comfortable now, but I am on edge and wound so tightly that when the clanging of dishes sounds behind me, I jump and drop the spoon I was fiddling with onto the floor.

Bending to pick it up, I feel Balint brush against my ass, and my inner muscles clench at the thought of him filling me. When I stand, the room spins for a minute, and I hold onto the cool marble counter top to steady myself. I can see the other three setting the table in my peripheral, and I know Balint is still standing behind me. When I turn, my mouth goes dry, and I’m lost in the look in his eyes.

“I can’t,” I tell him softly, shaking my head, trying to hold my hands steady.

He nods once at me, acceptance in his eyes, then he holds his hand out and motions towards the table. “Let’s eat.”

We settle around the beautiful oak table, and I run my fingertips along the rough cut edge, amazed at how smooth it feels under my fingertips. These four have surrounded themselves with such beautiful things, I tell them so. “You have a beautiful home, all of it, beyond the art, even the furniture is each its own piece of artwork. It seems you truly have an eye for beautiful things.” I take a bite of salad and hear my stomach growl, the sound filling the room. I giggle, feeling almost giddy now, unsure of what is coming over me.

“Thank you, darling. We do love to surround ourselves with the most beautiful things we can find to add to our collection.” The unspoken suggestion in his words has me looking around the table at them, each one smiling at me. Aaran winks at me again, and I feel the butterflies turning in my stomach.

“How long have you all lived here, in Poland?” I get lost in the normalcy of the conversation then, and they tell me how they have been here for most of their lives. Tommie and Aaran came here as tourists and were turned by their father during their times. Collectively they have lived in this country and near to or in Warsaw for more than a thousand years. I’m surprised at how this conversation doesn’t shock me and their willingness to tell me about themselves, how they came to be what they are, and their dreams for their future, our future together.

When I’ve finished eating, Jakub, sitting to my left, rises and helps me to my feet. “What can I do for you, my darling? Remember, we are here to serve you.” I scrunch up my face at his words and shake my head from side to side.

“I can’t,” I tell him, and he too nods once in understanding.

“I think I’m just going to head to my room and read if that is fine with you all. There have been a lot… it’s all been a lot, and I can’t process any more right now.” I stand from the table and look them over. Surveying them and my situation again.

“It is understandable. You have been through a lot in a short period. Please get some rest. Our rooms are just down the hall from yours. If you need anything during the night, feel free to ask,” Tommie finishes his offer as he walks me to the doorway of the kitchen, and I turn, giving one last look to the four brothers in the room. I sigh, then turn and walk down the hall back to my room.

I settle into the bed, in just my thin t-shirt, and pick up the book I found on the shelf, my favorite novel “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen. I carefully open the fragile-looking cover and read the date 1811. The pages are thin and soft under my fingertips. Raising the book to my nose, I inhale deeply, taking in the scent. I cannot believe I am holding the first edition of this book in my hand. When I curl myself under the down duvet and lean back onto the pillows to read, I get lost in the book and forget for a moment where I am and what has happened to me.

***

Donnie

When I land in Munich, I decide to make some calls. I spent the flight here going through the list of vampires and other contacts I could reach out to for information on the Nowak brothers and where to find them. My first five calls prove to be useless. While people have heard of them, they have very little information on where they might be living or what I can expect in the way of a confrontation once I track them down.

Finally, I get a break when I get ahold of a warlock from my past.

“Alec, oh thank God you answered.” I shift forward in my seat, relieved to have gotten him on the phone.

“Donnie, how can I help you, sir?” His unmistakable voice is coming through the phone, but I can hear chatter in the background. It is late. I’m not sure where he is or what time it is there.

“I need your help, I have gotten into something here, and I need to know if you have any information about the Nowak brothers, a group I believe to be based out of Poland.” Getting straight to the point with him, I continue, “What, if anything, can you tell me about them or where to find them?”

“Balint? What trouble do you have with Balint, Donnie? I don’t recall him being one to start a fight over nothing. Have you done something?” The accusation burns, the idea that I would be the cause of this blatant attack on my family leaves me seeing red.

“Alec, they came to my home and took my mate.” I grind out the words through clenched teeth.

“Are you sure? Why would they do such a thing?” I understand that before he will lead me to their home, he wants to make sure I have just reason to be tracking them down, but the frustration with explaining myself is growing.

“She is pregnant.” Letting the words hang between us on the line, I wait for his response. He lets out a low whistle into the phone, and I squeeze my eyes closed. The weight of the situation is clear to him now. I hope that means he will help me.

“I know them, and I have a good idea where you can find them. I need to warn you, though, these are not a group of weak, spineless men. The oldest, Balint, trained under me in the eighteen hundreds. He was an outstanding student, and I imagine by now, he will be exceptionally well versed in the magic I trained him in.” I rub my forehead, leaning forward with my elbow on my knee as I listen to Alec tell me about Balint’s time with him and the brothers' history as he knows it.

“You’re sure I’ll find them outside of Warsaw?” Finally getting the chance to ask him, I take a deep breath and hold it, waiting for his response.

“I am. Please be careful, my friend. If I were you, I would make sure you have a well-laid-out plan before you head into their lair.” I nod at his warning.

“I will. Thank you, Alec. I can’t repay you enough for the information you have given me.” I disconnect the call and lean back in the small uncomfortable chair in the airport. There are few people around, most of the convenience stores have their lights off and their doors shuttered. I spend my time alone in the silence, thinking about a plan and how I will get Summer back.

Yes, the four are well adjusted, but even with the magic that I just learned Balint knows they choose to live a traditional life in the dark. My attack will have to be in the daylight, and as long as I can get Summer out of the building into the sunlight, she will be safe.

More concerning is what I learned about the control that Balint most likely has over Summer to use to his advantage. While my powers of mind control come from my vampire magic, he possesses a different form that I am unsure if she is just as immune to. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth, the idea of him manipulating her into allowing them to breed her willingly. I shake my head to clear away images of them together, squeezing my eyes closed against the vision of her surrounded by the men.

I say a silent prayer out to the universe that Summer will hold out hope and not give up on me.