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"Your mother is gone. She left me 28 years ago," Kian replied. His eyes drifted to his hands in his lap before meeting mine again. "She chose to leave us, Josephine. She chose to abandon her child and the husband she swore she loved above all others. I do not wish to speak of her. "
I swallowed roughly, glancing up at Stefan. His face was unreadable, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he considered Kian's words. His right eyebrow quirked, confirming my suspicions. He knew something wasn't right with my father's story.
"I deserve to know her name, Kian. You owe me that much," I retorted quietly.
His hands squeezed the arms of the chair and his lips became a thin line. Anger lined his expressive face and his sparkling green eyes flashed with rage. "I will not speak her name. Do not ask me again. We will talk soon. "
Stefan lightly squeezed my hand, giving me a non-verbal queue that it was time to leave. I stared at my father for another few seconds before letting Stefan tug me towards the elevator. Stepping inside, I met my father's gaze as the doors closed. His face was an unyielding mask as the door separated us.
"That was unwise, Josephine. I understand that you are new to this world and the protocol that goes along with it. Angering a Board member can have unpleasant ramifications. " Stefan's mental voice brushed softly into my thoughts as the elevator began its descent.
"You sound like you're reciting a passage from a rule book, Stefan. I deserve to know who my mother is, Stefan. He owes me that much, don't you think?"
"What I think and what Kian thinks are very likely two different things, vackra. He makes the rules and it is my job to enforce them. He is not a human that can easily be manipulated and controlled, Josephine. He has ordered the deaths of many of my kind without a second thought or a moment of remorse. " Stefan turned slightly to face me. He ran the back of his fingers across my cheekbone and looked at me with regret. "You have questions that need answers. We will find them. Together. "
The elevator doors opened into the garage area, effectively ending our non-verbal conversation. Walking side by side, we headed through the room to a large door. Stefan paused and pulled his sunglasses from his pocket and swiftly placed them on, covering his eyes. He opened the door and we were met by brisk air, sunshine and traffic. The air was filled with the smells of the city: car exhaust, asphalt and the aroma of different foods, spilling out from neighboring restaurants.
My mind was flooded with visions and emotions of the people that passed by us on the street. Slamming my mental shields into place, I inhaled a shaky breath. Being in the presence of vampires had caused me to lower my guard since they were mysterious voids to me. It was another advantage of being in a relationship with a vampire. I didn't have to buffer my mind from unwanted intrusions.
"Stefan! Josephine!"
We turned in unison to see Nigel approaching us. He wasn't as tall as Stefan, but was more solidly built than him. Nigel's long, tousled light brown hair was shining in the sunlight and his kind, hazel eyes were covered with sunglasses. He inclined his head as he stopped to stand in front of us.
"I have your car waiting for you with your luggage inside. Is there anything else I can do to be of assistance?" Nigel questioned.
"That should do, Nigel. Thank you," Stefan answered, extending his hand to him. Nigel shook Stefan's hand and his sunglass covered eyes focused on me.
"Josephine, it was a pleasure meeting you. We will see each other again under better circumstances, I hope. "
I glanced up at Stefan, and he nodded in response. Nigel led us to the silver Mercedes sedan and opened the door for me. I sank into the leather seat and Nigel leaned down slightly as he reached to shut the door for me. He paused for a moment before he quietly spoke. "I loved your mother. She was nearly as beautiful as you, Josephine. "
"My mother? You know who my mother is?" My voice came out like a strangled shriek as I grabbed at Nigel's arm.
"Later. " Nigel gently pulled his arm away from my grasp and closed the door. My eyes were locked on his face as we pulled away from the carriage house.
"Stefan? You have to go back. I have to talk to him!" I was frantic to go back to find out the information Nigel had about my mother.
"Soon, Josephine. I promise that you will find out everything. You must be patient. " Stefan drove quietly t
hrough the heavy traffic. He dodged and changed lanes frequently, heading down West 28th Street towards Chelsea. Stefan turned and we drove into underground parking, pulling into an assigned parking space. He gracefully unfolded his large frame from the car, stopping long enough to pull our bag from the trunk. He made his way around to my door, opening it gallantly for me.
"Where are we?" I asked as I pulled myself from the car, slamming the door behind me. Stefan pressed a button on the key fob and the car alarm chirped twice.
Stefan was silent as he turned, heading towards the elevator. He punched a code into the keypad by the elevator and the doors separated quietly. He stepped inside, jerking his head backwards for me to join him. Sighing heavily, I followed and moved to stand beside him. He reached a long arm over to press '8' on the panel and the doors closed and the elevator quietly began moving, a small ding chiming as it passed each floor. It rocked to a stop on the eighth floor, the doors opening to plush carpeting and beige walls.
He exited the elevator to the right and I trailed behind him as he sauntered down the short hallway to 8B, pulling a key out of his pocket, unlocking the door and opening it. He stood in the doorway, a smirk settling over his handsome face.
"Are you going to come inside our home or would you like to meet our neighbor?"
I jumped in surprise at his casual mention of referring to this apartment as ours. Faltering for a second, I finally was able to get my feet to cooperate and move. "Our neighbor? Whose apartment is this?"
Stepping inside the spacious living room, I took in my surroundings. The entire living room and kitchen was a wall of windows, offering a fantastic view of the nearby Gallery district and the Highline. The furniture was modern and sleek, the apartment decorated in neutral shades of cream and beige, accented with bright splashes of red and turquoise. A giant fireplace with built in bookshelves lined one wall.
"This is my apartment, which is now yours as well. It is something more for us to discuss later, yes? Stefan asked as he shut and locked the door behind him. He turned to face me with a smirk. "Would you like the grand tour now?"
Pursing my lips, I ran my fingers through my hair. "By all means. Lead the way. "
Stefan walked through the living room and kitchen which led into a hallway. I should have been paying attention to the house, but I was more interested in staring at the muscles in his broad shoulders and his taut ass as I followed closely behind him.
