Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Angelo

This night was going from bad to worse. "Serenity, what are you doing down here? I thought you were asleep."

Ignoring me, Serenity hurried over to the couch and waved her palm in front of DuPont's and Steven's faces. Neither of them blinked. She turned to me, her posture tense and her eyes flashing with accusation. "What did you do to them, Angelo? Why are they just sitting there like that?"

I held up my hands in a placating gesture. "Serenity, please, let me explain?—"

"Explain what?" she cut me off, her voice rising. "That you used your powers on them? That you're manipulating them? Maybe you manipulated me too!"

Her words cut me to the quick, but I forced myself to remain composed. "Serenity, I didn't manipulate you. I would never do that. I only used compulsion on them to keep the situation from getting out of hand."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Like you did on me so I would be your little plaything?"

I flinched as if she'd struck me even as fury rattled through me at her sharp tone. No one had spoken to me like that in centuries—not unless they wanted to be a corpse.

Tears blurred her eyes, but she blinked them away. I went to comfort her, but she clearly wouldn't hear of it. She turned her head away from me, leaving an emptiness in my chest.

I cursed myself inwardly. If she stayed angry with me, she might not help me rejuvenate the Aeternum Stone, leaving my family vulnerable. Forcing her wasn't an option; a Nephilim had to give their power freely. I had just fucked this up, big-time.

Dimitri cleared his throat, a smirk playing on his lips despite the tension in the room. "Well, this is awkward. Should I start taking bets on who wins this lover's quarrel? My money's on the angry angel, by the way."

I shot him a glare that would have made a lesser vampire spontaneously combust. "Dimitri, fetch Enzo," I gritted out, trying to remain in control of the maelstrom of emotions swirling within me.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "Fetch? What am I, a vampire or a golden retriever?" He sighed dramatically. "Fine, I'll go get the brooding brother. Try not to start the apocalypse while I'm gone, okay? "

With a mock salute, he disappeared through the doors, leaving us alone with the two humans.

I took a measured step toward her, my hands held out in a gesture of appeal. "Serenity, I never used any compulsion on you to get you into my bed. What happened between us...it was real, it was genuine."

She flinched as I approached, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "How can I be sure, Angelo?" She nodded her chin at DuPont and Steven. "How can I trust anything you say when I've seen what you're capable of?"

The pain and uncertainty in her voice tore at my heart, and I had to fight the urge to take her in my arms. "You know me, Serenity. You've seen who I am beneath the monster; know that I would do anything to keep you safe and make you happy."

She scoffed and curled her lip into a snarl. "Happy? You bought me, Angelo. I'm a prisoner in your home. Everyone in this house is able to come and go as they please except for me…and maybe Gianna."

I held her gaze, pouring every ounce of sincerity I possessed into my words. "I'm not perfect, Serenity, and I'll admit I've made mistakes. But I have never once lied to you, and I never will. What I feel for you...it's the most real and honest thing in my life."

I was surprised at the words spilling out of my mouth. I'd never said anything like that to a woman.

Serenity's lower lip trembled, and for a moment, I thought she would cry. But then, she drew in a shuddering breath, squaring her shoulders as if steeling herself against the entire world. "Prove it, then. Find Joy. Bring her home safe. Show me you're not a monster…that you won't kill the people I love." She put her hand on DuPont's shoulder as her voice trailed off into a sob.

I nodded, my resolve hardening into an unbreakable vow. "I promise you, I will move heaven and earth to find out what happened to Joy."

We stood there, the silence broken only by the soft hitch of her breathing, and I knew that this was a turning point, a moment that would define the course of our future together. I was determined to seize it with both hands and never let go.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the living room, announcing the arrival of Dimitri, who had brought not only Enzo but also Gianna. I shot him a cold stare, my displeasure at my sister's unexpected presence evident.

Dimitri, far from blushing or looking uncomfortable, met my gaze with a trademark smirk. "What? You said ‘fetch Enzo.' You didn't specify the ‘no tagalongs' rule. Besides, I thought we could use a family reunion to liven things up."

Gianna, ignoring our exchange, stepped forward. "Don't blame Dimitri. I insisted on coming."

She ran over to Serenity, her arms outstretched in a gesture of comfort. Serenity stepped back from her, anger still flashing in her eyes.

Dimitri leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "Well, isn't this cozy? Nothing says ‘family bonding' quite like tension thick enough to stake a vampire with."

"Serenity, please. Tell me what happened." At the sound of the softness in my sister's voice, the stiffness in Serenity's shoulders fell away and she ran into my sister's outstretched arms. I winced. I should be the one comforting her, not my sister.

Gianna hugged Serenity and stroked her hair as Serenity bit back a sob. "What have you done this time, dear brother?" The icy condemnation in her tone pricked the frustration simmering beneath my skin.

I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my anger under control. I had no time to get into a debate with Gianna, not when my priority was proving to Serenity that I had nothing to do with Joy's kidnapping—and, furthermore, helping to find her.

I turned my attention to Enzo and fixed him with a piercing stare as I leaned forward, getting right into his personal space. "Tell me what happened at Crimson Stakes and with Joy DuPont." I kept my gaze locked on his, my body tense and poised like a coiled snake ready to strike.

Serenity wiggled free from Gianna's embrace, putting distance between herself and the vampires in the room. Her eyes were hard as she focused on my enforcer. "Enzo? What did you do to Joy?" The accusation in her voice was unmistakable, and Enzo bristled under the weight of her suspicion.

"I didn't kill her, if that's what you mean." Enzo's words were brittle, his tone laced with anger and frustration. I could tell there was more to the story and that getting the truth out of him would require a delicate touch.

I poured myself a glass of wine, the rich, crimson liquid swirling in the crystal glass. I took a moment to collect my thoughts, to choose the right approach. "Tell me what happened, Enzo," I said, struggling to remain calm. "Leave nothing out. "

As I waited for Enzo to speak, I could feel the weight of Serenity's gaze on me, all her questions and doubts hanging heavy in the air. I knew that the truth, whatever it might prove to be, would either vindicate me in her eyes or shatter forever the fragile trust between us. The stakes had never been higher, and I could only hope Enzo's words would be the key to unlocking the truth and winning Serenity back.

Enzo's jaw clenched. "Joy was passing out those damn flyers again on Bourbon Street, bothering people."

Serenity's brow furrowed, a look of dread spreading over her face. "Flyers?" She placed a hand on her chest, her voice trembling slightly. "You mean of…me?"

Enzo nodded grimly. "Yes. She was bothering the wrong people, if you get my meaning." He glanced at me and shook his head, a mixture of frustration and concern etched into his features. "Foolish girl."

Dread crept through my veins, and I stiffened before tossing the wine back. "What people?"

Enzo met my gaze, his eyes dark and serious. "Our people."

The implications of his words sent a cold silence creeping into the room. Serenity's face drained of color, her eyes widening with fear. "You mean the Mafia?"

Dimitri, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally chimed in with a sardonic smirk. "No, sweetie, he means the local knitting circle. They're vicious with those needles." His eyes glinted with dark humor as he turned to Enzo. "I guess Joy missed the ‘Don't feed flyers to vampires' memo. Paper cuts are a real pain, you know."

Gianna scowled. "Dimitri." Her tone less than pleased .

He flashed her a debonair smile and shrugged but bit back on another retort.

Enzo didn't answer, his focus remaining all on me. He took a deep breath before continuing, his voice low and urgent. "Joy was a block away from Crimson Stakes when the explosion happened." He gestured toward Steven. "He was with her. I'm not sure if he played a part in the explosion since I couldn't hear what they were saying, but they seemed to be arguing."

Enzo cursed under his breath, then scrubbed his face. "I ran inside. I assumed the bastard would protect his sister. People were streaming out of the casino, pushing and screaming. It was pandemonium."

A wave of unease washed over me, quickly replaced by a simmering anger that threatened to boil over. If Steven was involved in the explosion, it wasn't something I could let go unpunished. Joy's brother or not, he would suffer consequences for participating in a hit on Crimson Stakes.

I clenched my jaw, my fingers tightening around the glass in my hand so hard it was a miracle I didn't break it. I would get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took. If Steven was guilty, he would suffer my full wrath.

Serenity had locked her gaze on me as if she were reading my thoughts. She would consider me punishing Steven another betrayal, I was sure, but at the same time, I couldn't show weakness when it came to the Santi family.

I turned away from her, picturing the awful scene—the smoke, the flames, the terror on the faces of the patrons as they fled for their lives. My mind raced, trying to figure out who had started this, but I kept my jaw set tight, not giving any thoughts away.

Enzo would never have abandoned Joy. Maybe the Barone family knew he was watching Joy, and the explosion had all been a ploy to distract him so they could snatch her.

"We have to find her," I said, my voice low and intense. "And when we do, the Barone family will pay for what they've done."

Enzo nodded, his eyes hardening with determination. "But are we sure it's the Barone family? It could easily be the wolves or the dark Fae."

"That's what we have to find out," I grumbled.

Serenity stepped forward, her eyes wide with concern. "But what about Joy, Enzo? Did you see what happened to her?"

Enzo hesitated, his gaze flickering to the floor before meeting Serenity's eyes. "No. I lost sight of her in the chaos. By the time I made it back outside, she and Steven were gone."

Serenity gazed at me, the unspoken question in her eyes—did I order Joy to be taken because she was handing out those flyers?

I put my wine glass down. "Steven must know something."

Serenity looked between me and him. "What are you going to do?" I could hear the panic in her voice.

"Get the truth."

She rushed over to me and put her hand on my arm. "Please, don't kill him."

I met her gaze. "You're going to have choose between them, Serenity. Steven works for the Barone family. They may have Joy, and the Barone family is neck deep in human trafficking."

She shook her head. "No, Steven…he wouldn't…he couldn't…his own sister?"

I looked down at her. "I can find out the truth right now if you let me. If you don't, and we waste time investigating, she'll probably vanish, and we'll never pick up her trail again."

Beads of sweat broke out across Serenity's forehead, glistening in the dim light of the room. She stared at Steven as if seeing him for the first time, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

Gianna stepped forward and wrapped a comforting arm around her slender shoulders. "Serenity, compulsion won't hurt Steven physically. You want to find out what happened, don't you?" Her voice was soft and reassuring, but there was an underlying urgency to her words.

Silent tears welled up in Serenity's eyes, spilling down her cheeks in rivulets. She nodded numbly, her body sagging against Gianna's. My sister gently guided her to a nearby chair, easing her down into the plush cushions.

Taking a deep breath, I focused my mind and drew upon the ancient power of compulsion that coursed through my veins. Earlier I had just wanted them to sit on the couch, but for this, I drew on every ounce of compulsion I could muster. I felt the power surging through my body, pulsing in my temples and crackling at my fingertips.

I sat down on the coffee table directly in front of Steven, my gaze boring into his. Beads of sweat formed on my brow as I channeled the immense energy, directing it like a laser beam into Steven's mind. "Steven, tell me what happened to Joy earlier tonight when she disappeared." My voice was low and commanding, infused with the irresistible force of my will.

As I pushed my power toward him, I felt an invisible barrier push back against me, resisting any intrusion. It was the same strange sensation I had encountered when I tried to compel information out of Freddie, but this time it was even stronger and more malevolent. A cold, evil presence emanated from Steven's mind, chilling me to the bone as if I had plunged my brain into a vat of liquid nitrogen.

Steven's mouth fell wide open, and his face contorted in pain, the veins in his neck bulging. Then, without warning, he let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed throughout the room. I flinched. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Serenity's stricken face, and guilt gnawed at my insides, but if I didn't get at the truth, Joy was a dead woman.

"You will tell me what happened to Joy," I commanded, pushing harder against the unseen force that blocked my path. I could feel the power surging through me, my determination fueling my strength.

"You're hurting him!" Serenity's anguished cry cut through the air. "Gianna said it wouldn't hurt! Please, stop!"

I glanced over my shoulder, my heart twisting at the sight of Serenity's tearstained face. "It's not me," I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "Something is preventing him from speaking."

Enzo, Dimitri, and Gianna all gaped at me, their eyes wide with disbelief. "But how can that be, brother?" Gianna' s voice trembled, fear and confusion in her voice. "You're more powerful than any of us."

Dimitri, never one to let a moment of tension pass without comment, chimed in with his trademark smirk. "Well, well. Looks like our big bad vampire just hit the supernatural equivalent of a ‘No Entry' sign. Should we try knocking? Or maybe slide a note under the invisible door?" His eyes glinted with a mix of amusement and concern. "I'd offer to give it a try myself, but I prefer my mind games without the actual mind-bending, thanks."

"I don't know what's happening." I turned back to Steven, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of the impossible. What could possibly be strong enough to resist the compulsion of an ancient vampire as old and powerful as myself? And how was it connected to Joy's disappearance?

As I stared into Steven's eyes, I saw a flicker of something dark and malevolent there, an ancient presence that mocked me from the depths of his soul. In that moment, I knew we were dealing with something far more dangerous than anything we had ever faced before.