Luxure_The Cardinal Brotherhood Book One Read online

  I’m not sure how many hours I’ve been up here lost in thought—lost in every detail of my time with Sirena. Questioning myself over and over again to no avail, I’m frustrated, and there’s no one I can talk to about it. Selma would flip if I told her what happened. She’s already freaking out about me being in San Francisco overnight for five days, and she has good reason. It was foolish of me, but there have been no rumblings in Uitare, so I’m safe for now.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Every muscle tenses at the sound of his voice, my body readying itself for battle. I’m on my feet in an instant grabbing him by the throat. I was always quicker than him.

  “What the fuck are you doing here? How did you find me?” The smug look on his face has my fingers curling into a fist.

  “Now, now. Is that any way to greet your brother after all these years?”

  “How did you find me, Colère?”

  I loosen my grip just enough for him to answer. “When you sensed the girl today… I sensed you.”

  “Why? How?”

  He grasps my arm. “Brother, I never gave up hope that you escaped the Vollstrecker. I’ve been trying to sense you since the moment I heard of your death. I can’t tell you how astounded I was when I finally picked up on you today. It’s a miracle I never thought I’d witness.”

  “Who else knows?”

  “No one. Everyone else believes you are dead. When Luc ordered the Vollstrecker to stop looking for you after two hundred and fifty years, the entire Underworld was convinced you couldn’t have survived for so long undetected. After six hundred years of hoping, our brothers could no longer keep the faith. They all mourned you, my dear Luxure. You have been sorely missed by The Brotherhood.”

  The look of agony in his eyes when he speaks of our family is enough to convince me. Cole and I were always close—the best of friends. I could read him like a book, and I’ve missed him more than I could ever express. “Colère. Is it you? After all this time?”

  “It’s me, Lux, and I’m here to help. I won’t lose you again.” He pulls me into his arms, holding me tight. He doesn’t say another word.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you I was alive. I didn’t want to put you or any of the others in jeopardy. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

  “I get it.” I pull back to look at him, his eyes wet with tears. “I just can’t believe I’m standing here with you after a millennium. I’ve missed you, brother.” A sly grin creeps across his face. “We have a lot to catch up on.”

  “No shit!” I breathe a sigh of relief I didn’t know I was holding. “It’s so fucking good to see you, Cole.”

  We fall into comfortable conversation catching up on a mere fraction of the time we’ve been apart. I explain what happened and how I survived Luc’s attack, and how I’ve gone undetected for so many years without so much as a slip-up… until now. Cole tells me how the Underworld became utter chaos after my ‘death,’ and how the Vollstrecker is feared now more than ever. If they could turn on me, one of the oldest and most revered demons of all time, then no one was safe. He relays my brothers’ reactions explaining to me how they searched the realms unwilling to accept that I was gone. He told me how difficult it had been for them all to come to terms with the loss and how they had scattered to different cities—the once close-knit band of brothers barely able to share the same room together. Apparently, our family descended into anarchy, each brother dealing with their grief in different ways, causing them to fight among themselves. Cole struggled in vain to keep them together as long as he could, but in the end, he didn’t just lose me, he lost all of his brothers.

  I’m devastated to hear how my beloved family has been torn apart by my absence. To think I could have stopped their pain and suffering at any time over the past thousand years, if only I had been less selfish. I was looking out for myself lost in my own grief over Abiteth. I barely stopped to think how it would affect my brothers or our family as a whole, and when I did, I pushed it down until it didn’t hurt anymore. I’ve been so consumed with my agenda, I’d forgotten how to feel… until last week. My goal for the past millennium has been to lay low and bide my time. I always thought that one day I would avenge Abi and get a chance to stand face to face with Luc to find out why he took her from me and showed me no mercy. I was his best friend, his second-in-command. I was the brother he never had, and he gave the order to kill my soulmate as if it was nothing. He sent the Vollstrecker after me as if I were a stranger.

  Selma has been my only interaction of consequence since I left the Underworld, and as much as I care for her, I’ve always kept her at arm’s length for her benefit as well as mine. The moment I made contact with Sirena Sovende, everything changed. A fierce urge to protect her has rekindled a side of me that I thought was long gone. Somehow, the connection I feel to her has given me back my brother and made me even more determined to get to the bottom of what all this means.

  “So, Luxure, who is the girl?” It’s as if he’s reading my mind. “The one you risked everything to sense.”

  Something inside of me is wary to share any details about Sirena with Cole. It’s crazy because he’s my brother, and he has always had my back. I know I can trust him, and yet I find myself lying to him. “Just a girl I want to fuck. I suppose I was thinking with my dick rather than my brain and had a momentary lapse in judgment.”

  He doesn’t believe me. I can see it in his eyes. “You think with your dick all the time. That’s no excuse. What’s different about this girl?”

  “Nothing. She’s just fucking hot. It’s been too long since I found a human who appealed to me as much. Simple.” I feel inexplicably uneasy. Maybe it’s just been so long since I’ve been around my brother that I’ve forgotten how to trust anyone but Selma.

  He looks me up and down, and I know he can tell something’s wrong. “Really?”

  “Yes. What else would it be?”

  “Maybe we could tag team her? It would be like old times. We did some fucked up kinky-ass shit back in the day.” I think back to when Abi would ask Cole to join us for sex. It was uncomfortable for me, but I did it for her. She loved having both of us fuck her at the same time, and I relished seeing her so satisfied. My mind then turns to Sirena. I picture her face in my mind, the touch of her skin on my lips, and I feel… angry. I don’t want to share her. She’s not even mine to share, but the idea makes my fingers curl into my palms forming tight fists. Cole’s eyes dart to my hands before returning to my face, a look of cool satisfaction spreading across his features. “Something wrong, brother?”

  I quickly relax reining myself in. “No. I’d just like to ride this one solo before sharing her. She seems like a real spitfire, and I’ve got her just where I want her. If I have to change my plan now, I’ll be rocking some serious blue balls. I love you, brother, but I love getting laid more.”

  It seems to appease him… for now.

  I don’t know why, but I don’t want him anywhere near Sirena, especially when I don’t know what I’m dealing with yet. I need answers before I tell him anything.

  I steer the conversation in a different direction as we watch the sunrise over Alcatraz. Cole fills me in on what all of my brothers are doing. The youngest of my brothers, the twins, are still in Vegas corrupting everyone who stumbles across their path. After all, greed and gluttony do go hand in hand.

  My brother, Kade, is living in New York. He’s the envy of the NY elite quietly pushing the wealthy on Wall Street to covet each other’s gain. Never happy with their success, always wanting more—someone else’s car, job, house, wife, or girlfriend. It makes sense that he’d be there. New York is the envy of the world. What better place for him to blend in and wreak havoc?

  Reese, or ‘Sloth’ as he’s conceptually known, is living in New Orleans. He’s laying low in the French Quarter enjoying the jazz and working in a bar. He was never the high flyer of the pack, but when he lets his creativity loose, he knows how to drain a person of any motivation or enthusiasm they hav
e to achieve… well… anything at all with their life. It’s a beautiful thing to watch. It’s rare, but amazing, to see him take a doctor who has the drive and intelligence to cure cancer and turn him into a bum on the street—it’s a talent. I play on people’s primal nature—that’s easy to do—break down a person’s inhibitions, and convince them that it’s okay to give in to their deepest, darkest urges. I just give them permission and acceptance. Reese, on the other hand, can make people do a one-eighty and turn them completely against their nature crafting them into something they were never meant to be.

  The closest to me in age, Van, is living in D.C. Although we were nearest in age, Van and I were never close. He could never admit when he was wrong or when one of us had done something worth congratulating. He is the definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face. He’d die choking on his pride before he would show some humility and ask for help. I just don’t get that shit. It always annoyed the hell out of me, and I know, without a doubt, that he was the least affected by my disappearance. We clashed over everything and never agreed on anything. He hated the fact I was the most ‘popular.’ It’s ridiculous when you think about it. A grown-ass demon getting his panties in a twist because he perceives me to be the ‘cool kid.’ It fucking grates on me even thinking about the fights we used to have. Cole tells me that Van is currently one of the President’s chief advisors. Explains a lot—the leading world power is corrupt from the core. One thing I’ll say about Van, he’s a master at what he does. He can take down anyone. Throughout history, he has placed himself alongside the most influential, political, and royal figures dismantling them from the inside out.

  I realize that in the hours we’ve been catching up, Cole hasn’t mentioned anything about what he’s been doing. “So now I’m up to speed with the rest of the family… what have you been doing all these years?”

  “Looking for you, Luxure.”

  I find myself laughing. The game of verbal chess playing out between us is a thinly-veiled attempt to gauge each other’s intentions. “Bullshit! I want to know. What have you been doing? How have these vast years of separation treated you, brother?”

  “You know me… I’ve taken great delight in exacting revenge on those who dared to cross me. I’ve helped the worst of humankind realize their potential for hate, unleashing their wrath on everyone around them… innocent or otherwise.” He always took such pleasure in his work. His capacity to destroy a person’s life, human and supernatural alike, is unparalleled.

  “I’d expect nothing less.” The sly grin he tries to hide isn’t lost on me. “And Luc? How is your relationship with him?” He flinches at my once best friend’s name—the ruler of the Underworld.

  “He kept his distance after what happened to you. He knows my aptitude for revenge better than anyone. He gave me a wide berth for centuries. We coexist in the Underworld, but we are by no means friends.”

  “Who is his second-in-command now?”

  “Azazel. He was eager to step up after you were gone.”

  I find it surprising that Luc would choose Aze as his second. He was never a true warrior. A background beta rather than an Alpha personality. I didn’t know they were close. I can’t say it doesn’t sting, even after all these years, to know that I was so easily replaced.

  “I have a question for you, Lux. Who has been helping you all this time?”

  “Why would you ask that?” I’m hesitant to answer his question.

  “Because no one… not even you dear brother could stay hidden for a thousand years without help from at least one other supernatural being.”

  He’s a clever motherfucker, always has been. “One of the Masuulka took pity on me in exchange for my… specific talents.”

  “You’ve been whoring yourself to the granite gatekeepers all this time?”

  His way with words has me chuckling to myself. I’ve missed his unique sense of humor. “I guess you could call it that! Why would that surprise you? After all, I am Luxure Zonder.”

  “Touché.”

  The mention of the Masuulka brings the passage of time to my attention. Selma will be worried sick that I didn’t return to Uitare last night. I broke my promise to her. When I realize the time, I’m suddenly more concerned with the fact that I’m supposed to meet Sirena today. I don’t want to leave my brother after such a brief reunion, but I don’t want to miss my opportunity to find out more about her.

  “Speaking of staying hidden. If you were able to sense me, I should get out of here and lay low for a while.”

  “You want to skip out on me? Seriously? I only just found you. The boys will want to see you.”

  I quickly interrupt. “You can’t tell them. Not yet anyway.”

  “They’re your brothers. What the fuck?”

  “I don’t want to put them, or you, in danger. If Luc finds out I’m still alive, and that you know, he’ll come for me and then for you.”

  “How will I find you again?”

  “I’ll meet you here next Friday night. If you hear anything in the meantime that could put either of us in jeopardy, get a message to the Masuulka. They’ll make sure it gets to me.”

  “Anyone in particular?” He’s fishing for information.

  “No. If the message is in Uitare, I’ll find out.”

  He pulls me into his arms. “Stay safe, brother. I can’t tell you how good it is to have you back.”

  “I will. It’s good to be back. I’ll see you next week.” Without another word, I disappear, but instead of jumping to my apartment, I go to various locations all over the city before finally ending up at my safe haven in the center of town. I feel like a paranoid conspiracy theorist trying to evade my brother, but I’ve spent so long on the run never settling anywhere other than Uitare. The possibility of having my family back in my life is something I never thought I would have, but I can’t shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  I have a few hours before I need to be at Sirena’s, so I try to relax and enjoy a long hot shower letting the revelations of the past twelve hours wash over me. I can’t believe I was face to face with my brother, my closest friend, for the first time in a thousand years. It is both amazing and worrying. If I were clever, I would have gone straight back to Uitare and found Selma to see if anyone else knows I’m still alive. Instead, I’m in the most dangerous place I could be ready to risk being found—all to see a woman I barely know. Maybe I’m thinking with my dick, but she is smoking hot. Or maybe, just maybe, I’ve grown so tired of my life that I am willing to take a risk to get answers to the hundreds of questions she has unearthed. Maybe I’m so intrigued to find someone who reacts differently to me than anyone ever has in my extraordinarily long existence that I just can’t walk away.

  As I stare into the mirror, I contemplate all the mistakes I’ve made since the moment I set eyes on Sirena, and all the mistakes I’m about to make. I can’t help but laugh as I take such care styling my hair just the way I like it and pick out my favorite t-shirt and jeans to wear. She won’t see or appreciate any of my efforts. She’ll see someone completely different. She’ll see the guy she met at the gallery, the guy she saw in her lecture hall, and the paramedic from the hospital. I still can’t fathom why she’s seen me as the same guy every time, but tonight, she’ll stare into his ice-blue eyes as she speaks in her breathy, sexy rasp aroused by his body and face. I hate it. I want to seduce her as I am… my true self. Just the thought of her voice has me twitching in my pants.

  I pull on my leather jacket, make the transformation, and head out the door checking over my shoulder the entire time. Looking for Cole… looking for anyone who might be following me. When I’m certain I’m alone, I make the jump across town.

  I can sense her… feel her from a block away. One thing I know for sure, I’m in serious fucking trouble with this girl.

  5

  LUXURE

  As I approach the steps of the powder blue house with Sovende written on the mailbox, I can hear the sounds of Sir
ena inside. She’s singing as she works in the kitchen, the clatter of the pots a perfect percussion for her song. I’ve never heard a voice so sweet, so ethereal. It calls to me drawing me in—a moth to the flame. Her dulcet tones are a seductive lullaby washing over me wave after wave. She enchants me, and I’m lost in the moment until I feel a presence behind me. I quickly turn to face the source of my unease. Standing on the steps of the house next door is a man—tall, muscular, and staring me down with righteous conviction. He’s a guardian angel. I would know one of them anywhere. They have a distinctive look, and their presence causes a physical reaction in my body—a warning signal that I’m being watched, and I’m in danger of being under attack. He doesn’t move, he doesn’t even flinch as our eyes meet. He simply stands and stares until I begin walking up the steps. As I make my way to the front door, a woman joins him on the porch. I can tell with one glance that she is also an angel, not a Guardian, but a celestial being nonetheless.

  As if Sirena can sense me coming, the door opens before my hand touches the doorbell. Our eyes lock, and her neighbors disappear inside. I feel their presence fading, and as I stare into the eyes of the woman before me, my concerns also begin to fade. The energy I feel from her consumes me making it impossible for me to focus on anything but her. Her hair is swept up in a messy bun, red tendrils escaping, kissing her cheeks, which are covered in a light dusting of what I think is flour.

  “You’re here.”

  “I’m here.” We stand for a moment neither one of us making a move.

  “I’m so sorry. Please come in. I must have lost track of time. I meant to clean myself up and change my clothes before you arrived. Please excuse the mess that is me right now.”