Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Dimitri

I ditched New Orleans and headed to Salem, hoping to put some distance between me and the vampire politics that were driving me… well, batty, no pun intended. Apparently, breaking Dracula's rules and teaming up with my dad's little outlaw gang to keep Valentin out of trouble didn't exactly scream reformed vampire. People still saw me as the bad seed, the troublemaker.

Maybe they were right.

But Salem, with its white picket fences and picture-perfect respectability, was starting to make me feel like I was trapped in a 1950s sitcom. I thought I could escape my past and start fresh, but it turned out that no matter where I went, my reputation always found a way to catch up with me. So much for turning over a new leaf .

"Come on, Dimitri. Louise's party will be fun," my sister-in-law, Rose, coaxed. She plopped down on the leather couch next to me, her blonde hair falling in cascades around her face.

I smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Fun? I have a different definition of fun, Rose. Mine involves a sexy little thing and a bottle of bourbon. A witch's fortieth birthday doesn't sound exciting. Plus, if I go, I'll have to be on my best behavior, and we both know that's not my strong suit."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You're incorrigible."

"And that's why you like me," I said, flashing her a devilish grin.

Rose shook her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You're impossible."

"Impossibly charming, you mean," I retorted, my grin widening.

Rose's familiar, her black cat Bellona, sat on the coffee table, staring at me with her big yellow eyes. I could almost feel the cat's disapproval washing over me, but I didn't care what a cat thought.

"Now be nice, Dimitri."

I leaned my head back on the couch and sighed. "But nice is so boring."

There was a rapid knock on the door and Rose answered it. She flashed me a fierce look as if to say behave. "Louise! Augustus! Come on in."

"Speak of the devil," I murmured as Louise burst into the apartment with her husband following her.

Louise spun, her dark hair flying around her. Excitement flared in her eyes. "Guess what? Gianna's coming to the party. Her brother is actually letting her leave New Orleans."

Rose smiled, but I could see the wariness in her green eyes. "That's…great. I know you were worried she wouldn't come."

My heart stilled at the name. "Wait, you're not talking about Gianna Santi, are you? The vampire king's little sister?"

Louise sat down on the opposite couch, her posture defensive. "Yes. She's one of my best friends. And before you start, she's nothing like her brother."

I scowled, unable to resist stirring the pot. "She's a spoiled vampire mafia princess."

"Dimitri…" Rose warned, her tone sharp.

I shrugged, ignoring the murderous glare Louise shot my way. Her husband, Augustus, looked like he was ready to go to war to defend his wife. How noble.

"Why don't you go see if your brother needs help with the grill?" Rose suggested, her smile a little tight.

I laughed, holding up my hands in mock surrender. "All right, all right, I can take a hint. I'll go before I accidentally start World War III."

I slid open the glass door and stepped outside. Valentin glanced up at me, a grin spreading across his face. "Dude!" His long dark hair was pulled up in a man bun, and he looked happier than I'd seen him in a while. Good for him.

"Louise and her knight in shining armor are here," I said, grabbing a beer from the cooler .

Valentin cocked an eyebrow at my tone. "What's wrong?"

"They had some news. Apparently, Gianna Santi is gracing us with her presence at Louise's little shindig."

"How's Rose taking it? She's fiercely loyal to Costin and King Nico, and Angelo Santi and his family have broken practically every rule in Dracula's book."

I shrugged. "She's definitely Team Dracula, not Team Angelo."

Valentin shot me an uneasy look. "And what team are you?"

I flashed him a devious smile. "Isn't it obvious? Team Dimitri. Always."

He shook his head as he took the steaks off the grill. "Just don't stir up any trouble tonight, okay?"

"Anything for you, baby bro," I said with a smirk, raising my beer in a mock toast.

I followed Valentin back into the dining room. "I thought I heard voices in here," he said. He put the platter of steaks on the counter. "Hope you're all hungry."

"Angelo called me this morning." Augustus held my gaze. "We need to tell them who is coming besides Gianna."

I cocked my eyebrow, a smirk playing on my lips despite the warning bells going off in my head. "Let me guess, the Easter Bunny. Or perhaps Santa Claus."

Rose looped her arm through Valentin's, her face growing pale as she sought comfort in his presence. "Angelo himself?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper .

"No." Augustus focused on me, his expression grave, as if he expected me to explode at any moment.

I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. "Enough with the guessing game, Augustus. Who's the mystery guest?"

He lifted his chin, his words hitting me like a punch to the gut. "Your father, Petar Dragan. He's Gianna's new personal bodyguard."

Valentin's face drained of color, and Rose tightened her grip on his arm. I just stared. Petar—really? The man who had tormented us for years, the monster from whom we had barely escaped with our lives?

I let out a harsh laugh, my eyes narrowing as I met Augustus's gaze. "We're not going anywhere near that sadistic bastard."

Valentin locked his gaze with mine, newfound determination blazing in his eyes. "I'm done living in fear of Petar Dragan, Dimitri. Rose and I are going to that party, with or without you." His voice was steady, a far cry from the timid kid I once knew.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well, look at you, all grown up and ready to take on the big bad wolf." I sauntered over to the bourbon, pouring myself a generous splash. Beer clearly wasn't going to cut it tonight.

As the amber liquid burned down my throat, memories of dear old dad's parenting methods flooded my mind. The beatings. The verbal abuse. The constant terror he'd inflicted on Valentin. It had taken every ounce of my charm and cunning to keep that monster's attention on me instead of on my little brother.

I poured myself another shot and tossed it back, savoring the burn in my throat. I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for the explosion. So I gave it to them.

"You know what? Why not? Let's go to this little shindig. I could use some entertainment."

I turned back to Valentin, my smirk morphing into a wicked grin. "Just remember, if Petar even looks at your sideways, I'll be there to remind him why he should've never messed with the Dragan brothers in the first place."

I raised my glass in a mock toast. "To the Dragan brothers, the bane of Petar Dragan's existence. May he choke on his own bile when he sees us strutting into that party like we own the place."

I poured yet another shot and held it up, my eyes glinting with mischief. "But let's get one thing straight. If Petar even tries any of his usual bullshit, I'll make sure it's a night to remember. And, Louise darling?" I downed the shot, my gaze locked on hers. "Anyone who aligns with that bastard is my sworn enemy, including the vampire mafia princess he's paid to protect. If he even tries any of his dirty tricks with my brother, I'll paint that party red. Literally."

I set the glass down with a thud, my grin turning predatory. "You know what? I wouldn't miss this party for the world. It's about time dear old dad learned that he can't control us anymore."

Turning to Valentin, I clapped him on the shoulder, my grip firm. "We're gonna walk into that party like we own the place, bro. And if Petar even thinks about starting trouble with you, he'll have to go through me first. I've been itching for a chance to put him in his place, and this might just be the perfect opportunity."

My mind raced with the possibilities. "We could even make a game out of it. Every time Petar glares at us, we take a shot. Every time he tries to intimidate us, we laugh in his face. We'll show him that we're done being his punching bags."

I winked at Valentin, my smirk firmly in place. "And who knows? Maybe I'll even manage to steal a dance with the lovely Gianna Santi, just to really twist the knife. After all…what's a party without a little drama?"