Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The next morning around six, Fernando let Noel sleep in and snuck down to the kitchen. He needed the comfort of coffee before he started on the many, many difficult things he'd need to attend to today. Namely, an important phone call.

Fernando poured himself a cup of coffee, stirred in two sugars, and downed it promptly. Okay, now he could call Crammer.

It was early, but Crammer was one of those disgusting morning people—which was especially odd for a vampire, as they leaned more nocturnal—so Fernando didn't think twice about calling. Fernando, like most vampires, despised mornings as a matter of principle, but it did help to have a few early birds in the organization. He leaned against the counter's edge, nursing his coffee with the phone to his ear.

" Morning, Boss ," Crammer greeted. " How's Noel ?"

See, this was why he liked Crammer. He had his priorities straight. "Still asleep. Better. How's the ex-boyfriend?"

" Very dead ."

"I knew I could count on you. Noel's friend said you were all very nice while helping her move yesterday. I appreciate it as it took stress off Noel. Tell everyone involved that I'll treat them to a night out."

" I'm sure they'll appreciate it, but don't worry much about it, Boss. We all felt it was a good way to repay the help Noel's given us. Besides, Anne's sweet. We made sure she had an alibi in case cops ever come around to ask her questions ."

"Good." Trust Crammer to have all the bases covered. "Then let me move on to the other reason why I called."

" What's that, Boss ?"

"Noel's uncle, Travis Smith."

" Ahhh, I figured this conversation was going to happen sooner or later ."

"You know about this, I take it."

" That he's a gambling addict and the reason why Noel's harassed on a regular basis ? Yeah, we all know. Noel told me a little after we put the security system in place. Apparently, house was built by his paternal grandparents. Uncle got a second mortgage against the place to ‘pay off some of the debts,' but eventually stopped paying anything. Noel's been working since he was thirteen to keep the house from defaulting to the bank. Under-the-table cash jobs until he was old enough to apply for part-time positions, sometimes working two jobs while in high school. After I heard that, I put feelers out on the man. I've got a pretty good list of who all he's in debt to. It's pretty much everyone. I don't think there's a gambling den he hasn't hit ."

Fernando blew out a harsh breath. Bastard. "Even ours?"

" Even ours. He hit two of our joints about a month ago and racked up quite the sum. He owes our family alone about a million dollars. "

"Fucking hell. How much does he owe everyone else?"

" I don't have a firm number, but it's somewhere around ten to twelve million dollars ."

No wonder Noel and his brother were regularly harassed. That was an insane amount. He couldn't let this be. Fernando might be uncertain of how to build a good relationship with Noel, but one thing he did know how to do was protect those nearest to him. He knew precisely what to do with the idiot uncle.

" Uh, Boss, did find out a few things that Noel chose not to share while I was digging through financials and all. Part of the debt Noel's paying off is hospital bills ."

Everything in Fernando went very, very still. It sounded like a vortex building in the back of his mind, the abyss of rage calling to him. "What were the bills for?"

" Noel. Sometimes Hunter. When these guys first started coming around to collect, they didn't just leave it at words. Noel was hospitalized twice from beatings before the loan sharks eased off. That's about the time the boys picked up all the uncle's debts . Poor kid was just thirteen at the time. "

In self-preservation, no doubt, unable to do anything else. They clearly couldn't protect themselves, and the cops were useless about this sort of thing, and the debt collectors would never go away. Appeasing them by making payments was likely the only thing he and Hunter could manage.

Fernando was nearly nauseous with rage, but underneath that feeling was the sensation of his heart breaking. Thinking of his poor Noel in casts because of that piece of shit masquerading as a human being…and that didn't even touch what he'd been forced to do after, while still a child, just to keep a roof over his head. No teenager should be working to pay for the mortgage. He'd lost his parents so young, and then he'd been forced to grow up too quickly, all because of one man's addiction and greed. Fernando would pamper Noel the rest of his life to make up for past sufferings.

Right after he dealt with Uncle Travis.

"Crammer. Put men on Travis, tail him, get all the info you can. You know what…send a message while you're at it, and make it bloody. Don't kill him, though. I want to be fully informed before making any decisions beyond that."

" That shouldn't take much, Boss. Maybe a few days. He's really predictable in his patterns right now. You want Noel in on the conversation after we dig up anything ?"

"Yeah. Otherwise, I'll lose my temper and shoot the man. That would just make Noel upset with me."

"Murdering family members does that. Okay, me and the boys will get right on his ass, throw him a blanket party so he'll not bother the brothers. He's probably sleeping off a late night, so shouldn't be hard to find him ."

Fernando hung up and sipped more coffee. Hopefully Noel wouldn't be too upset about how he handled the human scourge. Knowing this man's avarice and stupidity had put Noel in the hospital several times? Well, that just signed the man's death warrant.

Wait, no. Fuck. He said he'd talk to Noel about it first. It was only right. Damn conscience, causing delays in Fernando's revenge.

Shuffling sounds came from the hallway and Fernando turned to track Noel's progress as he walked into the kitchen. Since he had a chance to return the favor for once, he poured Noel a cup of coffee, fixing it as he liked it before handing it over.

Noel took it with both hands, sipping it with a grateful smile. The bruises were now fully healed, and it did Fernando's heart good to see his Noel unharmed. He also looked fairly awake, more so than Fernando had expected.

"You're a morning person, aren't you?"

"Can you please not say that in the same tone as if accusing me of being an axe murderer?" Noel returned, blue eyes dancing with laughter. "Some of us don't need two cups of coffee to jump start our brains."

Ha, neither did Fernando. He just liked his coffee.

Noel put the cup aside and walked into the waiting circle of Fernando's arms, leaning in to steal a kiss. "Good morning."

Fernando might have been smiling as he returned the kiss. It was indeed a good morning.

"If you have groceries in the house, I can cook breakfast," Noel offered.

Noel cooking? Oh hell yes. Wait, maybe not. He was a guest, after all. "I can order something in for you—"

Noel waved this offer off. "I want something hot and now. Delivery's always a bit cold for me."

"But you went through a lot yesterday."

"I'm totally fine now. Your blood is pretty powerful stuff."

Noel disengaged from the embrace and turned, going to the fridge and rooting through it. He started pulling things out, making thoughtful noises.

There was clearly no dissuading him. Then again, he was likely used to fending for himself even when in pain. If Noel was going to be this frisky, Fernando would make him sit down later and make sure a chef was called in for lunch.

"Hmm, yeah, I can make a quiche with all of this. That sound good? Oh, wait, you don't need to eat human food…"

Fernando would be willing to eat during every meal if it was something Noel made. "I told you, I enjoy eating. Especially anything made by you."

"Then I'll go with that."

Fernando didn't know how to help with this process as anything aside from basics was beyond him—three hundred years out of practice and all that—so he fetched things as Noel requested them. Bowl, spatula, pan, whisk, and eventually he sat down at the island and just watched. He had a Noel in his kitchen, making something yummy. It was such a domestic scene, Noel moving about with ease and humming as he worked, as if he'd made this very thing a hundred times before. It was incredibly sexy for some reason he couldn't explain. Fernando knew how to handle lust, but this domesticity had snuck right under his guard.

Slipping the quiche into the oven, Noel turned and caught him staring, canting his head in question. "What?"

"So when do you move in?" Fernando asked, half serious.

"I would like to point out that you haven't even tried my quiche yet," Noel drawled.

"Doesn't matter. I like you in my house very much." Fernando meant every word. Right now, the ratio was twenty percent teasing, eighty percent serious.

Noel leaned across the marble counter to smack a kiss against his mouth. "Then I'll have to come over often."

That'll work for now.

Fernando wandered back upstairs to shower and dress for the day, then came back down to eat what had turned out to be a delicious quiche. He had three slices before he could convince himself to stop, his taste buds singing praises. Since Noel had cooked, Fernando did the dishes, letting his lover go upstairs to shower and borrow something out of Fernando's closet until he could get back to his own house.

He was drying the last plate when Noel came back down. With their size difference, nothing of his was going to fit Noel correctly, but he'd found a pair of loose gym shorts to tie close, and a white T-shirt to throw on top of it. Noel was a good four inches shorter than Fernando, so the cuffs had to be rolled up. The clothes were baggy, unflattering, and clearly oversized, yet Noel looked good enough to eat. Fernando's instincts took that thought literally as his fangs ached with the need to take a bite out of him.

Fernando mentally slapped the instinct down. This was not the morning for bite play. After the harrowing situation yesterday, and all that had changed between them, Noel didn't need Fernando jumping on him like a starved wolf. He also didn't need Fernando shaking him for answers about his uncle, much as he would like more of those.

Catching his intent look, Noel paused in pouring himself a second cup of coffee. He canted his head in a silent question.

"How about we go out on a date?" Fernando gave the safest suggestion of the three ideas his mind had produced.

Noel seemed intrigued, excited even, which flattered Fernando. "Where?"

"Anywhere you wish."

Making a buzzer noise like a wrong answer on a game show, Noel abandoned his coffee and came to him, snuggling in with both arms wrapped around Fernando's waist. "I want to do something you want to do."

"Then we are at an impasse, I fear." He smiled down at Noel, wrapping him up in his arms, returning the embrace. "Isn't there anywhere you want to go?"

"I'd love to see one of the superbike races that you host. I've heard of them but haven't had the chance to see one."

Ah, that's right, Noel also rode a bike. This was something else they had in common. Finding these common grounds made Fernando quite happy. "That won't happen for another three days, unfortunately, but I'll be happy to take you." It also made him happy to see Noel so invested in learning more about his world.

Ah. Now there was a thought. "There's a place that I do like very much. There's a tavern that encourages the patrons to perform. Mostly vampires frequent the place, and some of them sing songs that were popular in their human days, some of the songs forgotten through time. Others, like myself, sing their favorites throughout the ages."

"You're telling me you want to take me to a place where I can jam with people, eat soul food, and spend time with you without risk of injury? Hell yeah! Let's go there."

It was likely the music that had sold Noel on the idea, but he wasn't about to argue. "Perhaps we should swing by your house and pack a bag?"

"Why, so I don't look like Orphan Annie?" Noel smacked a kiss against his mouth. "Sure. Let's swing by my house first."

Fernando would make sure that packed bag was a large one. Noel would not be returning to his childhood home anytime soon. Not until Fernando was absolutely certain the danger was well past.