Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Gianna

I glanced up at Dimitri. He still had that infuriating smirk on his face as if he hadn't just shattered his brother's heart. Who had I chosen to be my fated mate? But then again, I didn't choose. It was destiny's twisted sense of humor at play.

As he pulled me away from the crowd, I caught Louise's face. Disappointment flared in her eyes. Dimitri was right. We would definitely be upsetting the apple cart. And this would be mild compared to when I faced Angelo.

He lead me over to the bar, his swagger never faltering. "I think we need a drink to celebrate my new career as your dashing bodyguard. Emphasis on the body part."

"Are you all right?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Never better." But something flickered in his eyes. "Why? Missing my brother already?"

I frowned. "You're not upset about Valentin?"

He shrugged, a little too casually. "No. He's the hero. Not me. Why? Does that bother you? Prefer the knight in shining armor type?"

My scowl deepened, trying to figure out if this was how he really felt. "But he means so much to you."

He lifted my chin, his touch surprisingly gentle. "So do you. Do you want to go back to New Orleans without me?"

I thought of the wolves and shuddered. The truth was I wasn't sure it was safe for me to go back.

He looked at me intensely, all humor gone for a moment. "You're afraid to go back, aren't you?"

The ultimate question that I wasn't prepared to answer. "I'd like that drink now."

He held up two fingers. "Bourbon. The solution to all life's problems." He picked up my wrist and kissed it, his lips lingering. "I would never let anything happen to you. Scout's honor. Though, full disclosure, I was never actually a scout."

"You mean like your brother?"

He tossed back a shot of bourbon, barely wincing. "I've been protecting little bro all my life. Now I'm going to be protecting you. Lucky you, getting the upgraded model."

His words were light, but there was an unmistakable steel behind them, hinting at centuries of power and authority.

Valentin and Rose left the party, their departure like a cold wind sweeping through the room. Slowly, people began to disperse, the festive atmosphere dissipating like smoke. Guilt swelled inside me, threatening to choke me. Dimitri and I had ruined Louise's party. It was the last thing I wanted to do.

I watched Louise, her face a mask of disappointment as she sipped her drink, talking quietly to Augustus. "I should go talk to her," I murmured, half to myself.

Dimitri's hand on my arm stopped me. "Let her cool off, princess. Trust me, I'm an expert in disappointing people. Give it time."

His cavalier tone grated on my nerves. "How can you be so nonchalant about this? We just destroyed your brother and my best friend's night."

He shrugged, but I caught a flicker of something—regret?—in his eyes before it was masked by his usual smirk. "What can I say? I'm a natural-born party pooper. It's a gift."

"Dimitri, I'm serious."

He sighed, his facade cracking just a little. "Look, sweetheart, sometimes you can't make everyone happy. Believe me, I've tried. Doesn't work."

I glanced around the emptying room, the remnants of what should have been a joyous celebration scattered about. "I never wanted this. Any of it."

Dimitri's arm slipped around my waist, pulling me close. "Welcome to the club, gorgeous. But hey, at least you've got me as your partner in crime now."

Despite everything, I felt a smile tugging at my lips. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Absolutely," he grinned, but there was a softness in his eyes that belied his flippant tone. "I promise, with me around, life will never be boring."

As we stood there, surrounded by the aftermath of our choices, I couldn't help but wonder what other chaos lay ahead. But with Dimitri's arm around me, I felt a strange mix of trepidation and excitement.

"Come on," Dimitri said, guiding me toward the exit. "Let's blow this popsicle stand. I think we've caused enough drama for one night."

As we approached the front door, I cast one last glance at Louise, silently promising to make it up to her somehow. Little did I know, that would be the least of my worries in the days to come.

I wasn't sure I should leave. "Where are we going?"

He nuzzled my neck, his breath hot against my skin. "How about my place, princess? I promise it's much more fun than this snooze fest."

I stopped and put my hand on his chest. "Wait. I have to apologize to Louise."

Dimitri rolled his eyes dramatically. "Why? You didn't do anything. It was all me. I'm the big bad vampire, remember? It's kind of my thing."

When I hesitated, he shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance. "Suit yourself. I'm going to get another bourbon. Maybe two. Hell, why not the whole bottle?"

As he sauntered back to the bar, I watched him down bourbon like it was punch. He was far from all right but getting him to admit that would be harder than climbing Mt. Everest blindfolded.

I called after him, "You know, drowning your sorrows isn't actually going to drown them. They're pretty good swimmers."

He turned, flashing that infuriating smirk. "Who said anything about sorrows? I'm celebrating my newfound career as a bodyguard. Cheers to bad decisions and even worse hangovers!"

I sighed and headed over to Louise who gave me a look that froze my heart.

I held up my hands as if to ward off her evil eye. "I'm sorry."

She glanced over at Dimitri then back to me. "You're really mated to him?"

My spine stiffened. "Yes. I didn't chose it, Louise."

She rubbed her forehead. "Gianna, he's going to break your heart."

I braced my shoulders. "No, he won't. If that were true, the fates wouldn't have chosen him for me. I have been a vampire for almost four hundred years and nothing like this has ever happened to me." I clasped her cold hands and winked. "You have to trust the fates sometime, don't you?"

"But what about Angelo? He'll make him disappear like all the others," she said softly.

"But I wasn't ready to fight for the rest of them. None of them touched my heart like Dimitri. If Angelo tries to hurt him, I'll disappear."

"But you have a price on your head," she said.

Like I didn't know this. I was tired—bone-deep tired—of living a life of loneliness, being put up on a fireplace mantel like a china doll. I could almost feel the dust settling on me, coating my skin with years of isolation .

Angelo was smothering me, his overprotectiveness a noose slowly tightening around my neck. Each day felt like another gasp for air, another struggle to breathe in a world that was becoming too small, too constrained.

I needed more than just a breath of fresh air. I needed a storm, a hurricane to sweep away the cobwebs of my old life. And Dimitri…Dimitri was that storm.

My heart raced at the thought of him, a flush of warmth spreading through my chest. The words tumbled out, raw and honest, surprising even me with their intensity. "I'd rather be dead than live without Dimitri."

"Gianna." Her voice rose an octave, shock evidence in her tone. "You can't be serious. That's being a little dramatic, isn't it?"

"Is it?" I gave her a challenging look. My pulse quickened as I spoke. "Tell me, Louise, what would you do if our roles were reversed, and someone was determined to keep Augustus from you?"

She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I admit it. I'd move heaven and earth to be with him." A rueful smile tugged at her lips. "You don't play fair, do you?"

I met her disappointed gaze, refusing to back down. My jaw set with determination as I thought of the challenge that awaited me. Louise would be easy. The Rock of Gibraltar waited for me in New Orleans, and it would really take heaven and earth to move him. "No, I don't," I said, my voice low and intense. "Not when I've finally found my fated mate."

I kissed her on the cheek. "Happy birthday, Louise." I cupped her cheek. "I've got to go. Dimitri's waiting for me."

I slipped away from her before she said another word, my blood thumping between my ears. As I made my way toward Dimitri, my fingers trembled with anticipation. Petar suddenly blocked my path, his imposing figure looming over me.

"You're making a terrible mistake, Princess." With each word, he pounded his chest as if he were King Kong, the thudding sound making me flinch involuntarily. "I'm your bodyguard, not Dimitri. Angelo won't be pleased."

I forced a curt smile, even as my stomach churned with anxiety. "Not anymore. I fired you."

"You can't fire me. Only Angelo can." His voice grated on my nerves like fingernails dragging down a chalkboard.

I glanced around the room. "Is he here?" My flippant tone seemed to turn his cheeks five shades of red.

He gritted his teeth; the sound audible over the ambient noise. "No. But I've got him on the phone." He shoved the phone into my hand, the force of it almost making me stumble.

I glared at him, my blood burning with defiance, as I put the phone to my ear. "Hello," I answered innocently, my voice coming out steadier than I had imagined.

"What the hell are you doing?" Angelo's low voice was like a foghorn in my ear, making me wince and pull the phone away slightly.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the brewing hurricane. "If Petar told you, then you already know, Angelo. Dimitri Dragan is my mate and now my bodyguard."

"Over my dead body," he emphasized each word as if he was banging on a bass drum, each syllable reverberating through me.

My pulse quickened, but I refused to back down. Dimitri was worth fighting for. "Angelo if you try and kill or even hurt Dimitri, you'll never see me again. I'll run away with him."

"The wolves will hunt you down and kill you. Or have you forgotten they have a contract out on you?" His words nearly stopped my heart, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead, but I was done with being intimidated. "Then I'll die, Angelo."

"He can't protect you."

This time I burst out laughing, the sound bordering on hysterical. "And you believe his father can? They're cut from the same cloth, Angelo. If you believe that Petar can, then you know his son can."

"Petar has demonstrated loyalty. Dimitri has not."

"He's loyal to me, Angelo. And he's loyal to his brother. He'd do anything to protect his brother just like you'd do anything to protect me. Has Petar demonstrated that?"

I met Petar's glowering eyes as a surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins. If he thought he could win this battle, he was wrong. I knew my brother better than anyone and knew exactly what heartstrings to pull.

"You're cutting your vacation short, Gianna. I expect all three of you tomorrow. Don't disappoint me." With that, he hung up the phone and the line went dead. The silence was like a physical presence, pressing in on me from all sides. My breath caught in my throat. In my heart, I knew he had just challenged Dimitri to a duel. A duel he couldn't lose, or once again, I'd lose another lover to Angelo's secret room. The thought made my knees weak, and I had to fight to keep standing.