Night's Cold Kiss Read Online Free PDF Page B

name you humans have coined.”
    “I think it’s best if I talk to my niece alone, Christian. I’ll call you with my answer,” Sergei said.
    Christian nodded. “I’m sorry we’re meeting under suchtragic circumstances, yet again. Your brother was a good man, just like Grigore.”
    That got her attention. Her head snapped around at the mention of her father’s name. When he smiled, her eyes narrowed into slits.
    “It’s been a long time.” Sergei reached over to clasp Christian’s outstretched hand. “And we are in your debt again. Thank you for bringing this to us.”
    Christian offered his hand to Antoinette, only to have it ignored a second time. He shrugged and returned it to his pocket before leaving the room.
    Christian approached the waiting limousine.
    “Mr. Laroque, sir,” the chauffeur said, tipping his cap as he held open the rear door.
    “Take me to the hotel, Mike.” Christian glanced back one last time, shook his head, and climbed into the seat. “I think I need a stiff drink,” he murmured to himself.
    Having met Antoinette face-to-face, he began to doubt whether they’d be able to remain in the same room for more than five minutes, let alone work together. He needed to think.
    As the chauffeur closed the door behind him, Christian sank back into the luxurious leather seat and frowned. She’d seemed intriguing and clever when she’d dealt with the dreniac in Miami, but the meeting tonight hadn’t quite gone to plan. He hadn’t anticipated how extreme her resentment would be. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
    There must be some other way. Dammit!

4
A Dark Past
    Antoinette watched the Aeternus leave. He didn’t just move, he flowed. Like a river that ran deep—calm on the surface but with power and danger hidden beneath. Her mouth dried.
    The moment he was gone she turned on her uncle. “How could you let that creature in here?” Her whole body trembled, bitterness rising in the back of her throat.
    “He came to me with important information.” Sergei shook his head sadly, his disappointment creasing the corners of his eyes. “Please sit. We have a lot to discuss.”
    But the anger wouldn’t let her. She paced back and forth, frustrated and afraid. What was her uncle thinking? Sergei waited, silent and stony until she sank into her seat.
    “You know of the CHaPR Treaty and what it means for the continued safety for all races,” Sergei said. “And you know your great-great-great-grandfather, Nicolae, was an instrumental part in its creation. That is why the first-born Petrescu son bears his name.”
    The first thing any Venator learned was the laws of the CHaPR Treaty and the history surrounding its conception.
    “For centuries, the Aeternus hunted humans and dreniacs went unchecked. In turn we hunted them and the war was bloody with huge losses on both sides.”
    “I don’t need a history lesson, Uncle.” Her side hurt and a headache pounded behind her eyes. The last thing she wanted was a fight with her uncle, but her temper was growing short.
    Sergei closed his eyes for a brief second, a sure sign she’d pushed the boundary of his tolerance. He removed a chain with a small key from around his neck and unlocked a drawer in his desk. He placed a velvet-wrapped bundle on the desk before peeling back the layers of deep burgundy cloth to reveal an ancient leather-bound book.
    “It’s the journal of the first Nicolae Petrescu, our ancestor. The Guild would have it locked away in a huge vault if they knew it existed, but it’s our family legacy, passed from generation to generation.”
    Her uncle ran his hand reverently over the embossed cover.
    “This is the family crest. In these pages, Nicolae tells of secret meetings between himself and Ignatius, Christian’s father, one of the most powerful Aeternus Elders. Nicolae was also an influential man among his people, but he mourned the loss of three sons and didn’t want to lose any more. Ignatius had losses of